More items to explore

Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1

Customers who viewed this item also viewed

Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1

Products related to this item

Sponsored
Hide feedback

Page 1 of 1Start overPage 1 of 1

Have a question?

Find answers in product info, Q&As, reviews

There was a problem completing your request. Please try your search again later.

All Product Information Customer Q&A's Customer Reviews

Product Description

iFi was born in 2012 with one goal in mind: to produce 'ultra-fidelity' audio products that push the sonic envelope whilst still priced within the mainstream.

iFi audio is under our parent company, AMR, Abbingdon Music Research, which designs and produces top-end luxurious audio products. AMR saw in 2010 that customer demand for wireless and portable headphones was expanding as the whole audio dynamic was changing. Thus, iFi was launched.

iFi offers small but prodigious personal audio products thanks to the superior knowledge of AMR’s technology. Today, we are proud of our British (and international) roots. We continue to design and produce over 35 different products. We are headquartered in Southport, UK with distribution including retailers such as B&H and etailz with production overseas.

We source parts from around the world from manufacturers including AMOS (UK), GE Valves (USA), WIMA (Germany) and TDK (Japan).

Audio setups will suffer from annoying hisses, buzzes, and hums when more than one component in the system carries a ground, which creates ground loop feedback. Using multiple plugs with separate earth points, like your desktop power cord or laptop charger and the power cable from your studio monitors, introduces multiple earths and creates an unwanted chain of noise, buzz and distortion. You need a way to break these multiple grounds in the audio chain to correct your system, and this is how the iDefender will help. The iDefender3.0 plugs directly into your computer USB port, auto-detects if there is more than one earth, and intelligently disconnects the computer earth to remove the background noise for cleaner sound. If you’re unsure about a potential ground issue, you can try placing your hand on the music device (PC, CD player, etc) and listen if the hum stays the same or disappears. If the humming is still present or gets worse, the iDefender 3.0 could be the perfect solution. If the noise disappears, it means your system is missing a ground and must have one added. The iFi iDefender also works with USB powered DACs and USB hubs by adding the iFi iPower 5V (or any other suitable 5V power source) and inject clean power into the micro USB port provided on the side of the device (iPower supply sold separately).

iDefender 3.0


All USB ports The iDefender works with both 3.0 and 2.0 ports, so you can use this with new and old computers, you'll notice results no matter what you are putting it in.	No more unwanted noise Using multiple plugs means separate earth points. These multiple earth or ground points cause earth/ground loops and create an unwanted chain of noise, buzz and distortion.	Auto-detects The iDefender3.0 plugs into your computer USB port and auto-detects if there is more than one earth and will ‘intelligently’ disconnect the computer earth for cleaner sound.

Touch Test

The 'touch' test. When you touch your device, does the hum/buzz noise increase? When you let go, does it decrease again?

If so, this is likely to be caused by a missing earth/ground connection.

This connection normally shields your system from such interference and drains away the noise.

If not, then this is because of the multiple earths. This then adds excess and unwanted noise. This is when the iDefender3.0 comes to the rescue.

Clean power

Inject 5 volts via the 'separate' micro port. This disconnects the USB power from the PC and replaces it with clean external power. For ultra-low noise our 5-volt iPower.

Adding the separate 5 volts to the iDefender3.0 is necessary to 'break' the earth/ground on USB-powered DACs. This is not required for DACs with an internally powered USB section.

IsoEarth

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.

Why USB3.0?

USB3.0 allows for a greater amount of audio transfer due to the better wiring specification. It is still backwards compatible with USB2.0.

iDefender and iPower connected to a laptop

Tech Specifications

Super-Speed USB3.0 (and USB2.0 backwards compatible)

Connectors: USB3.0 gold-plated connectors

Dimensions: 48 (l) x 18 (w) x 8 mm (h)

Weight: 6.5g (0.23oz)


	iDefender	iSilencer	iPurifier3	Groundhog
Primary Use	Breaking noisy ground loops	Reducing USB port noise	Purifying USB Audio Signal	Adding a ground to your audio system
USB Standard (Max)	USB3.0 Super-speed 5Gbps	USB3.0 Super-speed 5Gbps	USB3.0 Super-speed 5Gbps
Active Noise Cancellation		✓	✓
REBalance		✓	✓
Reclock / REgenerate			✓
Reduce Jitter		✓	✓
IsoEarth (Auto)	✓
Inject 5v for clean power (iPower 5v)	✓

Product description

Plug the iFi iDefender3.0 Ground Loop Eliminator Right into the USB Audio Source and Eliminate Hum, Reduce the Noise Floor, and Hear Better Clarity: Creates a Clean External Power Supply A single-purpose accessory that stops ground-loop noise and hum, reduces the noise floor, and disconnects the USB power from your computer by replacing it with a clean external power supply, the iFi iDefender3.0 Ground Loop Eliminator plugs right into the source (such as a PC USB port) and allows data to pass freely. Designed for home and mobile use on DACs with an internally powered USB line, iDefender3.0 literally breaks the ground connection to eliminate earth loops, providing both a comprehensive and electronically proper solution other similar products lack. The result: Significantly improved dynamic contrast, warmth, resolution, and texture. For DACs that require a USB power supply, the iFi iPower 5V can be used to supply iDefender3.0 and attain optimal performance.

Product information

Product Dimensions

1.9 x 0.7 x 0.3 inches

Item Weight

2.4 ounces

ASIN

B01N3XKOLG

Item model number

iDefender3.0

Customer Reviews

263 ratings

4.1 out of 5 stars

Best Sellers Rank

#101,993 in Electronics (See Top 100 in Electronics)
#785 in Audio Component Amplifiers

Is Discontinued By Manufacturer

No

Date First Available

11M 28, 2016

Manufacturer

Unknown

Feedback

Would you like to tell us about a lower price?

Customer Questions & Answers

See questions and answers

Products related to this item

Sponsored
Hide feedback

Page 1 of 1Start overPage 1 of 1

Customer reviews

5 star		68%
4 star		11%
3 star		4%
2 star		4%
1 star		14%

How are ratings calculated?

Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

Matt Riggins

May require the power adapter

Reviewed in the United States on October 25, 2018

Verified Purchase

UPDATED REVIEW: Using the external power supply linked below, along with the iFi Audio iDefender 3.0, COMPLETELY removed ALL static and ground loop noise from my system. I have cranked up the volumn on both my KRK Rokit 5's and hear complete silence. SO, if you are using a DAC, mine is a Focusrite, and hear static or humming, get this ALONG with the Power Supply linked below. It WORKS! Review updated to 5 stars!!!

Power Supply: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01GNNXP0Y/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

ORIGINAL REVIEW:I have a Focusrite 2i2 with two KRK Rokit 5 monitors that have a ground loop coming off the USB bus which causes a static type noise in the monitors. I tried the iFi Audio iDefender 3.0 USB because someone else posted they have the same setup and it worked. For me with just the iFi between the interface and my pc, it did not solve my problem.

However I have read that sometimes it requires the external power adapter to actually resolve the problem. That is coming today in a separate shipment for some reason. Once I try the power adapter I will update this feedback and the stars if it works.

15 people found this helpful

Helpful

Michael L.

Eliminated 95% of Noise

Reviewed in the United States on March 21, 2018

Verified Purchase

TLDR: This product works great for my setup. I needed to plug in an external power supply (an old tablet charger) to actually eliminate the noise I was hearing. I was able to power and use my DAC through iDefender without the external power, but the noise was just as bad as without the isolator. So if the product doesn't work for you right out of the box, try plugging in a power source before calling it quits.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Full Review:

I am using a Sennheiser GSX1000 gaming DAC hooked up to my PC. This USB DAC is mainly used to get virtual surround sound on low impedance headphones. But it also has a 3.5 mm output for speakers. I recently upgraded my computer speakers from a sound bar to a 2.1 system with a little class D amp. Turns out there was a lot of interference in the USB signal that is now amplified by my new sound system.

While doing non-gaming things, I got a constant high pitched noise that could be heard when no sound was playing, and the amp dial is turned up past the 1/4 mark. If I turned the dial up any more, the noise gets louder. Anywhere over the 1/3 mark on the dial, and the noise was loud enough to be heard while anything played.

When playing games, certain scenes and menus cause coil whine in my graphics card. When this happens, my speakers actually make the same whining sound as the graphics card. It was annoyingly audible at any volume setting on the amp. So much so, that I couldn't even play certain games using my speakers. I reduced this issue by moving the USB connection from the back of my motherboard to the front USB hub on my case, which is the farthest away from the graphics card. This reduced the noise a bit, but it was still too audible.

I did some research, found out my issues could be solved by a USB isolator, but there was no guarantee that they would work, considering my DAC gets all its power over the USB connection, and also processes 8 audio channels from the computer. So I decided that this one would be my best bet, since I could actually power my DAC externally with the iFi isolator.

I plugged iDefender into my computer and then plugged the DAC in. It turned on and worked, so it was getting enough power through iDefender, but I could still hear all the interference I heard without it. No reduction in volume whatsoever. Then, I plugged in an old tablet charger (rated at 5 volts and 2 amps) into the isolator, and the interference disappeared. I couldn't hear any whine while browsing the web through chrome and listening to music. I turned the amp all the way up, and all I could hear was the low hiss from the natural noise floor of the amp when I had my ear right up to the speaker.

While gaming, the coil whine can still be heard, but now it is extremely faint. I can only hear it when the amp dial is turned way up, and the game audio is muted. The noise is unnoticeable at those volumes, as even the quietest sounds in games are significantly louder.

I am more than pleased with these results, and I feel like I definitely got what I paid for. But technically speaking, I was still able to hear SOME form of interference at very extreme volumes. So that means that 100% of the noise is not eliminated. I would give it a strong 95%. Before buying this product, I was using a 3.5 mm analog ground loop filter. This passive device was able to filter all of the interference from my graphics card, and I could not hear any noise even at max volume. I would consider this 100% noise elimination. That comes at a cost, however.

That filter utterly ruined low bass response. Anything under 40 Hz had a noticeable reduction in volume. The iDefender does not have this problem. In fact, the bass response is even better using iDefender than the unfiltered signal. My (cheap) subwoofer is now actually audible down to 25 Hz (its lowest rated response), making literally everything sound so much better. This more than makes up for that missing 5 percent of total noise elimination.

I am very pleased with this product overall, and it was well worth the premium over cheaper isolators and the dirt cheap 3.5 mm analog filters.

16 people found this helpful

Helpful

Daroo

Probably a Scam Product

Reviewed in the United States on April 7, 2019

Verified Purchase

Does not work as advertised. Description says, "Disconnects the USB power from the PC or laptop to eliminate multiple earths," but it does not cut USB power from PC to the device whatsoever. All USB devices plugged into the PC through this device still get power even without the external power brick, only the power is even dirtier than it is coming direct from the PC. After reading all the ridiculous, overexcited and glowing reviews again, it seems to me that many of them are obvious fakes--because who in real life gets that excited about a USB Power eliminator? The answer is "no one."

7 people found this helpful

Helpful

Randy Arseneau

Skeptic no more!

Reviewed in the United States on January 5, 2019

Verified Purchase

<tl;dr: YES, it really does work...>

I had been experiencing some really nasty background hiss and (presumably) RFI noise on my desktop sound rig. Even at low volume levels, it was *clearly* audible and super annoying. My current configuration is a hand-built gaming desktop (Intel Core i7-6700K, Gigabyte H-170 Gaming 3 MB, StarTech PCIe USB interface) --> various USB cables (tried a few, including an Audioquest Forest) --> Mackie Big Knob Studio audio interface --> 1/4" shielded (unbalanced) cables --> PreSonus Eris E5 studio monitors & a Cerwin Vega subwoofer.

I tried rolling in a variety of USB cables (Amazon Basics, AudioQuest Forest, Belkin, Monster...), swapped in different monitors (Adam Audio F5s, Tannoy Reveal 402s), tried various speaker interconnect cables, all to no avail. I'd recently acquired an iFi low noise DC PSU to power the "clean" side of an Allo DigiOne Signature streamer and have been pleased with its performance, so when I came across this little guy in my research, I figured I'd give it a shot. For $49, worst case scenario it didn't work, and I'd send it back.

So, I'll cut to the chase - IT WORKS. I powered everything in the USB chain down, plugged the iDefender into my USB card, reconnected the USB cable to the Big Knob (I even chose the cheap Amazon Basics USB cable to up the ante a little bit), and voila - the noise was just... gone. The Big Knob is externally powered, so I didn't have to utilize the USB power in on the iDefender, so it's strictly a passive device that essentially just severs the USB-borne power from the PC. At all volume levels, with no source material playing it is dead silent. I was concerned that the addition of this device in the data path might somehow color or alter the sound, but to my moderately critical ear, it has thus far proven to be completely transparent.

So, yes, at least in my specific use case (with a general configuration that I suspect is pretty common), this little gem is a total success and well worth the $49 investment. Bravo, iFi!

5 people found this helpful

Helpful

Top reviews from other countries

nnsense

Works!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 24, 2020

Verified Purchase

Truth be told, I was unconvinced and sure this would get back to amazon, but having tried a couple of cheaper solutions I had to give this a chance. I’ve put this little thing between the USB extension and the sound card (Zoom U24) and turned on my pc. Like other usb “silencer” I heard no noise, but in this case my recognised the soundcard.. This silencer works, it really does, no other sound than music, I’m quite impressed!

Alex

Does it work?

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 14, 2019

Verified Purchase

Well, only kind of. You have to really make sure that the interference is coming from your usb port. I have an external audio interface (A Focusrite Clarett 2Pre if anyone cares) which is powered by an external power supply. Anything I tried it was always apparent that the only time I would get a hum on my KRK Rokit monitors was when my USB cable was plugged in. I would recommend doing this check first to see if your getting these issues from your mains power (Ground loop or dirty power supply etc). Its worth checking as this is quite an investment to make. I would also like to note that I use a raspberry pi micro usb power supply which was £8 in comparison to the one you can buy with the iDefender which works just fine for myself. Its really important to note that this may not fix your monitor hum out right or at all without making sure you know the source of the issue.

All in all this does what it sets out to achieve, the only reason I retracted one star is because of the price.

Mrs. J. A. Varney

sort of works

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 2, 2020

Verified Purchase

Used between Mac and Denon PMA-2500NE. Mac is on different ring main.
Ground loop issue only when AV receiver is also connected to Denon's HT Bypass
Very little negative effect on sound quality and does decrease hum from just audible from listening position to not audible from listening position for myself but my son with younger ears can still hear the hum from listening position. I can still hear from closer.
So improves but doesn't fully solve

P.M.Clark

It works!!!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 18, 2018

Verified Purchase

A little on the expensive side but does exactly what it claims. I am using this with a Behringer Q1002 USB Mixer / Audio Interface. Have been suffering with interference (buzz/hum) for ages. When I installed the ASIO driver (for low latency applications) the noise got worse. Based on the three 5* reviews here I bit the bullet and paid out the dosh. Couldn't be happier!

One person found this helpful

stubie 96

It works

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 4, 2019

Verified Purchase

I'm a journalist and voiceover artist. I use an SL150 mic into a Macbook and was increasingly frustrated by RF noise on my recordings, which I had to remove in post.

Without 5v power the iFi Defender didn't make any difference, but plugged into the mains my recordings are now clean and interference free, It solved the problem so is well worth the expense.

One person found this helpful