Airport Express and reclockers

I very much suspect the advantage will be with the native Naim device when they finally get around to lossless streaming.

I have reclocked my Sonos and got it to act as a UPnP media player to output into my Naim streamer, and if I compare with say the Naim streamer ucting as UPnP media player itself there really is still quite a significant difference... The dynamics, timbre and naturalness feels better with the native Naim transport.. And that is with sending the SPDIF out to a Hugo.

Simon

Great question.  I'm still new to all of this, but I do believe the Naim DAC (not the V1) has a reclocker already built in. I saw this somewhere in one of the threads. Will the W4S reclocker be cancelled out if using the Naim DAC? Good question.

I recently purchased a w4s reclocker external unit and I'm using it in front of my AE for streaming Tidal.  So far so good.  Its made a nice difference IMHO.

+1

The w4S approach for me is only a band-aid until Naim adds support and I save a few more pennies...  

yw

I'm using 'maxed-out' Sonos Connect (even switching the wifi off) by sending digi out via DC1 to W4S reclocker/9v linear PS then out via DC1 to 2Qute/(12v linear PS From tomorrow). HiLine from 2Qute to amp.

Frankly, it is better than the signal routed through NDX to Hugo. It just is.

Very happy.

G

Graeme

Where did you get your 9V linear PS from? That's one thing I'm thinking about adding. 

Graeme, what do you mean by "maxed-out" Sonos connect? And you mean better than same through NDX Hugo?

M

Graeme, yes I have yet to try the W4S reclocker/re sampler enabled Sonos into my Hugo. I don't like the fact the W4S can't track the source sample rate and if the factory set output rate is not double the input rate (ie 882.2 kHz for CD such as 96kHz) then it has to re sample with resultant added digital distortion/noise. However if you always play 44.1 CD files then 882.2 is simply oversampling which is typically done with no added distortion. 

i have tried various tracking re clockers with Sonos and they get close to the NDX but don't reach the results from the NDX. Mind you I do put a large ferrite choke on the SPDIF input to the Hugo (makes the Hugo more physically stable as well) when feeding from the NDX - that makes a surprising difference, it seems to further relax the sound.. There must be some common mode RFI coming from my NDX. Perhaps if I used the NDS as a transport instead I wouldn't need a choke?

I am playing the Hugo into 252 DR / 250.2 / ATC SCM19v2

Simon

It's a Kingrex bought with the W4S Remedy from Item Audio.

G

I guess I mean I've maximised its capabilities with settings and reclocked signal. I don't think I can make any more adjustments - white light off, internet off, compression off, fixed volume and digi-out.

I'm just awaiting the PS for the 2Qute. Lots of incremental adjustments which add up to a very satisfying whole and a great user interface with easy access to NAS, Deezer, Qobuz, Radio etc. (The naim 'connect' solution I found very clunky in that regard).

Now, which of the 35M titles at my fingertips will I listen to today...

G

Hi Simon - I do only listen to 44.1 CD files and find the difference between masterings often more of an issue than the step between 44.1 16 and so called 'Hi-Res'.

I have a ferrite choke on the DC1 exiting the Sonos Connect and another on the DC1 entering the 2Qute.

G

The Remedy Reclocker has a 96k output Simon - Didn't know I had a choice in this other than to upsample. Sounds fine to me.

G

Graeme - sorry I was referring to the actual Sonos W4S mod. The separate reclocker appears to have no options other than saying it supports unto 192/24 - so the 96 output seems strange given the 44.1/16 from your Sonos - oh well. But I am slightly concerned if we have this right, as 96k for a 44.1k rate would not be an optimum conversion.

Simon

The older AirPort Express used a Burr-Brown PCM2705 USB-enabled DAC IC (48kHz max); it is also said that these 802.11g versions have these least jitter of the lot (as they utilize clock recovery internally), as compared to the first 802.11n version (which uses a 192kHz-capable Cirrus Logic CS4344 DAC IC over I2S). A quick search on the HiFiDuino site should fill in the technical gaps....

It wasn't that long ago that Micromega was offering their digital integrated amplifier (as well as a streamer product) with an AirPort Express inside, pulled apart from its housing and mounted half-way out the back side - in hindsight, rather brilliant!

Sounds fine to me Simon.

G

Thanks!

...and I see the internet is awash with pros & cons regarding 44.1-96k with no definitive answer. 'Depends how it's done' seems the prevailing view.

G

Graeme, at the end of the day it's requires resampling as opposed to oversampling and so the output will depend on the resolution and precision of the up conversion.. So called 'bit perfectness' of the sample stream is effectively lost.. But if it sounds good that is what it is all about, I think people can get overly obsessed about  not altering sample data ahead of the DAC.

A question please, what do you get out if you feed the reclocker 176.4 or 192 kHz sample rates?

Simon

"It is interesting to note that the Wyred 4 Sound Remedy reclocks to 96 kHz. When I had my Sonos Connect streaming from Deezer without the Remedy the Esoteric K-03 displayed 44.1 kHz. With the Remedy in the digital signal path the K-03 displayed 96 kHz both with fiber and with coaxial cables. One thing the Remedy does that I am not fond of is it down samples 192 kHz to 96 kHz. I discovered this when I began testing the Remedy between the Olive 04HD music server and the Esoteric K-03. I played Louise Rogers – Skylark from the 24 Bit/192 kHz HDTracks download of Black Coffee. The Olive 04HD was connected with Wireworld Silver Starlight coaxial cable to the Remedy and the Esoteric K-03. The Esoteric display showed 96 kHz. Interestingly enough, this 192 kHz recording sounded inferior through the Remedy versus the 04HD direct to the K-03 DAC. Louise Rogers voice sounded slightly less resolved and lifelike by comparison and the same was true of the acoustic guitar in the left channel and brushes on a drum in the right channel. There was a tiny yet noticeable absence of immediacy when the Remedy down sampled 192 kHz to 96 kHz. This was a small disappointment although not a serious issue or a deal breaker since the majority of my high resolution downloads are 96 kHz."

Audioafficionado.org

G

Graeme, thanks