9/3/2023 0 Comments Sonic frontiers tube amplifier![]() So I just got back my updated SF Line 3 from Chris at Parts Connexion. Should all be the same.” In particular he liked their “VERY low noise”. Here was Chris Johnson’s advice to me then for replacing those tubes down-the-road: “The last 4 pairs are all cathode followers (no gain - just reduce output impedance)….our Russian mil-spec 6922’s (6H23p-eb’s) are perfect in this application. Am still using the steel-pinned Tesla ECC88/6DJ8’s that came with the unit when I acquired it used 6+ years ago. The other 8 specimens of this particular tube family that the Line 3 uses apparently matter far, far less to the way it will sound. (I say “serendipitous” not only because of a real and quite special kismet I found these have with this particular preamp, but also because – as I found out years later – Parts Connexion had misidentified them when they sold them to me these are supposedly even rarer and more desirable!) I am presently using a pair of Siemens there from the 60’s with gold-plated pins that I serendipitously lucked into. These are the ones in the LV1 and V2 sockets and the ones to play around with, if you care. Yes, quite an odyssey you are about to embark upon!Īnd worldwidebeagle is right about the two of the 6922/6dj8/7308 tubes that are so critical for the best sound. The point of the long winded diatribe: SF Line preamps greatly benefit from both tube rolling and careful matching.īy the way, my Line 2se pairs wonderfully with my m1200s and my new Stellar Phono. When the buyer can over to listen, it sounded so good, I think he was afraid I would change my mind on selling. No, not the same as a 2SE+ with 7308s, but all the attributes of SF Line preamps. Maybe I was not expecting much, but I was blown away. I picked the best two, both internally and matching, for the middle two, cleaned the 50 year old pins and hoped for the best. Looking in my tube stash, I found 6 NOS RCA 6dj8 from 71. Recently, during my Covid clean out, I sold a “spare” long boxed up Line 1. I have had them in every SF Preamp since. Years ago, while at Genesis, I stumbled across Amperex 7308s JAN, in my research, USA made late 60s. On the line 1 and 2, the middle two 6922/6dj8/7308 are the sound critical ones according to Chris. Not just for sound, but to insure trouble free use. Many of us SF aficionados feel the 2SE+ sounds better then an old original 3. And the 3 is a much much smaller step up from a 2. In my personal opinion, the 2 is a big step up from the 1. I have had a Line 1, Line 3 and now a SE+ Line 2 that Chris worked for me last year. 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. ![]() 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”. 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.
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