MUTEC
REF10 NANO

Compact audiophile 10 MHz reference clock generator

The REF10 NANO is the version of an audiophile 10 MHz reference clock generator in MUTEC quality that concentrates on the essentials. It is based on the established REF10, but takes its technology, confirmed by many users and editors in its excellent quality, into a new, significantly lower price range.

With the REF10 NANO, dedicated music lovers can for the first time significantly improve the sonic capabilities of their digital audio system at home with manageable effort. Likewise, ambitious studio operators can guarantee their customers the highest sound quality for mastering and recording with this MUTEC reference clock. Regardless of which playback system the REF10 NANO is used in, you will hear a recognizable gain in transparency, spatiality and dynamics in the music.

High End Audio: Direct Connection

Professional Audio: Digital Monitoring

For sound optimization, the REF10 NANO can be connected directly to up to four 10 MHz compatible devices. D/A converters, network switches, re-clockers, clock generators, CD players, servers or streamers are predestined. If the existing components do not have a 10 MHz input, an MC3+/MC3+ USB interface from MUTEC provides the necessary connection between the REF10 NANO and the devices to be synchronized. Conversely, the REF10 NANO is the perfect partner to bring the already improved signal quality to an even higher level by relocking an existing MC3 interface.

FEATURES

10 MHz reference clock generator with exceptionally low phase noise
Improves compatible D/A converters, re-clockers, music servers, switches, streamers, CD players
Exceptionally low-phase noise German-made OCXO as clock base
Rectangular output signal with extremely steep edge for precise receiver synchronization
Four outputs that can be used in parallel (2 x 50-ohm/2 x 75-ohm) for maximum compatibility with digital components from a wide range of manufacturers
Galvanic isolation of the individually switchable outputs for maximum freedom from interference
New ultra-low noise power supply optimized down to the sub-Hz range for each circuit component
Integrated internationally usable power supply
DC input for tuning option by external power supply
Self-explanatory user interface
Optional mounting kit for rack installation in studio (1U)
Developed and manufactured in Germany

Reference clock in MUTEC quality starts here

The REF10 NANO is the perfect device for all sound enthusiasts who want to enjoy the benefits of an original MUTEC reference clock generator at the lowest possible entry-level price. Without having to make any relevant compromises. Because this smallest 10 MHz master clock in the MUTEC range offers almost all the important quality features of its big brother REF10. This makes the REF10 NANO certainly the best 10 MHz reference clock generator currently available in its price segment.

Significant sound improvement

The compact REF10 NANO offers, at a price never before thought possible, the possibility of significantly improving the sound of the digital audio chain by integrating a central reference clock instance. This applies to both the high-end listener at home and the mastering engineer in the professional studio environment. In every application, an increase in quality is clearly perceptible. The integration of the REF10 NANO results in higher transparency, more clearly defined basses, "blacker" backgrounds, better instrument staggering and extended stage imaging. The MUTEC REF10 NANO takes the playback quality of compatible D/A converters, network switches, servers, streamers, CD players, clock generators and re-clockers to a new level. Likewise, it is the perfect upgrade for owners of an MC3+/MC3+ USB interface. In any constellation, the REF10 NANO 10 MHz reference clock generator makes a significant contribution to fulfilling the central MUTEC promise: Perfecting Digital Audio.

OCXO compared to the atomic clock (rubidium/caesium)

As an alternative to an OCXO, so-called atomic clocks are also used in sophisticated reference clock generators, which are usually based on rubidium or cesium references. Mutec does not consider this approach to be effective. Their investigations have shown that the high clock stability of atomic clocks is in a time range unsuitable for digital audio applications. Their long-term stability refers to the amount by which the absolute clock frequency drifts over an extended period of time, from a few days to several years. Although long-term stability is necessary for telecommunications applications, for example, it has no influence on the playback of digital audio material. Crucial for the sound quality is the accuracy of the time interval from sample to sample, i.e. a very short time range, usually measured in time intervals from 0.01 s to a few seconds. Changes in this so-called short-term stability are measured as jitter or phase noise. At this critical point for audiophile music reproduction, the OCXO-based REF10 NANO offers a decisive advantage over rubidium or cesium-based clock references.