[krumley7882]

   
There would be no difference using 3.0 cable over 2.0, hence input in the DAC would be 2.0 anyways. That's a no-brainer.
 
What should you be interested in is premium audiophile USB cables (they are 2.0), take a look at those, especially with separated power and data lines. Make sure to audition one before buying, as difference can be quite subtle.
 
As a nice coincidence, a couple of hours ago I have published a review of one great piece of cable which I consider literally best in the market regarding price/quality, making the end-game cable for me. Make sure to check out my review.

Thanks!!  Great review.  What is the best way to get in contact with Konstantin?  

 

[hfflt]

http://www.ebay.com/usr/dtses14
 
Check his eBay store out and you will understand what I am talking about.

 

[wakka992]

Hi guys!
Since the micro iUSB 3.0 break the USB ground connection from the PC and re-create a new ground does this mean that the connection is Isolated? Like galvanically isolated??

 

[rafaelpernil]

  Hi guys!
Since the micro iUSB 3.0 break the USB ground connection from the PC and re-create a new ground does this mean that the connection is Isolated? Like galvanically isolated??

Exactly. Not completely isolated but as iFi states, IsoGround gives a 95% of a proper galvanic isolation. http://www.head-fi.org/t/779504/ifi-iusb3-0-launch-names-back-in-the-hat-and-new-2-winner-page-24/375#post_12005887
 
Regards,
Rafael

 

[john57]

  Hi guys!
Since the micro iUSB 3.0 break the USB ground connection from the PC and re-create a new ground does this mean that the connection is Isolated? Like galvanically isolated??

It only breaks the ground up to .5 volts for ground loops. There still a USB ground safety at higher voltages which would indicate a fault in a piece of equipment. You either float(cut) a ground or provide a different path.  For me there is no such thing as galvanically isolated ground. There is a switch on the iUSB to toggle the IsoEarth feature. The manual states : IsoEarth can lower the ground
noise by as much as 20dB (10x).

 

[wakka992]

  It only breaks the ground up to .5 volts for ground loops. There still a USB ground safety at higher voltages which would indicate a fault in a piece of equipment. You either float(cut) a ground or provide a different path.  For me there is no such thing as galvanically isolated ground. There is a switch on the iUSB to toggle the IsoEarth feature. The manual states : IsoEarth can lower the ground
noise by as much as 20dB (10x).

Hi there, so quoting from iFi website
 
"Taken directly at the computer’s USB port, EMI noise is typically some 39dB. With the iPurifier in place, this noise drops by some 5dB to 34dB.”
 
And the iUSB 3.0 Micro IsoEarth lower the ground by another 20dB....
 
Does anyone know how much is the iUSB 3.0 Nano lowering ground noise if it doesn't have IsoEarth tecnology?

 

[iFi audio]

  Hi there, so quoting from iFi website
 
"Taken directly at the computer’s USB port, EMI noise is typically some 39dB. With the iPurifier in place, this noise drops by some 5dB to 34dB.”
 

 
Hi,
 
You quoted from the original iPurifier.
 
And it relates to High Frequency (Radio Frequency) noise NOT noise caused by ground/earth loops. There are multiple sources of noise. So customers do need to diagnose their system noise first as one person may have HF noise and another groubd/earth loops.
 
 

Originally Posted by wakka992 /img/forum/go_quote.gif
 
 
"And the iUSB 3.0 Micro IsoEarth lower the ground by another 20dB as said by iFi salesman on the iUSb 3.0 micro thread..."

 
 
The precise amount depends upon the system. Our measurement was done in a system that had no audible ground noise (read was silent on listening) but exhibited measurable ground noise. In this system this noise was lowered a further 20dB (10X).
 
If the system has a severe and notably audible earth/ground-loop the improvement will be greater, how much depends upon circumstances, but a 60dB (1,000X) improvement is quite likely.
 
What is important however is to identify correctly the cause of noise. Nowadays it is almost as likely as having a ground/earth loop that a system may have noise due to a missing earth (meaning no device in the whole system is earthed), in which case a ground/earth-loop breaker will be pointless. This point is really important as this is one of the top 5 questions we see in the STS.
 
 
 

Originally Posted by wakka992 /img/forum/go_quote.gif
 
 
 "Does anyone know how much is the iUSB 3.0 Nano lowering ground noise if it doesn't have IsoEarth tecnology? Only as much as iPurifier 2 or better?"

 
 
Neither iPurifier, iPurifier 2 nor iUSB 3.0 nano lower audible range ground/earth-loop noise. This requires the iSOGround/iSOEarth technology found in iUSB 3.0 micro and the original iUSB Power micro.
 
As noted above, if using the iUSB 3.0 micro or iUSB Power micro with the goal to reduce noise in a noisy system it is important that it is verified that the problem is indeed a Ground/Earth-loop and not a missing earth. A missing earth cannot be fixed using a earth/ground-loop breaker!  (as there is nothing to dis-connect).
 
 
Hope we have shed more light on the issue of 'different types of noise' as opposed to 'noise.'

 

[wakka992]

Thanks for clarifying that.
 
Now I believe that I won't need the IsoGround feature since my filtered Multiple socket doesn't found anything wrong with the ground and I measured a fantastic 0,1 ohm on the plug.
 
iFi Nano here I comes!

 

[iFi audio]

  Thanks for clarifying that.
 
Now I believe that I won't need the IsoGround feature since my filtered Multiple socket doesn't found anything wrong with the ground and I measured a fantastic 0,1 ohm on the plug.
 
iFi Nano here I comes!

 
Hi,
 
Sorry to burst your bubble but this is meaningless in context.
 
If in your system all units have double isolated (Class III) power supplies (read 2-Pin plugs or 2-Pin IEC connections) then you have a missing earth. If this causes audible problems depends upon several factors, but if it does measuring low resistance of the earth in the plug or socket means nothing.
 
The only reliable solution is to add an earth connection to the system. One option might be to swap the Computer power supply to one with a 3-Pin mains connection which then adds the earth. If this is not possible a supplementary earth connection is needed.
 
If in your system several units have a safety earth connection - e.g. a PC with ATX powersupply and a tube Headphone Amp with a 3-Pin IEC Mains connection, you have the potential making of a earth (ground) loop. In this case again it matters zero what the Earth resistance at the plug is.
 
If you have this earth (ground) loop problem you need to remove either one of the earth (using a cheater plug - but that violates electrical code and is unsafe with the potential to cause electrical shocks leading to injury or death if something goes wrong elsewhere in the system), or you need to break the ground somewhere in the connection between PC and HPA, doing it in the USB line if a USB DAC is used is both easy and opportune.
 
Note in no case does it matter what the earth resistance is. It simply does enter into this. Apologies to other readers if this is tedious as we have digressed!

 

 

[wakka992]

 
If in your system all units have double isolated (Class III) power supplies (read 2-Pin plugs or 2-Pin IEC connections) then you have a missing earth. If this causes audible problems depends upon several factors, but if it does measuring low resistance of the earth in the plug or socket means nothing.
 
The only reliable solution is to add an earth connection to the system. One option might be to swap the Computer power supply to one with a 3-Pin mains connection which then adds the earth. If this is not possible a supplementary earth connection is needed.
 
If in your system several units have a safety earth connection - e.g. a PC with ATX powersupply and a tube Headphone Amp with a 3-Pin IEC Mains connection, you have the potential making of a earth (ground) loop. In this case again it matters zero what the Earth resistance at the plug is.
 
If you have this earth (ground) loop problem you need to remove either one of the earth (using a cheater plug - but that violates electrical code and is unsafe with the potential to cause electrical shocks leading to injury or death if something goes wrong elsewhere in the system), or you need to break the ground somewhere in the connection between PC and HPA, doing it in the USB line if a USB DAC is used is both easy and opportune.
 
Note in no case does it matter what the earth resistance is. It simply does enter into this. Apologies to other readers if this is tedious as we have digressed!

 

 
I just checked and in my room only a Anker 5port Charger (powering a MoJo) and a Powered Speaker have AC power cable cord 2 pin connector that goes in AC-DC adapters.
 
All the other equipment used for listening music (PC, DAC, Amp) have CEE 7/7 grounded Shuko, all connected to grounded Belkin PureAV PF-30 Filtered Multiple socket, connected to the grounded wall socket.
 
Now you've raised other questions, for example why your iFi iPower that feed the iUSB 3.0 Nano is not grounded?
 
I think I'm missing a piece of info, such as why the Anker 5Port Charger and the Powered Speaker are not grounded...

 

[john57]

My active(powered) monitors usually do not have a earthed ground connection because the RCA cables ground can have some resistance which can cause a ground loop. Even when all your third pin  grounded  pin AC powered equipment is all connected to the same power strip you can still have ground loops. With the micro iUSB Micro 3.0 and 3.0 Nano you certainly do not want to add another ground point that could be used on the USB ground lines which kind of is pointless.

 

[wakka992]

The one that are not grounded, the active speaker and the Anker charger, are attached to a separate APC multiple socket.

So on the Belkin I have only grounded connected devices

 

[iFi audio]

   
I just checked and in my room only a Anker 5port Charger (powering a MoJo) and a Powered Speaker have AC power cable cord 2 pin connector that goes in AC-DC adapters.
 
All the other equipment used for listening music (PC, DAC, Amp) have CEE 7/7 grounded Shuko, all connected to grounded Belkin PureAV PF-30 Filtered Multiple socket, connected to the grounded wall socket.
 
I think I'm missing a piece of info, such as why the Anker 5Port Charger and the Powered Speaker are not grounded...

 
Hi,
 
There are certain safety requirements for electrical appliances (including audio) that force either an earthed device (Class I Equipment) or one with double/reinforced isolation (Class II Equipment).
 
More here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Appliance_classes
 
For smaller manufacturers the requirements of testing and approval for Class II equipment may be forbidding, so "boutique audio" often uses Class I.
 
Either Class is legal and if designed and tested correctly safe. So it is not question of "should it have an earth?" No matter if devices have earth or not, problems with noise may arise.
 
- If a system contain multiple Class I devices - the potential for earth/ground loops is created that can lead to measurable or audible hum and buzz.
 
- If a system contains ONLY Class II equipment - the potential for "missing earth" noise (Hum, buzz, RFI etc) is created as now all the audio systems shielding is no longer connected to the local earth but floating, so the shielding becomes an antennae that picks up noise.
 
But if a system contains only one Class I device and any number of Class II all is well and happy.

 
Due to historical reason many people will identify the second case as a earth/ground loop, when in fact it is the opposite!
 
 
How to treat the problem depends on its nature.
 
In the first example, one may briefly try cheater-plugs on the computer (with necessary precautions against electrical shock).  If that kills the noise, using an iUSB Power or iUSB 3.0 micro with iSOGround will break the earth/ground-loop and remove or dramatically reduce the noise.
 
If removing the computer's earth (Cheater-plug or cable) does not remove the noise then neither will any current iFi device!
 
If a missing earth is suspected simply introducing a single Class I device into the system, even if switched off and never used, will add the missing earth. If this earth solves the noise, - missing earth, simply keep the piece there, get something from a charity shop or invest into a earth/ground management system (or if capable of a spot of DIY improvise a supplementary earth connection).
 
If neither removing the earth from the computer, nor adding an earth (Class 1 device) into the system solves the noise, it has other sources and needs to be resolved accordingly.
 
Disclaimer: This article outlines how WE would diagnose. NOT how YOU should diagnose. One should always ask a qualified electrician to troubleshoot as mains voltages can KILL.

 

[AnakChan]

I just picked up the Micro iUSB 3.0 today and I have to say it's quite a device! Just on a brief play with it, it's made a bigger difference on my WA8 than on my Invicta. In general tracks just more musical, more dynamic, and more engaging. Flipping back to a setup without the Micro iUSB 3.0, tracks just sound somewhat "flatter" and a little more plain/boring - and I thought my setup sounded good before the Micro iUSB 3.0! I'll need to play with it a little more but so far have been very impressed and happy with the investment. I'll probably pick up the Gemini cable too.

 

[EVOLVIST]

I just picked up the Micro iUSB 3.0 today and I have to say it's quite a device! Just on a brief play with it, it's made a bigger difference on my WA8 than on my Invicta. In general tracks just more musical, more dynamic, and more engaging. Flipping back to a setup without the Micro iUSB 3.0, tracks just sound somewhat "flatter" and a little more plain/boring - and I thought my setup sounded good before the Micro iUSB 3.0! I'll need to play with it a little more but so far have been very impressed and happy with the investment. I'll probably pick up the Gemini cable too.

Do it. Pick up the Gemini. This isn't snake oil; it's the real deal. Anybody can hear the difference when using the Gemini to split the power from the audio. And now that you have the iUSB 3.0, you're almost there to audio nirvana.