25 replies to this topic

[abase21]

--yesterday the USB Card XE with the OCXO arrived!

I installed it and decided to use my 5V dual rail Plixir power supply!
The LPS was firing the Pink Faun OCXO of my melco switch.
What I forgot, I had installed a purple fuse with only 0,8 Ampere in this thing so it burns after connecting the USB-Card to the LPS…

I have installed a new fuse and try again – on my DIY Server I have installed Euphony Stylus  the operating system sounds very very good, but it is a diva. Me Melco was not working anymore (fuse) so I could not finish Stylus correct. It did not start anymore.
I decided to install a new image; I had no data on the Stylus partition.
That was a easy decision but not an easy task (diva). After a few tries I decided to reset my bios – now I could install Stylus.

After that I did my tweaks for the Bios.

so the card and the OCXO was installed in a few minutes, but the s--t that happens holds me back for hours to listen to the new card ;-)

I have done much changes in the last two years, so it is not new to me, that a hardware sounds wire in the first hours..

I`m not a believer of hundreds of hours burn in time – the most gain will happen in the first 24-48 hours.
After a few hours of playing time, the card with the OCXO sounds already good ;-)

So my conclusion so far it is not a bad purchase..
At the stage my stereo is I can`t hope for a “Wow” moment, the holo audio red was already good - so the gain is not night and day..
Normally I forget the money when the parcel service reach my front door..
In that case it is already forgotten ;-)

The Card and the OCXO are on the Plexir with my best power cord and statement DC cable. The Plixir has now a correct purple fuse. I have tried the master fuse, but it sounds wire on the Plixir, the purple fuse sounds fine. The master fuse did wonder on my Holo Audio String 3 KTE edition.
My USB cabel is a Final Touch Sinopure

I have tried to use the Holo Audio Red as DDC (I2s), but I think my i2s cable is not good enough to get benefit from that..

At the moment the card is connected direct to my DAC--

[Chanh]

[quote name="abase21" post="68494" timestamp="
So my conclusion so far it is not a bad purchase..
At the stage my stereo is I can`t hope for a “Wow” moment, the holo audio red was already good - so the gain is not night and day..--[/quote]
I find this quite intriguing and I appreciate your candid opinion. While I have been contemplating the added expense, I am particularly interested in the upcoming network card that can also take advantage of the clock module. It would be great if you could keep us updated with your thoughts and experiences after the first 100 hours of use.

[Marcin_gps]

--yesterday the USB Card XE with the OCXO arrived!

I installed it and decided to use my 5V dual rail Plixir power supply!
The LPS was firing the Pink Faun OCXO of my melco switch.
What I forgot, I had installed a purple fuse with only 0,8 Ampere in this thing so it burns after connecting the USB-Card to the LPS…

I have installed a new fuse and try again – on my DIY Server I have installed Euphony Stylus  the operating system sounds very very good, but it is a diva. Me Melco was not working anymore (fuse) so I could not finish Stylus correct. It did not start anymore.
I decided to install a new image; I had no data on the Stylus partition.
That was a easy decision but not an easy task (diva). After a few tries I decided to reset my bios – now I could install Stylus.

After that I did my tweaks for the Bios.

so the card and the OCXO was installed in a few minutes, but the s--t that happens holds me back for hours to listen to the new card ;-)

I have done much changes in the last two years, so it is not new to me, that a hardware sounds wire in the first hours..

I`m not a believer of hundreds of hours burn in time – the most gain will happen in the first 24-48 hours.
After a few hours of playing time, the card with the OCXO sounds already good ;-)

So my conclusion so far it is not a bad purchase..
At the stage my stereo is I can`t hope for a “Wow” moment, the holo audio red was already good - so the gain is not night and day..
Normally I forget the money when the parcel service reach my front door..
In that case it is already forgotten ;-)

The Card and the OCXO are on the Plexir with my best power cord and statement DC cable. The Plixir has now a correct purple fuse. I have tried the master fuse, but it sounds wire on the Plixir, the purple fuse sounds fine. The master fuse did wonder on my Holo Audio String 3 KTE edition.
My USB cabel is a Final Touch Sinopure

I have tried to use the Holo Audio Red as DDC (I2s), but I think my i2s cable is not good enough to get benefit from that..

At the moment the card is connected direct to my DAC--

Hello, 

 

Thank you for the report!

 

Please give it more time, at least 100 hours of burn-in is required. Then it will start to sing.  

 

Best regards,

Marcin

[Marcin_gps]

New Review of JCAT Master OCXO Clock

 

Check out the latest review on our Master OCXO Clock by Alpha Audio! The JCAT Master OCXO Clock, despite being on the pricey side, it offers a substantial enhancement for audiophiles looking to optimize their digital audio setups. For detailed insights and test results, read the full review here: https://www.alpha-au...dont-be-square/

[Bogdan]

Few weeks after installation of the USB Card XE EVO I asked Marcin about possible improvements in my audio system. He clearly advised me to try the Master OCXO Clock upgrade. I was very skeptical because of two reasons. Firstly, the new EVO card has a very good clock anyway and I thought there is no space for improvement in this domain. Secondly the USB port of my DAC supports asynchronous mode, so in theory the clock of my renderer doesn’t matter.

Despite my doubts I ordered the Master OCXO Clock.

 

For evaluation (A/B comparison) I used the following albums:

1. Melody Gardot - Sunset In The Blue
2. Chris Botti - Vol. 1

For both recordings I noticed big improvement in spatial presentation of the music, which IMHO is essential in bringing us closer to the concert hall experience.

In the track “Paris” the voice of John Splithoff is so focused that I can visualize the point on stage he is singing from. Without the clock upgrade his voice is dispersed, which is not realistic.

When António Zambujo joins Melody Gardot in the track “C’est Magnifique”, without the clock upgrade, they almost disturb each other. With the new clock they sound like a duet, which is pleasant to my ear-brain.

 

Summary: It surprises me again how small changes, at least from technical data point of view, can improve our listening experience.

 

And I almost forgot - Marcin was right.

[Mrw]

Two weeks after getting the new Net Card XE EVO I installed a new Master Clock Upgrade. As much as the sound quality improved with the new Net card, the addition of the master clock upgrade improved my sound profoundly. The timber of the music is unchanged, but the music sounds so much more live and real! No matter the recording or type of music, your mind relaxes into music that pulls you into it. I can’t stop listening to it! Highly recommended with an EVO card combination!