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My first Master Clocking Experience - CC1 by Grimm Audio from the Netherlands

Piano TunerPiano Tuner
Just when everyone indulges in the analog domain, I go the other way round. I wonder what if I add a master clock in between the zero transport and the Vekian/Heritage?

The connection is easy: one digital cable goes to the digital input of the master clock. Connect another digital cable from the master clock into the DA. Set the CC1 Master Clock to slave mode. It means the master clock is slaved to the service of the CD transport.
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    Piano TunerPiano Tuner
    This master clock is beautifully made. The wooden panel is surprisingly well done. The depth of the wooden panel is about 2 inches deep. The CC1 is designed by three famous recording engineer in Holland. I know the existence of them for many years. I wanted to try it for quite awhile but they have no interest in consumer market. But this year, Audio Accessories from Japan gave it a Grand Prix Award.
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    Piano TunerPiano Tuner
    A brief listening session of 30 minutes gives me a feeling of jumping from "an ordinary pivot tonearm to a linear tracking tonearm". I disconnected the master clock and listened again. I felt like listening to a "mis-tracking" LP. I reconnected the CC1. I felt like "tracking ability is excellent now." The improvement is especially pronounced in the bass region. One will never believe the zero transport can deliver bass in such weight, speed and resolution. This is equivalent to the first time when I listened to the Thales arm.
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    RaymondRaymond
    If you have stock, please send me one this week. Check email.
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    VoyRVoyR
    Had you tried using it between the zero and the Vekian?
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    VoyRVoyR
    If Uncle Ray goes for it, I follow. PT, check email.
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    發哥發哥
    超級時鐘? 好毒, 好毒. 歐洲機用木做塊前板, 有味道....
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    TubefreakTubefreak
    Testing
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    發哥發哥
    曾比德大人, 你又測試緊個超級時鐘嗎?
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    RaymondRaymond
    If anyone is confident about the LP replay of the Belafonte Live at Carnegie Hall (especially the last track Maltida), I can confidently challenge you that it will be extremely difficult for your vinyl setup to beat the performance of the CD (USA version) when the CC1 master clock is used in between the transport and Vekian or the Heritage.

    When the master clock is applied, the audience as a group has become LIVE! The audience, I felt like they have fresh and bone. On some occasion, I could feel even one or two voices at the auditorium were humming along with Belafonte. This goes beyond the conventional description of layering, dimensionality and the depth of the z-axis.

    Thales/Shilabe combination spinning both the 33/45 rpm version of the same recording cannot approach what was otherwise experienced from the digital counterparts with the presence of the CC1. In some areas, you can argue vinyl as a tad more density in the mid-range but I am not sure if this is true. I have yet to receive the AAS Gabriel but based on my existing gears, this conclusion is too clear.

    As everyone knows me well, I don't bluff.
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    MrDVMrDV
    Wow! This sound great to have both media can providing you the ultimate enjoyment.
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    VoyRVoyR
    Uncle Ray, your statement is quite bold but at the same time your endorsement is lethal because you never bluff. I am yet to receive mine. Which digital cables are you using?
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    Shanghai BigpieceShanghai Bigpiece
    Just return from DSo's apartment with his latest Cessaro super cross over upgrade. Which is a must have option for those Cessaro users. An interesting part was the demo of the super clock. Quoting DSo, "KO in 3sec". This was acknowledged/endorsed by all present, including Mr.DV and Marvel Bro. I would say this is a no brainer. It just a matter of getting one more digital and power cord.

    Thanks, DSo, for the excellent demo. Bigpiece
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    Piano TunerPiano Tuner
    Bigpiece was thinking whether he could just bring this CC1 back up to Shanghai tomorrow after 2 full hours of intensive listening with Mr.DV, Marvel, DSo and myself.
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    Piano TunerPiano Tuner
    DSo was complaining to Marvel about me bringing this CC1 to his home just when he felt his system was in optimum state. Later on, he SMS and said, "PT, after you took back the CC1, I had no mood to listen tonight. As a result, I went out drinking with friends."
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    RaymondRaymond
    I am glad everyone seems to agree with my earlier findings. I noticed the Zanden CD transport sat on the floor. It looks like DSo is not too distant from burning his rack. The CC1, without isolation, from the rack, probably cannot perform at maximum potential.

    After connecting another ground wire to the CC1 tonight (Flow power), I played a few very old digital recording (Annie Fischer, Alfred Campoli, and Casals etc; Bill Evans, Keith Jarret etc) and then compared to the same recording on my turntable. God damn the holy cow! I hear more details from the digital source than the LP; I readjusted the Thales tonearm/Shilabe combo a few times; I still can't find the spatial cues and harmonic decaying details from the LP.

    Peter Brem of Da Vinci is right, the top end of the Shilabe is musical but not details enough. I then used another tonearm (Da Vinci Grandezza arm/cartridge) - ok - to be very fair - the Da Vinci's depiction of tonal color is one of a kind. It carries the ease that the digital combo cannot match but the speed of the attack/transients and minute ambience details are not as abundant as the digital source (Zanden transport/CC1/Vekian/Zanden 5000s).

    I am not speaking on behalf of digital fanatics cos I am not. It is simply a mere report of what I heard on my current gadgets. If you had already listened to the Sunray, you probably would agree the authority of the conclusion. The Sunray never aims to recreate sounds that are even "more real" than what was originally recorded. It is straight in and straight out.

    This CC1 is really something special.
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