Here's the TLDW of this: yes, it works. You can watch this overly long video to see why it works, when you might use it, and what difference it can make!

Start at 11:28. You're welcome.

its great when you (we) buy super expensive sound gear and it seems like things are getting worse in terms of mains hum or interference noise.

I've been experiencing the same issue with my monitors since I bought them. Since I'm using RCA>XLR cables, I figured the reason it was happening was because I was not using a fully balanced connection. Thank you for shedding light on the ground loop issue. Since you mentioned it in your last video, I've been looking forward to seeing how this works. I need to confirm whether or not it works with my DAC and if it does then I will buy it.

Thank you. Finally somebody with brains doing this. Im sick of hifi crazies.

Just bought one for my studio setup. My audio interface would make a buzzing sound like interference, once I plugged the device in the buzzing was gone , 100% recommend

Take an old USB cable…cut Only the red wire, then clamp a magnet ferrite where you have cut it...to cover the cut (estethic) If it need power then drive the power just the side of your device not from computer.

its because usb is a floating point ground and the amp is plugged into actual earth ground. the floating point ground is slightly above earth ground causing a dc offset between the amp and the usb device. if you ground the usb to earth ground it will place the ground level at the same level as the amp. thats what this is designed to solve. yur supposed to plug a grounded 5 volt power supply into it.

minidisc rocks! You guys are always so helpful and informative. Its very much appreciated.

it fixed my issue but it changes the sound for me, seems like it increases the highs and reduces sub bass

I achieved the same effect by getting a USB Y-splitter, covering the power pins of one connector (using duct tape. it's the 2 longer side pins, leftmost and rightmost), plugging that one into my PC, and plugging the other one into a power adapter.

So I just got this device. I exactly the same ground loop when the gpu becomes active. In my case not only did it not work, but it also introduced a new hissing sound. I'm going to lift the ground of the wall plug where my audio setup (including USB dac) is plugged.

I had the same problem. However, I noticed that after hitting the computer case, the noise stopped for a while. I looked at the computer's power supply. The grounding is led out from the power supply housing and then through the screws securing it in the housing. My metal casing is painted black and probably doesn't ground the power supply properly. I ran an additional ground wire from the power supply to the unpainted part of the case. The noises have completely disappeared.

Incredible vid - Yes I also have a USB DAC and amp, 1080 Ti and get this same issue when scrolling on Reddit! Going to check this device out, thanks!

I had the same problem. I just wrapped the outside of the male connector with electrical tape to isolate it from the pc case and that fixed the issue for me. Blissful silence and no money spent.

Now that's what I call a real review. Thank you.

That's a pretty big fail on Queststyle's behalf. They're supposed to have a circuit inbuilt to remove any ground noise before it's amplified. The DAC/amp I use, the Audio-gd NFB-15, never has any noise issues and my PC has an extremely noisy ground. I think you may want to look into upgrading the Queststyle to something better.

Great video! This was the one that helped me understand that it is a loop caused from the ground wire from the computer and the ground wires from the studio monitors. But you don`t need this adapter! The solution does not cost any money! I just eliminated the ground wire pin from the plugs which power the studio monitors and the noise was gone! Could have done it to the computer, but I prefer to do it to the speakers, because the ground wire there is less important. Thank you for the idea!

I would like to share my experience with using ifi iDefender + (newer version) and support this video (Maybe It will help someone). My connection is very similar like in this video. In addition, I have a sub between monitors and an audio interface: PC >-U-S-B -> Audio Interface (Focusrite Scarlett 6i6 gen 2) >-X-L-R-> Subwoofer (Adam Audio Sub7) >-X-L-R-> Monitors (Adam Audio A5X's). I suffered with the same problem. The unpleasant noise which appeared when a GPU started using more performance. Most of this noise was reproduced by the sub and smaller portion by the monitors. Firstly, I replaced RCA cables to XLR cables. It only attenuated noise in the monitors, but not completely. I even tried to solder EMC XLR connectors. However, this didn't solve the problem. After that, I bought this ifi stick and put it between PC and audio interface and the noise was attenuated even in sub, but it was still hearable. Finally, I tried to power ifi stick externally via USB-C cable and it started work perfectly. Sub and monitors do not reproduce any unpleasant sound and everything is absolutely clear.

I have the same problem connecting my amp to the computer speakers using the 3.5mm audio out , I tried a cheap USB to 3.5mm DAC and it helped with the background noise. Sometimes I still get a quick buzz . I am going to try your little expensive gizmo , hope it eliminates the noise completely

Really glad I sat to listen to this all the way through. TL'DR big takeaway I was going to buy the IFI for an USB powered DAC. -___- That's not gonna work xD

No one seems to be making any mention here of the fact that most PC power supplies that come with a store-bought PC are absolute garbage, built using the cheapest, low-end internal components possible. One of the nice things about either building your own PC or buying an off-the-shelf one that uses all industry standard PC components is that you can easily replace and upgrade any component in the system at any time. Whenever I buy a new system (or build one custom) I immediately replace the default power supply with a much more expensive one that's constructed using far higher quality internal components. If you have a system that is introducing noise every time your GPU is active you are very likely dealing with a system power supply that is incapable of delivering both sufficient power and sufficiently clean power that you require for proper operation (Hint: hearing audible noise through your speakers when a GPU kicks in and operates is something that should never happen). Rather than trying to take noise off of a ground loop with a $50 USB isolator/ground loop breaker, maybe your first step should instead be to make sure that you even have a high enough quality power supply in your system to begin with that can actually deliver enough (clean) power? A good quality replacement PC power supply built to far higher standards than the factory default one that comes with a new system can be purchased for anywhere from about $90 to $175, depending on how much power you need/want. That's always money well spent. Before trying to solve any audio problems with this type of after-market device, I'd make absolutley certain that I first had a very good, high-quality power supply running in my computer to begin with. Because I've always taken that step first, I've never had any type of noise issues using external speakers or headphones, regardless of the external DACs/amps that I've used. The other thing that can potentially help deliver slightly cleaner/less noisy power to your power supply is to replace your default (cheap) power cable with a far higher-grade oxygen-free one. A good OFC (Oxygen Free Copper) PC power supply cable can be purchased for anywhere from around $29 to $69 and is also money very well spent if your objective is to be able to get the cleanest possible audio out of your system.

I had the same problem but as soon as I took my USB coming from my audio interface and plugged it into the USB that supplies power the one that acts like a charging port the problem went away. Make sure your computer comes with a dedicated USB charging port. Clean audio no noise anymore👌

Doesn't helped one bit by itself with heavy GPU (1080 Ti) generated noise. I have a USB powered Presonus AudioBox iTwo DAC connected via 6.3 mm jack balanced cables to a of selfpowered/amped pair of studio monitors (Eris E8). Yet I have managed to deal with this problem in using it in alternative way. 1) I have taped the 5V and GND pins with insulating tape of a USB extender cord, that left only the two data pins on the USB connected to the motherboard 2) I have connected the DAC USB cable to the extender with the ifi Defender+ in the middle, so I can deliver a power to the DAC through the Defender+ and not powering it from the PC. To be honest I wasn't sure if I should have bought the iSilencer+ instead. Since the GPU indused noise is more like EMI/RFI indused, not a ground loop one. And trust me I have tried many things including - getting two different mother boards, two different GPUs, two different PSUs, nothing have helped.

bro, you still have the krk 4 gp3, I would be interested to buy them or you know of someone or to get one of those measure 4

This is a thing that most people would need.

Wouldn’t it make more sense if I just buy xlr/tsr noise isolator and be done with it? My 4090 has insane coil-whine and it comes through via USB C going to my Focusrite.

Have almost identical setup - PC, USB DAC, Active speakers, but iDefender did nothing to fix the buzzing sound. When i remove grounding from speakers, no buzz at all - so it is a multiple ground issue. You can almost buy a decent DAC for 50 €.

thanks... i have the same issues and will try this thingie.

So mutch thing to check before: All cable shield, and if the computer make noise then Take a cable and take off red wire out (Cut-it) and use another power supply. i mean the audio USB cable Etc…

It bloody worked! Dead silence!

I had a USB noise issue and couldn't figure it out. Went back to my Furutech manual (who would have thought to read the manaul!?) and they actually suggested just using an external powered USB port if it happens. I haven't had a problem since. So may be a cheaper option to try for people looking for a solution.

Does it work with Behringer uphoria um2?

I know it's 1.5 year later but i tried this today and it reduced the ground loop but it is still there sadly :/

It is so damn expensive because the used usb chip inside. I bought mine for about 10 euro's straight from the source in china and saves me allot of money. It is actually an isolated DC/DC converter (in fact a 1:1 PWM transformer) and a chip to isolate the bus lines. It is that complicated because usb requires the same ground path to be working, so it needs a 'conversion' trick. What you hearing (jitter) is a compound of the digital ground produced inside the computer. In fact it is not a fault of the computer hub, it's inside the huge usb soundcard. You can test this with a multimeter, if the RCA ground is connected to the USB GND pin and/or USB connector shield, they saved some dollars to do it right.

i solved the issue by upgrading my mobo. Had to use toslink to cancel the noise before.

Save yourself! Skip to this 11.41 !!

I need to ask just to clarify. I have an audio interface (Focusrite Scarlett 2i2) connected to my laptop by the USB port. I will connect the iDefender to my laptop and the USB cable of the interface. Do i need to connect it to a power suppy?

I have a Schiit Wyrd with my Fulla 2. It did remove a strange buzzing when I move my mouse around but otherwise didn't fix my ground loop power issue which was to be expected. Sound sounds more consistent and also cleaner? I'm not sure if it makes a huge difference but I think everyone should have one anyway due to a cleaner digital source.

49 quid for a passive dongle. outrageous!

Worked for me as well.

I use the schiit wyrd and work so good and good for you but don't confuse bro all powered monitor speakers do noise even the JBL but never goes to the dac/amp.

I have this exact same problem with my Questyle CMA400i and my Macbook Pro Mid 2015. I bought the iDefender 3.0 and it doesn't work. Still the same ground loop noise...

I wonder if they sell them in a PCI slot

yes it works and the idea is very straightforward, which is removing the power pins in the USB connection, and only leaving the data pins. however this is how the 1st grade of the electronics school would implement it, just as a proof of concept. now, the most elegant implementation of the same idea, is by using the Adum3160 chips, and the monolithic air core transformer component, which does just that. it physically separates the incoming signal from the outgoing signal. not only that, it actually cleans the incoming signal, and sends a better version of it to the output, like a repeater or mini amplifier. it allows 12 Mbps data transfer rate bidirectionally. so it is not capable of USB 3.0 4.8 Gbps data transfer rate, to work continuously through such USB signal isolator. so if you are connecting a very high data transfer device, you must bear it in mind, that Adum3160 chip won;t be able to keep up. however for the Audio Interface, USB 2.0 data transfer rate is sufficient for the 18x 24 bit channels simultaneously, so you should be safe there, unless you are working on a big mixer with more than 18 signals being consolidated into one USB connection. also for the USB MIDI, the data transfer is 30 kbps, so you don't need to worry about USB 2.0 for the MIDI operation over USB connection. I actually prefer the Adum3160 chip, which is the actual transformer, physically isolating input from output, and only sending / receiving the actual data, and filtering everything else, which is ideal. And it only costs ~USD13, if you want to check it out. amzn.to/3IB224k

If that's all it does is disconnect the power lines, then you could probably take a pair of tweezers and pull out the + wire in the USB cable. You can even put some super glue over the + wire, it's on the end so....It might just work and save about 60 bucks. Everybody has 10 cables laying around.

I don't doubt that it works in most cases, however I picked one up and it did not fix my ground noise. What's the next step I should take?

I just bought the "Ifi iDefender+" but the USB port of my laptop doesn´t recognize/detect it (error code #43). With a direct cable type-B works fine. It´ll be necessary to change the cable????. Or this device need to set any driver for running...or I must update something???. I'm using windows 11. Thanks in advance!!!.

Would a DIY USB cable with(out) with an equal pinout does the same job as the iDefender 3? Are those Mogami XLR Interconnects? Cheers

do you think this would work for white noise in Wireless gaming headset ?

Boa tarde meu notebook é 2.0 a entrada . Esse 3.0 iria servir ?

Is this happening with the Topping A90? I was thinking of running it strait off my PC with a 3.5mm to duel rca from my line out. Will I get this ground loop I am hearing about?

Overall good explaination! But "no power transfered" is wrong. Without any power the usb connection would not work. What it does is to put a galvanic break between input and output. So it forward Power but not the distorted power.

Lovely Hime Amiibo!

Beautiful

In your video using the defender supresses the noise caused by the computer. But there's no audio coming from the speaker. What the buyer wants is the desired audio coming from the speaker without thr computer noise. Your video doesn't sho that.

So damn long, this video should be 1min

Buy link

How do you make it work? My interface won’t connect with the defender in the usb

Ok so I bought this and it was total junk fell apart in 1 minute. Is there a better quality one?

hang on a minute you said you had retired from reviews on this channel?!

what 5v power supply works with this?

Its is okay to buy these idefender if my setup isnt any ground loop?? Currently im using e17k to my pc and planning to upgrade to ifi nano idsd bl and i want to buy the idefender together for save shipping cost , my home electricity isnt grounded (in my country its common for most electric isnt grounded) ..should i get idefender or jitterbug??

Wow interesting video. Have you tried their iGalvanic?

So how will this work if my PC is linked via HDMI or Toslink to my home theater reciever? I have an Onykyo AV Reciever that does link USB audio through PC.

I have the exact same issue, although the sound comes through my stax amp. If i load the gpu up with furmark the sound gets loud and is audible even at low volumes. Did it completely get rid of it or did it just reduce it to a level where its no longer audible at normal listening volumes?

I have the CMA400i with the Exact same Mogami Gold XLR cables going into my monitors and suffer the same issue. Do you know any other iFi products that cuts the ground and does all the good stuff like re-clocking, filtering etc. As I'd be interested in solving my problem that way. I like the idea of an AIO solution.

why dont you just use a data-only usb cable then ?

You really should not use front panel USB connectors, the internal wires to those and the board connector are usually junk, also that wire usually runs right across all the electronics is less shielded than other connections.

I had this issue every time i moved my mouse. I solved it with the Wyred4Sound Recovery

Do you have to charge the USB or anything?

Not working! Also i use with power adaptor!

i think you need to apply power supply to break loop :)

Good to see that it actually does something! Snakeoil it's not.

What's that website you used to test it?

What method are you using to connect the speakers to the source? Using balanced TRS/XLR usually eliminates this issue.

This video, is too goddamn long.

Grab an old USB cable and split the cable with an Exacto and cut the RED WIRE (No Power) and your problem will be resolve.

omg this is my exact problem

Just want to point out - it could have very well been coil whine either way. Almost all computer hardware (most noticeably GPU's and PSU's) have it to a degree. It's just that more times than not, it's at such a high frequency we can't hear it. Your studio monitors could have simply amplified it. It can happen without them being even connected to the computer in question as a matter of fact. All it takes sometimes is simply being on the same circuit breaker, or plugged into the same wall socket.

I realize that this is an old video, but I think I've run into a similar problem. I'm curious, aside from the noise reduction, did the character of your audio change at all when using the iDefender 3.0?

Instead of getting out of the mouth we had to do a test with the laptop to hear the difference

Will this work with USB mixers too?

Just use balanced TRS cables and you'll have no noise in the first place.

I like your accent

I really couldn't hear the noise.

Just chancec upon your video, just want to ask does the thing work as a regular usb data cable/plug or somwthing. I've been streaming for some time now and i want to use it with DS4 controller (im assuming the button inputs count as data input or transfer), coz when ever im charging my controller i get some static/clicking/hum from my headset. This only happens when im charging and at the same time got have the elgato chat audio cable pluged in to the capture device.

an electrician wouldn't really specialize in audio as they deal more with high voltage, focus on electrical safety, pull cables, fix cords, etc. An audio electrical tech, robotics technician (me) or technologist, audio engineer, etc. etc. would all be more qualified to answer this. From my knowledge you could have a direct earth ground (Wall socket, hopefully the earth outside eventually), instrument floating grounds (this will cause noise to feed back to the souce if the ground is not grounded to earth separately. These are also used as a reference signals..bla bla). Anyways, I'd really need to poke around your set up to

Bad design on DAC, it should isolate stuff like that.

HOLY shit it actually fucking works, but let’s be real I really like ifi but can’t you just buy a usb extension cable and cut the power leads hahaha because you don’t need usb external power, so the dongle is pretty useless on its own but if it solves your problem why not.

what the actual f.... PROBLEM & SOLUTION @ 11:30

that looks alot like the essential phone charger ....

simple answer: your electrical in your home sucks

you know.. you literally can save yourself $40 and just buy a cheap data-only usb cable. that or take any usb cable you have laying around, cut the cable outer casing open and simply snip the power and/or ground cable.. You honestly only really need an item like this if your usb device does require the usb power, so that way you can use an external low to no noise dc power connection, rather than your pc's noisy usb power...

BTW, those monitors are too hyped for mixing ;)

How’s compare with audioquest jitterbug?

you wanna know how to stop this from happening entirely? Break the ground pins off the power cables on the KRKs... DO IT!

it should cost £2.99 it is just a cheap adapter that just breaks the ground loop.

Well I AM an Electrician. And I kinda Do believe it has something to do with coil whine. Since when i disconnect my 980tis the USB hum is gone. I also have very loud crackling noise when i scroll webpages and so on. Could also be coil whine from the PC PSU but the noise does remind me a lot of the coil buzz you get when having having your GPUs running in a 3D application and using asymmetrical speaker cables. Anyway. Called Thomann Germany yesterday, they say the problem should not exist and i probably have a defective AI. With all the information out there its outrageous to me how they can say that. BUS powered Audio Interfaces are a scam guys at least when you have to get a USB reclocker for at least 100 bucks for it not to make terrible noise all day. Just get a individually powered Interface like the new Steinberg ones or the Presonus ones. If you get a buspowered one at least get something like the Black Lion Audio Revolution with a quality power filter.

It's a $50 plug and doesn't even come with a power cable?!