This thread made me order some stuff from Amazon for testing.
Setup: Left side USB 3.0 port of my Dell XPS15 is used as source. A UFX+ is connected via USB 3.0 runing at 192 kHz with all I/Os active. Windows driver 0.9685.
Cables and device testing
Connecting the Dell and UFX+ with 4m USB 3 cable:
USB-Kabel 3.0 Neo 6 - BlueShell - 4 m (13 ft)
https://www.amazon.de/gp/product/B077DD2M7M/
Absolutely perfect behaviour. Quite unexpected quality as you can read below.
USB 3.0 Printer cable 13Ft/4M
https://www.amazon.de/gp/product/B07PXZH8W7/
Printing might work. Audio doesn't
deleyCON 5m USB 3.0 Extender cable Repeater cable active
https://www.amazon.de/gp/product/B073J92722/
This cable (which seems to be OEM and more or less the same as all other active cables at Amazon) does not refresh the signal both ways by special driver chips. Instead it has a USB hub chip on one side of the cable. More or less the same as getting a long cable and putting a normal hub after that. Unfortunately it fails in compatibility and function. The cable is really picky and won't work in several scenarios. I don't know if that is caused by the GenesysLogic hub chip that it includes (these had been problematic for us before), or the way the chip is internally used/connected, or the cable's own quality. Whatever - failed means returned.
An example of why this active repeater cable is useless: I can use the upper BlueShell 4 m cable into an old Orico 4 port hub (Via hub chip inside), then continue with a 3 meter cable into the UFX+. Works perfectly. 7 meters in total.
Trying to use a hub at the end of the extension cable
OEM 4 Port USB 3.0 Hub
https://www.amazon.de/gp/product/B01M5DH2N9/
This unit is available from dozens of sellers under different brand names. It has a short cable attached. Using it like this it seemed to work, as hub beside the laptop. But that was not my application, I needed it at the end of a Corning USB 3 optical extension, where it failed completely (quite unusual. I expect some compatibility problem with the Renesas hub chip inside the Corning). It also failed when used at the end of the BlueShell cable when used with an A/B adapter. And yes, GenesysLogic hub chip inside...
So you may think that GenesysLogic chips simply don't work - Check this:
ORICO Aluminium 4 Ports USB 3.0 Hub
https://www.amazon.de/gp/product/B07PQ58V2B/
This is the newer version of my old and always working 4 port hub. Orico claims that it is 'equipped with the latest RTS5411 USB3.0 chip'. I had to look this up, Realtek (the onboard sound chip company) also manufactures a USB 3 hub chip. Funnily enough what's really in the box is a GenesysLogic chip. And surprise, it works perfectly. No problem with the Corning cable, no problem with the above 4 m USB cable plus 3 m to the UFX+.
You see, USB 3 still is a hit and miss. At least these days we have less struggle to return such failing products quickly...
Regards
Matthias Carstens
RME