Re-clockers....

Tim F

Well-Known Member
Jun 11, 2018
125
43
113
Just picked up an Ideon just to see what the fuss is about. Only the 3R but I'll put a decent psu on it before evaluation. There are a number of these coming onto the market and I'm hearing more about them.

Are you sold on the need for these?
Has anyone compared any against each other?

Cheers, Tim
 

Empirical Audio

Industry Expert
Oct 12, 2017
1,169
207
150
Great Pacific Northwest
www.empiricalaudio.com
I use the SOtM tx-USBUlra. Makes a big difference. About $800-$1200 I think.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Alrainbow

cmarin

VIP/Donor
Jul 16, 2011
200
516
1,193
Texas
Just picked up an Ideon just to see what the fuss is about. Only the 3R but I'll put a decent psu on it before evaluation. There are a number of these coming onto the market and I'm hearing more about them.

Are you sold on the need for these?
Has anyone compared any against each other?

Cheers, Tim

I recently installed a second reclocker in my TotalDac d1-12 mkII that is daisy chained with the first reclocker on the advice of the designer. It made a significant positive difference in my system.

You can definitely consider me sold on the need for reclockers.
 

CKKeung

Well-Known Member
Jun 17, 2011
3,053
3,172
1,410
Hong Kong
Listened to SOtM tx-USBultra and Totaldac Reclocker.
Both can give significant sonic improvement.

However, not directly compared them & the newer products such as Innuo Phornix yet.
 

Tim F

Well-Known Member
Jun 11, 2018
125
43
113
Very interesting that on audio science they pre-suppose that noise floor and small amounts of jitter are not important. There must be something going on here for these units to make improvements that a) they are not measuring or b) the results of them are actually audible or c) as they like to believe, everyone is deluded.
 

Golum

Well-Known Member
Jun 7, 2018
1,805
2,552
405
Lausanne, CH
Well from several guys now (with ears i trust) i heard that cascading two re-clockers makes a dramatic improvement across the board - so it goes hand in hand what @cmarin just said above.
I'm still awaiting to install Ideon big reclocker into server to avoid having one more box in the shelf...
 
  • Like
Reactions: Tim F

Blackmorec

Well-Known Member
Feb 1, 2019
747
1,271
213
Logically, if you are going to place reclockers in series you need to ensure that the most accurate clock and superior power supply come last. I tried a reclocker with my Innuos Zenith SE which was fed by a fully optimised network stream and it was clearly a downgrade, likely to do with the power supplies i used to drive it.
 

Al M.

VIP/Donor
Sep 10, 2013
8,683
4,473
963
Greater Boston
Very interesting that on audio science they pre-suppose that noise floor and small amounts of jitter are not important. There must be something going on here for these units to make improvements that a) they are not measuring or b) the results of them are actually audible or c) as they like to believe, everyone is deluded.

They are deluded. The Audio Science forum, or at least Amir, also thinks MQA is a good thing. Nuff said.
 

cmarin

VIP/Donor
Jul 16, 2011
200
516
1,193
Texas
Logically, if you are going to place reclockers in series you need to ensure that the most accurate clock and superior power supply come last. I tried a reclocker with my Innuos Zenith SE which was fed by a fully optimised network stream and it was clearly a downgrade, likely to do with the power supplies i used to drive it.

To be clear, both of the daisy-chained reclockers used in my totaldac d1-12 mkII setup are identical totaldac d1-digital reclockers and both are powered, along with the two dac monoblocks, by a single upgraded totaldac “live-power” power supply unit.
 
  • Like
Reactions: CKKeung

Brucemck2

Member Sponsor
May 10, 2010
426
102
1,598
Houston area

microstrip

VIP/Donor
May 30, 2010
20,806
4,698
2,790
Portugal
They are deluded. The Audio Science forum, or at least Amir, also thinks MQA is a good thing. Nuff said.

Considering just sound quality, ignoring the politics and our beliefs, IMHO MQA is a good thing.
 

Al M.

VIP/Donor
Sep 10, 2013
8,683
4,473
963
Greater Boston
Considering just sound quality, ignoring the politics and our beliefs, IMHO MQA is a good thing.

"and our beliefs": you mean, technical facts.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Lagonda and bonzo75

microstrip

VIP/Donor
May 30, 2010
20,806
4,698
2,790
Portugal

Al M.

VIP/Donor
Sep 10, 2013
8,683
4,473
963
Greater Boston
The ones that you can easily look up, if you are interested, such that MQA is lossy compression, and that the "deblurring" of timing is bogus.

But enough of that, sorry for the distraction. This is a thread about reclockers.
 
  • Like
Reactions: eskamobob1

Empirical Audio

Industry Expert
Oct 12, 2017
1,169
207
150
Great Pacific Northwest
www.empiricalaudio.com
Very interesting that on audio science they pre-suppose that noise floor and small amounts of jitter are not important. There must be something going on here for these units to make improvements that a) they are not measuring or b) the results of them are actually audible or c) as they like to believe, everyone is deluded.

I'm certainly not spending $1200 on something that may be placebo. It delivers improvement.
 

jackelsson

Well-Known Member
Dec 1, 2013
264
215
280
.de
Adding one Mutec MC3+ USB reclocker between streamer and DAC brought a clear improvement to my system in terms of resolution an realness. Experiments with a second cascaded Mutec brought even more improvements but seemed to also suck out liveliness a bit. For the time being I kept just one of the Mutec reclockers but will certainly experiment with cascading again.
 
  • Like
Reactions: HTMUSIC

Empirical Audio

Industry Expert
Oct 12, 2017
1,169
207
150
Great Pacific Northwest
www.empiricalaudio.com
By the way Empirical what's this about? EMO EN-70e isolator

This is an inexpensive way to get an improvement. Use a short Ethernet cable from a router to the isolator and then a longer cable from isolator to a switch. This eliminates most of the capacitively coupled noise.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Alrainbow

Tim F

Well-Known Member
Jun 11, 2018
125
43
113
Ah thanks that's useful info. I'm running Wifi into my streamer at the moment. :)
 

Roasty

Well-Known Member
May 28, 2020
13
11
68
41
I am using the sotm txusbultra with mods. Has anyone compared the txusbultra with the (more expensive) innuos phoenix reclocker? There is a local dealer who has brand new sealed sets, but no demo unit in the shop, and also no home audition available..
 
  • Like
Reactions: BigAlMc

About us

  • What’s Best Forum is THE forum for high end audio, product reviews, advice and sharing experiences on the best of everything else. This is THE place where audiophiles and audio companies discuss vintage, contemporary and new audio products, music servers, music streamers, computer audio, digital-to-analog converters, turntables, phono stages, cartridges, reel-to-reel tape machines, speakers, headphones and tube and solid-state amplification. Founded in 2010 What’s Best Forum invites intelligent and courteous people of all interests and backgrounds to describe and discuss the best of everything. From beginners to life-long hobbyists to industry professionals, we enjoy learning about new things and meeting new people, and participating in spirited debates.

Quick Navigation

User Menu

Steve Williams
Site Founder | Site Owner | Administrator
Ron Resnick
Site Co-Owner | Administrator
Julian (The Fixer)
Website Build | Marketing Managersing