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Intona High Speed USB Isolator
Feb 1, 2017 at 10:54 PM Post #271 of 323
blueshound24 said:
  Ok, I just joined the Intona club. I am very happy with the Industrial Intona's performance. So far I hear instruments and voices emerging from a blacker background with a much better soundstage. Not just more accurate placement, but my God I can get up and walk among the performers! The soundstage is unreal. Also, the separation has taken a major leap forward, as well as air around all afore mentioned voices and instruments. The tonality and texture have all improved as well. I am very happy with the Intona, and now I am considering getting the UltraCap LPS-1 for my Uptone Regen. Where does it ever end? I do not regret this purchase one bit. If interested, you can see my chain on my profile page. 
 
I have the order as: Computer -> Intona -> Regen -> DAC.
Is this the order everybody who has the Regen concurs is optimal?
Also, anyone with experience with the UltraCap LPS?
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​Yes, you have it right.  That being said it's all about the power being fed to all those devices.  It all matters.  The thing is after applying galvanic isolation with the Intona you don't want to reintroduce stray AC noise or ground loop with the Regen.  Critical to power the regen galvanically with either a LifePo4 battery or LPS-1. 
 
Feb 8, 2017 at 9:12 AM Post #272 of 323
Answer to itona with external power supply?

http://www.fa.hdl.co.jp/en/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=220&Itemid=900
 
Feb 15, 2017 at 11:40 PM Post #274 of 323
with asynchrous usb the dac is control with its clock in timing the signal from the computer by sending packets of data to the pc controlling how and when information is received. with an intona or something like a regen is the dac asynchrous usb still fully in control as these devices  also reclock the incoming data. if the dac is sending info and commands upstream back to the computer for timing does the digtal data have to pass through the intona or regen in the opposite direction back to the pc. if so do these devices interrupt the dac usb asynchrous to computer communication? thanks mk
 
Feb 24, 2017 at 6:30 PM Post #275 of 323
robert mcadam said:
  I found the industrial Intona has similar effect and have now removed it from my setup. Computer-Benchmark DAC2-Amplifier.
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My apologies for doing a "necro-thread", but I've been researching the Intona and had something relevant to Robert's post that I thought worthy of sharing.
 
I recently had a chance to evaluate the "new" Benchmark DAC-3.  It sounded amazing plugged directly into my laptop with a non-descript USB cable.  
 
Some DAC's have much better USB input implementations than others.  The USB input on the Benchmark that I evaluated was rock solid - "decrapification" was not required. On the other hand, I recently purchased a Holo Spring DAC.  I found its USB performance to be lackluster.  It took a $300 industrial Intona to clean up the poor USB signal from my laptop before I could get the performance out of the Spring DAC that I expected.   
 
I wouldn't recommend an Intona be paired with a Benchmark DAC.  IMO, it doesn't need it.
It all depends on the "robustness" and quality of your device's USB implementation.  Some DACs with "poorer performing" USB sections will really benefit from the Intona, others don't need it.  YMMV.
 
Feb 24, 2017 at 6:46 PM Post #276 of 323
T Bone, have to say I have put it back after an upgrade in the audio software I was running(XXhighend). But still not convinced its the answer.
 
Benchmark certainly claimed to me that it was unnecessary because the USB input on my DAC2 was optimised.
 
What was interesting is that an earlier version of software XXhighend using Intona did improve the sound easily. Then the next version with an upgraded W10OS things went backwards again. It improved some things and degraded others in the sound.
 
I'm currently watching this space re NOS dacs as I may go this way rather than the DAC3. Unfortunately the Holo's USB input is not the best compared to Is2 with another box.
 
XXhighend is of course designed to go with the NOSa DAC which if I had the money would buy over the Pavane. The Holo certainly looking good at the moment.
 
Feb 24, 2017 at 6:55 PM Post #277 of 323
t bone said:
   
My apologies for doing a "necro-thread", but I've been researching the Intona and had something relevant to Rober's post that I thought worthy of sharing.
 
I recently had a chance to evaluate the "new" Benchmark DAC-3.  It sounded amazing plugged directly into my laptop with a non-descript USB cable.  
 
Some DAC's have much better USB input implementations than others.  The USB input on the Benchmark that I evaluated was rock solid - "decrapification" was not required. On the other hand, I recently purchased a Holo Spring DAC.  I found its USB performance to be lackluster.  It took a $300 industrial Intona to clean up the poor USB signal from my laptop before I could get the performance out of the Spring DAC that I expected.   
 
I wouldn't recommend an Intona be paired with a Benchmark DAC.  IMO, it doesn't need it.
It all depends on the "robustness" and quality of your device's USB implementation.  Some DACs with "poorer performing" USB sections will really benefit from the Intona, others don't need it.  YMMV.
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​Or the question might be, if Benchmark had less galvanic implementation, would it sound better with an Intona than without, with full implementation?  That's the mind bender.
If so, then maybe a DAC that doesn't try to do all to prevent outside contamination and allow implementation from the customer separate, just concentrating on great digital analog conversion, might be the better DAC overall?
Same goes for power.  I want a DAC that allows me freedom to power it with a better source and is optimized for being optional.
Everything matters.
 
Feb 24, 2017 at 7:14 PM Post #278 of 323
robert mcadam said:
  What was interesting is that an earlier version of software XXhighend using Intona did improve the sound easily. Then the next version with an upgraded W10OS things went backwards again. It improved some things and degraded others in the sound.
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I will point you to this interesting article by Michael Lavorgna on AudioStream.com
  1. How bit-perfect software can affect sound
 
I am not qualified to weigh in with an opinion as to whether this is the situation you've encountered or not.  I thought I'd share it with you and let you come to your own conclusions.  
 
I am glad that you made your own evaluation and figured out what sounds best to you.   In the end, that's all that matters.
 
elviscaprice said:
  I want a DAC that allows me freedom to power it with a better source and is optimized for being optional.  Everything matters.
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I agree - everything matters.  You might be familiar with the engineering term "stacking tolerances".  It's essentially the cumulative effect of the tolerances of multiple independent components. 

For me, there comes a practical limit at which I'm not willing to throw any more $$$ at increasingly smaller performance gains.  
 
Mar 16, 2017 at 10:45 AM Post #280 of 323
Has any of the Intona owners found the quality of the upstream USB cable to make much of a difference? i.e. The cable going from computer to the Intona?
 
Mar 16, 2017 at 12:25 PM Post #281 of 323
no disc said:
Has any of the Intona owners found the quality of the upstream USB cable to make much of a difference? i.e. The cable going from computer to the Intona?
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You might want to consider positioning your Intona very close to your USB device and keeping the "clean side" cable as short as possible.  (  6" "daisy chain" cable )  With a very short run of cable from the Intona to your USB device, there is little opportunity for RF to pollute the "clean" output of the Intona.  The length of the "dirty" side USB cable between the Intona and PC won't really matter.
 
If you keep the "clean side" cable nice and short, the need for exotic USB cables begins to fade and their use may offer limited returns.
 
Mar 20, 2017 at 3:20 PM Post #283 of 323
t bone said:
  You might want to consider positioning your Intona very close to your USB device and keeping the "clean side" cable as short as possible.  (  6" "daisy chain" cable )  With a very short run of cable from the Intona to your USB device, there is little opportunity for RF to pollute the "clean" output of the Intona.  The length of the "dirty" side USB cable between the Intona and PC won't really matter.
 
If you keep the "clean side" cable nice and short, the need for exotic USB cables begins to fade and their use may offer limited returns.
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I asked about this from the manufacturer. They also suggested to keep the clean side shorter. In my system I use one 5m and one 1m Chord Silver Plus USB cable between computer, intona and my USB bridge. I experimented both ways, Intona in the PC end and Intona at the USB bridge end and I actually preferred the PC side more. I felt that the sound got little bit harsher and clinical when Intona was closer to the hifi setup. Also my rig is positioned so that if I move the Intona closer to the hifi setup, it will have to be somewhere behind my rack and it's a mess of power cables and other stuff which can be bad for Intona. In PC end, I can isolate the device from other cables completely. 
 
Apr 12, 2017 at 1:48 PM Post #284 of 323
When I first joined Head-Fi and posted an introductory message, someone replied to me "welcome to Head-Fi, sorry about your wallet".
I didn't really get it at first.  In fact, I was a little taken aback.  Fast forward a couple of years and I know EXACTLY what the person meant 
biggrin.gif

 
I am selling my Intona (here) and will try some other fancy new USB products.  I've been thoroughly impressed with the Intona - I wrote a review on it.  But this is Head-Fi and the primary activity of this hobby seems to be making increasingly larger purchases that chase smaller and smaller benefits.  So I'm off to the next wonder-gizmo.
 

 
Apr 13, 2017 at 2:30 AM Post #285 of 323
Hopefully I should have the LPS1 In my hands today. My set up is phone based unlike many here so experiments in improving the chain have been minor at best with battery and IFI add ons.
I have the IFI DEFENDER but that with a DC female to micro Usb male I can bypass the phone/ external battery pack I have and plug in the LPS1 USB 5v chain. See what constant clean power gives the intona?. A lot less noise off a phone than a laptop PC. My extra battery made no difference in sound to me other than extend the phone battery life by drawing from the external pack.
But with the pain of more charging cables. ..
Any instant results I will let you know ASAP.
Cheers
Dave
and thanks for the impressions Mr T :blush:
The Intona improved the sound on my phone transport. Bit perfect on USB AUDIO PLAYER PRO Android App.

Have fun all
Dave
 
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