Device can very useful for audiophile community as a noise eliminator on USB power (VBUS) and data paths in case you are listening to music via DAC or DAP connected to PC, or powered via non-isolated power source.
Due to galvanic nature Isolator V1 removes ground-loop noise, as well as other noise sources making audio spectrum very clean. Below is spectrogram (made with Audacity) of the silence playback by one of popular DAPs when DAP is connected to PC with USB cable. You can observe a lot of noise sources spread all over the audio spectrum in the Line-out of the DAP:
Here is spectrogram of the silence playback when the same DAP is connected to PC via Isolator V1, as you can see all above seen noise sources are gone and spectrogram looks clean:
In order to reconfirm this performance the silence playback was measured with DAP running on its battery (always clean power source) only and results show that spectrogram is the same clean and looks similar as for the case when DAP was connected to PC via Isolator V1:
What do these measurements say? Isolator V1 provides similar to on-board battery clean power source obtained from USB port of PC (usually always noisy). If you are looking for a clean sound, free from humming, pops & clicks, on its silent parts and do not want to waste the battery of the DAP then Isolator V1 will be a handy intermediary device between USB power/data source and your connected audio equipment.
This example was provided for a DAP usage scenario but of course DACs will benefit similarly. If your USB DAC or DAP has built-in circuit for data and power isolation then Isolator V1 will not make audio spectrum cleaner but on the other hand it will act as electric surge protector for your valuable device - it is much cheaper to replace burnt Isolator V1 then repair burnt power circuit of the DAC, DAP, ...
Specification and User manual are provided on Neutron HiFi web site in the Details section and more details are on the Product page.
Device is USB 2.0 compliant, therefore it handles High-speed, Full-speed, down to Low-speed USB data transfers. For the audio community High-speed and Full-speed USB communication is the point of interest. Isolator V1 was tested with popular DAPs and DACs, including of course Neutron HiFi DAC V1, and results confirmed its correct operation in all usage scenarios. High-speed data transfer support means - USB Audio 2.0 support with PCM up to 1,536 Mhz or higher (latest max for DAPs) and DSD1024 or higher.
Isolator V1 features high-precision highly-stable external Crystal oscillator circuit which aids internal IC in re-clocking USB data, therefore if your USB DAC or DAP has issues with USB data packets, Isolator V1 can be a helpful tool to heal USB data on its way to your audio device, in addition to noise elimination on the data path.
Galvanic nature of Isolator V1 helps to protect your valuable and often expensive audio equipment from electric surge coming via USB power (VBUS) and data paths.
Isolator V1 will deliver max 400 mA to your audio device harvested from the USB source port and therefore if your device needs more power - there is a Micro-B socket for external 5V power which you can provide from another isolated power source, like mobile phone charger (but not from PC as you will inject power noise via it!).
Device is ultra small - 40.3 x 22.3 x 20 mm (L x W x H) only, therefore it is very portable and can be used on the go, for example if you power your DAC or DAP during a flight (nobody knows how correctly USB outlet works in your seat). It is IP67-rated device (passed IP certification), therefore it can withstand operation in a harsh environment. Enclosure is made from Aluminium alloy and is fully metallic inside, on the sides panels are made from Gorilla Glass 3 material (just like the display area of Neutron HiFi DAC V1) that adds a high degree of durability by making USB socket area less prone to scratching and, of course - they look and feel just great!
Device presentation:
https://neutronhifi.com/devices/isolator/v1
Full specification:
https://neutronhifi.com/devices/isolator/v1/details
Dedicated forum thread on Audio Science Review (ASR) forum:
https://www.audiosciencereview.com/foru ... ator.55288
Any questions? Please, post here.