Suggestion : How to Improve Sound quality/transmission using a self powered, non galvanic async Usb Dac connected to a computer.
This is for people like myself who have been looking at a Usb isolator as a possible fix to the noise coming from their computer or the deterioration of quality as their Usb dac is not galvanic (isolated).
With my setup there was no unwanted noise, i.e - hissing/crackling/ticks/pops etc.. however the sound was slightly bloated in the lower end, and each instrument was not in its own little space and seemed tangled together somewhat, also claps, percussion lacked a natural sparkle. I looked around the net to see what others were saying, many suggested an isolator, some costing as much as $300, and the rest! But as you know these aren't exactly cheap and you may be looking for a quicker/less priced solution.
If that's you, read on. This solution may work for your setup.
IMPORTANT - Your Dac must be self powered, i.e have its own power source, otherwise this fix is just going to cut the power needed from the computer.
Disconnect 5v and GND from the Usb cable connecting your Dac to the Pc with some electrical tape, as shown in the pic below.
I own a power hungry graphics card and overclocked processor which as you can imagine may inject alot of noise into the feed. The difference with my system is shocking! The low end bass is no longer bloated, and sound is much crisper/slightly brighter.
You may be thinking, why not just use Optical, it's galvanic? I did first try using optical, but it lacked the midrange strength that Async Usb offered on my particular Dac.
If you're willing to give this a go, please fill in the Poll with your results.
