The literature on the PWD MkII indicates that its NativeX Digital Lens function "Will reduce incoming jitter levels to below 1 pico second, regardless of how jittered the incoming signals are .... NativeX works on lowering jitter on any selected input on the PWD. This means even highly jittered sources such as an Apple TV or a computer sound card will suddenly have a fog of jitter removed. The feature is rather remarkable."
With that function switched in, I would therefore expect that clock jitter at points upstream (earlier in the chain) would be irrelevant. However, the fact that NativeX can be deselected is a little disconcerting, because it suggests that it may have audible side-effects. Perhaps side-effects that are similar to those that are sometimes claimed to result from ASRC (Asynchronous Sample Rate Converter) technology, which as I understand it reduces jitter by means of a calculation that is arguably imperfect.
The results of your experience using the NativeX function in conjunction with the Bridge, assuming you have been using NativeX with the Bridge, may not be indicative of the side-effects it would have when used with an input that is more jittery, given that the Bridge has its own built-in Digital Lens function that reduces jitter.
You might want to contact PS Audio and see if they can give you a better idea of the possible downsides of NativeX, when used with a jittery source. And also what degree of jitter reduction the design provides, if any, when NativeX is deselected.
If you end up choosing not to use the NativeX function, what you would want to focus on would be minimizing jitter at the interface between the Trinnov and the PWD. I'm not familiar with the Trinnov, but perhaps using its external clock option would do that, or perhaps the jitter on its output would be sufficiently low even without that option. Or you might want to consider putting a good reclocker just ahead of the input to the PWD. In either case, I wouldn't expect jitter further upstream to have any relevance.
Regards,
-- Al
With that function switched in, I would therefore expect that clock jitter at points upstream (earlier in the chain) would be irrelevant. However, the fact that NativeX can be deselected is a little disconcerting, because it suggests that it may have audible side-effects. Perhaps side-effects that are similar to those that are sometimes claimed to result from ASRC (Asynchronous Sample Rate Converter) technology, which as I understand it reduces jitter by means of a calculation that is arguably imperfect.
The results of your experience using the NativeX function in conjunction with the Bridge, assuming you have been using NativeX with the Bridge, may not be indicative of the side-effects it would have when used with an input that is more jittery, given that the Bridge has its own built-in Digital Lens function that reduces jitter.
You might want to contact PS Audio and see if they can give you a better idea of the possible downsides of NativeX, when used with a jittery source. And also what degree of jitter reduction the design provides, if any, when NativeX is deselected.
If you end up choosing not to use the NativeX function, what you would want to focus on would be minimizing jitter at the interface between the Trinnov and the PWD. I'm not familiar with the Trinnov, but perhaps using its external clock option would do that, or perhaps the jitter on its output would be sufficiently low even without that option. Or you might want to consider putting a good reclocker just ahead of the input to the PWD. In either case, I wouldn't expect jitter further upstream to have any relevance.
Regards,
-- Al