In addition, the mostly contaminated 5 volt voltage, which comes from the source (computer) via the USB cable, is disconnected and replaced by an internally generated, much cleaner and quieter 5 volt power supply at the output (re-generate). On this common basis, the four Re-Clocker models differ primarily in the quality of the clock oscillator used as well as in the effort required for the power supply, the kind of capacitors used and the housings.

The 3R USB Renaissance, a small, flat, pocket-sized box, is your gateway to the world of Ideon re-clocking. The housing is made of aluminium with rounded side panels and plastic front panels. Power is supplied by the included plug-in power supply (switching power supply). There is a type B USB port (input) and a type A USB socket (output). There are also two LEDs, one of which lights up yellow when the USB source is connected and the other green when the power supply is connected.

With the 3R Master Time model, we are making a huge leap – also in terms of price – to the level of a full-blown high-end device. The solid aluminum case ensures stability and a more powerful clock is supposed to ensure optimized performance. In addition to the housing, the large toroidal transformer is primarily responsible for the high weight of the device of 7 kilograms. This is the basis for a linear power supply with decent filtering capacities and multi-stage voltage stabilization with high-quality integrated controllers. There is also a USB input and a USB output here. In addition, we find a toggle switch on the back that can be used to turn the 5 volt voltage on and off on the USB line to the DAC. I will come back to this detail in a moment.