he Sonic Frontiers SFT-1 Transport excels in the accurate retrieval of digital information from CDs and in the delivery of data with extremely low word clock jitter. This high level of resolution has a remarkable impact on digital-to-analog conversion; resulting in improved dynamics and musicality of an entire playback system.

Delivering data with extremely low jitter requires meticulous electrical design, component selection and circuit layout. Unfortunately, many transports suffer from poor jitter performance as they fail to satisfy the digital interface standards. The digital output signals from these transports may have the wrong output impedance, improper voltage levels, or may simply be contaminated due to crosstalk caused by poor circuit layout. In some cases, the limited bandwidth of isolation transformers used in the AES/EBU interface causes added jitter.

The Sonic Frontiers SFT-1 optimally satisfies the industry standard specifications for the various digital interfaces including the Sony/Philips Digital Interface Format (S/PDIF) and the Audio Engineering Society/European Broadcast Union (AES/ EBU) standard. Basic clock function is performed by a 16.9344 MHz crystal oscillator designed for extremely low jitter - approximately 2 picoseconds (from 100 Hz to 40 kHz). This master clock is used to generate the S/PDIF and AES/EBU digital outputs that are provided on Hewlett Packard ST optical, BNC coaxial, RCA coaxial and XLR connectors. When the digital signals reach the outputs, the jitter typically measures an incredibly low 10 picoseconds; independently verified with UltraAnalog's latest Jitter Analyzer.

Another outstanding feature of the SFT-1 is the drive mechanism. The Sonic Frontiers SFT-1 utilizes the all new Philips CDM12.4 mechanism which far sur-passes the performance of the popular CDM9 Pro. The CDM12.4 uses high- efficiency, long life motors for disc rotation and radial positioning. The power requirement for integrated circuits and filters is very low. Moreover, no adjustments are required by this mechanism, ensuring long term calibration.

Important elements that add to the performance and functionality of the SFT-1 Transport include: a full-featured remote control that allows the user to operate the SFT-1 from a favorite chair; dampening material applied to the chassis to alleviate vibration from affecting the sensitive circuitry; and four digital outputs that offer ultimate flexibility and accomodate the user's personal preference in output format.

The Sonic Frontiers SFT-1 Transport - the low jitter specifications and outstanding reading mechanism propel this unit to an exceptional level of performance - while its price makes it an unbeatable value.