Has anyone tested the Jitterbug? The reviews are very good!
I have 2. I got the first one for my computer system. It made a nice improvement there, so I got another one for my main system. I have the DS with Yale OS, and it made an improvement in that system too. Well worth the 50 bucks!
Mark
Thanks for your reply. Very interesting, I will order one!
Wijnand
I have one between my Auralic Aries and my DirecStream and there is a noteworthy improvement in sound quality, despite the Aries having one of the best USB outputs out there. I have another one on order for my Sprout which is attached to my computer and some bookshelf speakers. For $50 the improvement is a slam dunk.
I have the USB Regen, and I was thinking about getting the Jitterbug myself. For $50 it seemed worth it. But what do you guys think about this?
It appears that there is a new contender from Ifi, though, despite their obviously less flippant marketing jive, it’s not clear to me really what this does that a Schiit Wyrd or the Uptone Regen won’t. http://ifi-audio.com/portfolio-view/micro-iusb3-0/ I do not see how the USB 3.0 capability is relevant, at least not in terms of sheer bandwidth. But with all these things, I think we should just learn to trust our ears. 
woo hoo, woo hoo, and woo hoo!
I haven’t played the system much because it was just so uninvolving lately. I was becoming quite dissatisfied and missing my big rig considerably. I wasn’t sure that I could ever get the headphone system even close to the level of enjoyment I used to have from real speakers.
But…
I had a bunch of foot tapping last night!
Aside from trying to get headphones to sound like speakers, the real problem I’ve been dealing with is a lack of excitement in the music. Who knew that $50 could fix that?
I told myself I wouldn’t spend anything more on the system until I sold some things, but I kept reading such positive remarks about the Audioquest Jitterbug that I just couldn’t stand it anymore. So I ordered one from Amazon. The main reason I chose Amazona is because it’s easily returnable. It arrived on Friday.
Last night I fired up the system and did some critical listening for a little while. Then I pulled the USB cable out of the computer, plugged it into the jitterbug, and put that into the computer.
Now remember YMMV (your music may vary) so this is my experience with my equipment and all of its interactions.
Should anyone trying to get the most from their system try the jitterbug?
HELL YES !!!
The best $50 I have spent in audio, ever! And I’ve been in audio for over 40 years.
USB directly from my computer was majorly compromising the abilities of the rest of the chain.
Quieter background, more depth and width to the soundstage, more precise imaging, additional revealed subtleties in the music, fuller sweeter, more analog like, more rhythm and pace, musicality, and just damn foot tappin’!!! 
Bruce
[edit: entire post was in large, boldface, text]
I just fired up my DS with a jitterbug and Schiit Wyrd in the path. Will take me a few days to decide how this compares to Bridge II, but I do wanna say… wow. This is a new system in which I previously didn’t have the Directstream (or my P5, which is now powering it) and I can only say that I did not fully appreciate what Ted & Paul have wrought until now. Everything that was almost there but not quite with my previous amp and speakers has just absolutely hit the bullseye now with this setup. Sadly I have some other things to get to but I plan to spend a lot of hours listening this week, and considering how close USB comes to the Bridge in this configuration.
With all of these positive reports, I may need to buy a JitterBug and try USB again. I boringly use AES/EBU.
I’m with you. Just ordered a Jitterbug and an Uptone Regen.
Two things on this. First, to Elk. I am not sure AES/EBU isn’t better than USB on most sources–though it’s rare a source with USB also has AES/EBU. I think all these devices for improving USB are needed more because USB is more flawed than standard inputs. Having said that, it may not matter because what’s connected through them are so different.
I tried both the Jitterbug and Uptone Regen at the show. Both worked well. I did not have time to experiment with them together. I thought so highly of the Regen I bought that and it will now become part of the main system in Music Room One.
I have found AES/EBU to sound the best on every DAC I have used.
On earlier units, USB was dreadful. But with newer DACs, such as the DirectStream, USB is quite good if not excellent. But I still find AES/EBU better.
Yet, I am curious to try USB again with all of these reports of miracle treatments. 