What occurs in a Dante system when a word clock gets disconnected?

In a Dante system, when a word clock gets disconnected, the most likely outcome is that the sound of silence becomes apparent due to loss of synchronization. The word clock serves as the timing reference for all devices in the audio network, ensuring that signals are sampled and processed in sync across all connected systems. If the word clock is disrupted, devices may begin to drift out of sync, leading to audio dropouts or silence since they cannot effectively coordinate the timing of the audio data being transmitted.

This loss of synchronization can disrupt the entire audio stream, preventing devices from accurately processing or playing back audio. Thus, the audible effect of such a disconnection is often experienced as silence, making it critical for systems relying on word clock timing to have a stable and consistent clock source.