TentLabs XO

Jitter at the digital to analogue conversion affects the amplitude of the regenerated signal. Timing errors therefore yield distortion with respect to the original analogue waveshape.
Substituting the standard clock with this new low jitter clock oscillator will greatly enhance the sound quality of your digital disc players. The clocks are now made available at a very reasonable price! This DIY version can be simply and cheaply integrated in your player. Get a 5V supply point and there you go!

Purpose

XO DIY is the heart of the well known XO2 and XO3 clock upgrades. XO DIY is now available as a separate module to design your own clock upgrade. It can serve as a quick but secure start for your true do-it-yourself clock.

Technology

XO is a canned module, and contains a dedicated, integrated oscillator. It needs a clean 5V-power supply, and puts out a neat, low jitter clock signal.

Read page 2 of our September newsletter to understand which specifications are important when quantifying jitter.

Application

As the XO needs its' own power supply, you have to build one yourself. A suggested power supply circuit is given by the following figure (change 22k to 2,2k and 56k to 5,6k):

XOcircuit

The proposed circuit runs at a DC supply from 11 to 25 V and and consumes about 20mA (XO included).

In the shipment we include an additional RF choke ("bead"). This will prevent radio interference, and should be used in combination with a decoupling capacitor closely positioned to the XO module.

Using the supplied DIL8 socket as well will allow you to solder the circuit together without heating the XO itself. Before doing so, check the output voltage between pins 4 and 8 at the socket, better to be safe than sorry.

Alternative combo

A 5V Tentlabs shunt is the ideal partner for the XO. Order both and shipping is free !
Shunt-web-foto

OEM customers applying the XO module

• Vacuumstate high performance SACD upgrades
• Doede Douma's TDA1543 based DACs

What customers achieve with the modules

Below are some links of typical applications
• Giovanni Aste upgrading his Teac VRDS 10 (in English)
• Ergo Esken upgrading the Behringer DCX2496 (in English)

Customer feedback

This is what customers say about our products
• So Guido, bill me because the oscillator is not coming back!
• Today I finally found some time to include the XO in my TL5100. My first impression after 5 minutes: seemingly shocking. Much more is happening, space, echo, clean, rhythm, all better, with more power involved
• The new low jitter oscillator definitely brought more definition, more resolution to the music. More can be heard. Details come to life.
• Now the sound is more relaxed... and more energetic. It is not like changing a capacitor for a better one, it's not a matter of transparency, or detail (although now they are better), but the music sounds more... like music. Everything sounds less 'thick', but at the same time much more expressive. Particularly with female voices, yesterday night I heard one after the other all my favourite singers, till 3am. with a shiver with each song...a memorable night.
•

Specifications

Electrical
• Pin 8: Supply input: 3,3V to 5 Vdc (max 5,5V), consumption 10mA to 20mA typical
• Pin 5: Clock output: Specified frequency, +/- 50ppm
• Output jitter: potentially< 3ps rms (10 Hz onwards) depending on power supply noise
• Pin 4: Ground
• Clock outputs: 1, can drive 3 HCmos gates

Mechanical
• DIL-8 compatible package.
• 11 x 11 x 8 mm

Available frequencies

• 2.8224 MHz
• 8.4672 MHz
• 11.2896 MHz
• 12.0000 MHz New !
• 12.2880 MHz
• 16.9344 MHz
• 18.4320 MHz
• 24.5760 MHz
• 27.0000 MHz
• 33.8688 MHz
• 45.1584 MHz
• 67.7376 MHz New !

Look at the CD player frequency list to find the appropriate frequency of your player.

Pricing & warrantee

XO DIY € 24,37 each ex VAT, € 29 each incl. VAT. XO comes with DIL8 socket and bead, is fully tested and caries a 5-year full warrantee assumed applied according specifications.

Orders and information

Go to the shop

Mounting

Look at the XO2/XO3 mounting manual for detailed mounting instructions.

Support

As this is a true DIY product, so no additional support can be given, other than already available at the TENTlabs website.

Tentlabs