Master Clock Talk

[dougms3]

Heh, heh, me too. I think modding hi-fi and cars goes hand-in-hand.

...and like my system, I've pretty much finished with the car and am just enjoying driving it.

Lol just like with audio, its never finished. Theres always some way to improve things further.

I've been playing with some of these basalt cable sleeves and grounding wires to improve the response with some great results.

 

[doitttt]

i use canare L-5CFB 0.5m 30 pf
gives good sound for 10mhz clock
50ohm output ---> 75ohm cable ---> 50ohm input
if it is a 10mhz clock sinusoidal, it is measured on has no influence.
a square wave, you'll need to match the impedance exactly. with 50ohm cable
https://www.audiophonics.fr/en/cabl...coaxial-cable-75-ohm-bnc-bnc-05m-p-11580.html
26euro

 

[CFGamescape]

All this talk about Tubulus cables and I gave in and got the Concentus clock cable. The Concentus I2S cable is tempting, but I currently have a collection of HDMI cables (currently using the BJ FE and awaiting the AVplay HD-300), and that's just a lot of $$$ to throw down on cables after I've done a lot of that lately. Maybe one day.

 

[doitttt]

clock cable for 10mhz clock so it doesn't matter if it's silver
what applies is pf and thickness of core 18awg would be good
dual shield with low loss
but for all other cables silver is good

 

[MartinWT]

(currently using the BJ FE and awaiting the AVplay HD-300), and that's just a lot of $$$ to throw down on cables after I've done a lot of that lately. Maybe one day.

I had both the BJ FE and AVplay cables. I can assure you that the Tubulus Argentus I2S is in another plane of performance entirely.

 

[MartinWT]

You guys got me thinking about the Tubulus clock cable, but I've been totally distracted by the new Sonore v2.9 firmware for my Signature Rendu SE streamer. The sound quality improvement is incredible and I am bowled over by the vividness, realism, enhanced fine treble resolution and extremely potent bass. Everything sounds so good that I just need to lap it up before making any changes as the system balance sounds spot on.

 

[OCC7N]

In my search for better masterclock:

Im doing some test this week with OCK-2(75Ohm all outputs 3 square outputs) and some of my findings are about filters on DAC.

My filters on my AGD DAC: NO(new) and N1(old, Basic).....also trying 8X filter.

_ Turning off Masterclock: Disconnect the BNC cables from DAC, DDC and Masterclock
If you turn off the masterclock, does not matter which one you have. Swipe between filters to reset the sound. Switch back to the one you have used with the Masterclock as main preference. My favorite is NO(new) with OCK-2
_

OCK-2 Connected
I noticed that when I had the OCK-2 on I really liked the NO(new) - it was a very nice "synthetic" swing/move in the rythm, more free, but also very technical, endlessly deep soundstage. This is my "a head of my endgame" sound "out of headphone experience" soo holographic-and-ultra-real.

OCK-2 Disconnected.
NO(new) does not feel the same, the timing/swing rythm has taken a hit, the sound is "all over the place". The sound also feels more faded/rounded/gradient in the high frequency. N1 is the best without the OCK-2. It collects the music together and the magical rythm from DI20HE comes into play. This is just my endgame, solid on point, right there, no surprises.
_
What Im trying to say is: with/out masterclock on the R8HEmk2(Maybe this also helps other DAC brands I don´t know.)

N1(old) = DI20HE + R8HEmk2
NO(new) = DI20HE + R8HEmk2 + Masterclock
OS8 = DI20HE + R8HEmk2

*OS8 degrades sound with masterclock for me, it sounds like the NO(new) has been developed for the purpose of using masterclock. Its unexplainable how great NO sounds with masterclock.
_

If I were to guess because of this drastic effect of not using the OCK-2 which resulting in first thinking my system was broke. I would like to think its even better than REF NANO. Said with 50 dollar cables connected to three of its outputs.
_

Burnin process for OCK-2 is atleast 6months for me, and my recommendation after this test.

 

[Jake2]

In my search for better masterclock:

Im doing some test this week with OCK-2(75Ohm all outputs 3 square outputs) and some of my findings are about filters on DAC.

My filters on my AGD DAC: NO(new) and N1(old, direct FPGA sound).....also trying 8X filter.

_ Turning off Masterclock: Disconnect the BNC cables from DAC, DDC and Masterclock
If you turn off the masterclock, does not matter which one you have. Swipe between filters to reset the sound. Switch back to the one you have used with the Masterclock as main preference. My favorite is NO(new) with OCK-2
_

OCK-2 Connected
I noticed that when I had the OCK-2 on I really liked the NO(new) - it was a very nice "synthetic" swing/move in the rythm, more free, but also very technical, endlessly deep soundstage. This is my "a head of my endgame" sound "out of headphone experience" soo holographic-and-ultra-real.

OCK-2 Disconnected.
NO(new) does not feel the same, the timing/swing rythm has taken a hit, the sound is "all over the place". The sound also feels more faded/rounded/gradient in the high frequency. N1 is the best without the OCK-2. It collects the music together and the magical rythm from DI20HE comes into play. This is just my endgame, solid on point, right there, no surprises.
_
What Im trying to say is: with/out masterclock on the R8HEmk2(Maybe this also helps other DAC brands I don´t know.)

N1(old) = DI20HE + R8HEmk2
NO(new) = DI20HE + R8HEmk2 + Masterclock
OS8 = DI20HE + R8HEmk2

*OS8 degrades sound with masterclock for me, it sounds like the NO(new) has been developed for the purpose of using masterclock. Its unexplainable how great NO sounds with masterclock.
_

If I were to guess because of this drastic effect of not using the OCK-2 which resulting in first thinking my system was broke. I would like to think its even better than REF NANO. Said with 50 dollar cables connected to three of its outputs.
_

Burnin process for OCK-2 is atleast 6months for me, and my recommendation after this test.

Interesting to hear your experimentation and positive feedback on the OCK-2 in your system thanks. I think you are signal grounding your OCK-2 via spare BNCs, correct?

I get additive improvements with the more of the OCK-2's spare BNC sockets I connect to my ground boxes.

I'd also highly, highly recommend going to town on vibration damping the OCK-2 or any other clock for that matter. It is super sensitive to this and brings great returns. I have the OCK-2 sitting on rodthebod's carbon fibre and brass isolators with a 2kg weight on top. They are quality, a clear step up over some AliX copies of the Cerabase slimline ceramic bearing footers. And then on top of this each A5 piece of 2mm thick three layer fo.Q SH22k damping material I placed on the OCK-2's chassis's top exterior surface (the surface on which the inverted circuit boards rest) took things up a further notch, a more relaxed and full sound, even less glare., better dynamics etc.. sort of like continuously upgrading a clock cable. I could hear the delta for the 6th layer, which was starting to get ridiculous both in terms of thickness and opportunity cost for other components and only then into diminishing returns / marginal utility. I found similar benefits with the Leo Bodmar clock, but didn't quite go so damping crazy with it - perhaps I should. The only catch is the SH-21/22K sheets are very nearly unobtainium.

The collective effect is the grounded and damped to the nines OCK-2 is almost unrecognisable from its stock counterpart. (when I say stock I mean a baseline of just good power cables to a Puritan conditioner)

 

[OCC7N]

Interesting to hear your experimentation and positive feedback on the OCK-2 in your system thanks. I think you are signal grounding your OCK-2 via spare BNCs, correct?

I get additive improvements with the more of the OCK-2's spare BNC sockets I connect to my ground boxes.

I'd also highly, highly recommend going to town on vibration damping the OCK-2 or any other clock for that matter. It is super sensitive to this and brings great returns. I have the OCK-2 sitting on rodthebod's carbon fibre and brass isolators with a 2kg weight on top. They are quality, a clear step up over some AliX copies of the Cerabase slimline ceramic bearing footers. And then on top of this each A5 piece of 2mm thick three layer fo.Q SH22k damping material I placed on the OCK-2's chassis's top exterior surface (the surface on which the inverted circuit boards rest) took things up a further notch, a more relaxed and full sound, even less glare., better dynamics etc.. sort of like continuously upgrading a clock cable. I could hear the delta for the 6th layer, which was starting to get ridiculous both in terms of thickness and opportunity cost for other components and only then into diminishing returns / marginal utility. I found similar benefits with the Leo Bodmar clock, but didn't quite go so damping crazy with it - perhaps I should. The only catch is the SH-21/22K sheets are very nearly unobtainium.

The collective effect is the grounded and damped to the nines OCK-2 is almost unrecognisable from its stock counterpart. (when I say stock I mean a baseline of just good power cables to a Puritan conditioner)

You are correct I also ground the ACSS output on DI20HE. I am not going any further than resonance treating chassis.

One very important finding is using the masterclock witout any filters. Only DC Blocking is huge improvement!

 

[Jake2]

You are correct I also ground the ACSS output on DI20HE. I am not going any further than resonance treating chassis.

One very important finding is using the masterclock witout any filters. Only DC Blocking is huge improvement!

Fair enough re stopping there re resonance treating, each to our own, just sharing my experiences in case others wish to follow. Twas quite an eye opener.

My Puritan PSM156 has DC blocking so interesting to hear the effect of that alone, no question my system as a whole took a jump in naturalness when I hooked it up incl the OCK-2 for the first time, so no doubt that was one part. The hums on my R26 and LFD amp all but disappeared too which might be DC blocking related, who knows.

 

[OCC7N]

Fair enough re stopping there re resonance treating, each to our own, just sharing my experiences in case others wish to follow. Twas quite an eye opener.

My Puritan PSM156 has DC blocking so interesting to hear the effect of that alone, no question my system as a whole took a jump in naturalness when I hooked it up incl the OCK-2 for the first time, so no doubt that was one part. The hums on my R26 and LFD amp all but disappeared too which might be DC blocking related, who knows.

Thank you for sharing findings, it was no offense by me - different setups and different findings/experience

My future setup if I were to re-think.

0. Simple powerstrip(DIY) with the best materials and only DC blocker. or Puritan PB-DC?
1. AGD (DI20HE/R7/HE7) and HE-9mk model....

No power conditioner or filter has actually improved my AGD experience, I was "lead" to believe Torus Tot Max did, but system was worse with it after I took it out, and testet again and again

 

[MartinWT]

I'd also highly, highly recommend going to town on vibration damping the OCK-2 or any other clock for that matter.

I have an idea about that for my two AfterDark clocks. I've already used Black Ravioli footers and have a granite coaster and heavy Schramm weight on each.

I remember a mod I did to my old BG7TBL clock when trying to reduce vibration: I glued a 20mm cube of tungsten directly onto the internal clock module. It improved the performance by quite a margin. Tungsten is known to have good damping properties and is very heavy. I've ordered two more cubes and expect them to arrive soon.

 

[Jake2]

I have an idea about that for my two AfterDark clocks. I've already used Black Ravioli footers and have a granite coaster and heavy Schramm weight on each.

I remember a mod I did to my old BG7TBL clock when trying to reduce vibration: I glued a 20mm cube of tungsten directly onto the internal clock module. It improved the performance by quite a margin. Tungsten is known to have good damping properties and is very heavy. I've ordered two more cubes and expect them to arrive soon.

Nice, I like the idea. It has intuitive appeal. I may have to try this in conjunction with some fo.Q (I already use a couple of 2cm squares stacked on top of the K2 clock synthesiser.. the very last step in a Gustard *26 DAC clocking chain), cross the streams so to speak.

This sort of thing I take it..?

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005004622848639.html

 

[MartinWT]

I ordered mine from Amazon.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B09NBG2ZPX?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details

 

[Jake2]

I just ordered 1.5cm and 2cm cubes from that AliX vendor - no Amazon shipping of such to NZ. You've gotten me Tungsten curious, I see this British manufacturer touts the vibration dissipating properties of fine tungsten power in particular in its exotic damping feet. https://www.tungstengroovesaudio.com/products/

Which got me thinking and led me to this... https://www.amazon.com/Tungsten-Powder-Density-Perfect-Anything/dp/B08G3TCP84/

Sorry getting progressively OT, more of an Aliexpress thread discussion...