Tracks that highlight the addition of a clock

Can anyone recommend tracks that benefit from adding a clock more than others. I’m listening to my Bartók + Vivaldi clock. The clock is on loan from my audio dealer. Some tracks seem to benefit from the clocking more than others to my ears. I’ve found tracks with a decent amount of reverb or harmony seem to change the most, in particular, The Lumineers - Charlie Boy seems to improve more with the clock than some other tracks. Has anyone else had a similar experience or found a track that really seems to benefit more than another with the addition of a clock?

I keep on writing year in year out that the clocks will not reveal their benefit if you start listening as if their addition is going to provide some kind of improvement to items that appear in the audiophile’s lexicon.

Clocks do not necessarily improve bass, treble, dynamics, reverb etc. They improve ( for want of a better phrase) the communication of the music’s message in an organic way.

Stop listening to the sound and start listening to the music. That is all I can advise.

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I would disagree somewhat.

For me, a clock reveals the reverb in the instruments and vocals that define the space in which the recording was made.

I will mention again that for Sinatra recordings where he and the orchestra were recorded at the same time, without the clock the instruments and Sinatra are just there in the same space; with the clock you can hear the echoes that define the size of the space, the walls of the room, and that means everything to me.

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Having recently had a Vivaldi clock on dem for a couple of weeks, I have to say that I agree with both PAR and BillK. We all listen in different ways and with hi-fi/room combinations with different capabilities, so what they have to say doesn’t seem to me inconsistent. I’d characterise the clock improvement simply as sounding a step closer to what it might be like to be in the room with the musicians as they play (with the usual caveats about how many modern recordings are made).

I’d recommend any recording that includes voice and/or acoustic instruments, and conveys some feeling for the acoustic space of the recording. Stear clear of early digital or highly processed recordings. Simple recordings (from as far back as the 50’s) can show great improvements.

I approached the demonstration with this attitude: the cost of the clock is high enough that I need to be impressed by the improvement more or less right away. And I was. I am now somewhat poorer, or will be when the clock arrives.

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I think Pete and Bill and Simon are all correct. :grin: Music is all about time, and the nature of digital reproduction of music doubles down on the importance of timing. For me, improving my system’s clocking enhanced the reproduction of all music I play, but any well-recorded piano, massed strings or chorus, or percussion should very quickly reveal whether the addition of a clock improves your system’s performance. For an album that fits none of these categories, but will reveal the importance of clocking and the value of improving it, try this one, appropriately titled:

image

Reality, like pornography, may be difficult to define. But it is readily apparent when experienced.

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@PaleRider Thx Greg. I too just purchase a Rossini Clock and was trying to hear the difference with and without the Clock. I agree with all of you to not listen for more bass, treble, mids and just take note that you should be able to enjoy the music more and it takes another step towards imagining you’re in the studio with the musicians.

However Greg nailed it with his suggestion of the Bill Evans - ‘Some Other Time - Lost Sessions from the Black Forest’ album. In the 1st cut the piano notes with the Clock had more staccato and the drummer’s brush work on the snare are much more defined. The Clock helped place the instruments in their own space and not overshadowed by another instrument.

I can’t wait for my Shunyata Alpha NR v2 power cable for the Clock to arrive. Should get here the same day the Farad LPS arrives to replace the EtherREGEN SMPS.

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Glad you’re enjoying the Clock and liked the album. It is such a good collection of music and performance.

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Brian, how do you like the Farad? Where are you using it in your system? Thanks. F.

I replaced the EtherREGEN SMPS with the Faras LPS. I opted for the SR purple fuse, the Farad AC power cable and the Level 2 DC cable. Hard to tell if all the options are needed but it did make a slight improvement to my system. The improvement I notice is that complex musical passages are less congested and I’m able to hear the individual instruments better. I’m considering replacing the SMPS of my network provider modem and my Synology NAS. Mattijs is terrific to work with.

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Thanks Brian. So all in the dac?

A dealer/friend suggested to replace switch mode power supplies (SMPS wall warts) with the Farad LPS starting with the Ethernet section connected to the Rossini. In my case I use an EtherREGEN in front of the Rossini. Even though the EtherREGEN has a ‘moat’ that helps clean up electrical noise, Uptone Audio agreed that using a high quality LPS may yield a SQ improvement, which I can attest to. Mattijs from Farad agreed that when cleaning up the Ethernet LAN the best place to start is to replace any SMPS’ closest to the Rossini. Next up is a Farad for the network provider modem, followed by my Synology NAS which is connected to my LAN.

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I had a EtherRegen and better power supply, sold the EtherRegen as it didn’t make any difference on my system at all, apart from helped heat the room up, kept the power supply for my melco D100

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The ER is indeed a space heater.