[gimmeheadroom]

I hope they will and I asked the guy who has originally posted that info if he knows more about that or why it's not launched yet... he didn't answer.
He referred to someone who upgrades U18s (probably other stuff as well) and I remember that that someone said "don't bother upgrading your U18, because the new Mutec DDC will be way better...

The MC-3+ USB is going to be hard to beat even though it has gone up in price. The only way they could come up with a better DDC would be to build one on top of the REF10. I guess they could come up with an MC-3+ USB that has 10 MHz out but that would piss off those of us who shelled out for a REF10 or SE120...

not to hijack the thread: Could a very good DDC+reclocker be a better solution than a mid level masterclock like the OCK-2?

It's apples and cats. The feature sets are almost completely non intersecting.

 

[MartinWT]

@MartinWT:
So you are connecting an AD 75ohm output through a LMR-400 50 ohm cable into the U18 10MHz clock input that is a 50ohm input? Does the impedance difference matter? Curious why you didn't specify a 50ohm AD unit?

As I said, a sinewave clock is hardly affected by impedance. I bought the ADs to match my then 75 ohm equipment. Since then, I have tried many 75 ohm cables and took a punt on the LMR-400 as it's cheap and very well shielded. It works, I'm happy.

 

[hobieboyca]

As I said, a sinewave clock is hardly affected by impedance. I bought the ADs to match my then 75 ohm equipment. Since then, I have tried many 75 ohm cables and took a punt on the LMR-400 as it's cheap and very well shielded. It works, I'm happy.

I come across a very reasonably priced used AD but it is a square wave 75 ohm output version so I guess that is not great as a master clock for the U18?

 

[OCC7N]

Good luck with your cable quest! I'm not the right person to ask sorry (not super technical, just learning enough to be dangerous), but having done a little reading on characteristic impedance a few months ago it sounds... tricky.

On a related point I also recently stumbled across this useful cross sectional view of the dialectic and pin arrangements in 50 vs 75 ohm BNC plug/socket connections.

My port(R8HE MK2) was a little loose for my 75Ohm cable. It was not as tight as the ports on OCK-2.

Im wondering if it will be obvious if my dac has 50 and master clock has 75. This would be very obvious right?

 

[gimmeheadroom]

My port(R8HE MK2) was a little loose for my 75Ohm cable. It was not as tight as the ports on OCK-2.

Im wondering if it will be obvious if my dac has 50 and master clock has 75. This would be very obvious right?

We should note there are many types of BNC F connectors. That picture may or may not reflect a given installation. The only thing that is certain is that the center pin on the 50 ohm connector is wider.

Anyway I think we agreed that they sent you a clock with 50 ohm connectors, didn't we? I don't know what you concluded about the connector on your R8.

 

[OCC7N]

We should note there are many types of BNC F connectors. That picture may or may not reflect a given installation. The only thing that is certain is that the center pin on the 50 ohm connector is wider.

Anyway I think we agreed that they sent you a clock with 50 ohm connectors, didn't we? I don't know what you concluded about the connector on your R8.

No mine was ordered with 75Ohm connector from audio-gd/kingwa(magnahifi). I was just surprised it was a little loose vs OCK-2

EDIT: But I have not loosed the lock from clock, so I guess it works as it should

I did notice a improvement with the clock(60hours burnin), I noticed today. The intro(guitar) that keeps playing in loops, throughout the whole song, is more relaxed to hear than before.

 

[MartinWT]

The MC-3+ USB is going to be hard to beat even though it has gone up in price. The only way they could come up with a better DDC would be to build one on top of the REF10. I guess they could come up with an MC-3+ USB that has 10 MHz out but that would piss off those of us who shelled out for a REF10 or SE120...

My Coherent modified U18 beats the MC-3+ USB because the latter has no I2S. I2S forms a symbiotic relationship with the X26 Pro, whereas I had to use AES with the Mutek. No competition, so I sold the Mutek.

 

[MartinWT]

I come across a very reasonably priced used AD but it is a square wave 75 ohm output version so I guess that is not great as a master clock for the U18?

Probably not.

 

[piguetpolo]

@gimmeheadroom One of the interesting things I find about Master Clocks and Clock Cables bench measurements is that quantitative precision can objectively translate to audible qualitative improvements.

Should my best BNCs reside at the Master Clock inputs or between my M Scaler and TT2? Thoughts?

 

[MartinWT]

Should my best BNCs reside at the Master Clock inputs or between my M Scaler and TT2? Thoughts?

If it helps, I have two master clocks and run the better one right at the DDC/DAC (i.e. end of the downstream chain).

 

[sajunky]

@gimmeheadroom One of the interesting things I find about Master Clocks and Clock Cables bench measurements is that quantitative precision can objectively translate to audible qualitative improvements.

On the other side (in your device) modulation of a clock frequency is added for eliminating dead spot of the PLL. In the same device dithering is added to a sound in order to randomise DSP truncation errors or imperfections in hardware. It has the same effect as modulating clock frequency.

It is good to have a perfect clock as a source and add dither later (spectrum controlled way), it is what we do, but I would restrict myself from declaring such general qualitative statement.

 

[piguetpolo]

On the other side (in your device) modulation of a clock frequency is added for eliminating dead spot of the PLL. In the same device dithering is added to a sound in order to randomise DSP truncation errors or imperfections in hardware. It has the same effect as modulating clock frequency.

It is good to have a perfect clock as a source and add dither later (spectrum controlled way), it is what we do, but I would restrict myself from declaring such general qualitative statement.

Yes, this is true. If the conductor/metronome is keeping perfect time, but the musicians can't keep on the beat, the symphony would still be a train wreck.

My compartmentalized point was that it's hard to argue the benefits of perfect timekeeping as expressed in a perfectly timed square wave.

It's my belief that the source signal needs all the help it can get. I see this play out in people ganging up DDCs all across the chain—and hearing improvements—even though some say it only matters at the last wire to the DAC.

 

[sajunky]

My compartmentalized point was that it's hard to argue the benefits of perfect timekeeping as expressed in a perfectly timed square wave.

Agreed 100%. And a language you used was mimicking typical scientology narrative, I tend to miss nuances in pronunciation of English.

 

[ChJL]

It's apples and cats. The feature sets are almost completely non intersecting.

Alright, I'm OK with either feature set. The one that produces better SQ is the one.

The only way they could come up with a better DDC would be to build one on top of the REF10. I guess they could come up with an MC-3+ USB that has 10 MHz out

Who knows what they are capable of improving on, right? Isn't the USB 3+ available for quite a while, some years now?

My Coherent modified U18 beats the MC-3+ USB because the latter has no I2S. I2S forms a symbiotic relationship with the X26 Pro,

Yes Coherent, Tony? who allegedly!!! said don't bother upgrading U18 go with the better new USB 3+... maybe they'll add I2S.
just rumors so far.

 

[gimmeheadroom]

Alright, I'm OK with either feature set. The one that produces better SQ is the one.

There is no silver bullet. As long as there are Flat Earth 2.0 people who argue that sine wave clocks are better (this goes against over 40 years of pro audio) blah, blah, blah there is no answer that everybody will accept. In the end your ears, psychology, budget, gear you already have or plan to buy, and level of tolerance for B.S. are gonna all factor in.

Who knows what they are capable of improving on, right? Isn't the USB 3+ available for quite a while, some years now?

Pro audio is not like iPhones where you have to come out with a new, more featureful, overpriced shiny brick every year or two. New is not necessarily better. Digital audio has been with us since the early 1980s. Very few revolutions and many refinements. And this is the way it should be.