Clocking: again!


There are all manner of folk claiming that clocking is irrelevant to Ethernet and USB connections. While this is obviously ignorant of the RMI/EMI and ground level effects on DA conversion and the analogue stages of a DAC, the level to which digital clocking matters was again brought into stark relief when I changed the clock cable between the Antelope 10m clock and the Etherregen from the cable supplied by Antelope to a Shunyata Clock75 Sigma cable. Shazam! Everything jumping into focus and significantly more snap and reverb. In our hobby everything matters and we are only at the very beginning of optimizing streaming.

antigrunge2

You do indeed live in a DSP controlled bubble 😂

Guilty.

https://www.erinsaudiocorner.com/loudspeakers/dutch_dutch_8c/

 

was impressed both by the sound quality and the quality of engineering exhibited by the Dutch & Dutch 8c. Even without REW, the 8c's response extends at full level to 20Hz. But with the REW integration and the ability for a pair of these speakers to act as a Roon endpoint, which will be available by the time you read these words (footnote 5), I echo Kal's conclusion that the D&D 8c demonstrates that active, DSP-empowered speakers are the future. And I also echo what I wrote in our original review: "Wow!"—John Atkinson

So I have the Etherregen and love it.  Precisely which 10Mhz Master clock is recommended with it and whose cables?

@dougthebiker  Hi Doug, This is what the manufacturer says and to be honest clocking the Etherregen alone, I doubt is going to produce such a big change as clocking your streamer and/or DAC together with the Etherregen.

 

Extreme usage with an External Reference Clock:

The Crystek CCHD-575 oscillator used in the EtherREGEN is one of the lowest phase-noise production crystal oscillators (XO) available. [Sorry, but the $50~$100 OCXOs we see tossed into stock switches do not outperform the Crystek at low-offsets where it counts; Manufacturers have to spend $500 and up to obtain OCXO clocks with significantly lower phase-noise than the Crystek we use.]

Yet some audiophiles have discovered benefits using expensive ultra-low-jitter/low-phase-noise 10MHz reference clocks with their DACs or USB streamers and conditioners. A clock synthesizer (to generate the various frequencies) is always required for a device to accept an external reference clock. Since we already utilize a very advanced one to produce the 4 clock lines in the EtherREGEN, it was easy for us to include provision for connection of an external 10MHz clock. The BNC jack and termination resistor of the EtherREGEN are for a 75ohm clock line. (We can provide units with 50ohm, but only upon special request.)

@doufthebiker,

Afterdark in HongKong has a whole range of performance packages including cables, other good clocks (albeit much more expensive are Cybershaft from Japan, Antelope Audio and Mutec. I concur with @lordmelton on at least reclocking the Dac and -if not using asynchronous USB the server. Obviously 10m clocks only work if your equipment has masterclock inputs. Wordclock inputs require stepping down the masterclock signal, eg Mutec. I use BNC cables from Shunyata (expensive) and Sommercable in Germany.