Audio Isolator From Radial Includes Balanced & Unbalanced Options

Radial’s StageBug SB-6 Isolator was developed to work with pro and consumer audio products.

Over the past couple of years, the Canadian audio company Radial Engineering has been expanding its compact and handy StageBug series of products.

The Skinny: The latest addition to Radial’s StageBug series is the SB-6 Isolator, which is designed to provide dealers with a small-footprint problem solving device to cure noise issues.

The Specs: The SB-6 is a passive, high-performance audio isolator that has been designed to work with consumer- and professional-grade audio components.

“When we first envisioned the SB-6 we wanted to create a passive isolator that could be used in a multitude of applications. In other words, we wanted it to be a jack-of-all-trades that could be called upon in almost any situation to accept balanced or unbalanced signals with almost any signal level,” explains Peter Janis, president, Radial Engineering.

“Although this may sound simple, [the] truth is the transformers that make up the passive circuit tend to work best when they work within very specific confines. In other words, when you can control the input impedance and know what the output destination will be, you can ensure the circuit will work in a predictable fashion. With the SB-6 we ignored the rules. We wanted an isolator that would work in any given situation.”

Related: More on Radial Engineering from Commercial Integrator

The product incorporates 1/4-inch TRS inputs and outputs to accommodate TRS and mono connectors, and Radial states SB-6 utilizes a unique circuit that permits balanced signals to pass through, or automatically convert signals from hi-Z (1/4-inch mono to TRS) to lo-Z or lo-Z (1/4-inch TRS to mono) to hi-Z depending on the connection. 

Internally the product features two linear Eclipse transformers that enable the product to provide flat performance from 20Hz to 20kHz, and the company augments the SB-6’s capabilities with a -10dB input pad to soften loud source devices, as well as a polarity reverse option on the B output for phase aligning stereo signals.

Radial adds the SB-6 is passive, so there is no need for external power supplies, and it is built using 16-gauge metal and powder coat finishes.

Solutions: The StageBug SB-6 Isolator can be used to eliminate noise in a variety of audio installations.

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