DarqueKnight

Yes...and it was money well spent! I replaced my AfterDark Trifecta Emperor Double Crown clock with the REF10 SE120. My dCS Puccini word clock was replaced with the MC3+USB. Review coming in a month or so. I wish the MC3+USB had the native capability to accept an external linear power supply. The manufacturer explained that there just wasn't enough room in the case to provide for that and still hit their targeted price point. Fortunately, there are aftermarket modification options available.

The Innuos PhoenixNET looks interesting. The $3500 retail price seems fair for what it appears to offer. I recall @Superdad saying that UpTone Audio could offer a one-box audio grade Ethernet switch solution with an integrated linear power supply and higher performance clock, but, for now, they didn't want to be at a price point in the multiple thousands of dollars. The EtherREGEN configuration I am running is over $5500 retail and consists of: 1. EtherREGEN switch. 2. Farad Super3 linear power supply with level 2 silver DC cable, Furutech AC inlet, and HiFi Tuning Supreme 3 fuse. 3. PS Audio AC-10 1 meter power cord for Super3 LPS. 4. AfterDark Emperor Double Crown 10 MHz clock. 5. PS Audio AC-12 power cord for AfterDark clock. 6. Revelation Audio Labs BNC-BNC 75 ohm clock cable. One thing that gives me pause about the PhoenixNET is that the manufacturer does not provide details about the clock used. I am particularly interested in the phase noise specifications of the clock. A one-box switch solution would allow me to get rid of three boxes and three cables, although I am not pinched for space in my equipment cabinet. However, I would lose the tweaker's fun and flexibility of being able to try different clocks, different linear power supplies, different DC cables, and different clock cables. The outboard accessories used with my EtherREGEN are over seven times the cost of the EtherREGEN, but every accessory took the EtherREGEN to a higher level of performance.

Part 1. Introduction Reports of improved sound quality achieved by daisy chaining two or more EtherREGENs were intriguing. The second, downstream, EtherREGEN, and its associated accessories, were borrowed from my office stereo system and installed in my home stereo system. Four configurations with two daisy chained EtherREGENs were evaluated. None of the daisy chained configurations sounded as good as the single EtherRegen configuration. One configuration exhibited very poor sound quality. The upstream EtherREGEN (connected to the digital music player) had significantly better performance enhancing peripheral equipment (linear power supply, cables, 10 MHz clock) than the downstream EtherREGEN connected to the NAS. A positive result might have been achieved if the downstream EtherREGEN had been equipped with performance enhancing peripheral equipment identical to the upstream EtherREGEN. Intuitively, an audible performance improvement was expected due to a "pre-cleaning" electrical noise removal by the first EtherREGEN. This report is not meant to take an advocacy position on the subject of using multiple EtherREGENs in a digital music stream. The purpose here is to report the results of four daisy chained EtherREGEN configurations in my home stereo system. I have no reason to doubt the veracity of the positive reports of others. Indeed, such reports encouraged me to do these trials. Part 2. Musical Selections And Listening Evaluation Methodology The listening evaluation methodology used here consisted of making maps of the placement of sound images in the stereophonic sound field and making notes on the character of the sound images. The methodology is discussed in more detail in this post: Three familiar musical selections, in DSD64 format, were used: 1. "Last Night In Los Feliz", Nia Bertino, "Niia I" CD: 2. "Healing Song", Gregg Karukas, "Heatwave" CD: "Isunova Pi", E.S. Posthumus, "Cartographer" CD: Part 3. EtherREGEN Daisy Chain Configurations The following equipment was borrowed from the office stereo system: 1. EtherREGEN switch. 2. AfterDark Queen 75 ohm 10 MHz clock. 3. TeraDak DC-50W linear power supply for EtherREGEN switch. 4. TeraDak DC-50W linear power supply for AfterDark Queen clock. 5. Revelation Audio Labs Cat8+ Ethernet cable (2020 version), connected NAS to the downstream EtherREGEN. 6. Revelation Audio Labs BNC-BNC cable (2015 version), connected downstream EtherREGEN to either of the AfterDark clocks. 7. DIY DC cables, 3 feet long, for each DC-50W linear power supply made from VH Audio Cu21 Star Quad cable and Oyaide power plugs. 8. Signal Cable MagicPower power cords, 6 feet, for TeraDak linear power supplies. Figure 1. The baseline EtherREGEN configuration was the normal, single EtherREGEN configuration (configuration 0). The solid brass cylinders on the EtherREGEN are two-pound paperweights used for vibration damping and for keeping the EtherREGEN from being manhandled by the weight of multiple heavyweight cables. In figure 1, the EtherREGEN's left (A-side) cables are a Revelation Audio Labs Cat8+ Ethernet cable (2021 version). This is connected to the NAS. A blue Monoprice Cat8 cable is connected to the Araknis switch that provides connectivity to the home LAN. The EtherREGEN's right (B-side) cables are a Revelation Audio Labs 75 ohm BNC-BNC cable (2021 version). This is connected to the AfterDark Emperor Double Crown 10 MHz clock. A Revelation Audio Labs Cat8+ Ethernet cable (2021 version) is connected to the Bryston BDP-3 digital player. A Farad Level 2 Silver DC power cable is connected to the Farad Super3 linear power supply. Figure 2. The brass paperweights provide some heat sinking. They reduced the case top temperature from 113 degrees Fahrenheit to around 106 degrees Fahrenheit. Radio Shack thermal heat sink compound is used between the paperweights and the EtherREGEN case top. Figure 3. Two channel stereo system digital audio signal and power flow block diagram. A clearer presentation of this diagram can be seen by right clicking and opening it in a new window. Figure 4. Daisy chain configuration 1. Both EtherREGENs were clocked by the triple output AfterDark Emperor Double Crown clock. If the sound of the single EtherREGEN was assigned a score of 10, where everything from 1 to 10 sounded good, daisy chain configuration 1 would score -15. I did not bother with putting brass weights on the downstream EtherREGEN in this configuration. The traumatic nature of the sounddid not warrant such care. Clocking both EtherREGENs from the Emperor Double Crown clown clock resulted in very poor sound quality. There was diminished bass, diminished image weight, diminished tactile sensation, diminished overall clarity and detail, diminished everything. A visual analogy would be comparing a richly colored and sharply detailed photo to one with faded colors and less sharp focus. I forwarded this result to Alex at Uptone Audio. He thought there might have been an issue with the AfterDark clock's outputs not being well isolated, thereby causing issues with one of the EtherREGEN's noise isolation moats being defeated. He also suggested running the downstream EtherREGEN with its stock SMPS rather than the TeraDak LPS. Figure 5. Daisy chain configuration 2. Downstream EtherRegen powered by its stock switch mode power supply and clocked by an AfterDark Queen clock. If the sound of the single EtherREGEN was assigned a score of 10, daisy chain configuration 2 would score 4. Daisy chain configuration 2 sounded good but nowhere near as good as the single EtherREGEN configuration. Figure 6. Daisy chain configuration 3. Downstream EtherRegen powered by a TeraDak DC-50W linear power supply and clocked by an AfterDark Queen clock. If the sound of the single EtherREGEN was assigned a score of 10, daisy chain configuration 3 would score 6. This was the best sounding of the daisy chained configurations. Figure 7. Daisy chain configuration 4. Downstream EtherRegen powered by a TeraDak DC-50W linear power supply and clocked with its internal clock. If the sound of the single EtherREGEN was assigned a score of 10, daisy chain configuration 4 would score 2. Again, the "low score" is not indicative of bad sound. It is analogous to comparing a debt-free 2 million dollar net worth to a debt-free 10 million dollar net worth. Neither milliaire is broke, destitute, or poor. Part 4. Discussion Of Results Daisy chain configuration 1 was a statistical outlier and will not be discussed. Daisy chain configurations 2-4 produced good sound, but none were close to, or approached, the sound quality of the single EtherREGEN configuration. For example, the following detriments were experienced to varying degrees depending on configuration: 1. The light, airy, "ticklish" quality of Gregg Karukas' piano notes was diminished. 2. The "reedy" detail in Kirk Whalum's tenor saxophone on "Healing Song" was diminished. 3. The raspy, breathing, lip, mouth, and vibrato sounds of Niia's voice were diminished. 4. Background percussion instruments on all songs had less clarity and detail. 5. There was less tactile sensation felt against my legs, chest, and through the floor, armrests, and seat. 6. There was less fine detail in the growl of the electric bass on "Healing Song". 7. The beginning bass notes on "Isunova Pi" had a less thunderous quality. There was diminished detail in the choir voices. 8. The plucked and bowed strings of the cello at the end of "Last Night In Los Feliz" had less weight, tactile sensation, and overtones. 9. Pianos had diminished overtones and ambient sounds. 10. Sound stage width and depth were diminished. As stated at the beginning, a positive outcome might have been achieved if the downstream EtherREGEN had performance enhancing accessories identical to the the upstream EtherREGEN. That setup would have required the following: 1. AfterDark Emperor Double Crown 10 MHz clock - $2,725. 2. Farad Super3 linear power supply - $1,016. 3. Revelation Audio Labs Cat8+ Ethernet cable (2021 version) - $599. 4. Revelation Audio Labs BNC-BNC cable (2021 version) - $599. 5. PS Audio AC-12 power cord, 1m, for AfterDark clock - $500. 6. PS Audio AC-10 power cord, 1m, for Super3 linear power supply - $250. Total: $5,689 An additional $640 would have to be added to the total, for an additional EtherREGEN, if I liked the equal accessory daisy chained configuration. This would bring the total to $6,329. In the future, when I am more dedicated to audio than I am now, I might consider this kind of additional accessory investment. For now, I will stick with the single EtherREGEN configuration.

Which thermal epoxy did you use? Can it be easily removed?

View Classified AfterDark Constellation Cat8 Ethernet 2m Length, Special Edition For EtherREGEN Like new condition. I used this cable for 1.5 weeks. I found it to be significantly better than generic computer grade Ethernet cables and some audiophile Ethernet cables. It did not perform as well in my system as two versions of Revelation Audio Labs Ethernet cables, both of which are over twice the price of the AfterDark Constellation cable. Note that this cable is the Special Edition version designed specifically to be used with the B-side of the EtherREGEN audiophile Ethernet Switch. $210 USD + $21 insured shipping to US locations. Money order or Paypal accepted. US Paypal adds 3.3%. International Paypal adds 4.4%. Seller DarqueKnight Date 07/28/21 Price 210.00 USD Category Cables  

I recently used a 3 foot length of V-Quad Cu21 to make a DC cable for the TeraDak DC-150VA linear power supply that feeds the Synology DS718+ NAS in my main stereo system. The total, inclusive of connectors, shrink wrap, and TechFlex Clear Cut nylon sleeving, was $108. Small improvements were heard in the following areas: 1. Image weight. 2. Ambient sounds. 3. Bass definition. 4. Bass articulation. 5. Clarity in background percussion instruments. Four more DC cables will be made with V-Quad Cu21 wire: 1. For the TeraDak DC-150VA linear power supply that feeds the Synology DS718+ NAS in my office system. 2. For the TeraDak DC-200VA linear power supply that feeds theThe Synology DS918+ Nas in my home theater. 3 and 4. For the two TeraDak DC-50W linear power supplies that feed the EtherREGEN switch and AfterDark Queen clock in my office system. Fun. Top: Original Vanguard DC cable that came with the TeraDak DC-150VA NAS. Bottom: New DIY DC cable made with V-Quad Cu21 wire. Well worth the time and money.

@GuyinOz I only have personal experience with two AfterDark clocks, but, according to AfterDark, the sweet spot in their clock lineup is the Emperor Signature level: This is where the Emperor Signature falls in the lineup:

Thank you for the link to your excellently detailed review of the Emperor Double Crown and subsequent posts. Addressing your questions and comments: 1. Prior evaluations have shown that a clock's square wave shape can depend a lot on the cable. Furthermore, I have not found reliably consistent evidence that a squarer wave shape always correlates with better sound quality. However, @JohnSwenson noted that irregularities in the square wave shape can be an indication of impedance mismatches, which do affect sound quality: https://audiophilestyle.com/forums/topic/59419-master-clock-for-your-etherregen/page/47/?tab=comments#comment-1122787 2. My listening evaluation methodology is a lot of work, but it provides a lot of documentation that relieves me of the burden of having to rely totally on memory for a current and future evaluations. It also relieves me of the burden of trying to "hear a difference" during a listening session. I do not listen for differences. I listen to document everything that is heard, then compare notes. I often do not become aware of differences until listening notes and sound stage maps are compared. This is especially true of more subtle differences such as small changes in image placement, changes in ambient cues, and changes in background instruments. 3. I only use one of the EDC's three outputs. I wanted a three output clock in case the need arises in the future. The Puccini word clock has four outputs. I thought the 10 MHz reference clock should have multiple outputs as well. The digital source in my main stereo system seems to grow over time: A. SACD player. B. Digital player (music files stored on internal solid state drive) + DAC . C. Digital player + external hard drive for music files + DAC + word clock. D. Digital player + DAC + word clock + NAS + switch. E. Digital player + DAC + word clock + NAS + NAS LPS +switch + switch LPS. F. Digital player + DAC + word clock + NAS + NAS LPS +switch + switch LPS + 10 MHz clock for switch. Who knows what the future holds? I do not mind the "digital proliferation". Rather all that than the tyranny of disc-based playback. My main stereo system circa 2013: 4. I did ask Adrian about bypassing or upgrading the EDC's internal linear power supply. He did not recommend it because the EDC's power supply was custom designed and tweaked to optimize the performance of the clock's OCXO. For now, I will assume that AfterDark knew what they were doing when they included a built-in LPS for the EDC clock. 5. My "it's good to be ready for the future" comment alluded to comments made by @Superdad : "If we were to get fancy and situate an EtherREGEN (with further functional and performance enhancements) in a large case with power supplies and top-end clock, it would have to retail for about $3K (with a build cost that would have other firms charge $5K for). John and I would much rather have thousands of people able to enter and benefit at a low price than to only offer something extreme that far fewer can afford. We might go there someday—as we know we are leaving money on the table since we see there are those anxious to spend big bucks." https://audiophilestyle.com/forums/topic/59419-master-clock-for-your-etherregen/page/49/?tab=comments#comment-1124544

Part 1. Introduction The stereophonic performance of an AfterDark Giesemann Trifecta Emperor Double Crown 10 MHz clock (AD EDC) ($2681 USD ) was evaluated in my main home stereo system. The AD EDC was purchased as a performance enhancement accessory for an Uptone Audio EtherREGEN (ER) audiophile Ethernet switch. The AD EDC's performance was compared to that of a BG7TBL 10 MHz clock ($85 USD), an AfterDark Gieseman Queen 10 MHz clock ($751 USD), and the internal clock of the ER switch, a Crystek CCHD-575 25 MHz clock. The ER retails for $650 USD. Phase noise specifications for each clock are given in table 1. The BG7TBL clocks ( I own two) were purchased for proof of concept experiments. The AD Queen clock was purchased for my office stereo system. The AD EDC clock was purchased for my main home stereo system. Figure 1. AfterDark Emperor Double Crown front. To my disappointment, there is no LED or other visual indication that the unit is turned on. Figure 2. AfterDark Emperor Double Crown top view. The AD EDC features high build quality with a chassis made of aluminum and carbon fiber panels. An internal custom R-Core linear power supply is included. Figure 3. AfterDark Emperor Double Crown rear view. Three isolated 75 ohm outputs. Crystek published a 10 Hz phase noise specification of -100 dBc/Hz. A 1 Hz specification was not provided. Since the ER's Crystek clock runs at 25 MHz, some extrapolation was used to derive a 10 Hz phase specification at 10 MHz. Alex Crespi of Uptone Audio explained as follows: "The Crystal CCHD-575 [used in the EtherREGEN] is one of the lowest phase-noise production XO available (about $10 each at 500 piece qty,), and our 3 original 25MHz (random production) samples came with plots showing 10Hz-offset phase-noise of -108, -110, and -112 dBc/Hz. (Crystek is very conservative and the graphs they post do not reflect these actual terrific production performance marks.) And remember, it is far easier to get better numbers from a 10MHz clock than a 25MHz clock, though they can be equivalent in terms of jitter/phase-noise. -125dBc/Hz @10Hz is about what it takes for a 10Mhz clock to audibly surpass the EtherREGEN's 25.0MHz Crystek CCHD-575. 25.0MHz is 1.5 octaves above 10.0MHz, so its typical -110dBc/Hz (@ 10Hz offset) can be considered equivalent to -119dBc/Hz if it was a 10MHz clock (about 6dB/octave is safe to draw comparisons between frequencies). And it seems plausible that the adjusted-for-frequency difference of 6dB--between -119 and -125--would be about the threshold for what could be audible with our switch. This assumes use of a good short clock cable, matched impedances, and use of square wave..." Link: https://audiophilestyle.com/forums/topic/59419-master-clock-for-your-etherregen/page/23/?tab=comments#comment-1102343 Figure 4. The BG7TBL clock uses a Symmetricom 090-03861-13 OCXO. Repeated requests to Symmetricom for phase noise specifications for this OCXO were ignored. I did find a phase noise plot for a Symmetricom 090-03861-13 OCXO in an eBay ad. That plot is shown in figure 6. Figure 5. Phase noise plot for Crystek CCHD-575 25 MHz clock. Figure 6. Phase noise plot for a Symmetricom 090-03861-13 found in an eBay ad. AfterDark provides a certificate of calibration with each of their clocks. The certificate includes the phase noise plot, phase noise specifications at 1 Hz and 10 Hz, and the Allan Deviation chart. Figures 7 and 8 are the calibration certificates that came with my AD Queen and AD EDC clocks. Figure 7. Phase noise plot and specifications for AfterDark Queen clock. Figure 8. Phase noise plot and specifications for AfterDark Emperor Double Crown clock. Part 2. Measurement Evaluation Setup A Tektronix TDS 2012 oscilloscope was used to plot square wave outputs of each clock. The clock cable was a 2 meter AfterDark Black River 75 ohm cable. At the time of evaluation, the AD EDC had been in service for 64 days. The Queen and BG7TBL clocks had been in service for 12 days. Each clock was fed by a Signal Cable MagicPower cord connected to a PS Audio P10 AC regenerator. Clock swaps were done by disconnecting the EtherREGEN's power cable, connecting its clock cable to a different clock, then reconnecting the EtherREGEN's power cable. The clocks were not turned off or disconnected from power during the swaps. Figure 9. Evaluation setup for measurements. Figure 10. The AfterDark Queen clock and the BG7TBL clock were powered with Teradak DC-50W linear power supplies (12V/4A). Figure 11. Rear views of BG7TBL and AD Queen clocks. Figure 12. BG7TBL clock square wave pulse train. Figure 13. BG7TBL clock square wave pulse. Figure 14. AD Queen clock square wave pulse train. Figure 15. AD Queen clock square wave pulse. Figure 16. AD Emperor Double Crown clock square wave pulse train. Figure 17. AD Emperor Double Crown clock square wave pulse. Part 3. Stereo System Details Figure 18. Listening room, 21 feet wide by 17 feet deep with a 10 foot ceiling. The listening seat is 12 feet from the front plane of the speakers. Figure 19. View from listening seat. Figure 20. Digital source components, left to right: dCS Debussy Dac, dCS Puccini U-Clock word clock, Synology DS718+ NAS, Bryston BDP-3 digital player. All CDs and vinyl records were converted to single rate DSD (.dsf) files and stored on the NAS. The EtherREGEN sits at the top rear of the Puccini U-Clock. Figure 21. Block diagram of digital source component connections. The NAS is fed by a TeraDak DC-150VA linear power supply. The EtherREGEN is fed by a Farad Super3 linear power supply. The DAC, U-Clock, BDP-3, XP-30 preamp, and linear power supplies are fed clean regenerated AC power from a PS Audio P10 AC regenerator. The Pass Labs X600.5 monoblock power amps are each fed by a dedicated 20 amp AC circuit and are plugged into the wall. The P10 regenerator is on a third dedicated 20 amp AC circuit. An Araknis AN-110-R8 Ethernet switch provides connectivity to the home LAN. The Araknis switch is on a different (non-dedicated) AC circuit. Part 4. Stereophonic Performance Evaluations For sound quality evaluations, a single musical selection was used: "Healing Song" from Gregg Karukas' "Heatwave (2002)" CD. This selection comprises the following instruments: 1. Acoustic piano (Gregg Karukas). 2. Synthesized organ (Gregg Karukas). 3. Synthesized guitar (Gregg Karukas). 4. Tenor saxophone (Kirk Whalum). 5. Electric bass (Jervonny Collier). 6. Various percussion instruments (Lewis Conte). 7. Drums (John Lewis). The musical selection was played many times, with each clock, in order to map the placement of sound images in the sound stage and to describe the character and quality of those sound images. Summaries of the sound evaluations with each clock are given in figures 22 through 26. Listening was done at an average sound level of 85 dBc, measured with a Radio Shack analog sound level meter. Figure 22. Aerial sound stage map with EtherREGEN and its internal Crysek CCHD-575 clock. Figure 23. Aerial sound stage map with EtherREGEN and BG7TBL clock. Figure 24. Aerial sound stage map with EtherREGEN and AfterDark Queen clock. Figure 25. Aerial sound stage map with EtherREGEN and AfterDark Emperor Double Crown clock. Figure 26. Lateral sound stage map with EtherREGEN and AfterDark Emperor Double Crown clock. In summary, as I went up in clock quality, the bass became deeper, more defined, more tactile, and more articulate. Overall clarity and detail improved. Sound images became heavier, more dynamic, and more representative of actual instruments playing in a live space. Part 5. Power Cables And Power Supplies I was hoping to get off easy with a (relatively) cheap power cord for the AD EDC clock, but I did not have any luck in that regard. After my primary evaluations were completed, attention was turned to investigating power cord upgrades. Prior to the formal listening evaluations, the AD EDC's stock 16 AWG power cord was replaced with a 3 foot 10 AWG Signal Cable MagicPower cord. The list of power cords evaluated with the Emperor Double Crown clock, listed in order of decreasing sound quality, is as follows: 1. PS Audio AC-12, 1 meter, 8 AWG, $800 USD. 2. PS Audio AC-10, 1 meter, 10 AWG, $500 USD. 3. PS Audio Premier SC, 1 meter, 7 AWG, $1000 USD. 4. PS Audio AC-5, 1.5 meter, 10 AWG, $300. 5. Signal Cable MagicPower, 3 feet, 10 AWG, $89 USD. 6. Stock power cord, 6 feet, price unknown, probably less than $5 USD. Figure 27. Emperor Double Crown clock power cord candidates, top to bottom: PS Audio AC-12, PS Audio AC-10, PS Audio Premier SC, 1 meter, PS Audio AC-5, Signal Cable MagicPower, Stock power cord. Better power cords delivered better bass and other sonic treats. I found that a TeraDak DC-30 (12V/2A, $90) linear power supply provided better sound (and video) quality compared to the EtherREGEN's stock switch mode power supply. A TeraDak DC-50W (12V/4A, $145) outperformed the DC-30. A Farad Super3 (12V/3A, $1100) linear power supply significantly outperformed the DC-50W. All three LPSs benefited from higher quality power cords. The Super3 to a much greater extent than the TeraDak LPSs. Part 6. Clock Economics From the outside looking in, it might seem irrational to buy a $2651 audio(phile) accessory for another audio(phile) accessory that costs $650. However, in terms of the big picture, and in terms of my stereophonic listening pleasure, it makes sense. I think of my computer audio home stereo system as analogous to a "digital house" where major components (amplifiers, source components, loudpeakers) are like "rooms". Cables are like "hallways", switches are like "doors", isolation devices are like "fine flooring" and "soundproofing", and clocks are like...clocks that improve the efficiency of the digital house's operations. In that context, the EtherREGEN switch and its 12.5X more expensive associated accessories (clock, power supply, cables) are seen as parts of a single modular component. Even more than that, it is good to be ready for the future, when an even better audiophile Ethernet switch will come to market. Figure 28. Installed on the second shelf of my audio equipment credenza. The AfterDark Giesemann Trifecta Emperor Double Crown 10 MHz clock was a right proper addition to my "digital house". Part 7. Associated Equipment Bryston BDP-3 Digital Player dCS Debussy DAC dCS Puccini U-Clock Word Clock PS Audio PowerBase Isolation Platforms for BDP-3, Debussy DAC, P-10 AC Regenerator, and Puccini U-Clock Black Diamond Racing Mk3 Mini Isolation Pits And Mk4 Isolation Cones For BDP-3, Debussy DAC, and Puccini U-Clock Pass Labs XP-30 Line Level Preamplifier Pass Labs X600.5 Monoblock Power Amplifiers Synology DS718+ Network Attached Storage with two Western Digital Red 6 TB Drives in RAID 1 configuration TeraDak DC-150VA Linear Power Supply for DS178+ NAS Uptone Audio EtherREGEN Ethernet Switch for NAS and Digital Player Farad Super3 Linear Power Supply, with 1m Level 2 Silver DC Power Cable, for EtherREGEN Araknis AN-110-SW-R8 Ethernet Switch for connectivity to home LAN Revelation Audio Labs Prophecy Cryo-Silver Split Configuration USB Cable Revelation Audio Labs Passage Cryo-Silver DB-25 Power Umbilicals for XP30 Preamp Revelation Audio Labs Cat8+ Ethernet Cables, 1.25m, for BDP-3 to EtherRegen and for NAS to EtherREGEN Revelation Audio Labs Prophecy CryoSilver Reference S/PDIF Digital Link Cable - U-Clock To Debussy DAC - RCA Terminations (Audio Signal) AfterDark Giesemann Black River 2m 75 Ohm Clock Cables for U-Clock and Emperor Double Crown Clock AudioQuest Sky Generation 2 XLR Interconnects AudioQuest Everest 9 AWG Hyper-Litz Speaker Cables PS Audio PerfectWave AC-12 Power Cords for Amplifiers and Source Components PS Audio AC-5 Power Cord for TeraDak DC-150VA Linear Power Supply PS Audio PerfectWave P-10 AC Regenerator (for Source Components and Preamplifier only) Polk Audio SDA SRS 1.2TL Loudspeakers (Heavily Modified) Dreadnought Non-Common Ground Interface (Avel-Lindberg Audio Grade 1000VA Isolation Transformer) for SDA SRS 1.2TL Loudspeakers HiFi Tuning Supreme Power Line Fuses for Debussy DAC, P-10 AC Regenerator, Puccini U-Clock, BDP-3 Digital Player, and Super3 Linear Power Supply Salamander Synergy Triple 30 Audio Credenza Dell Venue Pro 7140 Docked Tablet Computer for Controlling BDP-3 Digital Player, NAS, and AC Regenerator Three Dedicated 20 Amp AC Circuits, one for each power amplifier, one for the P10 AC Regenerator (Source Components, and Preamplifier) Three PS Audio Soloist SE In-Wall Passive Power Conditioners, one for each dedicated AC circuit

Part 1. Introduction A 2 meter length loaner sample of the new AfterDark (AD) 75 ohm Giesemann EVA BNC-BNC clock cable was evaluated in my two channel stereo system between the AfterDark Emperor Double Crown 10 MHz clock and Uptone Audio EtherREGEN Ethernet switch and between the dCS Puccini U-Clock word clock and dCS Debussy DAC. The AfterDark clock cable was compared to my previous reference clock cable, a Revelation Audio Labs (RAL) Prophecy Cryo-Silver BNC-BNC 75 ohm digital cable (2015 version). The AD loaner clock cable, and a second AD clock cable, were purchased during the evaluation. The AD clock Cable and the RAL digital cable share some design and construction similarities. Both use an electromagnetic interference (EMI) noise dissipation system based on carbon fiber shielding. Both use extensive mechanical vibration damping systems. The AD clock cables were evaluated after each had been in service for 14 days. AfterDark recommends a 7 day break in period. At the beginning of the AD clock cable evaluation, the AD Emperor Double Crown Clock had been in continuous operation for 37 days. Figure 1. AfterDark Project ClayX Black River Giesemann EVA 75 ohm clock cable. This is a stiff, mechanically-braced cable. A longer length is advisable to accommodate the 7 inch bend radius. This is also a heavy cable (0.9 lbs./0.408 kg for the 2 meter length). Some support at the connector ends might be advisable to take the strain off the sending and receiving devices' BNC jacks. Figure 2. I inquired about the manufacturer of Black River cable's BNC connectors. I was told they are a proprietary custom design made for AfterDark. The AD clock cable is directional. The end with the glossy shrink wrap and "AfterDark" logo should be placed at the receiver end. I found the AD cable's BNC connectors to fit much tighter than those of my other BNC cables. I used care when installing and removing, especially on the EtherREGEN switch. 3. The Black River Giesemann EVA's carbon fiber outer shield. AD clock cable description: 1. One Layer of carbon fiber woven for EMI shielding and two layers of aluminum foil for high frequency shielding. 2. Silver Plated 99.999% Oxygen Free Copper (OFC) Solid Core conductor. 3. High speed low-loss Ethylene Propylene insulation. 4. The cable is mechanically tuned and twisted with spacing for less cross interference. 5. Proprietary twisted-pair Helix Technology offering superior dielectric performance and mechanical damping. 6. Gold Plated BNC Connectors. 7. Impedance matched at 75 ohms for Giesemann clocks. Price: USD $1156 for 2 meter length. RAL clock cable description: 1. Conductive Carbon Infused Composite (CCIC) outer EMI shielding. 2. Silver 99.999% ultrapure solid silver conductor, cryogenically treated. 3. Furutech rhodium plated BNC connectors. 4. Ceramic micro-spheres for vibration damping. 5. Dual metallic shields consisting of copper and silver plated copper. 6. Large diameter "Big Air" conductor tubes made of Teflon to minimize conductor contact with the dielectric tubing. 7. True 75 ohm impedance. Price: USD $449 for 1 meter length. [Note this was the pricing for the 1 meter 2015 version. The current version is the 2021 1.25 meter length, priced at USD $599. I did not have a sample of RAL's 2021 75 ohm digital cable for this evaluation. I have had one on order since March 6, 2021.] Figure 4. RAL 2015 version 75 ohm 1 meter digital cable. Figure 5. RAL 2015 version 75 ohm digital cable - Furutech BNC connectors. Figure 6. RAL 2015 version 75 ohm digital cable conductive carbon fiber outer shield. Part 2. The Sound For reference, the results of evaluating the sound quality of seven different clock cables with the AD Emperor Double Crown clock were posted here: The results in the post referenced above will not be rehashed here. For the AD clock cable evaluation, five configurations, in order of increasing sound quality were evaluated: 1. RAL 2015 version cable between AD Emperor Double Crown clock and EtherREGEN switch and RAL 2009 version cable between dCS Puccini clock and dCS Debussy DAC. 2. RAL 2009 version cable between AD Emperor Double Crown clock and EtherREGEN switch and RAL 2015 version cable between dCS Puccini clock and dCS Debussy DAC. 3. AD Black River cable between AD Emperor Double Crown clock and EtherREGEN switch and RAL 2015 version cable between dCS Puccini clock and dCS Debussy DAC. 4. RAL 2015 version cable between AD Emperor Double Crown clock and EtherREGEN switch and AD Black River cable between dCS Puccini clock and dCS Debussy DAC. 5. AD Black River cable between AD Emperor Double Crown clock and EtherREGEN switch and AD Black River cable between dCS Puccini clock and dCS Debussy DAC. In summary, the following stereophonic performance improvements were achieved with the AD Black River clock cable compared to the RAL 2015 digital cable: 1. More detail in ambient cues. 2. More bass growl and bass articulation. 3. More fine detail in background percussion instruments, particularly shakers and tambourines. 4. More weight and overtones to piano notes. 5. More of a sense of space between sound images. 6. More weight and solidity to sound images. The degree of improvement using an AD Black River clock cable was greater when used between the dCS Puccini U-Clock word clock and the dCS Debussy DAC compared to between the AD clock and EtherREGEN switch. The prices of the AD Emperor Double Crown clock and dCS Puccini U-Clock are $2681 USD and $5500 USD respectively. Both clocks serve different functions. The dCS word clock clocks each digital sample (digital "word") of the DAC and digital music player connected to it. The AD clock replaces the internal time reference of the EtherREGEN Ethernet switch with a more accurate, lower noise reference. Figure 7. One Black River cable was great. Two were greater. Part 3. Oscilloscope Measurements Figure 8. A Tektronix TDS 2012 oscilloscope was used to create plots of the time domain and frequency domain characteristics of an RAL 2015 digital cable and the two AD Black River clock cables. Figures 9 through 17 are oscilloscope plots of the RAL, first AD, and second AD cables connected to the AD Emperor Double Crown 10 MHz clock. Figure 9. RAL 2015 version cable pulse train from the AD 10 MHz clock. Figure 10. RAL 2015 version cable pulse from the AD 10 MHz clock. Figure 11. RAL 2015 version cable noise spectrum (Fast Fourier Transform) from the AD 10 MHz clock. Figure 12. AD Black River cable #1 pulse train from the AD 10 MHz clock. Figure 13. AD Black River cable #1 pulse from the AD 10 MHz clock. Figure 14. AD Black River cable #1 noise spectrum (Fast Fourier Transform) from the AD 10 MHz clock. Figure 15. AD Black River cable #2 pulse train from the AD 10 MHz clock. Figure 16. AD Black River cable #2 pulse from the AD 10 MHz clock. Figure 17. AD Black River cable #2 noise spectrum (Fast Fourier Transform) from the AD 10 MHz clock. Figures 18 through 29 are oscilloscope plots of the RAL, first AD, and second AD cables connected to the dCS Puccini word clock. Figure 18. RAL 2015 version cable pulse train from the dCS Puccini word clock. Figure 19. RAL 2015 version cable pulse rising edge from the dCS Puccini word clock. Figure 20. RAL 2015 version cable pulse falling edge from the dCS Puccini word clock. Figure 21. RAL 2015 version cable noise spectrum (Fast Fourier Transform) from the dCS Puccini word clock. Figure 22. AD Black River cable #1 pulse train from the dCS Puccini word clock. Figure 23. AD Black River cable #1 pulse rising edge from the dCS Puccini word clock. Figure 24. AD Black River cable #1 pulse falling edge from the dCS Puccini word clock. Figure 25. AD Black River cable #1 noise spectrum (Fast Fourier Transform) from the dCS Puccini word clock. Figure 26. AD Black River cable #2 pulse train from the dCS Puccini word clock. Figure 27. AD Black River cable #2 pulse rising edge from the dCS Puccini word clock. Figure 28. AD Black River cable #2 pulse falling edge from the dCS Puccini word clock. Figure 29. AD Black River cable #2 noise spectrum (Fast Fourier Transform) from the dCS Puccini word clock. Part 4. Notes On Power Quality I live in an area that has good power quality with stable voltage levels (118V - 121V over a 24-hour period) and low total harmonic distortion (average 1.5% over a 24 hour period. My two channel stereo system is served by three dedicated 20 amp AC circuits. Each dedicated AC circuit is terminated by a PS Audio Soloist SE which is an in-wall passive power conditioner coupled with an audio grade PS Audio Power Port Premier AC receptacle. Two of the dedicated AC circuits feed the Pass Labs X600.5 monoblock amplifiers. The third AC circuit feeds a PS Audio P10 AC regenerator which has an average outgoing total harmonic distortion of 0.1% and outgoing voltage of 121V on average. The P10 AC regenerator feeds the Pass Labs XP-30 preamp, source components, switches, and clocks. I have found it is much easier to discern differences in cables, source components, and accessory electronics, like switches and clocks, when the AC power quality is very high (stable voltage and very low total harmonic distortion). Part 5. Associated Equipment Bryston BDP-3 Digital Player dCS Debussy DAC dCS Puccini U-Clock Word Clock PS Audio PowerBase Isolation Platforms For BDP-3, Debussy DAC, P-10 AC Regenerator, And Puccini U-Clock Black Diamond Racing Mk3 Mini Isolation Pits And Mk4 Isolation Cones For BDP-3, Debussy DAC, And Puccini U-Clock Pass Labs XP-30 Line Level Preamplifier Pass Labs X600.5 Monoblock Power Amplifiers Synology DS718+ Network Attached Storage With Two Western Digital Red 6 TB Drives in RAID 1 Configuration TeraDak DC-150VA Linear Power Supply For DS178+ NAS Uptone Audio EtherREGEN Ethernet Switch For NAS And Digital Player Farad Super3 Linear Power Supply For EtherREGEN Araknis AN-110-SW-R8 Ethernet Switch For Connectivity To Home LAN Revelation Audio Labs Prophecy Cryo-Silver Split Configuration USB Cable (CICC) Revelation Audio Labs Passage Cryo-Silver DB-25 Power Umbilicals For XP30 Preamp Revelation Audio Labs Cat8+ Ethernet Cables, 1.25m, For BDP-3 To EtherRegen And NAS To EtherREGEN Revelation Audio Labs Prophecy CryoSilver Reference S/PDIF Digital Link Cable (CCIC) - U-Clock To Debussy DAC - RCA Terminations (Audio Signal) AudioQuest Sky Generation 2 XLR Interconnects AudioQuest Everest 9 AWG Hyper-Litz Speaker Cables PS Audio PerfectWave AC-12 Power Cords For Amplifiers And Source Components Signal Cable MagicPower Cord For TeraDak DC-150VA Linear Power Supply PS Audio PerfectWave P-10 AC Regenerator (For Source Components And Preamplifier Only) Polk Audio SDA SRS 1.2TL Loudspeakers (Heavily Modified) Dreadnought Non-Common Ground Interface (Avel-Lindberg Audio Grade 1000VA Isolation Transformer) For SDA SRS 1.2TL Loudspeakers HiFi Tuning Supreme Power Line Fuses For Debussy DAC, P-10 AC Regenerator, Puccini U-Clock, BDP-3 Digital Player, and Super3 Linear Power Supply Salamander Synergy Triple 30 Audio Credenza Dell Venue Pro 7140 Docked Tablet Computer For Controlling BDP-3 Digital Player, NAS, And AC Regenerator Three Dedicated 20 Amp AC Circuits, One For Each Power Amplifier, One For The Source Components, AC Regenerator, And Preamplifier Three PS Audio Soloist SE In-Wall Passive Power Conditioners, One For Each Dedicated AC Circuit

The Rossini is a word clock, which clocks each digital sample of the devices connected to it. The AfterDark clock is an external 10 MHz reference clock, which replaces the less accurate internal clocks of the devices attached to it. The word clocks made by dCS and the 10 MHz reference clocks made by AfterDark serve different functions and are not interchangeable. To use a word clock, a device must have a "word clock" input, or be able to synch to the word clock via some other connection type. To use a 10 MHz reference clock, a device must have a 10 MHz reference clock input. Having digital components synched to a single clock source reduces jitter and phase noise. You can think of a master clock as a single conductor for an entire orchestra, rather than each section of the orchestra having their own conductor. I have dCS's previous generation Debussy DAC and previous generation Puccini word clock ($5,500). Digital samples from my Bryston BDP-3 digital player are clocked by the Puccini word clock via USB connection. Digital samples to the Debussy DAC are clocked by the Puccini word clock over a coaxial cable connection. The Puccini clock resulted in a lower noise floor, greater musical detail, and better stereo imaging. I also use an AfterDark Emperor Double Crown 10 MHz reference clock to replace the internal clock of the EtherREGEN Ethernet switch that is between the NAS and BDP-3 digital player. Again, use of the AfterDark EDC clock resulted in a lower noise floor, greater musical detail, and better stereo imaging.

A detailed explanation can be found here: https://www.silabs.com/community/blog.entry.html/2018/01/29/timing_101_6_thec-rCpu https://www.silabs.com/community/blog.entry.html/2018/02/26/timing_101_the_case-7BtO

The plot is a logarithmic scale on the horizontal axis, where every division is a power of 10. At the far left, we have 10^0 = 1 Hz The next division is 10^1 =10 Hz There are spuriae (spikes) at 10 Hz which obsure the measurement because the descending curved line is "interrupted". You have to visualize, or draw, a continuous curved line that has been interrupted by the spuriae. You can then see that the continuous curve intersects the 10 Hz division at about -143 dBc/Hz

Of course!

Measurement certificate for my AfterDark Giesemann Emperor Double Crown clock. DK - AD - EDC Calibration Certificate.pdf