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Anyone Had Experience with USB Ground Isolators?

I stumbled on a website about how isolating the ground on your USB connection to your DAC could be a good thing, so I ordered an inexpensive "ground isolator" (powered by the USB cable) and it seemed to make a noticeable difference, streaming from Tidal, slight increase in the clarity, especially in the midrange.

I've had this installed for a while, being in the back of a wall unit, forgot I had it.

Upgraded my streaming machine from Windows 8.1 to Windows 10 Pro and noticed, the most I could get my DAC to do (on the USB connection) was 96/24.  After a lot of back and forth with the great people at PS Audio, I found that, installing their USB driver, I could not get Windows to do 192/24.  Then I remembered I had this "isolator" installed, took it out of the equation, uninstalled and reinstalled the PS Audio driver and "boom", 192/24 appeared in Windows!

Doing a little more research and found a product from Schiit called "Wyrd", sometimes referred to as a "USB decrapifier", it specifically notes that it can handle hi-rez, and is powered by plugging it into an AC outlet.
ejr1953
Post removed 
erik_squires
15,805 posts
 
it is kind of ridiculous to me that all usb dacs do not include galvanic isolation and that stereophile tests only on battery power. 

all dacs need to have this built in and tesed for it.

best

erik
erik_squires
15,805 posts
 
I take it back.  It's ridiculous that all DAC's don't have galvanic isolation on all metal conductors.  Obviously, optical cables don't need it, but it's so cheap, no so-called audiophile DAC should avoid it. 
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