Clocking is a critical component in any transfer of digital data, and this is where the NH10 truly flexes its engineering muscle. In digital audio, a music file is transmitted as a rapid sequence of data packets rather than a continuous analog wave. If network jitter causes these packets to arrive with microscopic timing discrepancies or out of order, your DAC is forced to guess and error-correct. When your DAC has to mathematically reconstruct where data belongs, you hear the consequences: audible distortion, a collapsed soundstage, smeared imaging, and a harsh, fatiguing presentation.

The NH10 addresses this with an ultra-stable OCXO (Oven-Controlled Crystal Oscillator). Standard quartz crystals are susceptible to ambient temperature fluctuations–if the internal circuitry heats up or the room temperature changes, the crystal physically expands, causing the clock's timing to drift.

The NH10 solves this by placing its master crystal inside a tiny temperature-controlled oven, keeping it constantly heated at a perfectly stable, elevated temperature. The result is a staggering frequency stability rating of less than 0.005 parts per million. Controlled by FPGA synchronization, all internal operations are assigned to a single master clock, which eliminates any timing discrepancies that could occur between ports or internal circuits.

For those who want to go even further, the NH10 features a professional-grade 10MHz, 50-ohm BNC master clock input on the rear panel. This allows you to bypass the internal clock entirely and synchronize the switch with a standalone, ultra-high-end external reference clock.