[audioengr]

I set up my measurement system with Sonos as a source and my cabling in and out.  I will not name the competitor product.  Here are jitter measurements I made using it:

Compettitors jitter histogram at 30psec/division:



About 150psec of jitter.

Synchro-Mesh Jitter histogram at 10psec/division:



7psec of jitter.

Competitors signal waveform:



Synchro-Mesh signal waveform:



Competitors histogram frequency spectrum:



Notice the relatively high peaks in the first 300kHz division.  These are in the audio range.

Synchro-Mesh histogram spectrum:



Notice that in the first half-division, which is 0-300kHz, it's basically flat.  Also notice the difference in vertical axis.  The competitor axis is 8 times the Synchro-Mesh, so the data for the Synchro-Mesh is scaled-up by a factor of 8.

Interesting data.  More money does seem to get you a better reclocker.

Steve N.

[richidoo]

Thanks Steve. Can you interpret the top image quantitatively? How much nominal jitter is it, in comparison to the 20pS of Syncro-Mesh?

Is it roughly the distance between the peaks (60pS?) But the wider peaks means higher jitter too, right? >120pS

[audioengr]

Thanks Steve. Can you interpret the top image quantitatively? How much nominal jitter is it, in comparison to the 20pS of Syncro-Mesh?

Is it roughly the distance between the peaks (60pS?) But the wider peaks means higher jitter too, right? >120pS

I like to use the standard deviation, which is ~60psec in the table, so it would be 120psec total for jitter. 7psec for the Synchro-Mesh.

However, the jitter spectrum is almost more important, having significant components in the audio range.

The competitor does reduce the Sonos jitter from 6000psec to 120psec.

Steve N.

[richidoo]

Understood, I think...
Thanks

[FullRangeMan]

Steve what these Jitter values means in musical terms?

In these current digital players its possible adjust Ditter?

[audioengr]

Steve what these Jitter values means in musical terms?

In these current digital players its possible adjust Ditter?

Jitter if bad enough causes your music to become musical soup.  The imaging is essentially out of focus, so vocalists become very wide and same with instruments.  There tends to be an echoic "fill" in-between the instruments that is not actually there in the recording.  A general loss of clarity occurs.

Certain jitter defects can cause the music to sound "hard" or cause strident sound quality that is difficult to listen to long-term.

Digital players cannot reduce jitter in software.  Jitter starts with the "Master Clock" which is in the hardware of the Transport, CD player, USB converter, Ethernet renderer or music server.  If this clock and the associated circuitry is not optimally designed and implemented, the jitter will be audible in the playback.  The good news is that devices like Synchro-Mesh can reclock the data stream with a better quality Master Clock and deliver much lower jitter to the DAC.

There is, of course jitter in the original digital recording because a Master Clock was used for the original analog to digital conversion.  There is nothing that can be done about this jitter, but it's usually very small.  Most of the problems are in playback.

Steve N.

[FullRangeMan]

Thanks Steve, I appreciated how clearly you explain Jitter effect in our everyday music.

[audioengr]

Thanks Steve, I appreciated how clearly you explain Jitter effect in our everyday music.

Most digital audio designers agree that jitter is the #1 issue with digital audio.  Reducing jitter enough can get you the analog sound most audiophiles are after.

Steve N.

[FullRangeMan]

Most digital audio designers agree that jitter is the #1 issue with digital audio.  Reducing jitter enough can get you the analog sound most audiophiles are after.

Steve N.

My source is a original condition Sony SCD-1 from 2000, how do you could rate it in the Jitter subject? (not need golden the pill I want to know the truth).

[audioengr]

My source is a original condition Sony SCD-1 from 2000, how do you could rate it in the Jitter subject? (not need golden the pill I want to know the truth).

I have modded Sony before.  I expect it to be worse from the digital output than this newer transport, which is fairly poor:

http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=154408.0

If you are using the analog outputs, the only thing that can improve jitter is to open it up and mod it.  I don't do that anymore.  Even if I did mod it, it would never be as good as the Synchro-Mesh and using a DAC.

Steve N.

[FullRangeMan]

Thanks Steve