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| Model: | Isolate Cu |
| Category: | Cable |
| Suggested Retail Price: | $175 |
| Description: | Handmade USB cable w/o voltage wire |
| Manufacturer URL: | Elijah Audio |
| Model Picture: | View |
| Review by triodesteve on July 30, 2014 at 13:14:42 IP Address: 206.126.16.42 | Add Your Review for the Isolate Cu |
I took advantage of Elijah's US cable tour and took a listen to the Isolate Cu usb cable. Because the usb output of my macbook goes to a Jkenny modified hiface (runs on battery) I don't need power from my computer to power anything. The isolate keeps usb/computer power away from the digital signal traveling along the usb cable.
In all honesty I didn't expect much. My system is set up to be pretty quiet as far as self noise is concerned. My dac, hiface, line stage, and amp all run off battery power. There just isn't much of a noise floor to reduce.
But I was pretty wrong.
In comparison to the Fururtech GT2 cable that I've been using, the Elijah was better in every regard. Instruments resonated and vibrated like they do in real life. It was easier to follow different instruments all playing at the same time. My notes read back with words like "relaxing, organic, natural" Instruments just sounded more real. I'm to going to tick off a list of examples because in the end, the Elijah just made the music more fun to listen to. I have no experience in the high dollar usb game so I can't compare to the pricey competition, but at the price point, I'm sold.
| Product Weakness: | Only available from the builder in Australia...handmade...probably not as robust as a machine made cable |
| Product Strengths: | wonderfully natural music representation...good value |
| Amplifier: | Final Labs Music 6 |
| Preamplifier (or None if Integrated): | Final Labs Music 5 |
| Sources (CDP/Turntable): | twindac plus/jKenny hiface |
| Speakers: | Stax SR Lambda |
| Cables/Interconnects: | Chimera and Black Cat |
| Music Used (Genre/Selections): | Kenny Dorham Septet, Clem Snide, Ry Coder with the Chieftans |
| Time Period/Length of Audition: | 2 months |
| Type of Audition/Review: | Home Audition |
In December 2012, we compared some some USB cables. Compatibility can be a very real issue. Why, to a self-powered DAC, should a missing power line inside the USB cable matter? It clearly can. Some have experienced incompatibility issues: a ‘power-less’ USB cable (i.e. one where the power conductors are missing or not connected) only worked on their Windows machines. On all of their Macs, the Mac wouldn’t ‘see’ the connected DAC so it would never show up as a selectable audio device.
As it turned out, I had zero problems with the Isolate cable going from my MacBook to my Wavelength Audio Cosecant USB DAC v3 or from a Mac G5 to a friend’s Musical Fidelity V-DAC. When I mentioned this to Michael, he replied "I suppose it adds to the mystery of compatibility but it’s a fact. I believe USB is short for ‘Unexplainable Shit Begins!'"*
As for the performance:
Talk about background silence! Whether due to the absence of the power lead or some other factor, we found it to be the most open, smooth yet properly faceted and tonally secure cable in the bunch. With it vocalists and instruments sounded most authentic thanks to the transparent, naturally relaxed and correctly metered performances coming from a blacker backdrop. The Isolate was more candid and revealed more space than the Wireworld Ultraviolet but not by a wide margin. I definitely preferred the former’s bass coherence as well. We observed that the Ultraviolet was comparatively a bit more muted when working its way through musical subtleties probably due to a higher noise floor. Still, it was not nearly as grainy as the ‘stock’ USB. But neither the Ultraviolet nor the Quad Braid could purr as seductively in the mids or bass. The Isolate made my shoulders drop (a good thing) yet kept my mind alert with attack and decay that were less blunted than the Quad Braid. Music coming through the Isolate was more musically refined and less regimented than through any of the other cables. In the scheme of things I’d call it a good value and bought the cable for my long-term listening pleasure.
If you don't become the ocean, you'll be seasick every day.
—Leonard Cohen
Makes me wonder about cutting the power leg on my firewire connection. I could power the HD's from an external power supply. Seems logical anyway.
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