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Post by MartinT on Feb 5, 2022 14:15:36 GMT
I've been enjoying my system immensely in the past couple of weeks.
I was thinking about what I did with the clocks, moving them up to feed the DAC and what a revelation it's been. Then I thought about the EtherREGEN back to running on its internal clock, and how much better it had run on an external clock. Then I thought a little more, spied my original BG7TBL clock sat there doing nothing, had a rummage in the garage and found two Paul Hynes power supplies. I selected the better one, gave it a clean, found a decent MCRU power cable and ran it on the bench. Dropped it from 15V to 12.5V. Then I opened up the BG7TBL and applied some damping sheet to the OCXO and the inner case cover, and reassembled it all. I found an old Canare LV-61S clock cable in my cable box. It's amazing what I have lying around.
I've powered it all up and am leaving it to heat soak. I'll do an experiment later comparing the ER on internal and then external clock, see what I can hear.
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Post by John on Feb 5, 2022 14:37:01 GMT
I think for you it is just about the subtle changes seeing where the limits are
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Post by MartinT on Feb 5, 2022 18:47:15 GMT
If two clocks don't do it......try three! Ok, I've now listened to my quick-and-dirty introduction of the original BG7TBL clock into the system, back on EtherREGEN reclocker duties. The effect has rather taken my breath away as, despite having two clocks in the system already, it has had pretty much the same effect as it did originally when I first externally clocked the ER. Just to recap, this is what I've done... Device: EtherREGEN -> Mutec -> Gustard DAC
Clock: BG7TBL AfterDark King AfterDark Emperor Triple Crown
Device PSU: Weiliang Coherent QP-1 -
Clock PSU: Paul Hynes Coherent QP-1 Coherent QP-1
Clock cable: Canare LV-61S Belden 4694R Belden 4694R
I listened to both the studio and live recordings of Breaking Silence by Janis Ian, recent additions to my essential listening. In the studio version, I heard an instant widening of the soundstage and stronger decay/reverb in the right channel than before. In the live version, there is more atmosphere and a further increase in the incredible electric guitar from silence and the drum beats, very 'live' in sound with great impact. It wasn't even a subtle improvement but really obvious. More listening confirmed that the above is no fluke. This tells me that the earlier clock move to externally clock the Gustard gave me a good performance gain, but I had unknowingly lost more than expected by no longer externally clocking the EtherREGEN. It also firms up my conviction that the Crystek 575, of such good published performance numbers, is a rubbish clock in practice. I learned it from the LKS experience and I've relearned it with the ER. External clocks rock! This makes it worth ordering another Belden 4694R cable as I know it outperforms the Canare. For now, though, another zero cost mod    Try not to laugh... 
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Post by John on Feb 5, 2022 19:56:03 GMT
That is a complex looking digital system Martin. I am glad however it is paying off for you.
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Post by BilliumB on Feb 5, 2022 20:05:53 GMT
Well done Martin - I knew you’d need to go there!
Cheers Bill
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Post by MartinT on Feb 5, 2022 20:55:39 GMT
There's less sibilance in voice, for instance Heidi Happy in Yello's Kiss in Blue.
Bass is even more solid and gut thumping, too.
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Post by MartinT on Feb 5, 2022 23:21:03 GMT
Updated diagram to hopefully help...  |
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Post by MartinT on Feb 7, 2022 13:51:31 GMT
I'm going to tread very carefully now, such is the level of performance I'm attaining, so as to not go in the wrong direction.
A few things to see if I can squeeze any more from it (but one at a time with careful listening in between):
- Belden 4694R clock cable on order, to replace the Canare LV-61S
- BR Pads under the BG7TBL clock
- BR Pads under the Paul Hynes PSU
- Magic Tube on the Kimber DC cable
- Check what fuse is in the MCRU No. 9 cable (not sure if it's an SR Red or something else)
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Post by MikeMusic on Feb 7, 2022 16:26:53 GMT
One item at a time ?
Worth getting a better cable than the Belden, Kimber DC and MCRU No.9 ?
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Post by MartinT on Feb 7, 2022 17:21:00 GMT
One item at a time ? Worth getting a better cable than the Belden, Kimber DC and MCRU No.9 ? Yes, one at a time starting with the Magic Tube as I can do that tonight. The Belden is the best clock cable I've ever used. This is the 4694R, not to be confused with their lesser co-ax cables. Kimber DC? I doubt it and it's only 20cm long and attached at the PSU end (self-built using a Paul Hynes module). MCRU No. 9 are pretty good but it's definitely worth checking the fuse. I think a step-change would only be achievable with a Coherent QP-1 PSU, but then the clock should be changed for something better. Suddenly a zero-cost upgrade becomes something else |
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Post by MartinT on Feb 7, 2022 19:39:54 GMT
Magic Tube done. The tiniest difference that I can discern. Perhaps a little more decay/reverb.
The fuse is already an SR Red, as I guessed. Some graphene contact enhancer applied to the pins.
That's it for now.
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Post by MikeMusic on Feb 7, 2022 21:04:53 GMT
Small change is change
Amazing there is so much to improve
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Post by MartinT on Feb 7, 2022 21:18:06 GMT
The amount of reverb and string sound I was getting from Eva Cassidy earlier was ridiculous, like I was hearing a different recording.
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Post by MikeMusic on Feb 8, 2022 9:41:46 GMT
I'm getting the 'different version' effect quite a lot
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Post by MartinT on Feb 10, 2022 19:44:32 GMT
6 x BR Pads arrived and now fitted to the Paul Hynes LPSU and BG7TBL clock (3 each).
Because I had to disturb them physically and power them off (and reset the ER as it cannot suffer any loss of clock), things will need to settle for a bit. However, it's not sounding worse!
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Post by John on Feb 10, 2022 20:35:56 GMT
The pads do a good job
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Post by MikeMusic on Feb 10, 2022 21:15:22 GMT
Long session Friday night ?
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Post by MartinT on Feb 10, 2022 21:26:40 GMT
Long session Friday night ? Absolutely! |
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Post by MartinT on Feb 15, 2022 7:36:24 GMT
The Belden 4694R clock cable has arrived. This gives me another chance to assess the difference between the Canare LV-61S and the Belden. Previously, the improvement was quite obvious, whereas the Canare LV-77S was very much closer to the Belden.
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Post by MikeMusic on Feb 15, 2022 9:25:13 GMT
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