Do you hear any difference if you use a external Clock?

[jpetek]

The best DACs today use a very good internal clock. Some of them are able to connect a external clock. Do you hear any difference? I do not mean the old DACs! Only the new Generation.

Josef

 

[joelha]

I use a Mutec MC-3+ and an atomic clock on my DCS Debussy. Definitely an improvement. I wouldn't do without it.

Consider that even DCS' Vivaldi stack includes an external clock as one of its components.

Joel

 

[Bruce B]

The only time an external clock makes a difference is if you are using 2 or more converters at a time. I have NEVER, had an external clock make a single converter sound better, unless the unit was either broken or poorly engineered...

 

[audioarcher]

External clocks seem like a good marketing ploy to get more money out of your pocket. Why not just use a better clock in the DAC to begin with? Are more boxes and cables really better if the DAC is designed well with the best parts?

 

[Bruce B]

Why not just use a better clock in the DAC to begin with?

Like MSB with their Femto/Galaxy clocks.

 

[audioarcher]

Like MSB with their Femto/Galaxy clocks.

Yes among others. In the Exasound e20 DAC I just bought it comes with a 130 femtosecond clock. I ugraded to a 80 fs clock for $100.

 

[FrantzM]

Yes among others. In the Exasound e20 DAC I just bought it comes with a 130 femtosecond clock. I ugraded to a 80 fs clock for $100.

Did you experience an improvement?

 

[audioarcher]

I did not get to hear the difference between the two. I just ordered it that way. I guess the marketing worked on me as well.

 

[edorr]

I did not get to hear the difference between the two. I just ordered it that way. I guess the marketing worked on me as well.

for $100 for 80fs clock this is no brainer. I paid $5K for a 140fs clock - that takes a more sophisticated marketing approach.

 

[FrantzM]

I did not get to hear the difference between the two. I just ordered it that way. I guess the marketing worked on me as well.

for $100 for 80fs clock this is no brainer. I paid $5K for a 140fs clock - that takes a more sophisticated marketing approach.

Indeed

 

[flyer]

I have a Weiss Jason and Medea combo. I put a Grimm CC1 clock between both and the resolution, the speed, the delineation of instruments, tightness of bass and treble all improve. I think the clock in the Jason and/or Medea are specced so many years ago and the world has moved on, of which the Grimm is a clear example although it is not a rubidium or other exotic clock neither, just a very good one I like to think .

How do I connect the drive and the DAC? well, the CC1 has the unique feature that it not only allows to connect in either master or slave to the wordclock ins/outs of drives and DAC's (which the Weiss don't have) but it also has a reclocking function whereby you enter with an AES cable and go out with the same (converter for RCA/AES exists as well) accepting signals all the way to 196/24

So far my experience...

oh, and in case you might ask, no, there isn't any loss in dynamics or veilness (quite on the contrary).

 

[microstrip]

External clocks seem like a good marketing ploy to get more money out of your pocket. Why not just use a better clock in the DAC to begin with? Are more boxes and cables really better if the DAC is designed well with the best parts?

External clocks can have a real advantage if you have a system with different units, such as transport and DAC, as they will be synchronized to the some box. Also putting the clock in an external box with separate power supply can make it less sensitive to the noise of the digital systems that will use it. Weather it really results in sound improvement is surely open to debate, and until some generous fellow allows me to borrow a DCS Vivaldi stack I can not have an opinion!

 

[hifial]

I had my e20 MK III for about a month with the 130 Clock and then had George at exaSound do an 82 Clock for me. It was an obvious improvement. It was even more quite, there was more air, body and harmonics. For a $100 bucks it is more then worth it and the best bargain for the improvement in sound it brings. I told George he should just make the e20 MK III with the 82 Clock and just up his price a $100.