AudioQuest Jitterbug USB Digital Noise Filter

Editors' Choice Award 2021 The Absolute Sound

"Highly Recommended" – TONEAudio

"This Has To Be The Coolest Accessory I’ve Ever Used."

AudioQuest’s new dual-function JitterBug is a USB line (VBUS) and signal (data) filter. JitterBug follows the footsteps of AudioQuest's award-winning, category-defining DragonFly USB DAC, and its best-in-class, USB, Ethernet, FireWire and Thunderbolt digital interconnects, promising the next step forward in high-performance computer-audio playback.

"Its mission is to reduce jitter (hence the clever name), isolate the computer from the DAC, and reduce noise on the digital signal and the USB interface’s power lines," notes Robert A. Harley, The Absolute Sound's 2016 Buyers Guide to Cables, Power Products, Accessories & Music. "Judging from its sonic effects, the JitterBug does just that, providing a smoother treble, deeper soundstage, and more relaxed and natural presentation."

The JitterBug does such an extraordinary job that The Absolute Sound also honored it with an Editors' Choice Award in 2021.

"This has to be the coolest accessory I’ve ever used," reports Jeff Dorgay in the May 2015 issue of TONEAudio magazine. "Whether in the house or on the go, I’ll bet you fifty bucks your system will benefit from a JitterBug, no matter where you decide to install one. Highly recommended."

"I'd say just plug the damn thing in and try it out for yourself. What you'll hear, if you hear what I heard, is greater clarity, dimensionality, and generally a more natural sound," notes Michael Lavorgna in a January 8, 2015 CES post for AudioStream.com.

The Noise Problem with Streaming Music

While USB (along with Ethernet) has become one of the two most important and widely adopted interfaces in the age of computer audio, it does come with its own unique sets of liabilities – mainly sound-degrading noise currents. All computing devices, whether they be laptops, phones, NAS, or even dedicated music servers, inherently generate a significant amount of noise and parasitic resonances.

In addition to this, many computers (the least offensive being laptops, as they are required to meet rigorous safety standards) can and often do contribute a considerable amount or RFI and EMI pollution onto the signal paths—all of which can easily find its way onto your USB cables and into your audio system.

This noise and interference has many negative effects. Noise-compromised digital circuitry increases jitter (dispersion in time) and packet errors, resulting in distortion that causes a comparatively flat and irritating sound. Noise- compromised analog circuitry also damages the sound’s depth, warmth, and resolution.

The JitterBug Solution

Fortunately, AudioQuest has devised a solution for dealing with these liabilities. JitterBug’s dual-circuitry measurably reduces unwanted noise currents and parasitic resonances. It also reduces jitter and packet errors. (in some cases, packet errors are completely eliminated.) The result is clearer, more compelling sound, music, and dialogue for a better audio experience.

Just Plug It In

Slightly smaller than AudioQuest's DragonFly USB DAC, and with a handsome, unassuming appearance, JitterBug has a USB (male) plug on one end and a USB (female) port on the opposite. For those who already own DragonFly, JitterBug will be a fun and affordable upgrade: Simply plug JitterBug into any one of a computer’s available USB ports, then plug DragonFly into JitterBug’s USB port.

But JitterBug is far more than an obvious partner for DragonFly. In fact, its versatility may very well match that of the USB standard itself. JitterBug can be successfully used with external USB DACs ranging from the very modest to the absolute state of the art. Simply plug JitterBug into an available USB port and use a USB cable to connect JitterBug to your DAC of choice.

Try Using More Than One

Many computers include more than one USB port. For additional improvement to a system’s overall sound, a second JitterBug can be used in parallel (but not in series) with the first. The improvement is audible through the active audio port, whether or not the second JitterBug fills an empty USB port, or is used in series with some other peripheral, such as a printer.

Note: AudioQuest recommends no more than two JitterBug filters per USB bus. If you do not know how many USB buses exist on a given device, err on the side of caution: Presume that there is a single bus and use no more than two JitterBugs.

Use with Phone and Other Devices, Too

JitterBug can also be used with mobile phones, portable media devices, USB peripherals, and network storage/streaming devices. Many receivers, DACs, and automobiles include USB input ports that are compatible with iOS and Android devices, enabling music lovers to use a mobile phone or USB memory stick as an audio source. By first plugging a JitterBug into the associated USB input port, the playback performance of such media devices can be significantly improved.

In cases where a noisy external computer peripheral (such as a printer, camera, or hard drive) must be connected to a computer-audio system, JitterBug can be used in series with the peripheral device. Similarly, streamers, Network Attached Storage devices, and routers may all include USB ports, and all can benefit from JitterBug’s noise filtering –again, regardless of whether the associated port has a device connected to it.

Reduces Noise and Ringing

Simply put, JitterBug’s dual-circuitry measurably reduces the noise and ringing that plague both the data and power lines of USB ports. As with many things in audio, the effect of JitterBug on the overall sound of a system may vary slightly, depending on the associated gear and application. Experimentation is enthusiastically encouraged. The results will likely prove more than worth the effort.

At JitterBug’s extremely modest price, the question isn’t whether you can afford one, but whether you can afford NOT to use one. Or even two.

• Improves the sound of streaming music
• Measurably reduces jitter and packet errors
• Reduces the noise and ringing that plague both the data and power lines of USB ports
• Improves dynamic contrast, warmth, and resolution
• For use in series (in line) with any computer and USB DAC (digital-to-analog converter)
• For use with computer peripherals, mobile phones and media devices, and network streaming and storage devices

"This little device looks like a miniature plug-in DAC, but actually fits between a DAC or USB cable and a USB jack on a computer or music server. Its mission is to reduce jitter (hence the clever name), isolate the computer from the DAC, and reduce noise on the digital signal and the USB interface’s power lines. Judging from its sonic effects, the JitterBug does just that, providing a smoother treble, deeper soundstage, and more relaxed and natural presentation. Multiple JitterBugs can be cascaded (connected in series) for improved performance. You can even add a JitterBug to a non-audio device to reduce the noise on your computer’s USB bus. A no-brainer recommendation for the asking price."

- Robert A. Harley, The Absolute Sound's 2016 Buyers Guide to Cables, Power Products, Accessories & Music

- Editors' Choice Award 2021, The Absolute Sound

"I'd say just plug the damn thing in and try it out for yourself. What you'll hear, if you hear what I heard, is greater clarity, dimensionality, and generally a more natural sound."

- Michael Lavorgna, AudioStream.com CES Report, January 8, 2015

"This has to be the coolest accessory I’ve ever used."

"Using the JitterBug with everything from my dCS DAC down to the $500 Arcam R- DAC we reviewed a few issues ago, I did notice a perceptible difference on every system I connected it to using a laptop or phone as a source."

"Whether in the house or on the go, I’ll bet you fifty bucks your system will benefit from a JitterBug, no matter where you decide to install one. Highly recommended."

- Jeff Dorgay, TONEAudio magazine, May 2015