OCXO oscillator input theme

[zdenes]

Hello

I am very interested to know your opinion about the Denafrips GAIA vs Mutec MC3+USB.
Please share when you can.

Thanks

Well, the Denafrips GAIA is so much better than the Mutec MC3+USB with linear power supply (Uptone Audio JS-2) and even clocked with the Mutec Ref10 that I already bought one and removed the Mutec from my system. I left the Ref10 still in as it is also clocking the SOtM SMS-200 ultra and the Uptone Etherregen switch. 
With the GAIA, everything sounds more life-like. Timbre and tone improved the most and made the system sound a bit warmer which is a really good thing with the Devialet and the YG Acoustics speakers. Over 30 years into this hobby, I have gone through hundreds of A/B testing of all sorts of things. Sometimes I had to go back and forth a few times to be able to fully evaluate differences and decide which one I like better. Not this time. 30 secs into one of my test tracks, I knew that it was so much better, that I didn't even need to test it longer. Well, the Mutec gave me a similar 'wow' factor when I first put in between the streamer and the Devialet. The GAIA is probably better because it has two OCXO clocks inside that provide all audio frequencies (x1024, so it can do DSD1024 theoretically, practically DSD512) and there is no complicated PLL needed as in the Mutec. MSB explains it very well:
https://www.msbtechnology.com/dacs/clock-options/

Hello

I have just received the denafrips gaia. Yes, WOW. Really a great upgrade. Also using a transparent reference aes/abu.

When I switch from pcm to dsd and vice-versa I can hear a loud pop. Any ideas how to solve this? 
Using daphile with dop.

I also hear a pop at the PCM/DSD switching. Not loud and I hear it from the GAIA and not through the speakers (I think). It is just some kind of relay switch or whatever, I don't think it is a fault. On this topic, I use HQ Player (under Roon) in my system (see my signature) and with some listening test I decided that DSD files sound better when converted to PCM (192kHZ) by HQ Player. Although the GAIA can put it through and the Devialet can receive it up to DSD64, it converts it to PCM anyway. So there is really no point in using native DSD files.