Intona USB Isolator

[Ammonite Audio]

I've bought an Intona High Speed USB isolator, in the hope that it might lift PC-based audio to a standard that I find musically involving. Up to now, I have used the (expensive) SOtM PCIe USb card in a dedicated and optimised music PC, and it certainly does improved SQ over the PC's own USB ports; however finding space for the PC, its monitor, and an two external PSUs is becoming irksome, so I've been looking at ways to lift a modest but good quality Lenovo sub-notebook to the same standard, over USB.

Before Christmas I bought an Audioquest Jitterbug, which does everything that the maker claims for it; also adding another in parallel really does help further. For £39 each, these little filters are an absolute bargain and easy to recommend. But, could a boring beige plastic box from Germany be the magic bullet for USB audio?

The Intona device is an isolator, so it will galvanically isolate the DAC from the noisy computer host. It seems to be an unpretentious, properly engineered thing. All the details are here http://intona.eu/en/products . It's not exactly dirt cheap at EUR 264, but worth a punt, I thought, particularly since it does not require a PSU, so it's one discreet little box that does not clutter the rack.

Well, it is worth a punt. Listening to a variety of music pieces, all uncompressed WAV and using the Hegel H160's USB input and JRiver17, there is definitely a 'cleaning up' of the sound, revealing details and harmonics that were previously a tad obscured, but that's not all. On Leif Ove Andsnes' recording of Grieg Lyric Pieces, it's really lovely to hear the left hand more clearly presented and nicely placed in space, which many systems don't seem to get right - without the isolator in place, things are a bit 'vague'. On all the music that I've played through the Intona isolator, there has been greater detail, and a greater sense of musical order. Most enjoyable.

I did wonder if the Intona would work better with a Jitterbug feeding its input. No, it does not!

So, this Intona USB isolator gets my nod. It's cheaper than most of the bespoke USB cards for PCs, and to my ears delivers pretty much the same benefits, without any faffing around. For anyone without EUR 264, the Audioquest Jitterbug remains a no-brainer, though.

I have no connection with Intona - just a satisfied customer.

[sq225917]

What's you PC and DAC?

[Ammonite Audio]

Lenovo sub-notebook (S205), running Windows 10 and JRiver MC17 (the last version that lets you choose the output format). DAC in this case is the one inside the Hegel H160, but I also have a Naim DAC-V1 but have yet to try the Intona with it.

[Spectral Morn]

Interesting, did you get the high speed or standard version?

[Ammonite Audio]

The standard version, but they are both 'high speed'. If I understand the specs correctly, the 'industrial' version has a 2.5kV isolation capability rather than 1kV for the 'standard' version, but otherwise the difference is just a matter of 'high retention' USB connectors.

[WAD62]

I suppose the relative benefits will be DAC dependant...

I use an iFi USB Power between my SBTouch and my MDAC, it's a noticeable improvement, I presume the intona is fulfilling similar functions albeit in a slightly different way...

[Spectral Morn]

I suppose the relative benefits will be DAC dependant...

I use an iFi USB Power between my SBTouch and my MDAC, it's a noticeable improvement, I presume the intona is fulfilling similar functions albeit in a slightly different way...

I too use an IFi USB power in my main audio PC rig and recently I bought a Jitter Bug, to try elsewhere - not tried it yet though. The iFi certainly works and its benefit to me was pretty obvious.

[technobear]

I suppose the relative benefits will be DAC dependant...

I use an iFi USB Power between my SBTouch and my MDAC, it's a noticeable improvement, I presume the intona is fulfilling similar functions albeit in a slightly different way...

Your next step is the iFi iPurifier 2 into the back of the USB Power.

[WAD62]

Your next step is the iFi iPurifier 2 into the back of the USB Power.

Interesting, I had the purifier 1 as the last in chain between my gemini and MDAC, but I had to return it due to it intermittently dropping the connection to the MDAC overnight...I rather liked the effect when it worked

This may be cake and eat it time

EDIT; Ordered, MCRU will have it back if it doesn't work out...

I see, it's effectively upgrading the iUSB Power to the iUSB 3.0

From their website;

The iFi ‘Grand Slam’

To reach the absolute zenith in USB audio quality, iFi loves to push past the envelope of what is considered possible. We recommend the existing iUSB Power (to supply pure, clean power) and the Gemini cable (for separate audio + power transmission). Coupled with the iPurifier 2 to re-clock/regenerate and filter audio+power just prior to entering the iUSB Power (in this instance, not at the DAC end).

For the iUSB3.0, that alone incorporates all that we have learnt over the past few years so the iPurifier2 is not required to improve the iUSB3.0.

[technobear]

Interesting, I had the purifier 1 as the last in chain between my gemini and MDAC, but I had to return it due to it intermittently dropping the connection to the MDAC overnight...I rather liked the effect when it worked

This may be cake and eat it time

EDIT; Ordered, MCRU will have it back if it doesn't work out...

I see, it's effectively upgrading the iUSB Power to the iUSB 3.0

I have an iPurifier 2 and it's effects are more obvious to hear than the changes brought about by the iUSB Power. Perhaps I'm lucky and my Acer Aspire V11 fanless laptop is particularly quiet.

I wrote a bit about it on Head-Fi:

http://www.head-fi.org/t/784983/ifi-...#post_12003630

http://www.head-fi.org/t/784983/ifi-...#post_12003651

http://www.head-fi.org/t/784983/ifi-...#post_12003667