Anyone Had Experience with USB Ground Isolators?


I stumbled on a website about how isolating the ground on your USB connection to your DAC could be a good thing, so I ordered an inexpensive "ground isolator" (powered by the USB cable) and it seemed to make a noticeable difference, streaming from Tidal, slight increase in the clarity, especially in the midrange.

I've had this installed for a while, being in the back of a wall unit, forgot I had it.

Upgraded my streaming machine from Windows 8.1 to Windows 10 Pro and noticed, the most I could get my DAC to do (on the USB connection) was 96/24.  After a lot of back and forth with the great people at PS Audio, I found that, installing their USB driver, I could not get Windows to do 192/24.  Then I remembered I had this "isolator" installed, took it out of the equation, uninstalled and reinstalled the PS Audio driver and "boom", 192/24 appeared in Windows!

Doing a little more research and found a product from Schiit called "Wyrd", sometimes referred to as a "USB decrapifier", it specifically notes that it can handle hi-rez, and is powered by plugging it into an AC outlet.
ejr1953

jon2020,

Both come from Germany. I ordered the Intona direct through there website. The Mutec is available in the USA.

I second the Intona
It is called a galvonic isolater and of all the devices the only one that made a significant improvement in sound
Order on the internet directly from Itona
Alan
Thanks everyone, I'll check out Itona.  BTW,  streaming Tidal without it sounds just great, always looking to make it sound better.
Ozzy,

Just visited the Intona website.
It is interesting that Intona does not split the power from the audio signal as the iFi USB 3.0 does. One would think this to be essential as the ideal solution to lower usb noise from the computer.

J.