clock upgrade for cd/dvd players

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Elso Kwak

Elso Kwak

Banned
Joined 2001
geocities.com/elsokwak/
KWAK-CLOCK

Hi Guido,
I did not do any measurements on my clock except for checking the square wave on the scope. The KWAK-CLOCK is entirely developed by ear listening to Klipschorns.
It all started with a crystal a LT1016 and the circuit in the Application Note 12 of Linear Technology. This clock was much better than the standard CMOS oscillator used by 99% of CDplayer manufacturers. However this clock had some bad habits that led to the inclusion of a NPN transistor Collpitsoscillator in front of the comparator. Later the transistor was changed to a N-channel JFET 2SK117BL, that was replaced by the J309. And the comparator was improved by the faster AD8561. All these changes were judged just by listening to music not by measurements.
27 years ago Mark Levinson wrote in his brochure of the JC-2 preamplifier: "Most standard specifications are meaningless" and " It has been proven many times that "better specifications" do not always produce a more transparant sounding circuit" Now we have digital audio that never ceases to surprise me. So you guess I am not a believer in specifications and I realise this will strike as you are a engineer. [I am a chemist by education]Contrary to the main stream of manufacturers I use a non oversampling DAC and asynchronous reclocking in the DAC. It should not work but it does! It is even better sounding than analog(LP).
It took me ten years and I wouldn't have accomplished my goal without the help of the inmates of www.Audio.Asylum.com
Particularly I want to thank Wildmonkeysects, Ola, Barend, Steve Eddy and BFitz.
BTW I did some reverse engineering on your cantype clock. I found only three parts in it: the crystal, a 10nf cap from V+ to ground and a 6-pin smd IC named A507. Maybe this is a custom version of the ICS507 clock synthesizer, but I am not sure. The PCB was marked QT1 maybe from Q-Tech.
 
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Guido Tent

Member
Joined 2001
TentLabs.com
Kwak clock

Hello Elso,

Thank you for your reply. If I can find some time, I am willing to carry out measurements on the clock you designed, so if you have a spare one, you may send one to me.
From what you write I conclude that your one among the few experienced. Unfortunatel most manufacturers do not know what they are designing, they bluntly folow the IC datasheet.
From measurements and listening teste on clocks I know one thing for sure: The lower the jitter, the better. However, also the spectral content counts.......

best regards
 
Elso Kwak

Elso Kwak

Banned
Joined 2001
geocities.com/elsokwak/
Elektor clock vs. KWAK-CLOCK

Hi James,
Thanks very much for the schematic of the Elektor-clock.
My clock looks surprisingly simple compared to this one, needs no adjustments, does not use inductors. The Elektor circuit looks like a two transistor Butler oscillator followed by three CMOS inverters (HCU04). The first inverter is configured as a amplifier and that is bad as it introduces jitter. The inverters are used for sine to square wave conversion.
I strongly encourage you to build the KWAK-CLOCK. It is very easy to build, does not use smd and has a minimal parts count.
 
S

SteveA

Member
Joined 2001
Kwak Clock

Hello Elso-
I, too, would like the details on your clock. Like you, I am also a chemist but one who does not have your understanding of electronics. BTW, I have a Pioneer Elite CD/LD player. How does one identify the "clock" such that the old can be removed and the new added?

Thanks
Steve
 
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