Implications of Esoteric G-0Rb atomic clock

JH's point regarding frequency is that a crystal clock is subject to transient fluctuations in output frequency caused by power supply variations & ripple, whereas the output frequency of a rubidium clock is inherently stable. He states that a transient variation in clock output frequency is "the very definition of jitter." Timing errors in the clock translate directly into a misshapen waveform and amplitude errors in the reconstructed analog signal, as well as introduction of spurious sideband frequencies unrelated harmonically to the original signal.

While I accept the benefits of ultra low-jitter clocks, I wonder whether some jitter in clock frequency is reintroduced in the clock-link cables that connect the G-ORb to the transport & DAC.

I would love to hear for myself the effect jitter has on sound.

Do you really think jitter is the only reason for awful digital sound? The P-01 transport has very low jitter but still benefits from the Rubidium clock. There are other transport that have more jitter but sound as musical and with the same detail resolution as the P-01.

Chris

The P-01 transport has very low jitter but still benefits from the Rubidium clock.

I wonder whether some jitter in clock frequency is reintroduced in the clock-link cables that connect the G-ORb to the transport & DAC.

In digital, distance is very important. If a P-01 transport sounds better using an outboard clock, it speaks volumes about the low quality of the internal clock of that unit. The best scenario is when the low jitter clock is running the whole show at the very DAC chip. This way, data reclocking can be done right before conversion. If ever there is a better sound from using an external clock vs. an internal clock, it proves that the internal clock is of poor quality. Think about all the RCA and BNC connectors on the market. Think about all the digital cables. Why do they exist? Think about Eichmann, WBT, small metal contacts, 75 Ohm impedance plugs, balanced AES/EBU format, etc. etc. All of these differences are audible because Jitter is the result of a pulsating high frequency clock signal interacting with reflections as well as intermodulation with other induced ambient electromagnetic fields.

The aether is a chaotic sea of electromagnetic fluctuations going in every possible direction and at all possible frequencies. Just try to introduce a single frequency through this electromagnetic chaos without it even touching another airborne frequency -- and you will see that this is nearly impossible due to inductance and intermodulation. Therefore, shielding is of utmost importance.

Liudas

I think the manufacturer in this discussion is suffering from what Freud called "Product Envy"