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Innuos Phoenix USB Reclocker - Sounds Worse?

I picked up a Phoenix USB Reclocker, mint condition store demo.  I think this must be the first of many, many reports where the Phoenix does NOT seem to improve the sound.  So many posts and review after review indicate positive results with this device added to systems.  I’ve not seen one single account where the results weren’t clearly superior.  Yet that seems to be the case for me, sadly!  
 

My system:

  • Gryphon Diablo 300 with DAC module
  • Innuos Zenith Mk 3 with Roon/Tidal HiFi
  • Innuos Phoenix Reclocker
  • AudioQuest Hurricane Source power cords connected to a Niagara 1200 conditioner 
  • AudioQuest Dragon High Current power cord connected between my amp and the wall
  • Two AudioQuest Diamond USB cables
  • Nordost Valhalla 2 speaker cables
  • B&W 803 D2 speakers

Adding the reclocker makes the sound more constrained, tighter, with less separation, and is generally less engaging.  This seems to be almost the opposite of 100% of everyone else’s experiences.  I thought maybe the new USB cord needed to be broken in (it’s been 40 hours now) but I don’t think it could be this much worse prior to completing the breakin.  And the Reclocker was a demo so in theory it should be broken in.

Some may theorize that my Gryphon DAC may be better and that the Reclocker is dragging my DAC down instead of elevating it.  But that logic I don’t think makes sense, because the Phoenix reclocker tech is included in Innuos’ top Uber expensive Statement.  I can’t imagine that the Statement in my system would sound worse than my Zenith Mk III which is less than half the cost!

Not sure what’s up…  I will give it another few days and then contact Innuos to see if they have any thoughts.

 

nyev
nyev OP
1,020 posts
 

@chcook, very interested to hear your results!

antigrunge2
1,331 posts
 

An alternative way of getting Phoenix-like benefits is to use an Intona Isolator on the USB connection and an external 10m clock on the dac. That way has the additional benefit of allowing reclocking of the Etherregen or other ethernet switches providing that capability. N.B. the server typically doesn’t need reclocking when connected via USB since it is slaved to the dac’s clock.

petaluman
140 posts
 

As @antigrunge2 mentioned, it might be warm-up vs burn-in.  The clock itself is calibrated at its normal operating temperature.

Try turning the reclocker off one night and see if the SQ degrades again.  You could then experiment to see how long the device needs to stabilize

nyev OP
1,020 posts
 

@petaluman that would be a good experiment, but I might wait a few days to enjoy the improvement before I go there!

As I mentioned at the top I also had a new AQ Diamond USB cable, so that was breaking in as well. But can’t imagine it could make that much difference. Still not broken in fully, I think it probably has 120 hrs or so at this point; same for the Phoenix.  Sound has been stable since the change, with all the improvements.  

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