Manager


Manager - NA4M
Manager Notes

Reviews For: W2IHY Technologies "Ibox" Amateur Audio Interface Box

Category: Audio Accessories for Transmitter & Receiver

eMail Subscription

Registered users are allowed to subscribe to specific review topics and receive eMail notifications when new reviews are posted.
Review Summary For : W2IHY Technologies "Ibox" Amateur Audio Interface Box
Reviews: 34MSRP: 80
Description:
"Ibox" by W2IHY Technologies uniquely designed to Interface studio audio equipment to amateur radio equipment with P.T.T. switching Included in KIT & FACTORY WIRED/TESTED.
Product is in production
More Info: http://w2ihy.com
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
00344.9
KF4DHE Rating: 2003-04-27
Another Great Product From Julius! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Can't say enough about this man. He sets THE STANDARD for customer service and support. Now for the ibox. Since I'm somewhat new to the audio thing I decieded that I would give the ibox a try to interface my audio chain to my 870 and maybe save myself some headaches. I'm happy to report that this little box works as claimed. I'm using it as a matching device for my balanced audio chain to my unbalanced 870 mic input. Plumbed my audio gear into the ibox and the ibox into the 870 and heard nothing but clean clear sweet sounding audio. No hum,buzz,or RF of any kind. Setup was so simple. If I feel I need a little gain I just turn the dial on the ibox and there it is. Works so darn smooth. Just another great product that works as claimed. Thanks again Julius for the fine products!
N5QXP Rating: 2003-04-12
The "sound" of silence Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
For several weeks now, I've been fighting an intermittent problem with AC hum and RFI getting into the audio chain of my rig. While talking to another ham on 17 mtrs, he suggested that I give the I-box a try.

Having previously used Julius' w2IHY box with great success in my previous audio setup, I decided to give this interface box a try.

Ten minutes after receiving the unit by a uniformed messenger of the US gov't, I had installed the I-box as the last link in my audio chain.

While I was at it, I also installed a Bellari MP 110 mic preamp in line with my Rode NT-B microphone. FYI - The Bellari had always been susceptible to RFI problems and I had been extremely disappointed with its performance.

Nevertheless, after installing the I-box and firing up the AL-811H amplifier to full power, all I heard was SILENCE. The Bellari had been tamed and was percolating along, serving up very good audio!

No "scruffy" RFI or that deafening AC hum. Gone. Adios, Goodbye, this is it.

This is a great piece of gear that will solve 99.99% of your RFI and AC hum problems. Julius knows his stuff.



W8CVE Rating: 2003-04-10
Sweet Audio Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
The thing that caught my eye about iBox is how it can work as a line level interface or by twisting the knob it becomes a line level to mic level interface. I'm using iBoxes in both of those applications and getting excellent results.

Was previously using a homebrew interface between computer sound card output and rig rear connection line level input. I didn't want to compromise the audio in any way so I used a premium quality audio transformer. Some resistive loading was tacked onto the secondary to get the level match fairly close to what the rig wants to see. Since the transformer is physically about as big as iBox and is heavier, I wondered if iBox stood a chance in terms of sound quality. Direct comparisons and critical listening revealed identical sonic performance. All the lows, mids and highs are there with smooth, effortless throughput. One big difference is now I finally have an exact level match just from tweaking the iBox variable attenuator control.

I had a strange thing happening between receiver audio output and a small mixing board that drives headphones and computer audio input. Best way I can describe it is a traveling ground loop. Some days it was there and some days it wasn't. With an iBox in the circuit the hum is gone, period.

I am using iBoxes in the mic level mode on my 756PRO and TS870. Makes it easy to achieve squeaky clean interface with outboard audio gear.

iBox instantly solved connectivity and isolation issues that used to keep me scratching my head into the wee hours of the morning. Thanks, W2IHY.

73, Mike W8MW
WV4R Rating: 2003-03-20
"Ibox" is Unique INTERFACE for Amateur Audiophiles Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I have been Experimenting in amateur radio audio for about three years now. Until "Ibox", I had HomeBrewed my Interfaces.

"Ibox" is a truly unique Interface Box. I bought the first Kit and the first Factory Wired models because I desperately needed 1.Audio Isolation 2.RFI Suppression 3.Proper Matching/Leveling 4. P.T.T. switching BETWEEN my Studio Audio Equipment and my Amateur Radio Equipment for my experimentation in the pursuit towards amateur audio excellence.

Kit arrived and all parts were in the box with great instructions. Assembly was straight forward IF you have a good solder station and patience because the proprietary board is designed to fit inside a standard box and is small. I purchased the factory box, however, you can buy it without the box. In fact, you can buy it just about Any way you want it! Board only - Isolation Transformer only - Board & Parts - Board,Parts,Box - Factory Wired/Tested with THREE YEAR warranty!

Before the "Ibox", I was homebrewing my interfaces. Now "Ibox" does it All for me. I hooked it up with the Optional Cabling for my Kenwood and my Yeasu radios and plugged in my footswitch into the RCA jack and was On-The-Air.

It is That simple... and it simply works Great! I had a slight bit of RF on my aux. console on my TS0-2000/AL-1200 station on 40m but Gonzo with Ibox. Even the PTT has RF suppression. The circuit shows RF suppression on the Input AND Output of the unit. Standard "TRS" Input from my studio audio rack & I use the standard W2IHY/5-Pin Din Shielded Cabling for Any radio which is Optionally available at a reasonable cost.

I bought "Ibox" because it promised to do all I wanted & needed at a very reasonable cost for a commercial unit designed by hams for hams.

I am totally pleased with the units so they git the wv4r "5".

73 es God bless, murf/wv4r.