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DAC tour

I have sent a replacement ISO-DAC to divedeepdog
This version has 5V 1 Amp output on its USB ports - derived from an ultra-low noise voltage regulator TPS7A4700 powered by battery - so it is one of the cleanest 5V supplies possible.
This is an option at time of order

BTW, I haven't said this before but these devices can be run without their batteries installed - a BYOB option (Bring Your Own Batteries)
 
Just at the HIFi Show in Schaumburg, just outside Chicago, Illinois and SOtM out of Korea was making a lot of buzz with their similarly focused products, so I reckon this is indeed a thing, at least for calendar year 2018. A number of companies: Ideon out of Greece and Wyred4Sound out of California (USA) are marketing products which sit between the digital source and the DAC as well. In the case of the latter two re-clocking devices again with the aim of reducing noise from the USB connection to the source.
 
Just at the HIFi Show in Schaumburg, just outside Chicago, Illinois and SOtM out of Korea was making a lot of buzz with their similarly focused products, so I reckon this is indeed a thing, at least for calendar year 2018. A number of companies: Ideon out of Greece and Wyred4Sound out of California (USA) are marketing products which sit between the digital source and the DAC as well. In the case of the latter two re-clocking devices again with the aim of reducing noise from the USB connection to the source.
Would love to have a head-to-head with other USB cleaning devices as in my focus group listening, it beat the Regen & the Intona (even when these were powered with the same battery power as I use - this battery PS was found to be the best config to get the best sound out of these two devices) & the Regen+Intona combined :)
 
Would love to have a head-to-head with other USB cleaning devices as in my focus group listening, it beat the Regen & the Intona (even when these were powered with the same battery power as I use - this battery PS was found to be the best config to get the best sound out of these two devices) & the Regen+Intona combined :)

As I mentioned, this is becoming a contested area for such devices. The Wyred4Sound device costs $199 USD and it does a rather credible job of things. The bigger questions for those manufacturers in this space, is just how money are enthusiasts prepared to pony up? From an economics standpoint pricing for such devices should keep the price of the DAC to which they are attaching in mind. As for the digital source, well am hearing rumblings of "integrated" solutions which would clean their USB connections internally.
 
As I mentioned, this is becoming a contested area for such devices. The Wyred4Sound device costs $199 USD and it does a rather credible job of things. The bigger questions for those manufacturers in this space, is just how money are enthusiasts prepared to pony up? From an economics standpoint pricing for such devices should keep the price of the DAC to which they are attaching in mind. As for the digital source, well am hearing rumblings of "integrated" solutions which would clean their USB connections internally.
That's what the ISO-DAC & ISO-SPDIF do - they integrate the USB cleaning technology into a DAC or SPDIF converter - cleaning just before the signal enters the DAC/SPDIF circuitry - this is the optimal position for such intervention

Cleaning the USB signal inside the device transmitting USB signals ignores the damage done to the signal when traversing the USB cable & there are many possible ways such damage occurs. So we are still stuck with "magic" USB cables yet again!! And I've seen such "magic" USB cables priced far higher than USB cleaning devices. I would suggest that the value of a product is related to the improvement in sound quality derived from it.

Again would love to see a ISO-HUB head-to-head against Wyred4sound (as they take a different approach) & any other USB cleaning device.

There's a substantial difference in approach & effect between JUST isolating the 5V USB power & isolating the USB signals themselves - that is where the major damage is actually done, not in the USB ground or USB power (unless the USB transmission device is not fit for purpose?)

Anybody got such devices & care to a comparative audition?
 
Those cables indeed came with the ISO-DAC that I received this evening. As I'm only interested in noise reduction over USB, I'm presuming the ISO-HUB is effectively the same but without the DAC?
Added:
Just read the post that confirms it does!
 
May I ask what DAC chip do you use in the ISO-DAC, is it an off the shelf DAC (if this is relevant)? Also is the cleaning so good that it's almost irrelevant what half decent USB source is used? For example, I have an AURALiC Mini - so with the ISO-DAC I wouldn't need to upgrade to an AURALiC Aries for example? Unless there's more to this than meets the eye.
 
Oh and please put me in the queue for an audition - I have both an AURALiC Mini and SOtM sMS-200 ULTRA as a front end to help with me evaluate your hardware.

Thank you!
 
Have Schiit’s Wyrd and Eitr been auditioned alongside?
That's what I was asking about earlier in the thread - someone with other USB cleaning devices to do a comparison - don't know if anyone on the tour has a USB cleaning device?
 
That's what I was asking about earlier in the thread - someone with other USB cleaning devices to do a comparison - don't know if anyone on the tour has a USB cleaning device?

The SOtM sMS-200 ULTRA I have includes a clean USB out and is a definite large step up from the Mini - so for me at least I could give your ISO-DAC a run for its money
 
Thanks, Mark
This is the ISO-DAC with 5V output on the USB ports that I sent you & should now be the only tour ISO-DAC - as some USB devices being attached to USB hub ports need this 5V for power or signalling.

@busb, can you let me know when the 2nd DAC arrives & return the first one to me, please - it will avoid further mix-ups?
 
Thanks, Mark
This is the ISO-DAC with 5V output on the USB ports that I sent you & should now be the only tour ISO-DAC - as some USB devices being attached to USB hub ports need this 5V for power or signalling.

@busb, can you let me know when the 2nd DAC arrives & return the first one to me, please - it will avoid further mix-ups?
Will do.
 
I received a ISO-DAC from the UK today - I presume it is the returned one from busb?

But it has batteries in it & Paul, you were meant to contact me when you received the ISO-DAC from Divedeedog as it has no installed batteries & we would have installed these batteries into it. You are now running the ISO-DAC without internal batteries!!

I opened the returned ISO-DAC & the batteries are below working voltage (<3V) so anybody listening to this would be listening to the 5V charger power supply powering it - not a good test of its audio qualities!!

I'm wondering how these devices are being charged - they are meant to be continuously powered by a 5V supply & not left turned on all the time??

There are only a couple of situations that will run the batteries down:
- if you leave the device turned on all the time
- If you leave the charger plugged into the DC port but the charger unpowered (that includes powering from USB ports which are powered down when computer goes to sleep or is turned off)

These battery powered devices are meant to be continuously charged, as I said already
 
No offence, but maybe you should design them to prevent battery levels dropping this low, no matter what end users do...
 


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