Kills USB power noise by ‘breaking’ the earth/ground loops in the correct way.
It significantly reduces the system noise floor and makes for better dynamic contrast, warmth and resolution.
Is your audio still taking a beating from buzz and hum?
iFi’s iDefender+ is for those battling with noisy audio due to unwanted ground loops in their audio chain.
Beat the buzz
Is your audio still plagued by hum and buzz?
Using multiple plugs within your audio chain means separate earth/ground points. These multiple earth or ground points cause a ground loop problem. This creates an unwanted chain of noise, buzz and distortion.
Struggle no more. iFi’s iDefender+ provides the simple, effective solution you need.
Break the loop
When plugged into the source device’s USB socket, the iDefender+ detects whether there is a ground loop problem.
It breaks the ground loop by ‘intelligently’ disconnecting the computer’s earth and, as well as eradicating audible ground-loop hum, it lowers the system noise floor, improving resolution and dynamic contrast.
Using a USB DAC?
Are you using the iDefender+ with a DAC that relies on USB power from a computer rather than power from the mains or a built-in battery?
Good news. The iDefender+ offers an additional benefit. If an external power supply is plugged into the USB-C socket on its side, it blocks power from the computer and instead feeds the DAC with ‘clean’ power from the external supply.
If a high-quality, low-noise power adapter such as iFi’s iPower X is used, the performance of the USB DAC will be significantly improved.
New and improved.
We’ve upgraded the circuitry; low-ESR tantalum capacitors have been added for improved input and output filtering. Filtering capacitance has been increased 10-fold.
The iDefender+ now comes in 3 versions and includes the newer USB-C connector.
- USB-A to USB-A
- USB-C to USB-A
- USB-C to USB-C
Beat the buzz with the iDefender+.
Inject 5 volts of clean power clean via the ‘separate’ micro port. This disconnects the USB power from the PC and replaces it with clean external power. For ultra-low noise, use our 5-volt iPower X.
Adding the separate 5 volts to the unit is necessary to ‘break’ the earth/ground on USB-powered DACs. This is not required for DACs with an internally-powered USB section.
‘SuperSpeed’ USB 3.0 has a more exhaustive wiring specification which allows for a greater amount of audio transfer while still being backwards compatible. The units incorporate high-quality gold-plated connectors for optimal signal transfer.
Support
| USB | Super-Speed USB3.0 (and USB2.0 backwards compatible) |
| Connectors | USB3.0 gold-plated connectors |
| Dimensions | 50mm (I) x 20mm (w) x 9mm (h) |
| Weight | 6.6g (0.23oz) |
| Warranty period | 12 months |
We’re working on it — check back soon!
Reviews
wow it works
i had a ground loop issue because i was stupidly making a loop with on of my synths by connecting the audio to my usb interface and plugging the synth into my laptop with usb to use it as a midi keyboard… I didn’t realise this was causing my issue. Anyway i bought this and plugged it in and it was way louder at the start hahaha i was worried… Then i plugged the ifi device into the usb c power port and wow…… total silence no more hiss, no more amplification of my cpu noises or rf interference …….. Now i use it with a new usb setup thing i have going on ….. Amazing and worth every cent
(Click name to read original review)
Does What It Does Very Well
Have a MacBook with USB-C’s, an audio interface and multiple USB-A ports available to me (via monitor, powered hubs etc). However all run a separate power supply to my MacBook, and therefore produce some sort of interference when powering my audio interface.
Bit the bullet and purchased this device – problem completely resolved. A bit pricey for what it does, but am no longer restricted by having to plug the interface directly into the MacBook (thus sacrificing another USB-C socket/dongle) when there’s already many USB-A ports available.
(Click name to read original review)
Did require 5v supply
Works great with my Schiit Fulla 3 DAC. I had so much ground noise from mouse and graphics card coming through the usb ports. By itself it did nothing because DAC is usb powered so I had to use extra 5v supply from extra phone charger adapter and extra usb/fan cord I had but did the job perfectly.
(Click name to read original review)
It completely removed the noise issues I was having with my DAC!
“I tried the Audioquest Jitterbug and it did nothing. So I returned it and purchased this. When I first connected it, it also failed to have any effect on the noise, but when I connected a power source directly to the iDefender, BAM. Pure silence from my PC to the DAC.”
(Click name to read original review)
The Sound of Silence
Hifi EinsNull
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iFi iSilencer + iDefender + | Review
“Both the iDefender + and the iSilencer + were born to solve the problems that many users may have in audio systems based on DAC-USB.
If you notice any kind of interference or are looking to give it a twist to finish tuning the set, without risking a lot of money, both products are worth a try.”
Read more…
(Click name to read original review)
DAC (Digital-to-Analogue Converter)
DACs convert digital information, stored or streamed by computers, into music we can hear through speakers or headphones.
Every device that’s a source of digital sound has a built-in DAC (TVs, games consoles, CD players, phones, portable music players etc). Dedicated external DACs sound much better than standard DACs used in digital devices such as phones.
Ground Loops
In an electrical system, a Ground or Earth loop occurs when two points of an audio system both have a ground reference which causes a ‘potential voltage difference’ between them. Ground loops are a major cause of the noise, hum, and interference in audio, video, and computer systems.
