The original Sovtek were horrible shrill thin. You will love the Line 3 once you put good tubes in it. This hobby is expensive and time consuming! At which point I am going to ask my dealer to let me borrow a PS Audio BHK preamp to do an A/B comparison of both…Įither way, if I have to sell my SF Line 3 SE+, I won’t lose much and I will have had the opportunity to try both.
Sonic frontiers tube amplifier upgrade#
I am going to compare these 2 preamps first, then I am going to upgrade to the SF Line 3 to the “SE+” version. So I now own an un-upgraded SF Line 3 and an upgraded (SE+) SF Line 1. He left me with the advice that I can always take home the BHK Pre to compare it with after I have everything settled.Īnd this is exactly what I am going to do. He went on to say that he thinks the BHK Preamp is very good (their BHK 300 monoblocks an even better deal) but that he believes that a properly attended to and upgraded the SF Line 3 is simply a better sounding preamp. The dealer simply said this: “You can always get the BHK Preamp, but it is rare to be able to buy a used SF Line 3 preamp”. I have the SFL-1 Signature Model - paid $650.0 (used) - I believe its original cost was about $2,000.So after talking to a former dealer of Sonic Frontiers equipment (from a long time ago) who presently sells PS Audio equipment and from your experience, I have decided to upgrade my Sonic Frontiers Line 1 to an immaculate SF Line 3 (which amazingly enough just went on sale as of today) and I am going to have it upgraded at Parts ConneXion. MCA 2 "Sonic Frontiers" solid state power amp What an investment !!Īh Jobe 99 - tube output stage CD - another great buy I have the SFL-1 Signature Model - paid $650.0 (used) - I believe its original cost was about $2,000. Not an audiophile - just a drummer - but I like what I hear " It must be that little tube "Īs a musician - I strive for a realistic presentation of the original recording session - and get geeked when I hear a recording 30 + years old that can extract the suttle sounds and sometimes imperfections that make that moment in time so damn human. This pre- amp will find midrange - and deliver it with great detail. Rock tracks are not congested on the high end and seem to tighten the bass without distortion. Jazz heads - Coltranes sax will leap into your living room with pure and absolute sonic pleasure on "Moments Notice" and " Lazy Bird " - The Doors " LA Woman " reveals little quirks during the recording process I dont believe I've ever heard before. Unless I upgrade to a higher model Sonic Frontiers Pre, this unit is not leaving my system. Definitely surpassing all expectations.Īt the price, you can't expect absolute reference, but it will surpass everything worth twice as much. Incredible! Chris Johnson and Mike (the tech that worked on it) provided amazing service and communication. From sending my SFL-1 out, servicing/mods, to receiving it took a total of 4 days. I gave them the go ahead and it was actually complete and shipped out that very day. They suggested to replace it with a Mullard and I saw this as an opportunity to upgrade a few caps and resistors. I sent it in to Parts Connexion and the day that they received the packaged, the called me up and let me know that it was the tube. Recently I noticed a hum from the right speaker and realized it was the SFL-1. Even the tactile elements like the volume knob and switches feel incredibly well built. The construction is solid and is nothing less than being built like a tank. The build quality is extremely top notch. It presents music in an honest way and can be quite revealing. It's pleasingly neutral and definitely not dry or lacking in any way. I personally prefer the sound of the SFL, a signature sound I'm sure many of you have read about in other reviews. It doesn't have the deep warmth you might find in other gear like AR, which isn't always a bad thing. It is very neutral and not imposing at all. I purchased the unit in 2004 through audiogon and it has been reliably performing in my dedicated 2-channel ever since.
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