[iFi audio]

Would the second iSilencer+ still be effective if plugged in at the end of a short USB extension cable ?

It would be effective to quite a degree and it will cut some noise, but the earlier it is used in your USB chain, the better.

 

[chaotic_angel]

Hi Greetings,

My portable set up: Hiby R5s (as transport) - DDHFI usb c to c - Xduoo XD05 BAL.
will the iSilencer+ (usb C to C) after the Hiby R5s (as transport) gives benefit in sound?

 

[Sebastien Chiu]

Hi Greetings,

My portable set up: Hiby R5s (as transport) - DDHFI usb c to c - Xduoo XD05 BAL.
will the iSilencer+ (usb C to C) after the Hiby R5s (as transport) gives benefit in sound?

We generally recommend the iSilencer+ for more desktop-based set-ups, but it never hurts to try!

Try it out and let us know if it provided any benefit to your rig!

 

[chaotic_angel]

We generally recommend the iSilencer+ for more desktop-based set-ups, but it never hurts to try!

Try it out and let us know if it provided any benefit to your rig!

thanks for your reply, wow desktop would that be including iSilencer+ version c to c?
Another question will there many power used by iSilencer+ ?

 

[Sebastien Chiu]

thanks for your reply, wow desktop would that be including iSilencer+ version c to c?
Another question will there many power used by iSilencer+ ?

The iSilencer is entirely driven by USB power, so there shouldn't be much in the perspective on power drain.

You can use a C to C iSilencer if you have a USB C port on your desktop.

 

[G-rig]

Hi guys,

I've been changing my setup around and now got a 50-60Hz kind of noise coming through my active monitors (HS80M), worse on one side. I accept some hiss from both is normal.

It seems to be from the USB cable connecting my raspberry pi 4 to my DAC, and goes away when unplugging. Would it be better to add a HAT (allo digione) so I can run spdif coax output? This is meant to clean up the signal. I don't want to buy an audiophile USB cable if it's not going up fix the problem ($100) but noticed the idefender+. I got different XLR cables too but think they are good enough quality. There's a mess of cables I should tidy up too. The ifi defender looks handy, not that cheap but worth it if it does the trick. Need to test out some different Power board and plug configurations, doesn't really affect much.

Edit: just unpluges the HDMI adapter + cable going to the tv and the noise when away . Don't really need it plugged in anyway

Thanks

 

[duranxv]

For a high powered PC with a power hungry GPU (overclocked RTX 3090) and 1200W power supply, would the silencer or defender work best? Can they be combined?

Basically, my issue is that I get some background crackling in the right channel when sound is played at higher volume levels. When I switch over to optical, I have no such issue at all.

I can tell there's significant USB interference because not only is my DAC being affected, but so is my webcam. For my webcam, I will get intermittent artifacts every 10 seconds no matter what port I use. However, on my laptop, I have no such issue. I imagine it's either the GPU and/or power supply introducing noise in the I/O.

 

[iFi audio]

For a high powered PC with a power hungry GPU (overclocked RTX 3090) and 1200W power supply, would the silencer or defender work best? Can they be combined?

Basically, my issue is that I get some background crackling in the right channel when sound is played at higher volume levels. When I switch over to optical, I have no such issue at all.

I can tell there's significant USB interference because not only is my DAC being affected, but so is my webcam. For my webcam, I will get intermittent artifacts every 10 seconds no matter what port I use. However, on my laptop, I have no such issue. I imagine it's either the GPU and/or power supply introducing noise in the I/O.

It wouldn't hurt to try iDefender+. It breaks ground loops and optionally provides clean 5V line for USB.

I don't want to buy an audiophile USB cable if it's not going up fix the problem ($100) but noticed the idefender+. I got different XLR cables too but think they are good enough quality. There's a mess of cables I should tidy up too. The ifi defender looks handy, not that cheap but worth it if it does the trick. Need to test out some different Power board and plug configurations, doesn't really affect much.

As I've explained above, iDefender+ targets ground loops, so if issues you've been experiencing are the result of that, this product will help you out.

 

[duranxv]

It wouldn't hurt to try iDefender+. It breaks ground loops and optionally provides clean 5V line for USB.



As I've explained above, iDefender+ targets ground loops, so if issues you've been experiencing are the result of that, this product will help you out.

Thanks! What purpose does the silencer serve vs the defender?

 

[iFi audio]

Thanks! What purpose does the silencer serve vs the defender?

It's all here at our site:

https://ifi-audio.com/products/isilencer-plus/
https://ifi-audio.com/products/idefender-plus/

...but in short: iSilencer+ reduces noise incoming via USB, while iDefender+ breaks ground loops and optionally provides clean 5V to USB

 

[duranxv]

It's all here at our site:

https://ifi-audio.com/products/isilencer-plus/
https://ifi-audio.com/products/idefender-plus/

...but in short: iSilencer+ reduces noise incoming via USB, while iDefender+ breaks ground loops and optionally provides clean 5V to USB

So if a PC is outputting a relatively "dirty" signal through USB due to power supply/GPU interference, try the Defender first, and then if that doesn't work, combine it with the Silencer?

 

[iFi audio]

So if a PC is outputting a relatively "dirty" signal through USB due to power supply/GPU interference, try the Defender first, and then if that doesn't work, combine it with the Silencer?

iDefender+ should be taken into account if you experience issues related with ground loops and possibly wish to provide clean 5V to your USB line. iSilencer+ should be considered if you output audio data from i.e. a regular PC that's inherently noisy. Thanks!

 

[Lewiscube]

Hi there,

I aquired the iDefender + today and also the iPower 2 from amazon.

My setup was as follows (before iDefender+) :
Pc > usb dac/amp > rca output > active speakers
The issue here was that the pc power supply and active speaker power supplies were plugged into the extension cable in my room, but the dac being inbetween these two devices caused massive interference problems.

My setup is now : Pc > iDefender+ > 5V power > usb dac/amp > active speakers

I bought the iPower2 as I learned recently that cheaping out on these things isn't the way to go. I bought a cheap rca ground loop isolator a week ago and the sound quality was awful.

Very, very happy customer. *Zero* reduction in sound quality and *all* ground loop interference is gone. I had to use my iPad pro to listen to my active speakers for an entire week but now I can use my pc for music, games, movies, etc without any interference noise!

Just curious, does the iDefender+ alter the sound at all? I noticed a small amount of warmth coming from the music I was listening to but i'm not sure if this is just me.
Edit: If this sound improvement is actually present and not placebo, can I use the ground loop isolator with my dac/amp for my headphones!? The ground loop isolator is not needed when using my headphones with the dac/amp but im wondering if its possible?

 

[iFi audio]

Hi there,

I aquired the iDefender + today and also the iPower 2 from amazon.

My setup was as follows (before iDefender+) :
Pc > usb dac/amp > rca output > active speakers
The issue here was that the pc power supply and active speaker power supplies were plugged into the extension cable in my room, but the dac being inbetween these two devices caused massive interference problems.

My setup is now : Pc > iDefender+ > 5V power > usb dac/amp > active speakers

I bought the iPower2 as I learned recently that cheaping out on these things isn't the way to go. I bought a cheap rca ground loop isolator a week ago and the sound quality was awful.

Very, very happy customer. *Zero* reduction in sound quality and *all* ground loop interference is gone. I had to use my iPad pro to listen to my active speakers for an entire week but now I can use my pc for music, games, movies, etc without any interference noise!

Ach, great to know and thanks for your feedback!

Just curious, does the iDefender+ alter the sound at all? I noticed a small amount of warmth coming from the music I was listening to but i'm not sure if this is just me.
Edit: If this sound improvement is actually present and not placebo, can I use the ground loop isolator with my dac/amp for my headphones!? The ground loop isolator is not needed when using my headphones with the dac/amp but im wondering if its possible?

Our USB cleaners essentially reduce noise that manifests itself as harshness, grit, metallic tint etc. By removing or limiting these issues music becomes more round, substantial, resolving, all in all pleaseant and it flows better. These upgrades can be perceived as extra warmth too, but if you're hearing that, this means that your USB cleaners do what they should.

 

[Lewiscube]

Our USB cleaners essentially reduce noise that manifests itself as harshness, grit, metallic tint etc. By removing or limiting these issues music becomes more round, substantial, resolving, all in all pleaseant and it flows better. These upgrades can be perceived as extra warmth too, but if you're hearing that, this means that your USB cleaners do what they should.

Thanks for the response! Good to know.