Esoteric’s Manufactured Clock Module

The “Master Sound Discrete Clock” in the G-05 has been developed by Esoteric in-house, from the selection of the crystal oscillator to the temperature control circuit and its control program to achieve high precision, all completed in a unique discrete circuit. Esoteric’s in-house clock module is dedicated to music reproduction. We have paid close attention to every detail and improved the quality of musical expression by designing our own crystal oscillator circuit, previously packaged as a general-purpose module, into a unique discrete circuit to produce tones closer to our engineers' ideals.

Master Sound TC* – Esoteric's Proprietary Temperature Control Program

Crystal frequency accuracy is affected by temperature. Therefore, temperature control is the most important factor in maintaining high clock accuracy. Esoteric's proprietary "Master Sound TC" is a total temperature control system that maximizes crystal performance. We have developed not only the hardware but also the control software in-house to ensure that the Master Sound Discrete Clock delivers the highest possible performance. In a typical OCXO, crystals are stored in a hot oven and kept at a constant temperature. However, crystals differ in the temperature at which they are most stable. In our Master Sound TC system, the oven temperature is controlled by a program customized for each crystal to ensure that each crystal is always at the right temperature for stable performance. The result is an extremely natural and pure clock output with excellent musicality. * TC = Thermo-Control

Master Sound TC – Unique Calibration Process

The temperature characteristics of each SXT-03 crystal are measured during production, and an individual characteristics chart is created; the SXT-03 is assembled into a module, and based on this chart, the oven microcomputer control program is individually adjusted to the ambient temperature at which the oscillation is most stable. This series of processes, including burning-in, is carefully carried out for each individual unit.

128-Step Multi-Step Controlled Heater to Maintain Uniform Oven Temperature

The heater, which maintains a uniform temperature inside the oven, is also a concentrated Esoteric specialty. The heaters in ordinary modules are simply controlled to repeatedly turn on and off in conjunction with the falling and rising temperatures inside the oven, but in the Master Sound Discrete Clock, the temperature is finely controlled by a heater with 128 steps of multi-step control. In addition, by minimizing the current fluctuations that occur when the heater is turned on and off, the adverse effects of current fluctuations on the crystal oscillator circuit are eliminated.

Three Independent Power Supply Units for Superior Musical Performance

OCXO modules are typically configured with a single power supply. In the G-05, however, the power supply section is independent of the oscillator circuit, heater/control circuit, and buffer amplifier, and the optimum voltage is supplied directly to each circuit block to achieve high sound quality.

Esoteric-HCLD Output Buffer Circuit

The G-05 is equipped with the highly acclaimed "Esoteric-HCLD" output buffer amplifier circuit found in the Grandioso C1X preamplifier. It takes advantage of its powerful current transfer capability and 180MHz wide frequency response to deliver pure 10MHz sine wave clock signal to connected digital players.

Equipped with Four 10 MHz Clock Outputs

Four 10 MHz sine wave clock outputs are provided to supply clocks to up to four digital devices.

Custom Designed Coaxial Cables with MIL-standard SMA connectors

Special custom coaxial cables, carefully selected for sound quality, are used for the critical wiring inside the G-05. The connectors are gold-plated SMA connectors that comply with MIL standards. The output connectors are gold-plated BNC connectors with precisely matched impedance = 50Ω to increase transmission reliability and reduce loss.

Unique Chassis Construction

The chassis construction is also specially designed for vibration-sensitive master clocks. The front and side panels are made of heavy-duty, thick-walled aluminum to suppress external vibrations. The Master Sound Discrete Clock module inside the chassis is freely mounted and grounded by its own weight without the use of mounting screws. The isolation feet, machined from steel and supported at three points, use a special mounting method that uses the weight of the chassis to connect to the bottom plate. By eliminating as many screws as possible for mounting the clock module and isolation feet, and by avoiding the stress concentration caused by screwing these vibration-sensitive components together, a natural vibration damping effect can be achieved, resulting in superior sound quality. In addition, the top plate has a semi-floating structure that is not fixed with screws, resulting in an open sound.