Mutec Ref-10

[Confused]

Picking up on zdenes' and SwissBear's comments here, I have to say that for me this is one of the most interesting topics in audio at the moment.  Much is being posted on Computer Audiophile currently regarding trials with set-ups known as 'the trifecta' and similar.  There are actually subtle differences between 'trifecta' or 'Ultra trifecta' set-ups, but basically it is a chain of a modified network switch, a SOtM-sMS-200Ultra, and a SOtM-tX-USBUltra.  In some cases the sMS-200 is not an ultra, but has a clock tap and runs from a SOtM-sCLKex.  I fact, that's the idea, the switch, the 200 and the tX-USB all run from a sCLK-ex board.  A number of users are reporting excellent results with this, and with similar variations on this theme.  Curiously, the one thing that appears to make a big difference is the modified switch.  This is curious because an Ethernet switch is dealing with packet data which ultimately gets buffered and then clocked in the downstream devices, so exactly why a clock modified switch helps sound quality is difficult to explain.  Arguably the best (only?) explanation so far is that it works 'for reasons not yet fully understood'.  Another explanation I have seen on CA is that this is some kind of mass delusion, one user reports great benefit from the modified switch or clock chain, another user tries the same, and he want to join the party and be on this path of audiophile discovery, so he hears and reports similar findings, due to some mixture of expectation bias and confirmation bias, another bod does the same, that's three results, so concept confirmed scientifically.  (or not really)  Personally, I think the number of reports and, the type and experience of those people reporting, indicate that something real is happening.  There is also a plan to create a test rig to actually pinpoint and measure exactly what is going on here.  Interesting stuff!  So something to keep an eye on, and the reason I am posting this here is that you could of course use a Mutec REF10 to provide the clock reference to everything in a 'Ultra Trifecta' chain.  How well this would work with a Devialet is any one's guess!  I'm guessing it would be pretty good, even if not everything was providing the claimed benefits, it could still be very good.

Of course all of this contrasts to what SwissBear is doing, that is using the REF10 to improve the AES3 output of a Mutec MC3+USB.  The AES3 protocol uses the clock in the feed to generate a clock in the receiving device, so here it is much easier to explain why this works.  One slight caveat here is that there are different ways an AES3 receiving device (in this case Devialet 'Magic Wire' / ADH) can use this clock, and I do not think anyone outside of Devialet knows exactly how this is implemented.  Anyway, there are good technical reasons why it should work, so no surprise when it does.

I have tentative thoughts of buying a REF10, and I can think of a few ways of using one, as follows:

1. To feed my Mutec MC3+USB (Same as SwissBear)
2. To feed my Mutec MC3+USB, plus a sMS-200Ultra (replacement for my mR)
3. To feed an 'Ultra Trifecta' chain and my Mutec MC3+USB
4. To feed the Mutec MC3+USB, and use this as a word clock for another device, such as the dCS Network Bridge, or even the dCS Vivaldi Upsampler.  (would be a lot cheaper than the Vivaldi master clock, which is £10k in the UK)
5. To provide a clock reference feed to the Devialet OS Core Intelligence streamer board.  (a bit radical and would need something like the sCLK-ex)
6  To provide a clock reference feed to the Devialet ADH.  (so radical I can hardly comprehend, may not be possible, and may make things worse)

For the record, I can't imagine anyone doing 5 or 6, but you never know!  1 to 4 would be relatively easy to do, it's just a case of how good the sound quality performance proves to be in reality, how many boxes you want (or can put up with), and how much you want to spend.  Personally, I would want the maximum SQ for minimum cash, just an informed guess but I reckon that would be 1 or 2 above.  Money no object?  I would go with the dCS Vivaldi Upsampler / Mutec / REF10, which would offer some change from £20K.  So something over £18K retail for the dCS Vivaldi Upsampler / Mutec / REF10 option realistically takes us back to option 1 or 2 I think.  Who knows!  Plus I may think of other cunning uses of a REF10 later.

EDIT:  I have just thought of another cunning use for a REF10.  It could provide the reference clock for an Aurender W20, I am certain that that would sound quite superb, the W20 does anyway, all by itself.  Very expensive though, and Conductor app only.