Which is more important? A USB reclocker or a music server?

[jpetek]

I use an Innuos Phoenix reclocker for my AM Music DAC/1, along with a high-end laptop and HQ player.
The difference between a direct input and the reclocker is significant. It sounds much more natural. What more could you want?
In this article (unfortunately in German), various reclockers from Ideon were tested. What's interesting about this article is that Ideon believes a good reclocker is more beneficial than a music server (apart from ultra-high-end devices).

What have your experiences been?

HIFISTATEMENT | netmagazine - Ideon Audio 3R USB Renaissance mk2 Black Star, 3R Master Time Black Star, Absolute Time und Absolute Time Signature

Eigentlich machen wir bei Hifistatement keine Vergleichstests zwischen mehreren Geräten. Aber man kann ja mal eine Ausnahme machen. Dem Angebot, mich

www.hifistatement.net

BR Josef

 

[geoli]

Hello from sunny, but super hot Greece, this summer.

This is an interesting discussion to raise. The review you refer to indeed offers a valuable insight into what high-performance USB re-clocking can achieve, and we at Ideon Audio appreciate that it's sparking broader conversation.

To add some context from our side:

At Ideon Audio, we've made USB signal transmission one of our core technology pillars. Our position is clear: USB, when properly implemented and optimized, is the best, most transparent and revealing way to transfer digital audio. But only when the implementation is truly high-end and purpose designed. And this needs expertise and a good combination of hardware and software.

Unfortunately, the most of digital audio products on the market today rely on off-the-shelf USB modules. These third-party solutions often introduce compromises in timing, noise rejection, and signal integrity. That’s precisely why some brands turn to their own, complex, alternative architectures or networked workarounds, not necessarily because these are better, but because they lack the in-house engineering to build a best-in-class USB implementation.

Our way is the proprietary USB technologies (firmware, clocking, power conditioning, and signal path) we have developed from the ground up, from the 3R USB Renaissance to the Absolute Time Signature.

The HiFi Statement review proves this point. It shows how our re-clockers dramatically elevate the performance of even modest sources, like a software-optimized laptop and offer further audible refinement when paired with high-end sources. As the reviewer puts it, the results are spectacular.

What you are touching here is what – under technical circumstances advocate sometimes as following:

• If you're not investing in a true high-end server (such as our own Absolute Stream or EOS Stream and a few others), your money can be better spent on:
  • A good linear PSU for your source
  • And a high-quality reclocker, such as our 3R Master Time Black Star, Absolute Time, or Absolute Time Signature

Even in systems that already include expensive music servers, adding one of our top-tier re-clockers yields significant and easily audible upgrades. We’ve seen this consistently with clients and reviewers worldwide and believe me the impact is not subtle.

We would encourage anyone serious about digital playback to try this approach. The difference isn’t theoretical; it's musical. And always your ears is the ultimate judge, so if you have the chance try them yourselves.

We’re happy to provide more technical background for those interested.