Clattering Computers Silenced – Acoustic Revive RUT-1K USB Terminator Review
Acoustic Revive RUT-1K is a $290 USD USB Terminator or USB filter designed to be plugged in the USB hub of your computer and lower or reduce the background noise and improve the sonic performance of your system. The design allows it to be used with multiple pieces of equipment, including PC computers, Streamers, Routers that have USB ports, DACs, and anything else it can be plugged into. Today we will try to see what it does, how and whether it is a good investment for a hifi system.
Introduction
Acoustic Revive is a company we will get to explore more in upcoming reviews, but they basically create esoteric products that are in the filters and cables territory, are from Japan, and fairly popular there. In Europe and in the USA, they are sold and fulfilled by a number of HiFi distribution channels although their products also often appear on Amazon. As an Amazon Influencer, I earn from qualifying purchases, and using the purchase links in my reviews helps me maintain this website and Youtube Channel. Huge thanks to MuSon Project and Acoustic Revive for providing the sample for this review, in exchange for my honest opinion.
PROs – Small and Stealthy, Easy to use, Fair results in certain systems.
Cons – Quite pricey, results are audible only with certain systems.
Product Link
Amazon – https://amzn.to/3Q6PJBJ
Build Quality/Aesthetics
It is actually quite hard to find proper information about the Acoustic Revive RUT 1K, but the short version is that you have to plug the RUT-1K in an unused Type A USB port, to eliminate high frequency noise. The technical information is not quite clear what exactly is inside of the RUT 1K, but from what I can find on the webpages of HiFi distribution channels, it should contain a mixture of Silk Quartz and other minerals. As it has a K at the end, the company uses this denomination to indicate that it was painted on the inside with a Kiyoh-Stone, which is a rare earth element with the main ingredient being aluminium silicate.
The level of questionable we’re at is high already, but the idea is that you plug the RUT-1K in an open USB Port, and it should improve the sound. Amazon reviews from Japan are mixed, with some people reporting vast improvements, others reporting no improvements at all.
There is a large number of people using the RUT-1K in combination with a NAS and a Router, which can also be considered questionable from a scientific point of view, but either way, I assumed the same about bluetooth before going out, purchasing a couple of flagship smartphones with my own money, and each one of them sounding different with the same LDAC bluetooth and same settings.
This being said, RUT-1K does not have a clear outline on how it works and why. Some people seem to have opened it up and inside there’s a large capacitor / filter which would electrically act as a filtering stage for the whole assembly it is plugged into.
Subjective Usage / Sound
I have tested the Acoustic Revive with a large number of other devices, including my PC Computer, Keces Ebravo Streamer, and R_Volution PlayerOne 8K. As Type-A is usually a port found on digital sources, or for USB input on a host that has a programmed host controller, most Audiophile DAC/AMPs do not have one, although I was able to test the RUt1K with equipment using adapters from ddHiFi.
The general result is that with most equipment the results are hardly noticeable, and subtle at best, with some pretty well-defined differences in the sense of a slightly quieter background noise level being achieved when using it with R_Volution PlayerOne 8K. Most of the other equipment does not have a certain audible improvement, and it will really depend on your environment and devices if RUT-1K will make a difference.
Some of the big HiFi sale channels also note that you can live without it, but you can expect some subtle improvements when adding the Acoustic Revive RUT-1K. For the most part, it should either very subtly improve your listening sound, or not make a change, if the fact there were open USB ports was not affecting your sound.
Value and Conclusion
With a price tag of 290 USD, RUT-1K is quite expensive and with a rather esoteric construction and components, it is more of a product you purchase after you get even the power cables and speaker cables, even after you get the speaker cable lifters in order. As most audio products have some degree of science behind, they are more easy to recommend, and while I believe strongly that we simply cannot measure every variable out there, with RUT-1K the audible differences are nuances and they only appear with certain products, so it is the kind of extra extra spice you add to a tasty food.
At the end of the day, Acoustic Revive RUT-1K is a product that for some can add a finishing touch to a system, but while some audiophiles from Japan reported audible improvements, other audiophiles did not report any changes in the sound. It is not a filter, nor a grounding isolator, nor is it a product that has a clear science behind or a clear design, so I recommend getting it only if you can afford to spare the money and grab it just to test and to not be disappointed if it does not change the sound of your system more than a very fine nuance, even if that will be applied.
Product Link
Amazon – https://amzn.to/3Q6PJBJ
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Full Playlist used for this review
We listened to more songs than those named in this playlist, but those are excellent for identifying a sonic signature. I recommend trying most of the songs from this playlist, especially if you’re searching for new music! The playlists are different for Spotify, Tidal and Youtube, and based on the songs I enjoy and are available on each!
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_cjBXGmwSHSdGcwuc_bKbBDGHL4QvYBu
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5J3oloz8Riy9LxEGenOjQ0?si=979ba4f082414be7
https://tidal.com/browse/playlist/330fd544-8e5b-4839-bd35-676b2edbb3d5
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You will get same or almost the same result using $49 JDS Labs Synapse
I have reviewed the Synapse, they are different products. RUT-1K fills in an empty port and stabilizes the current on the motherboard of your PC / Streamer. Synapse filters the USB signal coming through the cable. They are not competitor products, but complementary. You can even use both in the same PC. Each has a small effect that can boost the overall listneing quality, but each has results that are situational, not every system is affected the same by the same issues.