Can anyone recommend a 1M cable clock under $50.00?
See my response to a similar question on 16th September:
Why not use digital cables that Abbey Road and the BBC use? Van Damme Plasma 75ohm with BNC connectors. In my experience significantly better then anything I have tried excepting one or two brands costing well in excess of ÂŁ1K per meter.
It comes in various colours too which is very helpful in identifying which cable is which in a multi-box dCS installation.
Order custom made for you with your choice of colour, length, connector boot and even a label if you want,from around ÂŁ11.50 per terminated metre.
I suppose I need to say that I have no relationship with either the cable company or supplier other than being a customer.
Neutrik BNC to BNC Lead. Van Damme 75ohm Plasma Coax Cable. CCTV Video SPDIF
High quality 75ohm BNC leads made using Neutrik twist lock BNCs and Van Damme Plasma grade coax. These cables will work used as Video interconnects and also SPDIF or word clock.
Price: 10.37
See here
I followed this advice a month or so back. We are delighted with the cable - an excellent cost effective choice.
As there is a change in impedance at the point where the cable meets the connector a partial reflection of the signal is caused. Ideally this needs to be attenuated within the cable. The majority of advice that I have seen calculates that 1.5m is the preferable minimum length for this reason.
I would regard the above just as a rule of thumb however as it can only be an approximation at best. The connector does not maintain an ideal 75 ohm impedance nor does the chassis connector that it mates with nor does any hook up wire used to reach he PC board.
I do have some Apogee Wyde Eye but I audibly prefer ( for some reason ) the Van Damme Plasma that I recommend. But, of course, YMMV.
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Very pleased that you like my recommendation. Aside from its sonic and cost attributes the fact it is available in several colours is particularity handy especially if you are crawling around behind your equipment rack ( as I was last week), figuring which clock cable goes where between a three box Vivaldi DAC/|Clock/Paganini transport and a Network Bridge especially given the 2 clock rate groups !
Thanks for the response. Should have noted I’m in the US and would like an option that doesn’t require shipping from overseas.
I don’t need an expensive cable as the clock in the network bridge won’t make much of a difference (If any) connected to the Debussy.
If you are not using a wordclock then the network bridge should in theory be slaved to the Debussy and not vice versa. The most accurate timing should be at the point of conversion i.e at the ring DAC in the Debussy. Other dCS DACs allow for them to be used as the master e.g. the transport slaved to the DAC if there is no wordclock box in the system. However my reading of the Debussy manual indicates no wordclock out facility. The wordclock out port on the Network Bridge is really intended for use with SDIF connection which the Debussy does not have. Overall I would not necessarily expect a benefit.
In general the quality of the wordclock cable will make some sort of difference. I would advise not using the very cheap 75 ohm BNC cables. They will pass the clock signal but if you are bothering at all to address clocking then it is best not to throw the baby out with the bath water by underestimating the effect of the cable on the resulting sound.
I know this is an old thread, but just in case someone comes across it as I did, along with Pete’s recommendation of Van Damme in another thread, don’t be afraid to do business with DesignACable in UK, just because you’re not in the UK. I am in California, and tried to order clock cables yesterday. I had a problem with their PayPal gateway, and I wrote them an email. They responded within 2 hours, sent me a PP invoice, which I paid immediately, and they confirmed they would ship my cables—In my color/boot selection with the word “CLOCK” emblazoned on them—no later than Apr 14 (bank holiday delay). International shipping charge was about USD$10. You just can’t beat the service or price. I also already have Apogee Wyred clock cables built by Geistnote (well under $50) in a strikingly different color. Kevin at Geistnote provides superb service. To me, either of these sources is a no-brainer. And in the US, I would also highly recommend Blue Jeans Cable. Their preferred cable for digital is Belden 1694 with Canare BNC 75Ω connectors.
Once I get a baseline aural impression with these cables, and our shelter-in-place order is lifted, I plan to visit my dealer to audition a variety of clock cables, including the Shunyata Alpha and Sigma. If our order doesn’t get lifted before end of May, my dealer will send me demo cables.
20200426 Update: As of today, I have listened with each of the above-referenced cables in my system. That’s three sets of five clock cables in all, including the 10mHz into the Vivaldi Clock from the Cybershaft. My system sounds superb with each of these cables.
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Glad I ran across your post. Just placed an order for Kenji’s OP21A-D and ext. LPS for my dCS Vivaldi Clock and Uptone EtherREGEN. However, since the additional clock cables I’ve put on order won’t even be released by Shunyata for awhile I knew I’d want something in the interim that was better than the stock cables dCS provides. Seems as though the Apogee Wyred would do the trick. I did happen to find a single older Black Cat Silverstar 75 lying around, but thought it wise to have a pair for getting the new clock going.
What’s been your experience so far in using the new clock? Any hints/tips as to setup or anything else?
Hi Steve. I continue to enjoy the BJC clock cables. I liked all three of the BJC, Van Damme, and Geistnote Wyde Eye. The BJC were the last I tried. They’ve stayed. All sound excellent.
I have considered trying the Black Cat, and remain interested in the Shunyata. But I am uncertain now whether I have any real interest in spending hours swapping and “listening to” cables. The great thing about adding the OP21A is that its presence is easily discerned, as is its absence, and relatively easily tested. The same cannot be said of the cables themselves, and if the ones I have afford the capability of discerning differences with and without the OP21A, then that may be good enough for me. Perhaps when the new speakers arrive, I will feel differently. But maybe not.
What speakers will be coming to your system (sorry I’m a bit late to the party for this forum)?
Nah, you’re not late to anything. I traded in my Legacy Aeris for their Valor speakers. Should arrive next week.
Those are fascinating speakers. A very different approach than what I’m used to with my Wilson’s. Are you a Bay Area audiophile by any chance? I’m over in the East Bay myself.
I used to live in Montclair. Moved out to the Central Valley to stretch the retirement dollar a bit further.
Good idea. I’m still here in Alameda (since '87). Been doing business with Music Lovers for decades.
See on another thread that you had an opportunity to travel to Tanzania earlier this year. I also traveled there a few years ago w. Nat. Geo. Amazing country. Ngorongoro Crater was where I spent most of the time. Visited with the Hadza and Maasai. All the amazing wildlife and Wildebeest migration. Gotta’ get back there some day.
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Yeah, it’s a beautiful place.
Got a chance to spend some time yesterday listening to pre-production Spectral version 2 of SV preamp along with the new 500 mono-blocks feeding a pair of Wilson Chronosonic XVX speakers over in Berkeley. Quite wonderful. I’d heard the speakers previously with Boulder electronics. This was far better in terms of speed, focus, imaging, etc. The Boulder made these speakers appear, oddly, far too big for the room. And that bloat, if I can use the term, did not play to the magic of these transducers.
Never been a Spectral fan; like but not love, I guess. But that sounds impressive. The Chrono was one of the speakers I listened to over the last year, though not very seriously, as I was not prepared to splurge that kind of coin. Still, it’s impressive.