[AnakChan]

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.

Cheers. I've done just that and placed my order for the Gemini cable. I have to say it's quite a surprise much the iUSB3.0 blacks the background. The overall music presentation is just more "contrasty". Definitely a welcoming addition to the digital chain.

 

[theveterans]

The only thing I don't like about the Gemini is that it's too stiff.

 

[AnakChan]

What is the white USB -> DC cable for? It seems to imply that the Micro iUSB 3.0 can be powered off USB too, not just the power adapter? But the iUSB 3.0 seems to require a 9V power input and that white USB -> DC would probably supply only 5V as per USB standard?

 

[theveterans]

I use that USB to DC in connector to power my Wyred 4 Sound uLink USB to SPDIF converter from a 9V cell phone charger.
 

 
You can see it next to the Gemini cable attached to the uLink

 

[technobear]

What is the white USB -> DC cable for? It seems to imply that the Micro iUSB 3.0 can be powered off USB too, not just the power adapter? But the iUSB 3.0 seems to require a 9V power input and that white USB -> DC would probably supply only 5V as per USB standard?

That cable is intended to power a Squeezebox Touch (for example) from the iUSB3.0.

 

[AnakChan]

I'd guess the USB port power coming out of Micro iUSB 3.0 is clean, thus when with the white cable it's effectively making the Micro iUSB 3.0 an "iPower" giving clean power to whatever else that needs to be powered? Anyhow, I tried ordering the Gemini from Music Direct but sadly they can't ship due to international distribution limitations. Just my luck, Fujiya had a second hand Gemini today so I picked that up along with an Acoustic Revive USB1.0SPS for a side-by-side comparison. I see what folks mean the Gemini is stiff, but so is the AR SPS. Still no chance to try out the cables yet but will give it a shot tonight.

 

[rickyleelee]

Cheers. I've done just that and placed my order for the Gemini cable. I have to say it's quite a surprise much the iUSB3.0 blacks the background. The overall music presentation is just more "contrasty". Definitely a welcoming addition to the digital chain.

Ii wud try the idac2 for the money it kills pretty much everything i tried from head fi inclu the more expensive stuff. big audio bargin

 

[AnakChan]

Ii wud try the idac2 for the money it kills pretty much everything i tried from head fi inclu the more expensive stuff. big audio bargin

 
I have the Micro iUSB 3.0 feeding into the Invicta and WA8 at the moment. I'm tempted to try to hook it onto my Oppo BDP105 but that's like - 6-7m away(currently on a long USB 2.0 cable). I'll play around with it more.
 
On a separate note, I tried both the iFI Gemini cable against the Acoustic Revive USB1.0SPS and I have to say I'm leaning towards the Acoustic Revive as it feels a little more spacious and neutral in comparison to the Gemini. Mind you though the Gemini still did better than a single line Ortofon DGI-K2 USB 2.0 cable but I think that's got more to do with the Gemini's split power/audio design rather than the cable construction itself.

 

[jermaink]

I recently went form an iUSB2 to an iUSB3 (all Micro) and a strange thing happened. After making the switch, my computer would no longer recognise my DAC (an iFi iDSD). I realised that the Sbooster Vbus2 I was using was actually preventing the DAC from being recognised.
 
https://www.sbooster.com/sbooster-tweaks/sbooster-vbus-isolator
 
The Vbus2 is meant to isolate power coming from the PC being passed through. I am wondering though why it didn't prevent the data signal from an iUSB2 being recognised, yet stopped the signal from the iUSB3. Interesting...

 

[iFi audio]

  I recently went form an iUSB2 to an iUSB3 (all Micro) and a strange thing happened. After making the switch, my computer would no longer recognise my DAC (an iFi iDSD). I realised that the Sbooster Vbus2 I was using was actually preventing the DAC from being recognised.
 
https://www.sbooster.com/sbooster-tweaks/sbooster-vbus-isolator
 
The Vbus2 is meant to isolate power coming from the PC being passed through. I am wondering though why it didn't prevent the data signal from an iUSB2 being recognised, yet stopped the signal from the iUSB3. Interesting...

 
 
The iUSB 3.0 is fully USB Standard compliant, so it will not work correctly without bus power from the PC (even though this is only used for 'handshake' purposes. So the Vbus2 cannot be used upstream (computer side) of the iUSB 3.0.
 
Locating the Vbus 2 directly ahead of the DAC would work, however it would be of very limited value, as the iUSB 3.0 (and also iUSB Power) disconnect the power from the computer and on top (if the iSOEarth switch is engaged) isolate the ground from the Computer.

 

[jermaink]

Ah that makes some sense. Am I to understand that the iUSB2 did not function in this way?

 

[iFi audio]

  Ah that makes some sense. Am I to understand that the iUSB2 did not function in this way?

 
The original iUSB Power is also USB standard compliant, but it is not an active system, just a passive 'USB Pass-through'  addressing only the power. 
 
Hence it does not care about the power on the PC Side, it breaks it and replaces it with its own.

 

[jermaink]

Good to know. Thanks for satisfying my curiosity.

 

[LoganRoss]

Hi. I am trying to figure out which is the best product for me. Are you saying that if my source is connected with a two prong plug (for me, a raspberry pi 3 powered by IFI ipower 5v and receiving content via wifi), that there is no benefit to using the iUSB 3 over the iUSB nano 3? In am speaking in terms of sound, not features like USB hub functionality.

Also, I am curious as to how much "resampling" the iUSBs do. Using my iDSD BL as the DAC, there is a noticable difference. How do I know this is solely because of clean data, and not because the sound is reshaped, smoothed, or DSP'd?

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.




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.





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.' :eek:

 

[technobear]

Also, I am curious as to how much "resampling" the iUSBs do.

None whatsoever. They are bit-perfect. So are the iPurifiers.