nichino Posted May 9, 2021 Share Posted May 9, 2021 14 hours ago, Iving said: I do not feel pernicious, nor do I mean to be troublesome, when I say that cutting through the AfterDark promo material about this cable was tough – but I realise that most of this is to do with the language barrier. imho Adrian would do well to recruit a technically competent translator to make sure his technical arguments are easily digested by the English-speaking buyer. [After all – AS is an English-speaking web site.] First off, thank you for taking the time and effort to pen such a detailed review / travelogue. Re Adrian's English language proficiency, I just want to point out that he is based in Hong Kong and one therefore cannot expect him to be as proficient in English as you clearly are. What he lacks in English expertise, I am pretty certain he speaks fluent Cantonese and Mandarin (off-topic for this forum), which is more tongues than many of us can claim to speak! I am glad that Adrian decided to open up his business to the English-speaking world (not entirely altruistic of course), otherwise I would not have been able to access the EtherRegen and his in-house range of tweaks so readily. In my experience, speaking to him using short and simple sentences does the trick :) Johnnydev 1 Link to comment
Popular Post AfterDark. Posted May 9, 2021 Author Popular Post Share Posted May 9, 2021 Hi! Thanks for your support and positive feedback on Giesemann Master Clock. We are delighted the Giesemann products is having a formal review from Stereotimes in USA. Please check this out on this review: http://v2.stereotimes.com/post/afterdark-project-by-mike-girardi Thanks for audiophilestyle members review, we hope all can enjoy our AfterDark products, which can give great improvements for Mutec MC3-USB and EtherREGEN. Have a nice weekend. Best Regards, Adrian AfterDark. ambre, nichino, Johnnydev and 1 other 2 2 Amp: Goldmund 27+ EVO Preamp, Goldmund 29M Power Amp, Goldmund AC-Curator DAC: CH Precision C1.1 Digital Convertor, Studer D19 DAC, Wadia 2000 DAC Digital: Mutec MC3-USB, AfterDark. Giesemann OCXO 10M Master Clock Giesemann EVA Playback: Goldmund PH3 Phono Amp, Linn LP12, Studer A807 VU MKII Open Reel Network Switch: AFTERDARK. PROJECT CLAYX BUFFALO BS-GS2016 CASCADE X GIESEMANN OCXO BLACK MODERNIZE EDITION x Farad Super3 LPS Dealer: UpTone Audio, Gustard, Farad Power Supply, Cybershaft, Thixar, DELA Link to comment
Johnnydev Posted May 9, 2021 Share Posted May 9, 2021 A great review Adrian! I can confirm all the observations, congratulations! If you could find some time, would you please reply to my email about the delivery of my Cisco and Finasar and EMI mat? Link to comment
Popular Post Iving Posted May 9, 2021 Popular Post Share Posted May 9, 2021 At Day 4 just a few remarks: Given that @MartinT experienced little or no burn-in with his AfterDark clock - where he slipped it into a system with an already broken-in power supply and clock cable - I'm tempted to conclude that my uncomfortable burn-in experience has had much to do with breaking in the Triple's integrated power supply and/or multiple virgin clock cables. I don't think the Constellation cable was responsible because of my analytics (supra). Whilst it's clear from my report already, I agree that the Mutec MC3+ USB loves my AfterDark clock. The most interesting aspect to me was *how much more a stellar WC the Mutec became with external clocking* (not just its improvement as a Re-Clocker). The thing I most appreciate about my AfterDark Triple Emperor Double Crown is that it has taken me several more steps away from loathsome digititis - the harshness that spoils non-analogue music. When I first opened myself to digital music, I never realised that the Hi-Fi journey would become one primarily about shrinking from this horrible plague. I might never have bothered if I'd known. So AfterDark has afforded me great relief - and that is the most satisfying thing for me. Second - there is now a kind of deep reverb through the music. But "reverb" suggests distortion - which this is not. More accurately - it's what a (let's say electric) guitarist would understand as "sustain". Not just mid-range detail - but the more salient flow of the weight of voices and instruments through a piece of music. So my system sounds extra-fantastic. More rock 'n' roll heaven. These two advantages make the AfterDark purchases more than proportionate value for money given the ratios of Hi-Fi bang per buck I would ordinarily expect. Notwithstanding my difficulty comprehending the product description page on AS combined with PM and e-mail Q&A germane (my reflection on language and communication has actually been more than disciplined, I promise) I suspect that the Constellation cable is a lurking hit waiting to happen. Get an AfterDark B-Side cable for your EtherRegen! I upgraded to a 2020 Sablon on the A-Side - and was waiting to hear the Constellation cable before deciding whether to get another Sablon for the B-Side. There's absolutely no need. That should tell you something about how highly I rate the Constellation cable. Finally - my wife and I, listening together, reckon that these latest changes have done as much or more to improve the system than anything else that we recall easily. That speaks volumes too. Oh a P.S. then - leaving Square and Sine matters aside - my understanding is that @MartinT will have two AfterDark clocks either side of his ER moat. What was that about how many mains outlets you had available Martin and, talking of burn-in, do you have another warmed up power supply for the second AfterDark clock. What I really want to ask though, is whether you think you might have the motivation to try "all things equal" comparison of the two *differentially graded* AfterDark clocks on the Mutec before finally re-configuring your system. If so, I'd be most interested to read your findings. nichino, DarqueKnight, Johnnydev and 1 other 3 1 Link to comment
MartinT Posted May 9, 2021 Share Posted May 9, 2021 56 minutes ago, Iving said: The thing I most appreciate about my AfterDark Triple Emperor Double Crown is that it has taken me several more steps away from loathsome digititis - the harshness that spoils non-analogue music. When I first opened myself to digital music, I never realised that the Hi-Fi journey would become one primarily about shrinking from this horrible plague. Agreed in spades! I went through the same horrible journey over two years ago when I sold the turntable and SACD player and decided to go all-in with hi-res streaming. My first iteration just happened to sell me on what was possible: Caiman SEG DAC, Raspberry Pi streamer, Volumio and Spotify. Low res but nice sounding. Then I set out to go Qobuz hi-res and buy the best DAC I could get my hands on. Thus the pain began. I would say I have now arrived, the system sounds quite wonderful and there is no harshness whatsoever. Analogue-like but with incredible detail extraction, soundstaging and dynamics. It has taken a lot of attention to detail throughout the chain. Anyone who thinks digital high end is easier to achieve than analogue hasn't really started yet. However, I would never go back to LPs now. To answer your questions: yes I would agree that PSU burn-in must be responsible. I had the same pain with my first Coherent QP-1, it sounded a bit 'meh' at first, but then it rocketed away to previously unknown heights. On the subject of the incoming Emperor Triple Crown, I will indeed listen to it in the same setup as the current King to hear what differences I can perceive. Then I shall add the King to the ER, switching it back to external clock. I have one of two Chinese Weiliang PSUs lying around, I will reset it for 12V operation and put it into action. It will have to be powered from the P10 regenerator (purportedly reserved for the power amp) as my P3 is fully maxed out. I will upgrade it with Shottky rectifiers and a National LM-317T regulator, it already has Rubycon caps inside. Johnnydev 1 TP-Link MR6400 4G router > Uptone EtherREGEN reclocker > Sonore Signature Rendu SE streamer > Gustard U18 DDC > Gustard X26 Pro DAC > Belles SA-100 power amp > Usher Dancer Be-20 speakers. AfterDark clocks x 2. PS Audio P3 & P10 regenerators. https://theaudiostandard.net Link to comment
Iving Posted May 9, 2021 Share Posted May 9, 2021 4 minutes ago, MartinT said: Thus the pain began. I feel it. I truly feel it. 5 minutes ago, MartinT said: On the subject of the incoming Emperor Triple Crown, I will indeed listen to it in the same setup as the current King to hear what differences I can perceive. Can't wait. Thanks Johnnydev 1 Link to comment
Johnnydev Posted May 9, 2021 Share Posted May 9, 2021 While waiting for my finasar and cisco optical, I connected the farad super 3 to my Giesemann EVA. That seems like a good choice. I will write a review about this in a week or two Link to comment
MartinT Posted May 10, 2021 Share Posted May 10, 2021 I have now received my AfterDark Emperor Triple Crown and will be listening to it soon, in direct comparison with the King before I setup for two clocks. King Phase noise 1Hz: -108dB Phase noise 10Hz: -138dB Allan deviation: 8.87 x 10-13 @ 1s Emperor Triple Crown Phase noise 1Hz: -118dB Phase noise 10Hz: -143dB Allan deviation: 3.10 x 10-13 @ 1s Iving 1 TP-Link MR6400 4G router > Uptone EtherREGEN reclocker > Sonore Signature Rendu SE streamer > Gustard U18 DDC > Gustard X26 Pro DAC > Belles SA-100 power amp > Usher Dancer Be-20 speakers. AfterDark clocks x 2. PS Audio P3 & P10 regenerators. https://theaudiostandard.net Link to comment
Popular Post MartinT Posted May 10, 2021 Popular Post Share Posted May 10, 2021 Very first impressions in an unfair comparison between the thoroughly warmed up and reasonably burned in King and the barely warmed after one hour of being plugged in Emperor Triple Crown, which needed to be unplugged and reconnected into the system. No downside. I had an immediate impression of more realism in cymbal strikes, greater note decay and a darker background. Percussive detail is pervasive in everything and the midrange is smoother and less gritty. I'll continue with the listening but my impression, again, is that a better clock (all other things being equal) makes itself known pretty quickly. Johnnydev and DarqueKnight 1 1 TP-Link MR6400 4G router > Uptone EtherREGEN reclocker > Sonore Signature Rendu SE streamer > Gustard U18 DDC > Gustard X26 Pro DAC > Belles SA-100 power amp > Usher Dancer Be-20 speakers. AfterDark clocks x 2. PS Audio P3 & P10 regenerators. https://theaudiostandard.net Link to comment
Iving Posted May 10, 2021 Share Posted May 10, 2021 12 minutes ago, MartinT said: Very first impressions in an unfair comparison between the thoroughly warmed up and reasonably burned in King and the barely warmed after one hour of being plugged in Emperor Triple Crown, which needed to be unplugged and reconnected into the system. No downside. I had an immediate impression of more realism in cymbal strikes, greater note decay and a darker background. Percussive detail is pervasive in everything and the midrange is smoother and less gritty. I'll continue with the listening but my impression, again, is that a better clock (all other things being equal) makes itself known pretty quickly. If burn-in is a non-issue, then differential should remain stable in the coming days. But differential there is. If you get to be able to quantify it better (in qualitative terms of course!) please do post. We'll take it that that phase noise matters! A mantra for our times! Thank you for posting so promptly. Enjoy it! Link to comment
Popular Post Iving Posted May 10, 2021 Popular Post Share Posted May 10, 2021 Day 5 Any lingering doubts about mist on the window to the music have pretty much evaporated. Depth of soundstage developing noticeably over 24 hours. Fantastic detail. Amazing energy. The music is emphatically more relaxed - I see what AfterDark means by "smooth". I think this was pushing thru since Day 1 but seemed like something else. Female voices replete and vibrant. Digititis waving the white flag. Hooray MartinT, Johnnydev, nichino and 1 other 4 Link to comment
Popular Post MartinT Posted May 10, 2021 Popular Post Share Posted May 10, 2021 More impressions... Bass is felt rather than heard. Less like hearing a pub band with over-driven bass punching you in the chest, more like an Underground train emerging from the tunnel, shaking you in the gut. Transients are no longer aural assaults consisting only of loudness. Now they have distance, shape and texture. They can still be loud but the closer approach to real sound makes them more tolerable, and that's also accounting for my lower volume setting of -18dB. I rarely whack it up to -16dB these days. There are countless tinkly effects in recordings I've not been aware of before, adding to the experience. There is a triangle in Thank You by Chris Jones that I pointed to with my eyes closed. When I opened them, it was way further right than the speaker. Astonishing imaging. Even my harshness tests of Sharon van Etten and Feist pass more comfortably, the music flowing with great impact but not giving me a headache. As for Hawkwind's Space Ritual - what a revelation! I am convinced that good clocks benefit live music more than any other recordings. AfterDark., Iving, nichino and 2 others 2 3 TP-Link MR6400 4G router > Uptone EtherREGEN reclocker > Sonore Signature Rendu SE streamer > Gustard U18 DDC > Gustard X26 Pro DAC > Belles SA-100 power amp > Usher Dancer Be-20 speakers. AfterDark clocks x 2. PS Audio P3 & P10 regenerators. https://theaudiostandard.net Link to comment
Iving Posted May 10, 2021 Share Posted May 10, 2021 9 minutes ago, MartinT said: like an Underground train emerging from the tunnel, shaking you in the gut exactly my experience! Link to comment
Johnnydev Posted May 11, 2021 Share Posted May 11, 2021 11 hours ago, Iving said: exactly my experience! +1 Link to comment
Popular Post Iving Posted May 12, 2021 Popular Post Share Posted May 12, 2021 Day 7 Got Detail Got THUNDER Got Mellow Very pleased tyvm MartinT and Johnnydev 2 Link to comment
Popular Post Iving Posted May 14, 2021 Popular Post Share Posted May 14, 2021 Prompted by recent changes, I’ve altered a RedNet/Dante setting or two - and even re-positioned my speakers. I dare say there’s an aggregate of misc. developments in train. But let’s accept that, in all probability, they are orchestrated/conducted by the AfterDark Triple Emperor Double Crown, ably assisted by the Mutec MC3+ USB. Definitely an interplay of components, maturation over time - and the response of the listener (li’l ol’ me). Today my system sounds better than yesterday. It’s opened up - as if released from reins. It’s less fussy now - i.e. it's less true that some tracks are more susceptible to causing audible offence. Music is depicted in a concretised landscape before my ears - I have an abundance of detail anchored in firm space. I’ve never heard my favourite tracks sound so “natural” (I’m not going to say “like the original recording”!) I have thud – and I love it. AfterDark., GryphonGuy and Johnnydev 1 2 Link to comment
Popular Post Iving Posted May 28, 2021 Popular Post Share Posted May 28, 2021 I didn't expect to post another update - thinking things had more or less settled down. I have been hearing gradual improvements day by day - but nothing that provoked my writing hand. The aggregate of recent changes - including the AfterDark Clock (Triple Emperor Double Crown) generating 10 MHz for the ER and the Mutec MC3+ USB - prompted me to reposition my speakers. I settled on final co-ordinates a few days ago. I made some blocks to fix to the floor so that the position could be recalled in the future. This morning I turned off the power amps, moved the speakers out, fixed the blocks, re-positioned the speakers - and switched back on. My system sounded as though another "magic" component had been added. The blocks can't account for it! The sea-change is remarkable. At first, mostly positive. Clean. Resolved. Tamed. Really, really different. On the down side I thought I could hear a bit of hiss - and the bass seemed light. The sound is doing so much right, there can't be anything wrong. My left ear is a bit fussy at the moment - and I think that is the hiss. I played Jon Secada's "Just Another Day" - a track I don't usually use for evaluation of bass - and my goodness the power. The ripples of that bass line. If it were any more forceful I'd have a problem. A similar reverberant bass line features in Caroline Lavelle's "A Case Of You". So I think the whole thing has just been tightened up hugely. This is now Day 23. I am imagining that this sudden trajectory of SQ has to do with the Clock. That is where I am placing the credit anyway. I am astonished at what can happen in just 24-48 hours at this stage. I guess this is further burn-in commentary. Adrian suggests baking-in of AfterDark Clocks can be discerned up to a month or so. I haven't seen many reports about this here at AS. In fact, most reports refer only to immediate improvements. One doesn't contra-indicate the other - naturally. I would say burn-in extends into Week 4 - with major shifts noticeable. The system refuses to be ruffled - or to present harshness. It responds to the volume control differently - stays balanced up the range. I'm adjusting - missing one or two "attack" attributes. But there is much more music. In its stride music. And my brain is not so age-afflicted that I can't get used to this new sound horizon! imo both the AfterDark products I have – the Clock and the Constellation cable – knock the SQ/spend ratio out of the park. DarqueKnight, Cazzesman, ambre and 2 others 1 1 3 Link to comment
Cristrix Posted March 22, 2022 Share Posted March 22, 2022 Just ordered a customized Trifecta Emperor Triple Crown with Adrians great help for 2 x 50 ohms and 1 x 75 ohms square wave outputs. The two 50 ohms will go to the gustard x26 pro and gustard u16 ddc. The one 75 ohm will go to the Etherregen on a B->A configuration to optical rendu. Will receive hopefully in 3 weeks. Currently using a gustard c16 connected to x26pro, U16 and ER which is already giving me very good improvements. Also playing via hqplayer dsd 512 output on roon/tidal to maximize the x26pro tech and the instrument separation and clarity is already next level from the c16. AD ETC is an upgrade from -100dbc/hz to -118dbc/hz . Cant wait to test and hear the difference based on the feedback here. Link to comment
R1200CL Posted March 22, 2022 Share Posted March 22, 2022 2 hours ago, Cristrix said: Cant wait to test and hear the difference based on the feedback here. What phase noise numbers are you getting? Link to comment
Cristrix Posted March 22, 2022 Share Posted March 22, 2022 Its the trifecta ultra emperor triple crown should be -118dbc/hz and -142dbc/hz for 1 hz and 10 hz respectively. Link to comment
Cristrix Posted April 16, 2022 Share Posted April 16, 2022 I have received the customized Trifecta triple crown 4 days ago and I can attest with all the reviews here for Afterdark. All x26pro, U16, and ER are connected to this clock and I cant stop listening to various kinds of music genre and appreciate everything all over again. I can now complete a whole album of Neil Young and David Bowies last album Blackstar appreciating the artist talent and not the noise. Noise is now more musical. The audio has become immersive by the soundstage and instrument separation. Also updated the fuse of the x26pro and U16 to Gustard fuse which contributed. Am now waiting for an ordered bnc from Geoff from aurealisaudio to upgrade the stock BNC cable. Thanks to Adrian for his responsiveness on the order of this unit. Link to comment
AfterDark. Posted June 6, 2022 Author Share Posted June 6, 2022 Hi! We have some positive feedback about the AD modded Mutec MC3 + Farad Super3 LPS. "Music is full blown, deep low-end, rich mids, crystal clear highs. Spatial resolution is astounding. Orchestral music is enthralling. Soundstage is all enveloping. All of this without digital edge." Best Regards, Adrian AfterDark. Amp: Goldmund 27+ EVO Preamp, Goldmund 29M Power Amp, Goldmund AC-Curator DAC: CH Precision C1.1 Digital Convertor, Studer D19 DAC, Wadia 2000 DAC Digital: Mutec MC3-USB, AfterDark. Giesemann OCXO 10M Master Clock Giesemann EVA Playback: Goldmund PH3 Phono Amp, Linn LP12, Studer A807 VU MKII Open Reel Network Switch: AFTERDARK. PROJECT CLAYX BUFFALO BS-GS2016 CASCADE X GIESEMANN OCXO BLACK MODERNIZE EDITION x Farad Super3 LPS Dealer: UpTone Audio, Gustard, Farad Power Supply, Cybershaft, Thixar, DELA Link to comment
juniorbudel Posted October 3, 2023 Share Posted October 3, 2023 Hello everyone, I'm thinking about testing the Mutec 3 USB between my Opticalrendu and my PS Audio Direcstream dac, in this scenario I would do without the Matrix Spdif interface. Will I have gained by adding Mutec to the audio chain? I have seen reports that this device works better with older Dacs where the digital input clocks were not as efficient as more modern devices, but I also see reports of great improvements even with modern dacs. I would like the opinion of someone who knows and has tested this device a lot, thank you! Link to comment
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