Neutron HiFi™ Isolator V1
USB isolator that removes ground-loop hum and noise
Hearing hum, buzz or hiss from your USB DAC? Seeing noisy readings or a raised noise floor in your measurements? Neutron HiFi™ Isolator V1 is a portable galvanic USB isolator that breaks the electrical connection between your computer and your USB device, so ground-loop and power noise can't reach it.
It isolates both the data (D+/D−) and power (VBUS) lines, re-clocks USB data with a precision crystal oscillator, and supplies up to 400 mA of clean power, with no external supply needed. An extremely low 22 pF coupling capacitance keeps high-frequency noise from leaking across the barrier, and the device is protected against ESD and EMI.
Works with any USB 2.0 High-Speed device (up to 480 Mbps), including DACs and DAPs, audio interfaces, oscilloscopes and data loggers, and sensor, medical and industrial equipment.
- Removes ground-loop hum and USB noise with full galvanic isolation of data (D+/D−) and power (VBUS)
- 22 pF coupling capacitance, one of the lowest on the market
- Full USB 2.0 High-Speed (480 Mbps) over USB-C, with no limit on hi-res audio
- Clean power: up to 400 mA isolated, plus a USB Micro-B input for external 5 V
- Protects your gear from ESD (±8 kV) and surges
- Plug and play with audio, measurement and industrial equipment
- Rugged build: aluminum body with Gorilla Glass 3 panels, IP67 rated
Reliable outside
and inside
Noise barrier
Engineered to fully isolate USB power and data signals and eliminate ground-loop interference. Its ultra-low-noise design meets the most demanding audiophile standards — no ticks, pops, clicks or hum in your audio.
Reliable Protection
Protects connected USB devices from electrostatic discharge (ESD) damage and isolates them from abnormally high voltage on power and data lines for up to 60 seconds. It acts as a hard barrier against common electrostatic hazards, including those from malfunctioning public USB ports.
Plug & Play design
Simply plug Isolator V1 between your USB host and any USB device, and your device immediately receives fully isolated USB signals and up to 400 mA of clean power. If your device needs more power, the built-in USB Micro-B port accepts an optional external power supply.
Robust exterior
Digital and Analog
noise barrier
Digital and Analog domains
Isolator V1 galvanically isolates the connected USB device from source noise, allowing it to deliver the expected results.
Digital
Isolator V1 supports full isolation up to USB 2.0 High-Speed (480 Mbps). USB data is accurately reproduced and delivered to the connected device, completely free of analog noise from the host.
Analog
Isolator V1's analog power design draws up to 0.4 A at 5 V from the USB host, with an optional external power input for connected devices that need more than the host alone can supply.
Unified
digital signal
USB signal conditioning
Isolator V1 redrives the USB signal by capturing it and reproducing it with retiming applied. The result is always a unified signal, no matter which host you connect it to.
Unified signal
Standardizes the USB output signal by receiving it from the host and reproducing it in a consistent, unified manner: signal amplitude, phase shift and jitter.
Expected signal jitter
USB data is re-clocked using a high-precision crystal oscillator with excellent frequency tolerance and stability across a wide operating temperature range of −40 °C to +125 °C.
Error correction
Isolator V1 does not propagate USB signal errors from the host, ensuring the connected device is always protected from unexpected behavior caused by a corrupted or unstable signal.
Protection
for your valuable device
Surge & electrostatic shock protection
Complete isolation of digital and analog paths fully protects your device from surges and electrostatic shocks when it is connected to USB via Isolator V1.
USB sockets in airports, airplanes, buses and schools are not reliable power sources, as they are exposed to the external environment. Isolator V1 acts as a shield, eliminating the danger of a malfunctioning USB port damaging your device.
Digital
±8 kV IEC 61000-4-2 ESD protection across the isolation barrier
Analog
±3 kV DC functional isolation for 60 seconds
Boost precision
of analog operations
Ultra-low noise & low-power design
Isolator V1's ultra-low-noise design achieves the lowest possible output power noise at any load when harvesting power from the host's USB (VBUS).
Galvanic isolation eliminates all noise caused by ground loops and shared ground, which are common when a USB device is connected to a PC or other AC-powered, non-isolated equipment.
Input noise suppression
Beyond isolation, Isolator V1 actively suppresses input power noise from the USB host. The connected device receives clean, stable power at any supported load, and any residual noise on data paths is blocked galvanically.
Low-power design
Isolator V1 draws only up to 120 mA for its own operation, making it suitable for battery-powered hosts whose noise would otherwise leak into the connected USB device.
Clean
sound
Lower noise floor, better SNR
Isolator V1 helps eliminate all kinds of noise originating from the USB host, including ground-loop noise and noise caused by a shared ground between two AC-powered devices.
Ground loops are a common issue in audio and measurement setups. Using a USB audio device as a preamp can exacerbate this problem by creating a shared ground path between the streamer and amplifier, increasing the likelihood of shared ground or ground loop noise.
Inserting Isolator V1 in the middle of the USB path disconnects the grounds of the USB audio device and the USB host or audio receiver. This effectively eliminates noise, keeping the noise floor very low for clean audio output.
Clean audio spectrum
By isolating the ground between the PC and the DAC/DAP, Isolator V1 prevents analog noise — including ground-loop hum — from entering the audio signal, resulting in a cleaner, more accurate audio spectrum.
Low noise floor
When grounds are shared, noise generated by the host — whether a PC, streamer, or TV — can propagate into the audio device's circuitry and degrade sound quality. Isolator V1's ground isolation shields sensitive audio components from this interference, delivering a significantly lower noise floor and a more pristine listening experience.
Battery-like Power Source
Isolator V1 effectively emulates the clean power characteristics of a battery-powered device. By isolating the ground plane between the USB host and the USB device, it prevents the transmission of noise and interference that can degrade audio quality. This isolation significantly reduces the noise floor, resulting in a cleaner, more detailed, and dynamic soundstage.
Required
for your measurements
Prevents noise interference in results
Power noise entering the sensor or ADC circuitry of a device can corrupt precise measurements — whether capturing audio where background noise is unacceptable, or recording cardiovascular data where accuracy is critical. Even low levels of interference can invalidate results.
Isolator V1 isolates the USB device from ground loops, protects against power transients, and suppresses power-line noise — all contributing to clean, reliable measurement outcomes.
Noiseless, battery-like power source
The power delivered by Isolator V1 is comparable in cleanliness to that of a battery — widely regarded as the quietest power source available. Your measurements benefit from an unpolluted frequency range, free from power-noise interference. This allows a high-powered desktop PC to serve as a measurement host without the risk of power noise compromising your results.
Versatile
power sources
Dual power design
Isolator V1 supports two power sources: the host USB port or an external supply via the USB Micro-B jack. External power is recommended when the connected device needs more than Isolator V1 can draw from the host, or when the USB cable between host and device exceeds 2 m.
Both power states are indicated by built-in status icons.
USB Power - Red LED
This indicator confirms that Isolator V1 is connected to the host USB port and receiving sufficient power. It also shows USB data link status: bright red when a data connection is active, pale red when supplying power only.
Ext Power - Blue LED
This indicator confirms that external power is being supplied via the USB Micro-B jack to the connected USB device.
Digital isolation
Analog isolation
Output power
USB
Indication
Enclosure
Aesthetic design
to please your eyes
The same in
Iron grey
Your advanced solution
for noise removal
FAQ
- AC-powered PC → AC-powered USB DAC: A ground loop forms through the shared AC outlet and USB cable.
- TV box or streaming mini-PC → USB DAC as preamplifier → amplifier: Insert Isolator V1 between the streamer and DAC to break the shared ground path between streamer and amplifier.
- External speakers connected to both PC and USB audio device (DAC/DAP): This creates a ground loop between the speaker amplifier, PC, and audio device.
- Musical instrument (guitar processor, synthesizer, keyboard) → PC via USB and line-in (for recording): This setup creates a ground loop between PC and musical instrument.
- Oscilloscope → PC, oscilloscope → measured device connected to PC (power or any wired interface): This setup creates a ground loop.
- Noise-sensitive, high-precision device → PC: Ground isolation improves the noise performance of the connected device.