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Can you review a Synchro-Mesh S/PDIF re-clocker?

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amirm

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If you claim that any signal or noise below -110dB is inaudible anyway, then what's the point in having better equipment?
The number is actually -116 dB. Very few products actually get there. Best SINAD we have is 115 dB I think.

That aside, the reason is simple: If you are going to spend $X on some audio gear, might as well get all the engineering excellence you can get. Once that goes beyond SINAD of 115 dB, you arrive a a point where we can prove, using psychoacoustics, that the system is transparent. Blow that number, you are dealing with shades of gray.

To the extent your solution lets us get to these superlative results, I am happy to recommend it. The key is to make sure that occurs in the analog output of the system, not some upstream measurement that doesn't correlate well with the DAC output.
 

amirm

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What are you hoping to learn from Amirs measurements ?
I will answer for him: *I* will know if it improves the system in any way. As will the membership. What Steve thinks of it is not material to me, any more than I care about manufacturer's point of view of the rest of the reviews we do. I would not turn down reviewing this product if a member sent it to me. Why should we turn it down since the designer is sending it?
 
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Empirical Audio

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Here is what we can do: absolutely dismiss any sighted results of such testing. You are guaranteed, let me repeat, guaranteed to produce wrong results. This has been shown before and can readily be repeated. Here is a local and one of the highest end champions of cables, losing such in blind testing whom you know:



I can't caution you enough to not defend this line of reasoning here and now.

I have offered thousands of dollars to high-end audiophiles if they can pass blind tests of cables. This is that sure of a thing.

For this reason, measurements absolutely correlate with listening tests. They show that no distortion or linear response changes in audible band exist. So as a result, when we run the test blind, listeners can't tell them either. Let them see the cables and of course they are fully biased to hear difference as you say. I would too.

I think we need to do a DBT on my turf, with my system.

Steve N.
 

amirm

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I think we need to do a DBT on my turf, with my system.

Steve N.
Let's pencil it for summer sometime as that is when you visit your beautiful state....
 
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Empirical Audio

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Did you take some kind of exam with independent grading to confirm this? Have you for example passed online blind fidelity test that others could not?

I believe so. It's been many years. There were four digital files made available with different offsets. I was one of the few that could identify the differences and which track appeared to be most "normal". I can make the tracks available here. The problem is I never marked the tracks as to which ones were altered, so that info is lost. I suppose one can look at them with a DSP system, but that may not answer the question either....
 

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SIY

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Here is a local and one of the highest end champions of cables, losing such in blind testing whom you know...

You of course remember the test of an ADC/DAC insertion into an analog signal stream where Ivor Tiefenbrun (who vociferously claimed it would be instantly audible) failed to identify absence/presence, using his system in his room.

The irony was that Stan Lipshitz, who ran the test, was able to pick it up, but from an unlikely clue.

edit: correction- it was a system from a Linn distributor that Tiefenbrun agreed would be adequate for him to identify the enormous degradations.
https://www.bostonaudiosociety.org/bas_speaker/abx_testing2.htm
 
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Empirical Audio

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Most excellent. I think 2/3 of all of our RV trips to Oregon!

There is an RV park in Sisters and one by the Rodeo grounds, a nice one. About 10-15 minutes away. The Ranch has lots of condos and houses for vacation renters, so you may want to consider this, particularly in the shoulder seasons of June and September. Not too expensive and two day minimum.

Steve N.
 

amirm

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There is an RV park in Sisters and one by the Rodeo grounds, a nice one. About 10-15 minutes away. The Ranch has lots of condos and houses for vacation renters, so you may want to consider this, particularly in the shoulder seasons of June and September. Not too expensive and two day minimum.

Steve N.
We come to sisters usually for my wife to visit the quilt festival there. Couldn't stay at the nice RV park there during that time. We may come down off-season as you mention.
 
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Empirical Audio

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You of course remember the test of an ADC/DAC insertion into an analog signal stream where Ivor Tiefenbrun (who vociferously claimed it would be instantly audible) failed to identify absence/presence, using his system in his room.

The irony was that Stan Lipshitz, who ran the test, was able to pick it up, but from an unlikely clue.

This is not so surprising. Digital systems are now rivalling good vinyl systems, although you will have a hard time convincing anyone online at whatsbest forums...
 

amirm

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The irony was that Stan Lipshitz, who ran the test, was able to pick it up, but from an unlikely clue.
Was it the relay click that was audible in one direction and not the other?
 
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Empirical Audio

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We come to sisters usually for my wife to visit the quilt festival there. Couldn't stay at the nice RV park there during that time. We may come down off-season as you mention.

Perfect, so you know the area already. The quilt show is a big deal as is the folk festival in Sisters. Black Butte Ranch isn't really known for any events like this, except for maybe the pro-am golf tournaments. We are golfers BTW.
 

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This is not so surprising. Digital systems are now rivalling good vinyl systems, although you will have a hard time convincing anyone online at whatsbest forums...

This was 35 years ago.
 

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