[zeid2]

Thanks for the share @zeid2

Do you feel like the Gustard C16 made a significant difference to your system?

Are you currently connecting it to your Gustard U16 and sCLK-EX board?

SC-Cut OCXO’s are better than femtosecond SPXO’s for sure however I didn’t know they were much better than the synthesizers that are on the sCLK-EX. The last time I checked their phase noise measurements they were pretty good. I believe even better than Crystek and Accusilicon.

One thing you should note is that the Gustard C16 outputs a 10MHz square wave. One of SOtM’s preferences is that they like using pure analog sine waves. Having said that, the sCLK-EX might perform better if it was fed that waveform. Certain chips might be optimized to receive a sine wave. Just food for thought.

The sCLK-EX’s synthesizers already performs pretty well. Having a Gustard C16 should help a little more with the phase noise but as previously mentioned, if the cable is too long or not good quality, I wouldn’t be surprised if they both sound the same due to signal loss increasing phase noise. From my experience I have found that Pasternack RG400 is the best coaxial cable for outside clock runs (SMB Male to SMA Female) and RG178 is the best for inside runs to the clock (SMA Male to u.FL [or MCX])

 

[Baten]

why quote a message and say nothing :s

 

[zeid2]

Energy, I am not an expert, I judge only subjectively, by my ears. As for the C16, it brought audible improvement to the U16 (transparency, definition, see-through quality of the sound), I am not that much sure about the SOtM tX-USBUltra. But I use it for both. I have another rig (Fidata NAS - SOtM sMS-200Ultra - SOtM tX-USBUltra - USB input of Denafrips Terminator - KGSS Blue Hawaii/KGSS Carbon - various Stax earspeakers). In this case the USB input of the Terminator (recent DSP board, recent firmware) beats its I2S input fed from Gustard U16/C16 combination by a significant margin. It is actually the best sound I have ever had. I have never heard an SU-6 and do not know how it compares to the U16. I have only the SU-1 which seems clearly inferior to the U16, even without the C16. I use decent China sourced cables for connecting the U16 to the C16, no expensive audio boutique.

 

[PLGA]

Hello guys
I connected a cheap external OCXO feed with a budget chinese PSU to my Gustard U16 wich then feeds my Audio-gd R8 DAC with an I2S signal.
Well, it’s not a day and night difference, I guess as the USB signal is already very good from my SOtM SMS-200 Ultra Neo.
Nevertheless, eventhough I've had to play a few different songs to be sure, there's more realism with the external OCXO on the U16.
I would describe it as better separation, improved dinamics and stronger bass.
Again, not a day and night difference, but worth the expende considering the relatively low cost.
Just my two cents.

 

[FredA]

Hello guys
I connected a cheap external OCXO feed with a budget chinese PSU to my Gustard U16 wich then feeds my Audio-gd R8 DAC with an I2S signal.
Well, it’s not a day and night difference, I guess as the USB signal is already very good from my SOtM SMS-200 Ultra Neo.
Nevertheless, eventhough I've had to play a few different songs to be sure, there's more realism with the external OCXO on the U16.
I would describe it as better separation, improved dinamics and stronger bass.
Again, not a day and night difference, but worth the expende considering the relatively low cost.
Just my two cents.

Same here. But it is a difference i can appreciate.

 

[PLGA]

Same here. But it is a difference i can appreciate.

Same here. But it is a difference i can appreciate.

Yes. Its worthwile. I agree.

 

[roni44]

try to go back listening without OCXO, I know I can't.

 

[motberg]

I did not yet try a direct comparison, but my very subjective impressions is that the GPS 10M ocxo offered a more profound difference than the stand alone ocxo. This is perhaps due to a visual bias as a reeult of viewing all those zeros line up on the display... I will try do a direct comparison in the near future and report here....

 

[UsoppNoKami]

Gave the 10Mhz clock with U16 a shot last month, feeding my AudioGD R7HE via HDMI I2S.

Sounded fine... While the U16 worked. One reboot later and it was static galore again. Back to Singxer SU-6. Will be buying AudioGD's new DI20HE, so the U16 will soon see the rubbish bin.

 

[FredA]

Gave the 10Mhz clock with U16 a shot last month, feeding my AudioGD R7HE via HDMI I2S.

Sounded fine... While the U16 worked. One reboot later and it was static galore again. Back to Singxer SU-6. Will be buying AudioGD's new DI20HE, so the U16 will soon see the rubbish bin.

Mine too! Static is occuring daily. It is driving me crazy.

 

[PLGA]

Gave the 10Mhz clock with U16 a shot last month, feeding my AudioGD R7HE via HDMI I2S.

Sounded fine... While the U16 worked. One reboot later and it was static galore again. Back to Singxer SU-6. Will be buying AudioGD's new DI20HE, so the U16 will soon see the rubbish bin.

I have an OCXO similar to yours since a week ago and I dont have static on my U16 on PCM 44.1. I hope it will keep running this way!

After months, I finally figure out how to make the U16 run flawlessly, as I said with PCM 44.1, and it sound GREAT. If it continues this way, for me its a great piece of gear for the price as I dont care about hi res PCM, MQA or DSD files, for the moment. I couldnt make it work with hi res files.

Nevertheless, I anxious about your impressions on the AudioGD's new DI20HE or DI20!!!

 

[DACLadder]

Has any one tried the R7, R7-HE 2020 models with Ext 10M clocking + U16 10M clock?

 

[UsoppNoKami]

I have an OCXO similar to yours since a week ago and I dont have static on my U16 on PCM 44.1. I hope it will keep running this way!

After months, I finally figure out how to make the U16 run flawlessly, as I said with PCM 44.1, and it sound GREAT. If it continues this way, for me its a great piece of gear for the price as I dont care about hi res PCM, MQA or DSD files, for the moment. I couldnt make it work with hi res files.

Nevertheless, I anxious about your impressions on the AudioGD's new DI20HE or DI20!!!

We should all stop making excuses for Gustard, they have had half a year to fix the damn U16. Didn't pay good money for it to only play and sound good on one random/working sample rate based on its fickle electronic mood.

We shall see, hopeful the DI20-HE will be good. If not, back to the SU-6 it is. Time will tell

 

[wwmhf]

I doubt Gustard has a tech team or resource for such a subtle/tricky technical issue. Gustard is a tiny business/shop.

 

[jimmychan]

I know they outsource the manufacturing to some other company.