Customer Reviews

AmazonBasics USB 2.0 A-Male to A-Female Extension Cable (9.8 Feet/3.0 Meters)

5 star:		(167)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I bought this to extend the length of my existing PlayStation 3 DualShock controller cable. I prefer going wireless with my controller, but when the battery runs down the only way to charge it is to plug in the Sony-supplied cable. Unfortunately, that cable was too short for me to sit back in my chair away from the TV, so I always had to quit playing until it charged. I bought this cable to extend the original controller cable's length, not as a replacement.

This AmazonBasic's USB extension cable is a good a quality cable for a low price, and the "frustration-free packaging" means the box the cable comes in is also the box it's shipped in. It works perfectly for the purpose I bought it: extending the length of PS3 Dualshock controller cable, allowing me to continue playing while charging the battery.

The AmazonBasics range of USB cables are well-made and robust, with gold-plated terminals for better connection and longer life, while the cable cores and coatings are soft and pliable, ensuring that they will bend round any awkward corners without taking any damage. Connector shrouds are slim-line and so should not run the risk of fouling adjacent cables should your USB ports be close to other ports, as they often are. They do come at a higher price than budget brands so you may do well to shop around if you don't need something this robust, but if you have a need for a long-life cable that needs to take some knocks without complaint then you will probably not find better.

The "frustration-free" packaging is a large, easily opened box which while undoubtedly more environmentally friendly and less damaging to fingers than the standard plastic bubble pack generally beloved of cable manufacturers these days, is nevertheless excessive for such a small product. The biggest frustration is likely to be the fact that the box will not fit into a standard mail-box. A straightforward strong padded envelope would have sufficed.

Short little USB cables that force you to store all your devices within 3-6 feet of your computer really irritate me. I dislike having all my peripherals sitting in my lap when I'm trying to do work. I bought one of these so I could put my printer on the back side of my office. It did just want I wanted it to, and I'm very pleased.

Please be aware that this is NOT a longer USB cable. It is an extension cable with 'Type A' connectors at BOTH ends (male and female) - meaning that this cable will NOT connect 2 devices by itself. It will only work with and extend a 'regular' USB cable that has a 'Type A' male connector at one end. 'Type A' is the type of connector that would normally plug into your computer or laptop USB port.

These being said, I found it quite useful with peripherals that come with permanently attached cables that are not as long as I wish they were. I am using mine with a Logitech Driving Force GT Racing Wheel and with a T-flight Hostas joystick on which we can use a longer cable.

There's not much to say other than everything is done right, including the price. It is USB 2.0 certified and connectors at both ends appear to be gold-plated and solidly built. This is important because, unlike a HDMI cable that you usually plug it in at the back of your equipment and it's likely to stay there, USB cables tend to be plugged in and out many times and this is even more so the case with an extension cable.

While USB cables are clearly a commodity item these days, AmazonBasics cables do have a couple of advantages over the competition.

- EASY RETURN - I know because I had to return quite a few items for various reasons. Amazon makes it very easy and, if you are returning the item because it came defective or damaged Amazon pays for shipping.

- WARRANTY - these wires come with a 1-year warranty.I am highly confident that Amazon will be around to honor its warranty and I'm not so sure about vendors I know less.

- QUALITY ASSURANCE - I've never had any problems with 'cheap' USB or HDMI cables but it may be reassuring to have Amazon's name on a wire. My assumption is that Amazon did insist on some quality checks before they stamped their logo on the product.

- PRICE - This cable may appear more expensive than others but keep in mind that, unlike most, it qualifies for SuperSavers and Amazon Prime free shipping.

I am awarding this item 5 stars for price and quality - there's nothing to complain. There may be better deals out there, pricewise but I decided to go with the Amazon brand in this case for the reasons cited above.

Not much to complain about given the nature of such a simple connector, but a single word of caution: This cable has appeared to fail me when used with an external hard drive. Through educated extrapolation and trial and error, it seems its' length is just too much for long term use with an external HD. I suspect it may have been a factor in the death of a 500GB HD after a few tests.
There is nothing wrong with it, it's fine for printer applications and the like. But CONSTANT HEAVY DATA TRANSMISSION appears to cause a bit of a bottleneck and unnecessary strain on your equipment.

I bought a pair of these cables because I had USB cables all over my house that didn't reach far enough with their stock cables. I used one to connect my 2TB external hard drive to my desktop. It allowed me to put the hard drive at the top of my computer desk in a pleasing manageable spot away from the desktop. These cables allow you to be very flexible in your placement of equipment.

I used the other USB cable on my portable devices, the cellphones and the iPad. The iPad doesn't charge as quickly, but it charges well enough. The cellphones are charged flawlessly. Instead of buying another, more expensive and longer cord for your devices, get one or two of these instead. They're inexpensive and work well.

It's a simple USB cable - nothing revolutionary about it. The connector housing for the female end feels beefy, but that's probably because it's a little more substantial than what I've found in the past.

My one big issue with this is that each one comes in a 1-inch deep box. It could easily have been shipped in an envelope or something, but if you order several of them, they result in a large amount of cardboard. Far from a "not green complain - I think it just seems kind of pointless.

I bought one of these to extend the range of a Wireless Aircard that was not getting very good reception close to the computer. This cable gave me the range to get a much better signal.

The cable came in a frustration-free box that is like a 1-person pizza box. Out of the box I noticed one end of the cable to the connector bent hard. So I was worried about its connectivity. But so far it's been fine as I'm using it to extend USB cable for PS3 Camera eye.

Problem solved no more yanking my mouse cord around because it wasn't long enough. Now I can set at my computer and relax....perfect. Why do they make cords so short anyway?