Sonic Frontiers Ultra Jitterbug Processor

This device is a digital reclocker designed to reduce "jitter", which is a digital timing error, and a topic I don't know enough about to expound technically to anyone's benefit. It's an easy enough search to find more info (just search the forum archives for "jitter").

I used one of these units with a Bel Canto DAC 1.1 and Rega Planet 2000, and it improved the sound slightly but noticeably and favorably - quieter background, better dynamics, more detail. One drawback with using a jitter reducer like this is the need for an extra digital cable, which if you're using high-end digital cables, can be an additional expense of some note.

I ended up selling my ultra jitterbug when I moved up to a single-box player of higher performance (Rega Jupiter 2000).

The Ultra Jitterbug is only of use in conjunction with an outboard DAC, mainly for redbook audio (ie. cd-player digital output at 44.1khz) or with any device like a computer or DAT deck that outputs a 44.1khz or 48khz signal... it may also support one or two lower bitrates, but I don't know what those would be for. You can't pass SACD, AC-3, DTS, Dolby Digital, DVD-A or any such signals through it.

Hope that shines a little light, no pun intended. It's a good unit for use with the great variety of redbook-audio digital sources (CD) + outboard DACs that can be had for up to about $1k or so used (total for CD player + DAC). At $1k or so on upward, a nice single-box player will equal or outperform the lower cost CDP + lower cost DAC + jitterbug combo, and eliminate lots of cabling and their associated costs as well. That's my read on it.

thanks very much!

If you can find a Camelot Dragon 5.1 it is a higher end anti-jitter processor that sells for a great price!

Plus this is one of the only ones that passes DTS,AC3 etc... perfect for hometheater DVD players also has two inputs

It's was outclassed by the original A.A. DTI Pro years ago, but it's still supported by Assemblage while the Pro/Pro 32 have no support. The Camelot should be better.

You might also consider a used Genesis Digital Lens. This device was more sophisticated than the others mention above. They use phase locked loops to dejitter the incoming signal.

The Lens actually decomposed the incoming SPDIF data stream, discarded all subcode information (a useful jitter reduction technique by itself), buffered the audio data in local memory, and then clocked the data out the memory with a high precision local clock. The Lens then reassembled the data into a new SPDIF signal minus the subcode and output it to the DAC.

It also applied dither to the audio data to extend it to a user selectable 18 or 20 bits.