AudioQuest JitterBug USB Filter Review

[CausualListener]

I can definitely tell the new Jitterbug FMJ does something to the sound, though I am not sure if it's for the better or worse. I use my DAC with a very noisy gaming PC and I can hear clicks and pops when the GPU load is high. Jitterbug removes that noise quite a bit. For that purpose, the Jitterbug is not as clean as Oehlbach PureClock.

For a cleaner USB source such as a MacBook, all it seems to do is smear high frequencies a little bit, though not as bad iFi iSilencer. I would use it with AudioQuest Carbon USB cable because I find the cable a bit harsh on its own.

 

[Killingbeans]

I use my DAC with a very noisy gaming PC and I can hear clicks and pops when the GPU load is high.

Ground loop. You don't need a filter. You need galavanic isolation. Use toslink, or get something like this: https://intona.eu/en/products/7054

I would use it with AudioQuest Carbon USB cable because I find the cable a bit harsh on its own.

Sounds like there's something terribly wrong with that cable. If a USB cable is having an actual audible impact, it's broken or designed/built by a blind cave salamander. Either way, you should ask for your money back.

...or do a blind test, and see (hear?) how the harshness magically disappears

 

[SIY]

For a cleaner USB source such as a MacBook, all it seems to do is smear high frequencies a little bit, though not as bad iFi iSilencer. I would use it with AudioQuest Carbon USB cable because I find the cable a bit harsh on its own.

This seems an extremely dubious claim. You might want to check this using basic controls before coming to the conclusion that it's real.

 

[fpitas]

At $60 this thing is useless, sure, but not exorbitant. So, increase the price to $600 and put it in a pretentious looking box. Voila! High-end.

 

[CausualListener]

Ground loop. You don't need a filter. You need galavanic isolation. Use toslink, or get something like this: https://intona.eu/en/products/7054



Sounds like there's something terribly wrong with that cable. If a USB cable is having an actual audible impact, it's broken or designed/built by a blind cave salamander. Either way, you should ask for your money back.

...or do a blind test, and see (hear?) how the harshness magically disappears

It's quite obvious that the need for blind test is irrelevant. It's not about sound quality, it's just extra noise when I playback anything, even silent tracks. I tried many USB cables, some with very thick shielding, the noise always occurs when my GPU load is high. With Jitterbug plugged-in, the noise is reduced and almost gone with Oehlbach reclocker. I wish I have a human head mic to record that.

 

[Killingbeans]

My comment about blind testing was not aimed at the GPU activity noise. It was aimed at "I find the cable a bit harsh on its own".

There's no way a USB cable can have that effect on the sound, unless it's faulty. USB cables do not have sound signatures. Only the placebo effect can give you that.

And again: The GPU activity noise reaches your analog audio output via a ground loop. Filters like the Jitterbug is like putting a band-aid on a deep cut. If you want to get 100% rid of it, you'll need "stitches" in the form of galvanic isolation.

 

[CausualListener]

My comment about blind testing was not aimed at the GPU activity noise. It was aimed at "I find the cable a bit harsh on its own".

There's no way a USB cable can have that effect on the sound, unless it's faulty. USB cables do not have sound signatures. Only the placebo effect can give you that.

And again: The GPU activity noise reaches your analog audio output via a ground loop. Filters like the Jitterbug is like putting a band-aid on a deep cut. If you want to get 100% rid of it, you'll need "stitches" in the form of galvanic isolation.

regard to that, I have two samples recorded on my iPhone. Do you notice the differences in sibilant sound? One sample has a bit more shimmer. The iPhone voice memo recording reduces the Ss sound a lot but I think you can still hear it, unless you are listenning to something like the HD650 that has very recessed highs.

 

[Killingbeans]

Do you notice the differences in sibilant sound?

Not really. But my hearing is absolutely useless as a tool for that judgement. Nothing above 10kHz on one ear, and the other only goes to 16kHz.

But it would make zero sense for an USB cable to do something like that. It's like saying the postal service has an influence on the quality of the content of your packages. They can damage it or they can let it arrive unharmed. They don't open the package and alter the content in a subtle way.

Nordost Tyr 2 Review (USB Cable)

This is a review and detailed measurements of the Nordost Tyr 2 USB cable. It is on kind loan from a member and costs US $1,400 (no typo). As you see, the cable doesn't look all that fancy but still has a premium feel to it. It highly resists rotating so when you try to align the USB cable...

www.audiosciencereview.com

 

[Jimster480]

regard to that, I have two samples recorded on my iPhone. Do you notice the differences in sibilant sound? One sample has a bit more shimmer. The iPhone voice memo recording reduces the Ss sound a lot but I think you can still hear it, unless you are listenning to something like the HD650 that has very recessed highs.

USB cables do not affect the quality of sound. The sound is delivered digitally so there is no difference in the quality of sound that delivered either the sound is delivered or it is not.

 

[CausualListener]

USB cables do not affect the quality of sound. The sound is delivered digitally so there is no difference in the quality of sound that delivered either the sound is delivered or it is not.

All signals are analog, only some in digital format. The bits are the same, but jitter are not. And as long as there's a current connected, electrical noise and mess up things. I did blind test on a few of my friends and ask them to rank their preference among four different presentations. They found they sound distinctively different and ranked the exact same way. When they turned around and saw the only things I've changed were USB cables, they were shocked.

I wish I have a human head mic. But I've found others have recorded the difference.

 

[BDWoody]

All signals are analog, only some in digital format.

I did blind test on a few of my friends and ask them to rank their preference among four different presentations. They found they sound distinctively different and ranked the exact same way. When they turned around and saw the only things I've changed were USB cables, they were shocked.

The bits are the same, but jitter are not.

Ever listened to jitter? Know what it sounds like?

what does jitter ACTUALLY sound like?

In a previous post we had an encounter with jitter in audio. The talk about jitter is hard to miss these days. There are plenty of products on the mar...

www.sereneaudio.com

 

[Jimster480]

All signals are analog, only some in digital format. The bits are the same, but jitter are not. And as long as there's a current connected, electrical noise and mess up things. I did blind test on a few of my friends and ask them to rank their preference among four different presentations. They found they sound distinctively different and ranked the exact same way. When they turned around and saw the only things I've changed were USB cables, they were shocked.

I wish I have a human head mic. But I've found others have recorded the difference.

All signals being sent to transmit the digitial audio to your DAC are digital. The way that digital works is that there is a cutoff point for 1 and 0 therefore you either have data or you don't. This is why you cannot have differences in sound quality from one cable to another.

 

[CausualListener]

All signals being sent to transmit the digitial audio to your DAC are digital. The way that digital works is that there is a cutoff point for 1 and 0 therefore you either have data or you don't. This is why you cannot have differences in sound quality from one cable to another.

you still don't get it. Digital is the format, it doesn't actually exist.

 

[Sal1950]

you still don't get it. Digital is the format, it doesn't actually exist.

I'm sorry friend but you don't get it.
Do you worry that any other digital file will change it's contents during transmission?
Documents containing ten's of thousands of words are moved around every day and words or letters don't go missing unless there is a near total failure of the transmission. A failure of the sound file will show up as complete dropout's or loud noises, not a subtle change in tonality.

 

[fluxcapacitor]

I'm using Topping E30 II dac with my desktop pc (ryzen 5950X+rtx3080ti) a powerful one. Even on desktop at idle, through usb connection i'm having background noise with Topping dac, zero noise with optical but with usb only. When gpu kicks in, noise in the background is quite audible from listenening levels, believe me it's that bad.I bought 3-4usd aliexpress usb noise filters to try out. Man, i can tell you that even gpu kicks in, there's zero audible noise identical to optical output. Max out the volume, put your ear to tweeter > zero additional noise. These things work, i don't know about jitter-db measurements but for the audible background noise from your pc, they work like a charm. I just ordered 2nd hand of this device for 25usd, i think this will have similar results to cheaper one.
I dont understand why DAC manufacturers do not embed such circuits to their products, they cost 5-10usd max. i believe. but effective as hell.If you have desktop pc and your connection is from usb, enjoy your terrific noise in the background.

 

[amirm]

bought 3-4usd aliexpress usb noise filters to try out. Man, i can tell you that even gpu kicks in, there's zero audible noise identical to optical output.

Do you have US Amazon link for me to test one?

 

[fluxcapacitor]

Do you have US Amazon link for me to test one?

i bought it over aliexpress.com , link doesnt work now, product is removed but very similar ones exist though. These are the photos of it.
If you test these products on desktop pc's, i think you'll see the difference. On laptops, may be due to battery, noise doesn't exist at all.

 

[KSTR]

i bought it over aliexpress.com , link doesnt work now, product is removed but very similar ones exist though. These are the photos of it.
If you test these products on desktop pc's, i think you'll see the difference. On laptops, may be due to battery, noise doesn't exist at all.

Do you have US Amazon link for me to test one?

That's a typical specimen of a previous generation USB galvanic isolator. While is is compatible with USB2.0 protocols etc it does not handle the USB-2.0 "High Speed" (480Mb/s) data rate, only "FullSpeed" (12Mb/s) and "LowSpeed" (1.5Mb/s) data rates of USB1.1.
It will work with some simple (older) DACs but most modern DACs want a true USB2.0 "HighSpeed" connection.

 

[fluxcapacitor]

That's a typical specimen of a previous generation USB galvanic isolator. While is is compatible with USB2.0 protocols etc it does not handle the USB-2.0 "High Speed" (480Mb/s) data rate, only "FullSpeed" (12Mb/s) and "LowSpeed" (1.5Mb/s) data rates of USB1.1.
It will work with some simple (older) DACs but most modern DACs want a true USB2.0 "HighSpeed" connection.

yeah it's the cheapest one but totally eliminates HUGE usb noise coming from pc . Normally, without it, event the pc is not under load / on desktop as i move the cursor, background noise changes.lol ... X20 when gpu kicks in. but with this cheapest isolator, all noise is gone. amazing.

 

[KSTR]

yeah it's the cheapest one but totally eliminates HUGE usb noise coming from pc . Normally, without it, event the pc is not under load / on desktop as i move the cursor, background noise changes.lol ... X20 when gpu kicks in. but with this cheapest isolator, all noise is gone. amazing.

Full Ack.
Galvanic Isolation of the digital input side of a DAC is 100% guaranteed to always eliminate all "ground loop" type of issues, as it fixes the root cause of the problem.