SMSL PO100 Pro Worth It?

Technical Discussion
1

I just saw this video from the Cheapaudioman:

I’m intrigued by DDCs/reclockers. I have a Schiit Modius E/Midgard stack connected via USB. I was thinking about getting this, feeding the usb signal into the PO100 Pro and outputting a TOSLINK signal into the Modius. However, according to ASR the SPDIF connection has slightly more jitter than the usb connection. So, I don’t know if the PO100 PRO would make any appreciable improvement in my setup.

Has anyone used the PO100 PRO? Has anyone used that usb reclocker or any reclocker with the Modius E?

2

The video addresses a specific streamer with a known clock problem. Are you using that streamer? Cheapaudioguy’s schtick is to be cheap. My take would generally be to use a reclocker that has a known clock designed for the job. iFi and Wired 4 Sound among others make these for $100-300, yes more than the cheap SMSL doohickey.

If your source doesn’t have this problem then you don’t need a reclocker.

3

I’m not using that streamer. I was looking for a way to augment my current setup and a reclocker intrigues me.

My setup sounds pretty good as is. And the unison usb protocol the Modius is supposed to keep the signal clean anyway :saluting_face:

It seems like the PO100 is a patch on a problematic clock.

4

I’ve not noticed any jitter problems with either my MacBook Pro to Bifrost 2/64 on my main stack or the iPad Pro to Modi Multibit in the office. I’m pretty sensitive to that kind of problem. Both DACs are Schiit with the Unison USB

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5

How do you like the Bifrost? Do you think it’s a worthy upgrade to a Modius?

6

There’s a whole thread on the BiFrost, I’ve posted there. Never had a Modius so I can’t say.

7

I haven’t heard this device, nor have I watched the video. But I can offer my 2 cents about DDCs and their lesser, but still very useful cousins, SPDIF converters.

Over a decade earlier, when I was still stuck with delta-sigma DACs that never sounded right to me, I realized that USB might be a sonic hurdle rather than a necessity. So I acquired my first SPDIF converter, the Musical Fidelity V-Link 24/96. It was a success from the start. When I connected my USB cable to the V-Link, then used a budget digital coax cable into the DAC, it just sounded better, a little calmer with a darker background. In those days even a small win (with a d/s DAC) seemed like a big win.

Then I started messing around with NOS & multibit DACs. Another big improvement. I currently have 4 NOS DACs (for 2 systems), and there’s no going back to d/s. Along the way I got the V-Link 24/192, which sounded even a bit better. I also invested in better coax cables for another improvement.

A couple years ago I got interested in DDCs, so I picked up the Matrix Audio X-SPDIF 2 from Arthur Power at Power Holdings, Inc. Immediate success. The sonic improvements were subtle but also unmistakable: greater focus in all frequencies; slightly better, more distinct soundstaging; more depth; blacker background.

I now have 2 of these, the “2” and the “3” (one in each system). None of my current DACs have I2S inputs, but if/when I get one that does, these DDCs (with user-configurable I2S output to match different mfrs’ I2S protocols) will “future-proof” both my systems, allowing me to experiment with this digital signal transmission method.

Along the way I experimented with AES/BSU cables, which sometimes sound a big better than even the best digital coax. These DDCs at least give me that option, if the DAC du jour permits it.

Net/net: I’m a big fan of both SPDIF converters and DDCs. Hard to predict someone else’s experiement, but mine was that once I got away from USB straight into the DAC, things sounded better.

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8

I’m thinking PO100 Pro would be a washout considering both spdif ports on the Modius have more jitter than the unison usb (though I’m open experiences to the contrary).

Tbh, I think the ESS dacs Schiit switched to don’t sound as good as their AKM variants. But perhaps a straight usb-usb reclocker might bring improvements (?).

But, all of the decent usb reclockers seem to cost the same or more as the Modius. So, I don’t know if it’s worth getting a pricier reclocker or upgrading the dac. I have my eye on the Bifrost but the cost throws my setup off-balance. I quite like the Midgard though.

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9

Yes decent reclockers are not cheap compared to the Modius. Schiit does enough volume to achieve some economy of scale. A DCC probably sells far fewer units, and top quality clock chips are not found in $59 products.

10

There’s no point in re-clocking USB. There’s no sample clock there to re-clock. I explain this here.

ALL USB 2.0/UAC DACs “re-clock” their inputs; they have to.

At best, putting a USB “re-clocker” in the chain might reduce noise on the power lines, but that’s generally not an issue Unison is subject to.

Upgrade the DAC.

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11

I say upgrade the DAC regardless. The improvements you get in sound will be relatively subtle, but also global, affecting all music genres plays and all headphones/speakers downstream.

As for SPDIF ports on the Modius having more jitter than the unison USB: I’m no expert in electronics, but I’m reasonably sure the only jitter that matters here is that transmitted into the DAC. So if very little jitter comes in, very little should come in. And a good SPDIF converter or DDC will put out very little jitter.

If I’m wrong, please explain how & why.

12

I certainly don’t hold these guys as gospel but here’s the review that mentions the jitter.

Apparently with unison usb, jitter’s not an issue anyway. I just don’t know getting something like a PO100 pro is worth it to convert usb to spdif for the Modius e. Probably not.

Going on a tangent, I hope Schiit makes a balanced dac that priced between the Modius and Bifrost. Such a dac would make more sense in my setup IMO.

13

Well, this is a problem, because I don’t. In fact, I never click on a link from their site. Life is too short.

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14

They are real good with numbers. Usually.
If I were listening to numbers, I’d probably take them as gospel too.

They are reluctant to trust their ears unless backed up by numbers.
And they seem to set their listening expectations by the numbers also. Not saying that numbers can’t be useful, just that if it sounds good to me, I don’t really care what the numbers are.

15

My bad. Forgot to add the word “don’t”.

I’m at best ambivalent about ASR. For them, if the numbers don’t match then it has to be crap :face_with_spiral_eyes:

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