Which one to buy: UpTone USB REGEN or Intona USB Isolator?

[kilroy]

I had a chance t briefly use the Itona USB isolator and all I can say is wow .

An inexpensive e way to add galvanic USB isolation to my Yggdrasil .

 

I have used a lot of tweaks and this one is the best one I've used thus far in tweaking USB .

 

Can you describe the results in terms of sound quality improvements?

 

Thanks

[sbgk]

Are we at the stage where the source pc and player software doesn't make a difference ?

[Jimmypowder]

Can you describe the results in terms of sound quality improvements?

 

Thanks

 

Better clarity ( hard to believe with the Yggy) .

 

That's all I can say at this point . Only listened for maybe 20 minutes .

[PeterSt]

Here's my latest "review", this time of the Industrial version :

Intona High Speed USB 2.0 galvanic isolation

 

Regards,

Peter

[jabbr]

How's the NOS2 coming along?

[Barry in Calgary]

Well....

 

PeterST's review got me thinking (which is normally a bad thing), so I ordered an industrial version without flashing LEDs.

It will likely take weeks to arrive as it needs to go through Canadian customs. I'll write up a review then.

 

Regards

Barry

[blankdisc]

Just received my standard Intona USB Isolator today. Unfortunately it didn't work with my Aries. couldn't establish a stable connection. I think i will have to sell it. If anyone wants to take it off my hand, please PM me.

[One and a half]

Just received my standard Intona USB Isolator today. Unfortunately it didn't work with my Aries. couldn't establish a stable connection. I think i will have to sell it. If anyone wants to take it off my hand, please PM me.

 

I thought the same, didn't work with Mutec MC-1.2 either. Experimented by adding a simple USB 2.0 hub on the output of the intona, and the converter was recognised.

 

The chain:

 

PC USB 2.0 out --> USB A to USB B --> Intona -->USB 2 hub (unpowered) ---> USB A to USB B --> Mutec

[One and a half]

Spoke too soon. The Intona failed soon after connection, can't see anything on the other side, mice, portable usb drives, let alone a USB DAC.

Requested an RMA, see what happens.

[kilroy]

What kind of USB hub is suitable for this purpose? Even a a small one seems kind of an awkward, clunky device to try to hang off the DAC or cable.

[One and a half]

What kind of USB hub is suitable for this purpose? Even a a small one seems kind of an awkward, clunky device to try to hang off the DAC or cable.

 

The USB 2 hub is a DLink P/N AUB1040CS.......A1G or Model DUB-1040. Further experiments revealed an apple keyboard works fine without the hub, but the current draw on a keyboard is nothing compared to a hard drive. In fact a mac mini works with the intoma on OSX without an issue.

[Jimmypowder]

My iMac works fine with the intona . Maybe it has to be a computer and not a network streamer to work

[tubesound]

I had a chance t briefly use the Itona USB isolator and all I can say is wow .

An inexpensive e way to add galvanic USB isolation to my Yggdrasil .

 

I have used a lot of tweaks and this one is the best one I've used thus far in tweaking USB .

 

What are the other tweaks you tried before? Did you try other tweaks together with Intona and observe any incremental benefits?

[Jimmypowder]

What are the other tweaks you tried before? Did you try other tweaks together with Intona and observe any incremental benefits?

 

Uptone Amber Regen and Jitterbug .

 

The Intona made a bigger difference than the Regen or Jitterbug using an iMac and Yggy .

 

I have not tried to pair anything , Regen and Intona for example .

[blankdisc]

Finally got Intona to work after inserting Schiit Wyrd between the DAC and the Isolator. I also had to replace the USB cable between the Wyrd and Isolator. Now i am wondering if doing this would defeat the purpose of the Isolator.

 

btw, this setup worked for both my iMac and Aries. I guess the main issue is probably caused by Isolator dropping current from 500ma to 300ma and many DACs don't like that.

[StefT]

Hi,

 

I am using a Bryston BUC-1. 5v of the usb cable is disconnected with tape cover.

 

Is the Intona useful in my situation ?

 

Thanks, best regards.

[One and a half]

Hi,

 

I am using a Bryston BUC-1. 5v of the usb cable is disconnected with tape cover.

 

Is the Intona useful in my situation ?

 

Thanks, best regards.

 

The Intona requires 5V to work. If you tape up the 5V, the intona will be a brick and do nothing except take up some physical space and reflect photons.

[StefT]

OK, thanks for your response.

 

But my question is: is the Intona useful when used with a dac or converter that don't need the 5v?

 

PS: excuse my english, I am franchement.

[blankdisc]

OK, thanks for your response.

 

But my question is: is the Intona useful when used with a dac or converter that don't need the 5v?

 

PS: excuse my english, I am franchement.

 

i think YES since Intona does something no one in the world is able to archive at this moment which is USB 2.0 full speed galvanic isolation.

 

btw, my Intona is no longer for sale. :-) It is a keeper and it does work with my Aries.

[One and a half]

Finally got Intona to work after inserting Schiit Wyrd between the DAC and the Isolator. I also had to replace the USB cable between the Wyrd and Isolator. Now i am wondering if doing this would defeat the purpose of the Isolator.

 

btw, this setup worked for both my iMac and Aries. I guess the main issue is probably caused by Isolator dropping current from 500ma to 300ma and many DACs don't like that.

 

For the moment listened to the Intona for a few hours last night on LCD-3's. I can hear some micro details coming though now and again, a different kind of presentation, there's more noise floor gone again, certainly very dynamic and coherent. I've yet to try speakers, hopefully today and tonight when everyone is celebrating and up at all hours

 

Can you write the chain, be interested where the cable change occurred and what's used where.

 

Here's what cobbled together at the moment:

 

HP Z800 Win 7 with HQPlayer 3.12.0 --> NAA --> Mac Mini i5 2012 model Yosemite --> Generic USB2.0 cable --> Itona Isolator --> Nordost Blue Heaven USB cable --> Mutec MC-1.2 USB to AES3 converter mains powered --> 25m Cat5e --> RME ADI-2 AES3 input XLR Outputs

[cmarin]

I just received the Intona USB 2.0 Hi-Speed Isolator (industrial version) and wanted to report my experience.

 

1. Playback Chain:

PC (running Windows Server 2102R2,/Audiophile Optimizer in ultimate core mode with SoTM PCI USB card and JRiver v20; separate internal SSDs for OS and music files; motherboard, SSDs and USB card powered by Uptone Linear power supply)-> USB cable 1 -> Intone USB isolator -> USB cable 2 -> Berkeley Alpha USB converter -> AES digital cable -> Pacific Microsonics DAC -> Absolare Altius Preamp -> Absolare Altius monoblock SET amps -> Magico Q7mkII speakers

 

2. Currently have four USB cables:

- Lightspeed 1.5m length

- TotalDac 1.5 m length

- Curious 1.0 m length

- Curious 0.3 m length

 

3. Tried the following USB cable combinations:

a) cable 1: TotalDac; cable 2: Lightspeed

b) cable 1: TotalDac; cable 2: Curious (1m)

c) cable 1: Lightspeed; cable 2: Curious (1m)

d) cable 1: Curious (1m); cable 2: Curious (0.3m)

 

4. The only USB cable combination that successfully transmitted a signal to the DAC was option (d): cable 1: Curious (1m); cable 2: Curious (0.3m)

 

5. JRiver reported an error message with the other three options with no signal transmitted to the DAC.

 

6. My system already had a very high quality digital reproduction, but using the Intona USB 2.0 Hi-Speed Isolator resulted in a significant reduction in the noise floor and a concomitant improvement in the sound quality: improved clarity from top to bottom, resolution, soundstage depth, dynamics, decay, separation of instruments, more full bodied voices, and more accurate timbers; in short, a more realistic and engaging presentation.

 

Of course YMMV, but for the price it is well worth a try.

[kilroy]

oh crap. $229,000 speakers. (sorry.)

[kilroy]

So what makes the Curious cables so unique as to be able to carry that signal? Surely it must be a real "electrical" characteristic that may or may not coexist also as an "audiophile" (as in something one can hear) characteristic.

 

I'm interested in the Intona too, but it seems to be a gamble whether it will work with a particular setup or not.

 

Is the Curious cable the universal enabler? Or one of them, anyway?

[Jimmypowder]

So what makes the Curious cables so unique as to be able to carry that signal? Surely it must be a real "electrical" characteristic that may or may not coexist also as an "audiophile" (as in something one can hear) characteristic.

 

I'm interested in the Intona too, but it seems to be a gamble whether it will work with a particular setup or not.

 

Is the Curious cable the universal enabler? Or one of them, anyway?

 

Im using a Supra and Audioquest cable and I have no issues at all

[sandyk]

So what makes the Curious cables so unique as to be able to carry that signal? Surely it must be a real "electrical" characteristic that may or may not coexist also as an "audiophile" (as in something one can hear) characteristic.

 

I'm interested in the Intona too, but it seems to be a gamble whether it will work with a particular setup or not.

 

Is the Curious cable the universal enabler? Or one of them, anyway?

 

It should work with all compliant USB 2.0 cables, unless there is a compatibility problem with the Berkeley Alpha USB converter .

$358 is a lot of money to take a chance on unless there is a good guarantee.