 In contrast to most USB filters, the Titanis reprocesses the USB signal according to the manufacturer's website. Two versions are available, one with an output current of 300 mAh and one with 800 mAh output. The latter is on review here. Using a computer as a music player still is rather popular. Which is fine if the audio quality demands are modest. But if demands are higher, a signal from the computer is a limiting factor. The analog audio outputs are quite disappointing for audio files. When SPIDF is used to connect to an external digital-to-analog converter, DAC for short, jitter, DC-shifts and other nasties makes it difficult for the DAC to keep distortion low. The alternative is to use USB to connect a DAC. Since the modern USB Audio Class 2 standard is asynchronous, jitter is no problem. But the quality of the analog square waves used to encode the digital information in that can be rather low, and again causing the sound degradation in the DAC. See my video why digital circuits influence the sound quality, links at the usual places. Next to this problem there is the problem of the 5V power that every USB connection also carries. This to power the receiver chip in the receiving device so that the sending device can identify the receiving device even when it's switched off. One of the blessings of universal plug and play. This power line, coming from the computer, usually carries high frequency pollution caused by all kinds of clock oscillators inside the computer. And the nasties of the rough switch mode power supplies that are used in computers are also passed on over the USB power line. Therefore some people cut the power line in the USB cable or use a gadget that has the same effect. Taking for granted that when switched off, the DAC is not seen by the computer. So if you want to use your computer as a music player using USB you would like to have the digital signal reshaped and retimed and you would like to have the 5V power line cleaned up. This is what many USB filters do, mostly using passive filters. The Holo Audio Titanis does not belong to the group of passive filters. It uses active circuits, meaning that ideally weaknesses of the source signal should have no influence on the output signal that, at least in theory, should be perfect. When you use the computer as a music player, it has to have music player software, preferably one that works bit perfect. This means that all bits from the audio files are sent to the external DAC unaltered by the operating system and player software, unless intended. Think of programs like AMARA or Devana, J-River Media Center, Volumeo and Rune to name the ones I worked with. So let's start with a computer, laptop in this case, but any other modern computer can be used and connect that to the internet for streaming services. It needs to be connected to the DAC over USB while the DAC is to be connected to an amplifier over analog RCA or XLR cables. Many amplifiers nowadays have the DAC integrated, then a separate DAC is not needed, of course. A pair of loudspeakers completes a setup, or a pair of headphones, of course. The Titanis is to be inserted between the computer and the USB cable. The Titanis is an aluminium dongle measuring 68mm or 82 including the USB plug by 33mm by 13mm and weighs 59 grams. On one side is a USB-A connector that is to be inserted into the computer. A short extender cable is supplied so the dongle doesn't stick out of the computer directly. On the opposite side a USB-A socket where the USB cable to the DAC is plugged in. There are no controls, no displays, it does its work unattended and in silence. Where there are often just passive components can be found, for that is what mostly used for filtering. We find four chips and two voltage regulators. I couldn't find documentation of three of the four chips. There is one Holo Audio chip closest to the output so I guess that's an interface chip. The second one can convert 3.3V signals to 5V and back. Next with the clock crystal. Two voltage regulators, one 4 I suppose the data channel and one 4 the 5V USB power line. I started listening with my setup 2A. The amplifier is the Morance KiPer Lite. It drives the Acoustic Energy Radiance 1 loudspeakers connected over Kimber 4Pi loudspeaker cable. They are supported by the RELT5 subwoofer that is connected to the loudspeaker terminals on the Morance using the cable that came with the sub. The Denofrips Aries 2DA converter is connected to the Intel NUC 10i7FNH Rooning Roon Rock over the Titanis and the AudioQuest Pearl USB-A2B cable. The NUC is connected to the network and thus to the internet over an Opton Audio Ether Region with Opton Audio UltraCaps LPS 1.2 power supply. The equipment is housed in a target rack. Inserting the Titanis reduces distortion in the mid-range, gives better sibilance control, opens up the stereo image further and gives the somewhat deeper lows. Overall the sound is more relaxed and yet more dynamic. Strings sound less sharp and the same goes for brass. Forces in rock music that sound somewhat harsh without clean up with the Titanis. Ideally the DAC should be able to do the things the Titanis does, but they rarely do. And I am only saying rarely since I haven't reviewed all DACs on the market. Even the core DAPE does sound differently depending on the digital source connected to it. So I found it interesting to test the Titanis also in my reference Set 1A. Here the Air AX520 amplifier drives the PMC FAC12 signature loudspeakers on stack audio over 70 isolators and connected over the AudioQuest Robinhood Zero loudspeaker cable. The digital to analog conversion is done by the core DAVE that received power over the transparent power isolator 8. The Intel NUC 10i7FNH running Roon Rock is connected over an AudioQuest Diamond USB-A2B cable and the Titanis. From the NUC the network acoustic mu and streaming system network filter and cable goes to the Zistel GS1900-10 HP switch and from there to the ZIGO internet modem. Here it became even more obvious that the signal is clearly cleaned up by the Titanis. Anything that causes jitter just ahead of the digital to analog conversion is clearly reduced. Again, see my video why digital circuits influence the sound quality. Improvement in the stereo image is more clear in my Set 1A as is the deep lows and the reduced harshness of the strings and brass. The reduced sibilance was less noticeable here. Let's be realistic, the Titanis 800 mAh will set you back €137 including 21% VAT. There also is a 300 mAh version that sells for €105 including VAT and can deliver less power to the devices connected to it. Whether that has influence on the sound quality I don't know, but most DAGs won't even need 300 mAh. And both won't turn a computer into a high end music player either. Having said that, it will improve the sound quality clearly at a very affordable price. If you want more, you have to think of a network bridge like for instance the SOtM-SMS-200 NEO or BETTER. Which means that the Titanis is true value. And on that note we come to the end of this show. See you next week, Friday at 5pm central european time. If you don't want to miss that, subscribe to this channel or follow me on the social media so you will be informed when new videos are out. Help me reach even more people when I've given this video a thumb up or link to this video on the social media, it is much appreciated. Many thanks to those viewers that support this channel financially, especially in these times. It keeps me independent and lets me improve the channel further. If that makes you feel like supporting my work too, the links are in the comments below this video on YouTube. I am Hans Beekhuyzen, thank you for watching and see you in the next show or on the hbproject.com. And whatever you do, enjoy the music.