momchenr wrote: Along the same lines, will a rig of ADA8000's clocked off a Big Ben sound great?
... am I going to notice that my ADA8K inputs sound crappy while my 003 inputs sound great?

you will hear a difference between the 003 and the 8K but whether you think either is crappy is only something you can decide.

I don't think the 8K will magically transform just because you have a BigBen as a master. It's basic characture will probably persist.
The Master idea will mean you now have to clock both the 003 and the 8K from the BB. This can be the beginning of the more complicated issues of clock distribution and the choices of loop or not and perhaps of cable length.

I feel that a simple system of the 8K (or Ai3 or similar), in slave mode via the Lightpipe, from the host system will give the most consisten and reliable results.

Don't over complicate your system.
A true clock didtribution system with trimmable Clock DA (distribution amp) can get quite complicated and the measurement gear required to trim it is beyond most studios.

momchenr wrote: If I sync up an Behringer ADA8000 to the 003 system, is it going to sound better than if I don't? I'm planning on using the line ins off the ADA8K... I'm not going to use the pres, so the A/D is the only factor, I think.

You have to sync the units somehow else you will get dropouts in the digital stream. The lightpipe in to the 003 will bring the ADA8000's clock with it, so you either switch the 003 to ADAT sync or you have to provide the ADA8000 with a separate word clock input.

You can't escape the pre-amps on a standard ADA8000. The line inputs go into the pre-amps via an attenuator. There are various mods floating around the diy forums that by-pass the inputs and connect directly to the ADCs, but I think you would be better off considering a different muti-channel unit.

the ADA8k can sync via lightpipe FROM the 003
and hence the host PT session