[castleofargh]

so now it's come to the point where the more you plug, the merrier... because we all know about that famous electronic law that says, "add more components the noise will go down".
soon you'll have some guys telling you all about how using a usb to optical then optical to spdif then back to usb with 2 or 3 hubs added to regen+wyrd+jitterbug is the only way to get good usb sound.
 
and meanwhile nobody really knows what it's actually doing to the signal(except apparently messing with it enough or changing the voltage for some DACs to have trouble talking to the computer). marvelous! 

 

[sheldaze]

  Actually you may be pleasantly surprised at the sound upgrade and not need all that stuff in the usb chain if you move up to a Mac mini.  I thought there would not be much difference but to me it was a fairly decent surprise.
 
Back to tinkering................

 

I agree, 100%. In my living room setup, what do I have - Apple Mac mini and GMB. And how do I connect these - Amazon Basics USB cable 

Back to tinkering with my portable play stuff...

 

[mrscotchguy]

Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler!

[COLOR=800080]Audioquest told Michael Lavorgna that the Jitterbug was designed to do the following:[/COLOR]



[COLOR=800080]Schiit Audio says the Wyrd was designed to do the following:[/COLOR]


So, yes, there does seem to be a lot of overlap, and yet...

[COLOR=800080]Audioquest recommends the Wyrd as a solution for Jitterbug owners who are having this problem, as discussed in the Jitterbug FAQ:[/COLOR]


It's as if Audioquest only sees value in the Wyrd acting as an active USB hub.  


Mike

...or the value of now requiring you to purchase two high-end cables :evil:

 

[zilch0md]

In the interest of demystifying things...
 
Here's UpTone Audio's Alex Crespi explaining what the USB Regen does:
 
Quoting http://www.computeraudiophile.com/f6-dac-digital-analog-conversion/uptone-audio-regen-listening-impressions-24078/index68.html#post465160
 

 Just as reminder to those just joining, the REGEN performs 2 completely separate functions:

1) For the data it produces a entirely new USB signal of high integrity (that's rise-time, amplitude, edge-jitter, noise, etc.--all the stuff seen with an eye-pattern test) and proper impedance match--right at the input of the DAC so that the DAC's own USB input PHY chip and processor stay "calm" and generate less ground-plane and packet-noise INSIDE the DAC. This is the big thing that differentiates the REGEN from all other current devices.

2) For the USB power side we completely ignore the 5V coming in on pin 1 of the USB cable and use the best-in-class 1A ultra-low-noise regulator, the TI TPS7A4700 along with a ultra-low-ESR 220uF capacitor, etc. to provide clean 5VDC to DACs that require it.

 
Mike

 

[Mediahound]

Received the Jitterbug today.
 
1. First hooked it up to the Schiit Wyrd output going to my Schiit Gungnir Multibit.
 
Not much difference at all. Vocals a little bit cleaner/louder. Bass and highs literally no difference but mids seem a bit brighter/louder.  
 
2. Then moved the Jitterbug  and plugged it directly into the the Mac USB port (which then goes in to the Wyrd).  Still not a major difference, sounds about the same. 
 
So as near as I can tell at least initially, the Jitterbug slightly improves vocals, by making them sound a little bit cleaner and more pronounced in my system  
 
If I had to choose just one, the Jitterbug or the Schiit Wyrd,  it would definitely be the Wyrd as that made more of a noticeable improvement to me in terms of cleaning up the sound versus just straight USB into the DAC.
 
The main take away is that it seems to have increased vocal clarity in my system. 
 
To make sure I wasn't just hearing things. I tried removing the Jitterbug and changing nothing else. Vocals then sounded a bit more hushed and relaxed. 
 
I can't necessarily say it sounds worse without the Jitterbug but can say I do hear the vocals a bit clearer with it. 
 
Note, I have not tried the Jitterbug just by itself and don't plan to.

 

[kman1211]

  Received the Jitterbug today.
 
1. First hooked it up to the Schiit Wyrd output going to my Schiit Gungnir Multibit.
 
Not much difference at all. Vocals a little bit cleaner/louder. Bass and highs literally no difference but mids seem a bit brighter/louder.  
 
2. Then moved the Jitterbug  and plugged it directly into the the Mac USB port (which then goes in to the Wyrd).  Still not a major difference, sounds about the same. 
 
So as near as I can tell at least initially, the Jitterbug slightly improves vocals, by making them sound a little bit cleaner and more pronounced in my system  
 
If I had to choose just one, the Jitterbug or the Schiit Wyrd,  it would definitely be the Wyrd as that made more of a noticeable improvement to me in terms of cleaning up the sound versus just straight USB into the DAC.
 
The main take away is that it seems to have increased vocal clarity in my system. 
 
To make sure I wasn't just hearing things. I tried removing the Jitterbug and changing nothing else. Vocals then sounded a bit more hushed and relaxed. 
 
I can't necessarily say it sounds worse without the Jitterbug but can say I do hear the vocals a bit clearer with it. 
 
Note, I have not tried the Jitterbug just by itself and don't plan to.

Similar to my initial impressions thought I find the differences are not subtle, I found it really brings vocals to life. I personally find there is also an increase of dynamics and things are  a bit fuller overall. Need to spend more time with it.

 

[dmbr]

For me as well. I'm willing to put up with intallation ideosyncracies if the end results are positive. I'm butning it in for comparison with my UpTone Audio USB Regen and in combination with the USB Regen.

I'm glad you got it going, Stuart.
They perform different roles. Audioquest's FAQ page actually recommends using the Jitterbug in combination with the Schiit Wyrd, in some circumstances. See Michael Lavorgna's excellent comparison review:

http://www.audiostream.com/content/usb-accessory-roundup-uptone-audio-usb-regen-audioquest-jitterbug-schiit-wyrd

Mike

thanks

 

[ADD]

I bought a Jitterbug yesterday on a whim. I thought even at $79 here in Australia, I wouldn't be jumping out of a window if it made no difference. Furthermore, I don't use a USB DAC and I had planned to simply stick the thing in - of all places - the USB port I use for my mouse on my PC! So not in any audio or "data" path at all!
 
After installing it inline with the mouse USB port - and doing absolutely nothing else, I was still expecting it to make absolutely no difference whatsoever. After all, I've been pretty careful building up this PC to work extremely well with music.
 
Well blow me away it did make a difference - and a noticeable one. Not a big difference but definitely a worthwhile one and one that would likely be noticeable even to a less critical listener (I was listening via my Xonar ST soundcard via headphones).
 
The most noticeable difference was that I was able to get the same enjoyment and clarity listening at a lower volume - subjectively around 2 - 3 dB lower than without the jitterbug installed. The sound is clearer and more sharply defined but without any side effects. There is just no need to turn the volume up anymore and that takes some getting used to in itself. This especially welcome given I listen to 99% classical where the dynamic range is extremely high and you need to hear everything from a string being struck on a harp 40 feet away to an orchestra playing absolutely flat out.
 
The other bonus is that the differences between my high resolution 24 bit material and my CD standard material, though still easily noticeable, is not as big as it was before. By that I mean the CD standard material is much more pleasant than it was before - improving more than the 24 bit stuff (which still improves).
 
I will likely just use the one Jitterbug even though my PC has two USB buses. In any case, unless I start using extension cables the Jitterbug is too large (thick) to be used on a port that is vertically adjacent to another.
 
So I'm totally and pleasantly surprised by this little gadget. It makes me worry that if things like this can improve the sound of a setup that I have already gone to considerable pains to be as noise-free as possible right from the wall socket, what else is there to tweak...This is certainly by far the most cost-effective tweak I've ever bought.

 

[IBPhoenix09]

  I bought a Jitterbug yesterday on a whim. I thought even at $79 here in Australia, I wouldn't be jumping out of a window if it made no difference. Furthermore, I don't use a USB DAC and I had planned to simply stick the thing in - of all places - the USB port I use for my mouse on my PC! So not in any audio or "data" path at all!
 
After installing it inline with the mouse USB port - and doing absolutely nothing else, I was still expecting it to make absolutely no difference whatsoever. After all, I've been pretty careful building up this PC to work extremely well with music.
 
Well blow me away it did make a difference - and a noticeable one. Not a big difference but definitely a worthwhile one and one that would likely be noticeable even to a less critical listener (I was listening via my Xonar ST soundcard via headphones).
 
The most noticeable difference was that I was able to get the same enjoyment and clarity listening at a lower volume - subjectively around 2 - 3 dB lower than without the jitterbug installed. The sound is clearer and more sharply defined but without any side effects. There is just no need to turn the volume up anymore and that takes some getting used to in itself. This especially welcome given I listen to 99% classical where the dynamic range is extremely high and you need to hear everything from a string being struck on a harp 40 feet away to an orchestra playing absolutely flat out.
 
The other bonus is that the differences between my high resolution 24 bit material and my CD standard material, though still easily noticeable, is not as big as it was before. By that I mean the CD standard material is much more pleasant than it was before - improving more than the 24 bit stuff (which still improves).
 
I will likely just use the one Jitterbug even though my PC has two USB buses. In any case, unless I start using extension cables the Jitterbug is too large (thick) to be used on a port that is vertically adjacent to another.
 
So I'm totally and pleasantly surprised by this little gadget. It makes me worry that if things like this can improve the sound of a setup that I have already gone to considerable pains to be as noise-free as possible right from the wall socket, what else is there to tweak...This is certainly by far the most cost-effective tweak I've ever bought.

My observations have been similar, Jitterbug has a knack for making a difference in unexpected places. I haven't tested it in a router yet but AudioQuest claims it will make a difference there as well. I take it your mouse draws power from the USB line rather than battery? 

 

[Mediahound]

Question - when using the Jitterbug between an iPhone and a car USB (or any other usb for that matter), will the iPhone still charge?
 
Edit- I tried it, it does charge. 

 

[kman1211]

  Question - when using the Jitterbug between an iPhone and a car USB (or any other usb for that matter), will the iPhone still charge?

It says it does in the instructions and I have found my devices still charge with the jitterbug in-line.

 

[IBPhoenix09]

  It says it does in the instructions and I have found my devices still charge with the jitterbug in-line.

 
Confirmed.

 

[ADD]

  My observations have been similar, Jitterbug has a knack for making a difference in unexpected places. I haven't tested it in a router yet but AudioQuest claims it will make a difference there as well. I take it your mouse draws power from the USB line rather than battery? 

 
Yes, the mouse draws power from the USB only but I am not sure that it matters  if it does draw power or doesn't (at least in my case). The reason is that I also tried it on a different USB port - the USB port I am using for an externally-powered hard drive - and the result was exactly the same as using it in the mouse USB port. So in my case it did not matter if the device connected to the port is self-powered or not.
 
The only reason I actually picked the mouse port for the Jitterbug was that my mainboard USB layout is such that this is the only port where the Jitterbug will actually fit. I had to temporarily remove a second, identical externally-powered hard drive to the original one even to test it on a different USB port because they are spaced too closely together vertically at the back of the mainboard. So in other words, when all the ports are used in normal use, there is only one left that will accommodate the Jitterbug simply due to the physical layout of the ports at the back of the mainboard together with the dimensions of the Jitterbug.
 
I suppose that given most people will likely use the Jitterbug on a laptop, the thickness is not so much an issue as the width - and it can fit next to another used port that is horizontally spaced so it doesn't really matter in that situation. But many if not most desktop ATX mainboards have the USB ports stacked vertically as well as horizontally and it is going to depend how heavily utilised those ports are. On my setup, every single USB port on the rear panel is used up bar one - there are eight ports and I have seven of them in permanent use.

 

[sarora]

Two quick measurements with the Jitterbug - both are scope FFT's probed from the output of a JDSLabs C5D Amp/DAC. The wave is a pure 1900 Hz square wave. 
 
JDSLabs C5D Amp/DAC alone (1900 Hz, Square Wave - FFT, 0-30KHz, Linear Scale):
 
http://pitt.edu/~sha57/C5D-1900%20Hz%20Square%20Wave%20-%20FFT%20%5B0-30KHz%2C%20Linear%20Scale%5D.pdf
 
JDSLabs C5D Amp/DAC with JitterBug (1900 Hz, Square Wave - FFT, 0-30KHz, Linear Scale):
 
http://pitt.edu/~sha57/C5D%20%26%20JitterBug%20-%201900%20Hz%20Square%20Wave%20-%20FFT%20%5B0-30KHz%2C%20Linear%20Scale%5D.pdf

 

[Krutsch]

  Two quick measurements with the Jitterbug - both are scope FFT's probed from the output of a JDSLabs C5D Amp/DAC. The wave is a pure 1900 Hz square wave. 
 
JDSLabs C5D Amp/DAC alone (1900 Hz, Square Wave - FFT, 0-30KHz, Linear Scale):
 
http://pitt.edu/~sha57/C5D-1900%20Hz%20Square%20Wave%20-%20FFT%20%5B0-30KHz%2C%20Linear%20Scale%5D.pdf
 
JDSLabs C5D Amp/DAC with JitterBug (1900 Hz, Square Wave - FFT, 0-30KHz, Linear Scale):
 
http://pitt.edu/~sha57/C5D%20%26%20JitterBug%20-%201900%20Hz%20Square%20Wave%20-%20FFT%20%5B0-30KHz%2C%20Linear%20Scale%5D.pdf

That's dramatic. Maybe you should share your findings with John Atkinson from Stereophile, who was unable to measure any differences with/without the Jitterbug.