Group Test: USB gadgets (AQ Jitterbug, Uptone Regen, iFi iUSB3.0, iPurifier, iPurifier2, UPDATE on p.15…)

[Indydan]

Nice job so far! I look forward to reading your tests of the other USB gadgets. I had the ifi iUSB3 for about 6 months. I now have the JCAT USB isolator (it is the Intona Industrial in a nice aluminum case), and I like the JCAT/Intona much better. I will wait to see what your ears tell you about these two devices.

 

In my system, compared to each other, they had a noticeable difference in sound signature, type of sound.

[Indydan]

We were a little bit surprised of the findings, the Intona noise was as good as the computer USB port! Which means it was bad … even the cheap iPurifier2 beat it hands down. Also during testing, we encountered a few operational issues:

 

"(1) it could only provide around 300mA of juice, if we up the load to 400mA, the intona drops to 4.57V (should be 5V), so if the DAC need a bit of juice (e.g. LH Lab Geek Out), it just didn't work.

 

(2) sometimes the intona just won’t to connect to the system at all, need a good few retries to get it working. In one of my friend’s system, it still won’t connect as of now. But in my system, it sometimes refuse connection on a rainy day, but normal use is largely fine."

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When first introduced, the Intona had problems with DACs that pulled more than 300mA of juice (usually XMOS DACs). It was revised and this is no longer a problem. A firmware upgrade is available to fix this.

 

As for the Intona not connecting, that is probably due to not having the new firmware as well. I have had mine 3 months, and not once has it ever failed to work and sync the computer to DAC. The ifi Micro iUSB3 I had, had regular sync problems. I had to restart the computer or turn off and on the DAC a few times a week.

 

Along with the measurements, I wonder if you do not have a faulty Intona.

 

I have included a few links from Intona's FAQ adressing your first issue, and a few of their measurements as well.

 

Intona – Häufig gestellte Fragen & Antworten

 

Intona – Häufig gestellte Fragen & Antworten

 

Intona – Häufig gestellte Fragen & Antworten

 

Intona – Häufig gestellte Fragen & Antworten

[Indydan]

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[Indydan]

Just saw this thread, the iFI iPower being measured： 1uV@750mA

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]32872[/ATTACH]

 

I think there is pretty damn good, I haven't seen any LPS come close to this kind of figure, did I miss something here?

 

http://www.computeraudiophile.com/f30-abbingdon-music-research-ifi-audio-sponsored/measuring-ipower-much-ado-about-nothing-part-4-uploaded-and-complete-28982/

 

Respectfully, put away the measurement charts once in a while. Try out the ifi iPower and a good LPS like the Uptone LPS-1 on the same device. Just listen without doing any measurements beforehand.

 

Measurements do not always tell you which device will SOUND best.

[Indydan]

As opposed to your biases telling you which one sounds best?

 

True, but for myself, shouldn't my biases and preferences play a part in what I choose for myself? My answer to that is a resounding yes.

 

I could be offered two wines, and told the acidity levels of each, as well as other measurements. The only way to know which wine I will prefer, is to taste them.

 

Measurements are a useful tool, but they are not the only tool or even the best one to evaluate audio gear.

 

Here is an interesting article in Stereophile about the problem of putting too much faith in measurements. Two different speakers measured very similarly. But, they sounded very different despite near identical measurements:

 

A Tale of Two Speakers | Stereophile.com

 

 

"That two such well-engineered loudspeakers with broadly similar measurements can sound so different reinforces our long-term advice: While reviews are a useful guide to which products you might consider buying, an audition in your home with your system is still of primary importance.—John Atkinson"