Cybershaft Platinum Review (External Clock & PS)

[solderdude]

How does one measure 'complexity, control and realism' coming out of speakers by measuring the output of a DAC ?
How does '@dancause' quantify 'relaxed tranguility' and lower 'underlining stress searching for something that is not there' ?

Ah... things that cannot be measured so measuring is a pointless exercise. One has to be told or believe in it for this to 'work'.

 

[kopczas]

You are still missing what he is explaining. What proof you have that clocks from the 90s has noticeable jitter?

who cares, potential buyers are owners of vintage dacs with strong believe that this will improve sound of their equipment.

 

[sarumbear]

who cares, potential buyers are owners of vintage dacs with strong believe that this will improve sound of their equipment.

They believe placing holly water next to their turntables as well. What is the point of your post then???

 

[Madjalapeno]

Ah... things that cannot be measured so measuring is a pointless exercise. One has to be told or believe in it for this to 'work'.

I forget, which pill are we meant to take now? I want the one where I go back to sleep and continue as if nothing happened.

 

[Count Arthur]

Free blue pill with every purchase.

 

[respice finem]

Confirms my attitude: the more subjectivist "poetry" I see, the faster I run away

 

[Purité Audio]

Proper measurement is just wonderful isn’t it.
Well done as always A.
Keith

 

[kopczas]

What is the point of your post then???

There is slight chance that this would improve something if audiophile device is so badly designed, half DIY manufactured (with every other audiophile dream component like capacitors and resistor, fuses ect.). I guess if jitter is very high it would interfere devices performance. Correct me if I`m wrong.

 

[sarumbear]

There is slight chance that this would improve something if audiophile device is so badly designed, half DIY manufactured (with every other audiophile dream component like capacitors and resistor, fuses ect.). I guess if jitter is very high it would interfere devices performance. Correct me if I`m wrong.

I can only repeat my question: what data do you have that makes you think that?

 

[CedarX]

Interestingly, the rear panels show the inconstency in the manufacturer “logic”: the clock device has a factory adjustment behind a cover or tape. Being labeled with an arrow would mean it is very important! Yet the DC-in port says 13.5~16V: how come the optional Power Supply is 13.5V, not nominal? How come it does not have a factory adjusted voltage? How come the AC-in says 115-127V and an optional Power Conditioner is not offered? Wouldn’t you need a factory-adjusted 115.000000V?
The answer: Maybe it’s because it does not matter… but if I put the logic backward, none of this stuff is needed then…!

 

[misterdog]

My Gustard U18 reclocker is arriving anyday now, only £370 though.

Converts USB to I2S and AES/Coax.
I shall be feeding my SMSL M400 from I2S, and my Mini DSP Sub amp from AES, saving a DAC/ADC conversion process.

https://hifigo.com/products/gustard-u18?variant=42030150320367

It's Ok you don't need to tell me

 

[beagleman]

There is slight chance that this would improve something if audiophile device is so badly designed, half DIY manufactured (with every other audiophile dream component like capacitors and resistor, fuses ect.). I guess if jitter is very high it would interfere devices performance. Correct me if I`m wrong.

Would it not be FAR easier, (assuming this is a real issue) to purchase a good/well designed item, and not apply a band aid approach?

 

[PeteL]

I can only repeat my question: what data do you have that makes you think that?

For a start, the USB audio class 2 asynchronous transfers and the "resampling/Reclocking" tech for SPDIF recovery all stems from about 10 years ago. That's where all issue with jitter in effect litterally dissapeared. It's a fact but now the argument :"show me the measurment or it's false" is a bit moot, You need the gear for this. Most where working with simple scopes and eye diagrams, it was quite easy to assess but asking for jitter measurments on old techs is just debating for the sake of it. In the 90s That was poor, and even if you had a good clock in your DAC it didn't matter much because you where not immune to the clocking of the source device, and the cable losses and interferences. that being a computer or a CD transport. A single quality clock synchronising both the source and the sink together made sense then.

 

[mightycicadalord]

Hardware clocks, boy what a silly thing of the past. Sadly the mumbo jumbo on these is or was very prevalent in the studio work. I'll never forget this ad I saw.

Here's a testimonial from a tapeop editor.

"For example, I’ve found that I’m using less eq now, and probably a little less compression as well. I’m now able to hear that I went slightly too far in the 4k range on an accordion. The sound of the accordion was bothering me before, but I wasn’t sure what the exact culprit was. In addition, the reverb eq is more prominent with the III."

People like this are literally the worst engineers ever, they're totally ignorant to the mental aspect of listening and how it changes from day to day. Like my dude, you just weren't feeling it before, and hopped back in when you were feeling it, obviously you're gonna get better results when you're doing something you feel like doing.

 

[PenguinMusic]

Hi,

As far as I am concernend, I must admit that I am puzzled by two things.

The first, and obvious, is why are manufacturers making those devices. If (as these posts shows) they briung nothing, is it really only on purpose to make money out of people beliefs ?

The second and also obvious is : what is the point in continuing testing those products ? Is there really hope that, some day one will prove it's worth ? When I read the comments here, it is obvious no one believes it can. So, the only reason I see is to make fun of people really thinking they hear a difference... which is fun but stated with such an overbearing tone that it sounds like a fight those people have to fight.

Me, I look at a device : I listen to it. I like it : I keep it. I don't like, I sell it back.
I do not pretend it is good or bad. I just say I like it or I don't.
And I am ready to admit that most differences I hear are pure placebo.
But still, if I like it... then it is good (for me).

And I would like to emphasize that amirm himself (maybe not on DACs...) sometimes says that a device that does not measure superbly provides a lot of satisfaciton when listend at...
And those are the results I like most.

So yes, those people may make funny statements.
So yes, when they say that a device is "definitely" transparent, we can make some fun at them...
But if they just say I like it or "I am under the impression that there is a difference" is it the same ?

Now I pity the guy from the opening page.
Despite the fact he says the thing definitely made a huge improvement...
And I am sure he is convinced he hears it... so he does hear it

Regards.

 

[Blumlein 88]

Hi,

As far as I am concernend, I must admit that I am puzzled by two things.

The first, and obvious, is why are manufacturers making those devices. If (as these posts shows) they briung nothing, is it really only on purpose to make money out of people beliefs ?

The second and also obvious is : what is the point in continuing testing those products ? Is there really hope that, some day one will prove it's worth ? When I read the comments here, it is obvious no one believes it can. So, the only reason I see is to make fun of people really thinking they hear a difference... which is fun but stated with such an overbearing tone that it sounds like a fight those people have to fight.

Me, I look at a device : I listen to it. I like it : I keep it. I don't like, I sell it back.
I do not pretend it is good or bad. I just say I like it or I don't.
And I am ready to admit that most differences I hear are pure placebo.
But still, if I like it... then it is good (for me).

And I would like to emphasize that amirm himself (maybe not on DACs...) sometimes says that a device that does not measure superbly provides a lot of satisfaciton when listend at...
And those are the results I like most.

So yes, those people may make funny statements.
So yes, when they say that a device is "definitely" transparent, we can make some fun at them...
But if they just say I like it or "I am under the impression that there is a difference" is it the same ?

Now I pity the guy from the opening page.
Despite the fact he says the thing definitely made a huge improvement...
And I am sure he is convinced he hears it... so he does hear it

Regards.

The devices are for studio use when multiple devices must have locked clocks. Given that real need obviously clock makers want you to think their designs are better than most others.

 

[GWolfman]

I haven't seen the website, but if there aren't any meaningful measurements with the appropriate details then it's simply hearsay.

 

[AudiOhm]

Thanks for another great review, I love ASR...

Ohms

 

[Madjalapeno]

Poor Dan - his relaxed tranquility was due to having the cable connected the wrong way.

 

[Mart68]

e ?

Now I pity the guy from the opening page.
Despite the fact he says the thing definitely made a huge improvement...
And I am sure he is convinced he hears it... so he does hear it

Regards.

But the hit will wear off as it isn't real, then he will be looking for something else. He's unlikely to have unlimited money and he's unlikely to have optimised all the things that really do make a difference, so he's really just spinning his wheels and getting no-where.

By posting what he did he's encouraging other people who lack real knowledge to do the same. Everyone likes the idea of a device you just buy and plug in and hey presto better sound so it's not hard to convince others to spend their money pointlessly too.

There's no positive aspect to that chain of behaviour.