This is not a surprising result. Only one time in all the years I have been reviewing has addition of a component and cable resulted in a distinct improvement in digital source. That one time was recently, when I tried the SONORE systemOptique, which adds an Ethernet to optical converter, a rather diminutive device, and associated optical cable. The addition of those two stripped out the RFI/EMI that is carried on the Ethernet signal. The result was unexpectedly propitious. I had tried optical connections before, but never did they compare well to SPDIF.
This, imo, is an authentic advancement. I wrote about it in an Audio Blast at Dagogo.com I have tried reclockers, etc. and in my ears they all took away as well as gave. But, the optical conversion not only stripped out noise, it had the effect of making the source more thorough and accurate.
As to other, more complex digital sources, my experience has been that you cannot make a digital source more "clean" by adding additional components and cables. You can alter the sound signature in some very pleasing ways, but you will not make it more pristine. Having said that, there are instances where a minuscule amount of loss (I normally� never advocate intentional acceptance of loss of definition) with an attendant large increase in other areas such as tonality, may be preferred in specific systems. As has been said above, you simply have to try the variables. But, on the whole, a streamlined source, i.e. Server/Streamer or transport, to DAC has been the best result repeatedly.
This, imo, is an authentic advancement. I wrote about it in an Audio Blast at Dagogo.com I have tried reclockers, etc. and in my ears they all took away as well as gave. But, the optical conversion not only stripped out noise, it had the effect of making the source more thorough and accurate.
As to other, more complex digital sources, my experience has been that you cannot make a digital source more "clean" by adding additional components and cables. You can alter the sound signature in some very pleasing ways, but you will not make it more pristine. Having said that, there are instances where a minuscule amount of loss (I normally� never advocate intentional acceptance of loss of definition) with an attendant large increase in other areas such as tonality, may be preferred in specific systems. As has been said above, you simply have to try the variables. But, on the whole, a streamlined source, i.e. Server/Streamer or transport, to DAC has been the best result repeatedly.