Are DDCs a worthwhile investment with a K22?

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1

I am a new owner of a K22, which I am just beginning to get used to. My question is whether there is any solid technical rationale to using a DDC between the K22 and my DAC. I am not a technical expert by any means, but I have read through the design section of this website, and it appears that using the K22 in front of my DAC will make any DDC redundant. From my limited understanding DDCs are useful in cleaning up the USB audio signal from computer-based systems, but it seems to me that any necessary ‘cleaning up’ of the streamed signal is now being done by the K22.

Is this a reasonable summary? I don’t mind investing money in a DDC if it provides some sort of tangible benefit in audio quality, but equally I don’t want another box in my system if it really won’t add anything.

Many thanks.

2

A DDC could possibly benefit if using USB, but you have re-clocked outputs on the K22, use those, that makes a DDC red.undant

3

No additional box needed the K22 already has a DDC (digital to digital converter) built in. Antipodes calls this their Reclocker.

4

Thanks for the information. I have an additional question: there is a trend in audiophile circles to using external 10 MHz clocks with DACs. I now have the K22 in my system. My DAC has an input for an external 10 MHz clock: is it likely that an external clock with a spec of -115 dBc @1Hz would produce an increase in sound quality if connected to my DAC? Or does the K22 alone already effectively provide what’s needed?

Again I’ll apologise for my lack of technical knowledge. This sort of technical stuff fries my brain.

The one I’m thinking of is this one:

5

I have an external reference clock (REF10 SE120). I found it actually harmed the sound when I was using the Reclocker to feed my DAC. The Reclocker alone was more natural.

Different story when using USB. The reference clock brings a very nice improvement.

USB is asynchronous so the clock in the DAC sets the agenda for digital conversion. The DAC’s clock gets a lot better with an external reference connected to it.

The Reclocker features synchronous outputs. With synchronous, the clock in the source sets the agenda. The DAC’s clock should play no part in digital conversion so I would think an additional reference clock connected to the DAC shouldn’t play a part either but with my DAC it is still doing something.

6

Thanks, that’s very useful. The Mutec you have is in a whole different league to the Beatechnik. I won’t be using USB, as the digital outputs on the K22 I’ll be using (to connect to my DAC) will be AES, SPDIF, or HDMI / I2S. So correct me if I’m wrong, but an external clock isn’t going to add anything to my set up by the sound of it.

7

No, I don’t think so. Nice benefit of the Reclocker in the K22.