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iFi Audio iSilencer +


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The transfer mode used for ‘USB Audio Class’ devices is more demanding of USB hardware/software than the bulk/burst mode used for peripherals such as printers and hard drives. Error checking is present but there is no re-transmission in the event of CRC (Cyclic Redundancy Check) errors. Electrical noise on USB signals causes CRC errors and thus data loss, as does poor signal integrity. This can result in audio signal distortion, artefacts (such as clicks and pops) and latency – all things that can affect the performance of computer-based audio systems. The iSilencer+ solves this issue by removing electrical noise (including EMI/RFI) at source, thereby enabling bit-perfect transfer of audio data to the DAC.

 

 

Uniquely, it does this by combining passive filtering with iFi’s ANC II (Active Noise Cancellation II) circuit.  Developed from military radar technology, ANC II works in a similar way to active noise-cancelling headphones – it generates a signal identical to that of the incoming electrical noise but in the opposite phase, actively cancelling it out. This is highly effective at removing low- and mid-frequency noise, while passive insulating filters deal with higher frequency interference. This combination is measurably more effective at eradicating noise corrupting the USB signal than devices relying solely on passive filtering.

Whilst removing noise, the iSIlencer+ reduces the occurrence of jitter – a form of digital distortion that leads to data ‘packet errors’ and results in cold, harsh sound. It also re-balances the signal via iFi’s REbalance technology, ensuring that the digital signal received by the DAC is identical to the original source, no matter which audio format is being played.

 

The new iSilencer+ sports several enhancements compared to the outgoing iSilencer3.0. The circuitry has been upgraded with the addition of low-ESR (Equivalent Series Resistance) Tantalum capacitors for input and output filtering, further elevating its noise-busting abilities with a 10-fold increase in filtering capacitance.

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All versions support the ‘SuperSpeed’ USB 3.0 standard, as well as USB 2.0 for backwards compatibility, and incorporate high-quality gold-plated connectors for optimal signal transfer.

As well as plugging an iSilencer+ into the active USB output between computer and DAC, more iSilencer+ ‘sticks’ can be plugged into spare USB ports to further reduce radiated EMI. Each time the number of units (and therefore the number ANC II circuits) is doubled, noise reduction capability also doubles. And the iSilencer+ can be used between external hard drives and music servers, too.

The precise effect of the iSilencer+ on sound quality varies from system to system; typically, one can expect to hear more clarity, greater dynamic extension and sharper leading edges, making the music sound more vivid and open.

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