Let me begin this review and testimonial by saying that
although I wanted USB Disruptor’s USB Power and “DaBigGenius” USB No 5 volt
cable to work and work well, I had no expectation that they would be such a
shocking improvement. Yes, shocking! Bear with me and I’ll try to explain my
journey and the discovery of USB Disruptor and “DaBigGenius”.
I had always felt that USB audio was an inherently flawed
method of transferring digital audio signal (as is S/PDIF for different
reasons). From the inherent computer
noise (signal and power) to the timing of signal within the computer to the
receiver chips timing issues and accuracies.
PCs are
notoriously bad at keeping a stable clock and renowned for being highly noisy. In
recent time with the advent of asynchronous receivers, the timing problems
between the computer and the DAC’s receiver were improved (this thanks to J.
Gordon Rankin and his development of asynchronous USB). Although this minimized a source of timing
errors (jitter) it did not eliminate the noise from the computer’s USB power
supply or the inherent noise of the USB cable which carries both the 5 volt
supply and the digital signal to the USB receiver chip of the DAC.
It should be obvious that USB was designed as a great
convenience for communications between a computer and a device that uses the
signal and the also the available 5 volt power. This eliminates the device’s
need for a plug-in power supply. Think
of the myriad of devices that both communicate and are supplied power from the
ingenious USB connection. So why is it flawed? If we look at the current state of consumer USB
DACs we find several categories, those that have an internal power supply for
the receiver chip, and those that rely on the 5 volts power from the computer
(through the USB cable).
So the question is: How to reduce or eliminate the inherent
noises from the cable and the noisy 5 volt power from the computer? Numerous
approaches have been taken. Some
manufacturers use noise filtering, some use active power supplies other simply
state that the problem is overstated!
This brings us to my shocking revelation. I did expect an improvement with the USB
Disruptor Power Supply. It provides 5
volt at the DAC USB connection and replaces the 5 volt computer supply
(transferred through the USB cable).
This eliminated the noisy computer 5 volts from the receiver chip and
supplied a very high quality, regulated 5 volts. The shock was the intensity of the
improvement to the DAC’s sound. I knew
jitter was a sound that was hard to articulate verbally but from the very
introduction of the USB Disruptor it was clear that this noise or distortion
was present (without the Disruptor) and radically reduced with the
Disruptor. The closest description of
the change was the lifting of a vail that was obscuring or smearing details,
tonal structure and timing cues. I was
in awe of the improvement and realized that this was the most substantial
upgrade that I had made to my digital music system. Historically that journey
covers numerous DACs and countless USB cables all in an effort to reproduce
clearer and more musical presentations.
All of this shocking improvement came at a cost of $100.00
(current price of the Disruptor). No USB
cable upgrade had achieved this level of performance and some of those USB cables
cost 16 times the Disruptor’s asking price. This included USB cables that
physically separated the signal from the power only recombining at the DAC. So,
when I saw that USB Disruptor had introduced a USB cable “DaBigGenius”, I took
the plunge. Remember that old adage
“success breeds success”, how bad could it be?
Now I can’t tell you much about the design of “DaBigGenius” and
I did email Rob to confirm which cable to choose for my DAC. The “DaBigGenius” USB cable comes in two versions,
the first is a standard cable for both signal and power and at $25.00 is said
to be a very good replacement for those very expensive audiophile USB cables
that I have tried, owned and now have abandoned. Unfortunately, I did not try this standard
cable. With Rob’s help and direction, I chose “DaBigGenius” No 5 volt since I already
owned the USB Disruptor 5 volt power solution. The No 5 volt versions costs
$10.00 dollars more (labor) for a total of $35.00 and most importantly, it does
not carry that noisy computer 5 volt supply to the DAC or through the cable. In fact it is eliminated the connection at
the computer thus providing a shielded Data cable with no internal power supply
runs and no internal noise other than that of the signal cables itself. Nice!
The results of introducing “DaBigGenius” No 5 Volt into my
digital audio system (that was already employing the “Disruptor” but with a
very high quality (expensive) USB cable that carried the computer’s 5 volts)
was again shocking but in a strikingly different way compared to the USB
Disruptor. Yes the overall clarity,
specificity and space increased (terms like: vails being lifted, less hash,
less digital, more analog sounding, come to mind). Add to this the most unexpected effect: the
overall perceived volume appeared to be less (at the same volume level it
sounded less loud than before). This spoke to me as a possible noise floor
improvement, it dropped and must have dropped by a perceivable amount!
Yea, right! As you might imagine I was not totally convinced
that what I was hearing was something good. Loosing volume when adding a cable
usually means loosing S/N and that would not have been a good thing. So, back
to the old cable and then to “DaBigGenius” and then to an older cable and then
… and then … and then, I kept coming back to “DaBigGenius”. It took me the
better part of a week doing USB cable switching at the same volume levels and
then, almost as if I didn’t believe it, I was convinced and well shocked! This was an effect I had experienced years ago
when I purchased a new preamplifier with very low noise floor and a dead quiet
phono stage. Yea, you know that experience;
things just sounded absolutely clearer and more precise and consequently
allowed me to turn up the volume.
Now you might ask, what is he using, a $500 DAC and
relatively inexpensive equipment? Well
here is the lineup (you be the judge):
Speakers: Adam,
Tensor, Delta semi active
Amplifier: Levinson
No. 27
Preamplifier: Coda
Technologies 01p
DAC: Wadia
121
Analog: VPI Traveler with a Grado
Reference cartridge on an air table by Townshend Audio, The Seismic Sink
Cables: An ever changing array of
Nordost, Morrow Audio, and now “DaBigGenius” by USB Disruptor
In conclusion: The
USB Disruptor (5 volt power supply) and “DaBigGenius” No 5 volt (USB cable),
both under $150.00 are by a shockingly large margin the most cost effective
improvements made to my digital audio system and have made digital audio as
close to perfect as I have heard. Sure your
equipment and results may vary but it is my sincere belief that this
combination will go a long way to improve the sound accuracy of just about any
digital system that employs a computer, USB, and an external DAC. Please give Rod a call or an email. He is a
delight to speak with and as engaging in his beliefs and anecdotes as anyone I
have spoken to in the audio world. But, the difference here is that the results
speak so much more clearly than the metaphors we create to describe what we
hear. In Rod, you have someone focused
on solving problems and his commitment to resolve and understanding of these
problems shows through in his products and their results. He believes in what
he hears and now, so do I!
Great job Rob and thanks for your products. They represent real problem solving in the
real world of digital sound reproduction. Most cost effective solution that I
have heard to date. BRAVO!
