world clock

[johnsap]

Hello

Please suggest whether it makes any sense to use an external world clock with  devialet and a streamer.
Do you have experience and can suggest how to plug everything together?

Thank you !

[Antoine]

It's called a word clock but there's no in- or output for it on the Devialet so it's not possible to use one with it.

[johnsap]

Do you think there is a reason they opted out a world clock?
What is a logic behind it?

If my streamer has a world clock in/out, but Devialet does not provide on, there is no reason to connect streamer only? right?

Thank you !

[Antoine]

First and again, it's a WORD clock, so no 'L' in there!

I think only Devialet can answer the question why they haven't included one. One likely reason I can think of is that the Devialets are compact all-in-one solutions. So they can do their jobs without additional 'boxes'. Also the word clock is more a 'pro' solution and using the limited space on the Experts for one regular input, used more often by a broader population compared to a word clock in/output, probably has had their preference and that of their customers. Since these word clock in-/outputs really need tight impedance control it can't really be combined (in an optimal) way with any RCA/coax input. You usually see BNC connectors for this purpose.

I don't think I understand your last question. If there's no word clock input both devices will simply use their own built-in clocks or for S/PDIF/AES/EBU extract the embedded clock data from the digital signal. Also word clocks are not beneficial or used at all for a-synchronous protocols like ethernet or a-synchonous USB.

[johnsap]

Thank you for correcting me, i somehow felt that world is a more solid name for a separate clock )

My second question was: if I have a separate streamer with word clock connectors is it beneficial to connect it to a word clock (with Devialet setup)?

[ogs]

Hello

Please suggest whether it makes any sense to use an external world clock with  devialet and a streamer.
Do you have experience and can suggest how to plug everything together?

Thank you !

Unfortunately there is no word clock in/out on a Devialet amp. Nor is there any plans to implement such a feature according to an email exchange I had with Devialet on the subject. AIR (if it only worked..) is supposed to use the internal clock for playback, but I have not seen or read a proper technical description of this. The USB input, being asynchronous, also uses the internal clock (or is linked to it) and controls the playback stream. Maybe that is why many of us like USB so much!
So - if your streamer is SPDIF on either RCA or AES/EBU the clock is embedded in the data stream and the amp will have to extract it. If there is a USB output on your streamer this may give better result, depending on it's quality.

[Antoine]

Thank you for correcting me, i somehow felt that world is a more solid name for a separate clock )

My second question was: if I have a separate streamer with word clock connectors is it beneficial to connect it to a word clock (with Devialet setup)?

Aha, you ment a separate external clock only feeding the streamer device. I think that's only beneficial if the quality of the external clock is quite a lot better since the longer distance, the needed cables and connectors in between are not beneficial to the clock signal itself. The nearer the master clock is to the DAC (using optimized PCB traces) the better.

Changing/upgrading the clock inside a device could have more effect I suppose. I'm not a specialist though and not speaking from personal experience, I do see DIY people do this quite often. Another option is to use a reclocker which buffers a digital signal, throws away the original clock data (inside the S/PDIF/AES signal) and rebuilds and outputs it again using it's own clock.

[Antoine]

Hello

Please suggest whether it makes any sense to use an external world clock with  devialet and a streamer.
Do you have experience and can suggest how to plug everything together?

Thank you !

Unfortunately there is no word clock in/out on a Devialet amp. Nor is there any plans to implement such a feature according to an email exchange I had with Devialet on the subject. AIR (if it only worked..) is supposed to use the internal clock for playback, but I have not seen or read a proper technical description of this. The USB input, being asynchronous, also uses the internal clock and controls the playback stream. Maybe that is why many of us like USB so much!
So - if your streamer is SPDIF on either RCA or AES/EBU the clock is embedded in the data stream and the amp will have to extract it. If there is a USB output on your streamer this may give better result, depending on it's quality.

Cool, thanks for asking Devialet. I did suggest a word clock input once (and many other things like I2S, room correction etc.) on their Facebook page when they asked for things we'd like to see but I already figured it would not come to the current models. The path Devialet seems to have taken with Phantom seems to suggest they're even moving further away from audiophile users. But they could of course revisit their original path again some day, if not the Expert is still great but time's not standing still so they'd might lose customers to other high-end brands.

[ogs]

Hello

Please suggest whether it makes any sense to use an external world clock with  devialet and a streamer.
Do you have experience and can suggest how to plug everything together?

Thank you !

Unfortunately there is no word clock in/out on a Devialet amp. Nor is there any plans to implement such a feature according to an email exchange I had with Devialet on the subject. AIR (if it only worked..) is supposed to use the internal clock for playback, but I have not seen or read a proper technical description of this. The USB input, being asynchronous, also uses the internal clock and controls the playback stream. Maybe that is why many of us like USB so much!
So - if your streamer is SPDIF on either RCA or AES/EBU the clock is embedded in the data stream and the amp will have to extract it. If there is a USB output on your streamer this may give better result, depending on it's quality.

Cool, thanks for asking Devialet. I did suggest a word clock input once (and many other things like I2S, room correction etc.) on their Facebook page when they asked for things we'd like to see but I already figured it would not come to the current models. The path Devialet seems to have taken with Phantom seems to suggest they're even moving further away from audiophile users. But they could of course revisit their original path again some day, if not the Expert is still great but time's not standing still so they'd might lose customers to other high-end brands.

Yes Antoine, I agree Devialet is moving away from the audiophile community at the moment. Most likely pressure from the new investors. Would be a pity if they abandoned the Expert line. OT for this thread, but... I don't see the Regen in your signature. Stopped using it?

[Antoine]

I agree. And regarding the Regen; there's no more room in my signature to add it, or anything else. The forum software/policy forbids it. Still using the Regen to full satisfaction and eagerly awaiting the PSU add-on!