Over the weekend I had my CD transport "clock modded", thought I'd stick a few thoughts down on here.
The logic behind a clock mod is related to jitter. As I understand it, the logic is that the timing of the signal being sent from the laser mechanism of a CDP and it's digital to analogue convertor is managed by a quartz clock. Absolutely no quartz clock is 100% accurate, and they all have a minor amount of variance. This variance in timing results in the signals being received at the DAC slightly earlier or later than expected, thus resulting in a slight change to how the signal is reproduced by the DAC.
I'm not sure what the clock accuracy in my Meridian 500 was, but I get the impression that new clock is rated with 95% less jitter.
The good news is that a rather helpful chap I know from another forum was kind enough to fit it, total cost was £50, which in the grand scheme of things really is peanuts.
So, enough of the bs and babble, just what does it do?
In short, there is a definite reduction in "mush level", and and improvement in perceived realness. So the bit where you listen to a jazz CD is made much easier for picturing that you're in a smokey basement, beer on the table, band around 7-8 metres away. For the money, wonderful stuff.
The logic behind a clock mod is related to jitter. As I understand it, the logic is that the timing of the signal being sent from the laser mechanism of a CDP and it's digital to analogue convertor is managed by a quartz clock. Absolutely no quartz clock is 100% accurate, and they all have a minor amount of variance. This variance in timing results in the signals being received at the DAC slightly earlier or later than expected, thus resulting in a slight change to how the signal is reproduced by the DAC.
I'm not sure what the clock accuracy in my Meridian 500 was, but I get the impression that new clock is rated with 95% less jitter.
The good news is that a rather helpful chap I know from another forum was kind enough to fit it, total cost was £50, which in the grand scheme of things really is peanuts.
So, enough of the bs and babble, just what does it do?
In short, there is a definite reduction in "mush level", and and improvement in perceived realness. So the bit where you listen to a jazz CD is made much easier for picturing that you're in a smokey basement, beer on the table, band around 7-8 metres away. For the money, wonderful stuff.
