Does a DAc that Reclocks Remove Jitter from Sonos Connect


I asked Wyred4Sound what the advantages would with their upgrade to my Sonos Connect given the external Reimyo  DAP-777 20BitK2 DAC and lossless streams that I use:

Response from Wyred4Sound:
“The Sonos digital output is rather jittery, the mod removes this jitter by reclocking the output from a buffer with far better timing. Based on your Reimyo DAP777 DAC, you might want to opt for the 44.1k modWhat you will find is more clarity, true timing on attack and decay, larger sound stage, etc.”

So ..After more research here is what I found about my Reimyo DAP-777 20bitK2 reclocking:
“For the past few years, JVC has been producing the exclusive Extended Definition Compact Disc (XRCD),using the company’s proprietary 20bitK2 A/D converter during recording, with the Digital K2 machine regenerating resultant clock signals for transferring to a magneto-optical disc. The 20-bit disc is then reconstituted again via JVC’s 20bitK2 D/A converter, then converted into a true 16-bit signal using the K2 Super Coding machine.
The Harmonix Reimyo DAP-777 DAC, incorporates the JVC 20bitK2 D/A converter IC."
Bottom Line: does the Sonos W4S mod add anything to what this DAC already does?

jefflz
@lalitk

I do not, but as stated, even an $80 DAC can reduce jitter to beyond human audibility (not present in 16Bit content either).

Also, do you know what jitter sounds like? It sounds like radio static. Jitter has nothing to do with soundstage as you stated. Soundstage can only be affected (before reaching the speakers) by something such as channel crosstalk, not an increased noise floor, the soundstage in an 8Bit file is the same as in a 32Bit file.  
  

mzkmxcv seems to have it right.

After considerable additional online research I found another excellent discussion forum with informed contributors that explains that digital jitter (unlike the analog jitter of vinyl and tape) relates only to frequency modulation, has nothing to do with stereo stage or presence and is lost in the noise floor of any decent modern digital recording. In simple terms, digital jitter in an actual music recording or digital stream is virtually inaudible except under very rare circumstances.
https://hydrogenaud.io/index.php/topic,109948.0.html
@jefflz

virtually inaudible except under very rare circumstances

Pretty much.

If @audioengr’s measurements are accurate, the SONOS Connect has 9ns of jitter (which I see in the table on the graph, but then for his product, I see it reading 70psec and not 7psec, so not sure), and if your DAC does not jitter reduction, 9ns translates to a noise floor that’s -68dBFS (CD is -96dBFS) or a bit more than 11Bits. Now, he also states that’s a difference of 450x, I don’t know where that number comes from, as the time difference is >1200x more, the bit-depth is <2x more, and the number of bits is ~800x more.

Also keep in mind that the noise floor in 11Bit is still audible, but faintly so. Most all music/tv/movies have 105dB as their peaks/clipping point, and most rooms don’t have a noise floor lower than 30dBC (my open-floorplan living room is ~46dBC, using an actual calibrated mic, not a phone app) even if treated with a good amount of acoustic panels. 105-30=75, not far off from 68. This is also why 24Bit offers no audible benefit for listening, higher bit-depth is only useful for the actual production of the music as they can gain the various recordings of the instruments and whatnot while still having a low noise floor.
If you say most DAC’s with internal reclockers also benefit from the lower jitter input signal.....then wouldn’t it better to use Wyrd4Sound internal mod for Sonos Connect?


I doubt it. I have many customers with Sonos mods that added my Synchro-Mesh and they are flabbergasted at the improvement.

With your Synchro-Mesh, you’re adding one extra BNC cables, external component (shelf space) plus a wall wart power supply......all this would make sense if your relocker performance far outweighs the Wyrd4Sound internal mod.


It does, by orders of magnitude.

My Synchro-Mesh is the hottest selling product I have designed in 22 years, and I don't advertise.  This is all word-of-mouth sales.

Steve N.
Empirical Audio
My Reimyo DAP-777 does reclock. So.. does the Sonos mod add anything?


I doubt it.  You need really low jitter to hear a significant difference.

A good test is to try different sources playing the same track or change the S/PDIF coax cable.  If you hear improvements or changes, then the DAC will respond well to lower jitter and it will probably be audible on your system. If you don't hear a difference, then it may be your system masking the improvement or the DAC reclocking actually works.  Most of them don't do much.

Steve N.
Empirical Audio