Implications of Esoteric G-0Rb atomic clock


The latest TAS (March 2008) has an excellent piece by Robert Harley: a review of the Esoteric G-0Rb Master Clock Generator, with sidebars on the history and significance of jitter. This Esoteric unit employs an atomic clock (using rubidium) to take timing precision to a new level, at least for consumer gear. It's a good read, I recommend it.

If I am reading all of this correctly, I reach the following conclusions:

(1) Jitter is more important sonically than we might have thought

(2) Better jitter reduction at the A-D side of things will yield significant benefits, which means we can look forward to another of round remasters (of analog tapes) once atomic clock solutions make it into mastering labs

(3) All of the Superclocks, claims of vanishingly low jitter, reclocking DACs -- all of this stuff that's out there now, while probably heading in the right direction, still falls fall short of what's possible and needed if we are to get the best out of digital and fully realize its promise.

(4) We can expect to see atomic clocks in our future DACs and CDPs. Really?

Am I drawing the right conclusions?
Ag insider logo xs@2xdrubin
Ehider, I agree that too few direct comparisons are made between RBCD and the benchmark of great vinyl when judging the performance of a CDP. However, I make this comparison every day, and have come to the conclusion that it is indeed possible for a traditionally architected CDP to equal or surpass an excellent vinyl front end. Moreover, as the CDP's analog section is critical, I would like to know more about the analog section of your USB WDP(Wet Dream Player).
Dgarretson; Ha! You really cracked me up with that 'WDP' moniker! I am not sure what I am allowed to say about the prototype USB DAC that I heard - The digital front end consisted of an Apple computer (that had the CD's transferred to it's internal hard drive via error correction) and it is connected to the DAC via a USB cable. The true proprietary information is not in my hands. It would be up to the designers to reveal once they launch this DAC sometime this year.
Ehider, are you talking about the Daniel Hertz USB DAC with the proprietary Burwen Bobcat DSP?

Chris
Dazz it looks like the Daniel Hertz USB DAC is PC only with the Burwen Bobcat DSP a plug in for Windows media so I doubt this is the "WDP"...waiting for a response from Ehider though.
Hi Chris, The prototype USB DAC that surprised my ears is not related with the Burwen Bobcat/Daniel (note, a few audiophiles with ears I trust say that the Burwen is very special indeed). The USB DAC I heard was a pre-production unit from a company most of us don't hear much about. I am thinking I may start a specific thread with the USB DAC's name and some other details when the company gives me the "green light" to talk about them in detail.