The USB 2.0 High Speed cable specification has a different twist pitch and better shielding than old USB cables. Having spent more time worrying about USB connectivity problems than most people, I can absolutely vouch that it is a bad idea to use a USB 1.1 cable with a 480Mbit link. Combine that with, say, front panel ports (which are usually dodgy in their own right) and I have seen repeatable failures in a sizeable percentage of tests.

Of course you don't pay Monster Cable prices - you get them from an online vendor for about a tenth the price. What a shame it's almost impossible to buy good value cables in the high street now - the "premium" brands have it sewn up (thanks to the *vast* profit margin).

Rob