Digital Drive

Posted by AbeCollins (A) on April 08, 2024 at 07:46:37

In Reply to: RE: iPurifier3 or Intona USB isolator or Uptone Regen posted by mike1127 on April 06, 2024 at 23:18:58

iFi is a iffy brand IMHO.

My first iFi wall wart power supply with "Fighter Jet Technology" (probably a Boeing jet) arrived with a small part rattling around inside. Rather than risking blowing it up or blowing up my gear, I exchanged it. Another Inmate had the larger iFi iUSB power supply / conditioner thingy. There was a metal bar glued to the inside of the long case to give the impression of weight, heft, and quality. The glue and metal bar broke lose and bent some PCB components inside the case. More iFi rattle rattle.

iFi Spin before they pulled the silly marketing:

Intona is 'legit' from a company with it's roots in industrial USB isolation, not audiophoolerly. However they did wander to the dark side and started advertising their USB Isolators for audio use after some audiophiles discovered them. They also made some audiophile USB cables.

My Intona circa 2015:

2012 Mac Mini Intel quad-core i7 3.6 GHz i7-3720QM. Intona isolator. PS Audio NuWave DSD DAC. iPad Remote Control

Intona guts:

UpTone ISO REGEN:

The UpTone ISO REGEN and Intona Isolator do the same thing technically (galvanic isolation) but Intona pioneered USB 2.0 Hi-Speed isolation many years before UpTone came out with their ISO REGEN. Intona designed theirs from scratch. Once a single chip solution hit the market, UpTone was able to create their own around that single-chip. So much simpler to do. But then their single-source chip disappeared (no longer available) so UpTone could no longer build the ISO REGEN. Discontinued.

Don't confuse the ISO REGEN with their USB REGEN. ISO REGEN offered true galvanic isolation. USB REGEN is just a USB Reclocker - pretty much what any cheap USB Hub will do.

Intona was first to offer USB 2.0 Hi-Speed isolation. Don't confuse it with some of the cheapie USB Isolators on Amazon that won't pass hi-res audio.

Remember My Sharona ?

Ooh, my little pretty one, pretty one
When you gonna give me some time, Intona?
Ooh, you make my motor run, my motor run
Gun it coming off of the line, Intona

P.S. A small network streamer (like one built from a Raspberry Pi) requires less USB decrapifying / isolation or none at all).

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Edits: 04/08/24   04/08/24   04/08/24   04/08/24   04/08/24   04/08/24