Review: USB Cables from Tendon

Computer cables are the most over looked piece of technology on any computer system. Too often a cheap cable or a poorly made socket is the cause of many late nights or critical problems at urgent moments. You should never short change yourself and save a few dollars between a cheap cable and higher end cable. Today GetUSB looks at Tendon USB cables.

Tendon makes a full line of USB cables, DVI cables, HDMI cables and host of other cable products.

Today we are looking at the 15 foot USB-A to USB-A cable which is ideal for scanners, printers, external hard drives and USB hubs. Tendon also sent a variety of other USB cables, all of which are made using the same technique, materials and craftsmanship.

Tendon uses well designed grip inlays to easily connect and disconnect the cable. The handle is firm and designed not to strain the solder connection between the USB connector and cabled wire.

The USB contacts on the port are copper plated to insure the highest performance in data transfer rates and error free transmission while in use.

The white PVC jacket is ultra flexible giving a nice feel to the cable while providing ease of use and no possibility of crimping.

The Tendon USB cable has a braid shield underneath the white PVC to guarantee an interface free connection. In addition, the internal USB wires (red, green, black, white) are protected by an additional foil envelope for ultimate integrity.

The heavy-duty wire inside the cable is 22AWG power wire and exceeds all FCC requirements and UL standards.

Real world test: I recently upgraded my laptop hard drive from a 40GB to 120GB drive. To make the hard drive transition simple and easy I used Casper to shadow the old hard drive to the new. During the process Casper gave me an error message stating one of several problems: 1) New hard drive is too close to a large monitor (my 19 LCD) or other electrical device which is causing interference, 2) Having a poorly insulated USB wire causing electrical interference.

Getting the Tendon USB cable, I replaced the current cable (the one from my Nikon SLR) and restarted the process. The hard drive copied without a problem. Nothing changed in my environment other than swapping out my USB cable.

Conclusion: Tendon USB cables are clearly made to the highest of quality standards. The only change we’d like to see is different color coded inlays to differentiate between USB-A cables to that of USB-B or Mini. All Tendon USB cables are Hi-Speed certified for 480Mbps and packaging includes the Hi-Speed logo as proof (USB-IF website). On a closing note, Tendon is thoughtful enough to include a Velcro strap in their USB cable design to easily stow lengthy cable and keep your work environment clean.