Clock Input Frequencies
The external clock frequencies or signal families accepted by the product’s clock input.
A 10 MHz reference, sample-rate word clock and higher-rate audio master clock are different signals. Accepted frequency is separate from the input’s impedance, waveform and level requirements.
Clock Input Frequencies — CD Transport
On a CD Transport, accepted clock frequencies determine whether it can synchronize to a compatible DAC or external clock. The transport’s timing input is separate from its digital-audio output.
Check the precise reference format required for the intended operating mode. A sample-rate word clock, a higher-rate audio master clock and a 10 MHz reference have different roles. Support for one should not be inferred from another.
Compare the source output with the transport’s complete input requirements and setup instructions. The clock frequency is not the PCM output sample rate, and a compatible socket does not by itself establish a working synchronized system.
Clock Input Frequencies — SACD Transport
On an SACD Transport, clock-input frequencies identify the external references accepted for supported playback modes. Different disc or synchronization modes may have specific requirements that the manufacturer must state.
Read the named frequencies rather than treating every master-clock label as equivalent. An accepted 10 MHz reference is distinct from sample-rate word clock or audio master-clock multiples. A listed frequency pair does not imply every possible related rate.
Compare the reference source and transport instructions for the disc mode you intend to use. Clock compatibility does not establish native DSD output or multichannel playback, and the connector shape cannot replace the electrical compatibility check.
Clock Input Frequencies — Turntable
On a Turntable, an external clock input can provide a reference for the motor drive or its power supply. The accepted reference frequency describes that timing connection, not the platter’s rotational speed.
Read the specific signal required by the motor-control system. A stated 10 MHz input should not be treated as word-clock support. Quartz speed control inside the deck does not establish any external clock input.
Compare the external source with the turntable or controller’s complete input requirements. The feature is distinct from electronic speed selection, and compatibility does not itself demonstrate improved speed accuracy. A matching BNC connector alone is insufficient.
Clock Input Frequencies — External Clock
On an External Clock, input frequencies describe the reference it can follow while generating or distributing timing signals. The incoming reference may differ from the frequencies produced at its outputs.
Check whether the input accepts 10 MHz, word clock or other explicitly named signals. A generator accepting 10 MHz but outputting word clock does not necessarily provide a 10 MHz output. Input and output lists must remain separate.
Compare the upstream reference with the clock’s input frequency, waveform, level and termination. A GPS antenna connection is not an ordinary reference-clock input, and frequency compatibility alone does not establish how the clock behaves after reference loss.
Clock Input Frequencies — DAC
On a DAC, accepted clock frequencies determine which external timing sources can be connected to its reference input. The DAC’s design determines how it uses that reference for conversion.
Check the exact supported rates and operating modes. An input accepting 10 MHz should not be assumed to accept word clock, and support for one audio-rate family does not establish every multiple or paired frequency.
Compare the clock source’s output with the DAC’s complete input specification. A matching BNC socket is insufficient. Supported audio sample rates are a different specification, and external clock compatibility alone does not prove better conversion performance.
Clock Input Frequencies — Streamer
On a Streamer, clock-input frequencies identify the references accepted by its timing input. They concern synchronization of the supported internal or output path, rather than the network connection’s data rate.
Read the exact accepted signal and the mode in which it operates. A 10 MHz reference input and a word-clock input are not interchangeable, even when both use BNC connectors. The general file-playback rate does not define either.
Compare the proposed clock with the streamer’s frequency, level and termination requirements. The presence of a clock input does not establish support for every external reference or guarantee an audible benefit from using one.