I recently had the chance to purchase a Vivaldi clock at an attractive price in the used market and passed, and I just wanted to share why:
(A) Two reasons were not sound quality or price: I do believe the clock will upgrade my listening experience, and I am grateful to have the capital
(B) Space: Right now, my Rossini Apex sits on the floor (I know, true audiophiles cover your eyes!). I don’t have much more room between the speakers for another piece of gear
(C) Power: I don’t view it as “worth it” to use the Niagara 5000 I have with just one piece of gear (Rossini)–because of the aforementioned space issue–but do believe it is worth it for two. Accordingly, buying the clock means going from one box to three, and likely stacking the components
(D) Consequences: This means this one purchase, Vivaldi Clock, at an attractive price actually means more: Vivaldi Clock, plus two clock cables, plus two more power cables, plus, an audiophile rack to get everything in place. I also know that, alas, this will in turn lead to a SRS Perf10 purchase and then, all of a sudden, I have yet another power cable, yet another clock cable, a cabling soup, and @all2ofme’s front-end in my living room (!) ; )
(E) Commitment: I don’t own the space where I am and may move/reconfigure in the future. I also know that eventually I will need to move to full-range speakers. In this time window, perhaps high-end clock options change, DAC options change, maybe Vivaldi/Rossini is replaced, and I’m not in a rush
It’s a classic example of how “just one purchase” leads to a lot more purchases, and in my individual case, it’s just not the right time. I know I will get there at some point, but for now, I’m very happy with my simple, two box system.
Cheers,
R
