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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
audioengr
3,282 posts
 
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
audioengr
3,282 posts
 
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
audioengr
3,282 posts
 
I have been on fence for a while to try the Wyrd4sound mod. Not sure if it would improve the SQ even if jitter is eliminated at its source.


I modded digital component for 10 years before I started designing my own components. There is NO WAY to get the kind of result by modding a Sonos that you get with a Synchro-Mesh, and they probably cost about the same. You can also use the Synchro-Mesh to reduce jitter from other sources, like transport, AppleTV, Smart TV etc..

Like I said, try different sources and cables to your DAC. If you hear differences, then the Synchro-Mesh will probably improve things audibly.

Steve N.
Empirical Audio
audioengr
3,282 posts
 
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. 


Look at all of the peaks in the Sonos jitter, not just one.  The jitter from the SM is 450 times smaller than the Sonos.  The SM has only one peak.

As for what is audible, this depends on how good your system is and how good your ears are.

Steve N.
Empirical Audio
audioengr
3,282 posts
 
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


Nonsense and misinformation.  I would never have been able to get multiple best of shows at RMAF, Newport and LAAS if the jitter in my system was equal to that from the Sonos.  NFW.

Steve N.
Empirical Audio
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