Matrix Audio SC-1 Audio Grade Reference Clock

In the pursuit of digital audio perfection, timing is everything. The Matrix Audio SC-1 is an audio-grade reference clock designed to be the single, ultra-stable heartbeat for your entire digital ecosystem. By supplying a pure and incredibly precise 10MHz signal to your compatible streamer, DAC, or CD player, the SC-1 elevates their performance to a new level. It drastically reduces the phase noise and timing errors (jitter) that can obscure fine detail and compress the soundstage. The result is a sound that is more focused, transparent, and effortlessly musical, allowing your system to render recordings with newfound realism and authority.

Key Features:

• Custom OCXO Core: At its heart is a custom-made, SC-cut Oven-Controlled Crystal Oscillator (OCXO) for vanishingly low phase noise and exceptional long-term stability.
• Four Independent Buffered Outputs: Provides four pristine, 10MHz clock outputs, each with its own dedicated buffer circuit to prevent interference between connected devices.
• Ultra-Low Phase Noise Performance: Achieves a remarkable phase noise of ≤ -118dBc at 1Hz, ensuring an incredibly clean and stable timing reference.
• Customizable Waveform Outputs: Can be factory-set to output either sine or square waves to perfectly match the requirements of your components.
• 1PPS Reference Calibration Input: Features a 1PPS input, allowing the internal oscillator to be calibrated against an external reference for absolute long-term accuracy.
• Advanced Linear Power Supply: A custom linear power supply with dual multi-stage regulators provides isolated, clean power to the oven control and clock circuits.

The Essence of Precision

The performance of the SC-1 is centered around its bespoke Oven-Controlled Crystal Oscillator. This is no ordinary clock; the SC-cut crystal is housed within a thermally regulated chamber that maintains a constant temperature, shielding it from environmental fluctuations. This extreme stability allows the OCXO to generate a 10MHz signal with incredibly low phase noise and superior aging characteristics. This pure, unwavering signal replaces the standard internal clocks of your digital components, providing a master timing reference that allows their DAC chips and processors to operate with far greater precision.

Four Masters, One Source

To serve as the central reference for an entire system, the SC-1 features four independent 10MHz BNC outputs. It’s not enough to simply split the signal; each output has its own dedicated buffer and driver circuit. This critical design choice ensures that each connected device receives a perfect, isolated signal with a stable impedance, and prevents any single component from influencing the performance of the others. Whether you are connecting a single DAC or a full suite of digital gear, the SC-1 delivers a flawless reference to each one.

Purity from the Ground Up

Every aspect of the SC-1’s design is focused on preserving the integrity of its clock signal. This begins with the power supply—an advanced linear supply with automatic voltage adaptation and dual, multi-stage regulators that provide independent power to the oven and clock circuits, eliminating cross-contamination. The chassis itself provides excellent electromagnetic shielding, while the proprietary CBVB (Ceramic Ball Vibration Buffer) isolation feet absorb micro-vibrations that could otherwise degrade performance. From power to isolation, every detail works in concert to deliver the purest possible clock signal.

Explore the Matrix Audio 1-Series

The Matrix Audio 1-Series is a complete flagship system, designed and voiced to work together. If you're assembling or expanding a 1-Series rig, these are the components that pair with this one:

• Matrix Audio MS-1c Music Streamer, the new entry to the 1-Series with a Lundahl transformer-coupled analog output stage.
• Matrix Audio MS-1 Flagship Music Streamer, the senior 1-Series streamer with a fully balanced solid-state output and optional preamplifier configuration (MS-1P).
• Matrix Audio MP-1 Flagship Preamplifier, balanced analog preamplification for a full separates system.
• Matrix Audio MA-1 Flagship Power Amplifier, 250W x 2 stereo or 500W mono, designed to anchor an M-Series stack.

The Listening Room Difference

We’re a third-generation family business with a brick-and-mortar showroom in Chestertown, Maryland, and a reputation built on trust, not hype. Whether you’re visiting in person or ordering online, we bring decades of experience, personalized service, and honest guidance to every interaction. We don’t just ship boxes. We help build systems, answer your questions like real humans, and make sure every detail of your setup is right, from the cables to the final connection. Our passion is helping you get the most out of your gear, with support that lasts well beyond the sale.

Specifications