#Sonic frontiers power 2 drivers#
#Sonic frontiers power 2 plus#
#Sonic frontiers power 2 series#

#Sonic frontiers power 2 plus#

Technics SLQD 33 (Quartz Direct Drive) turntableĪssortment of XLO cables, Synergistic Research Alpha Sterling, Analysis Plus speaker cables. The SF gear is world class without being overpriced.īel-Canto DAC-1+Panasonic DVD player Model RV-30 Excellent value and construction over all. Still.whenever I sit down to listen carefully to some recordings, I begin to realize that the resolution and immediacy are more highlighted in the SF. Nevertheless, after more than 7 months of listening to them, I began to realize that there is a dollar factor and a weight factor that tells me that it all counts.after all, the SF is about 2-3 times costlier than the PA-7. Can there be more bass in a tubed design? I wondered. Furthermore, as the break in process wore on, I began to notice how much louder and detailed the SF sounded at lower volumes than the PA-7.Not just louder, but also more bassy. The Sonic Frontiers had more headroom and steam room than the PA-7, which bested them by more than 100W of solid state power. I was using the PA-7, which I fetched used earlier in the year, but after having had great experiences driving a pair of Gershman X-1 and having them clipped.a 200W+200W Stasis design amp, I wondered if I could better resolution and slam by adding a stereo sub that matched the monitors.Īfter getting the subs, I decided to get the SF Power 2, after seeing great prices around.Although, I was still wondering whether this amp could power the Gershmans better at 110w+110w of tube power.What a surprise! I decided to plunge all my resources in what it seems like a audio crusade last year. SF gear is great, but it can be the best with the right tubes. i urge you, if you have or are considering ANY sf gear, SWAP THE TUBES! i've done the same thing in my SFCD-1 cd player, same results. it's sweet, musical, natural and absolutly stunning. for ~$400, this has become a completely different amp. this is the single most sonically meaningful change i have ever made to my system. On the advise of Kevin at Upscale as well as the folks at SF, i upgraded to KT-88's. Wonderful, but not sounding too much like a tube amp. with the Svetlana 6550's, it's just that. SF gear has a reputation of being very linear but somewhat dry sounding. virtually the perfect amp.save one thing.

it is extended, has plenty of air, glorious midrange, and tight, deep bass response. i've listened to quite a few amps, and this one has absolutly locked in for my system. Obviously, Sonic Frontiers is well regarded.

#Sonic frontiers power 2 drivers#

Don't forget you also have those accessories like gloves, Perl tube coolers, screw drivers etc. Compare to my CJ, Power 2 does sound little flat, not too much music excitement, but nonetheless, it worth every penny of the $5000 retail price. I never felt it fall short to most of the tube power amp I owned before like Cary, Audio Research, McIntosh. Also a lot of feature like standy mode to extend tube life and RCA input(offers both inverted and non-inverted polarity) enhance the versatility of the amp. It pushes 110 w tube power per channel, enough for most of the speaker you care to match with it. I have used Power 2 with several pre amp including Levinson and Audible Illusion M3A, I realize Power 2 sounds little better(more dynamic) with balanced input connection. User friendly, high built quality, and reliability are another factors that make it quite a bargain. The SF Power 2 is a vey neutral sounding tube amp, it does not have the typical tube coloration, the bass is very good for tube amp, certainly not in the same league as Krell. Sure they have more air and also musical mid-range, but you would dump this in NO TIME if you hear the EL84 or 300B based amps in the same price range. If I want tube sound, I won't buy the Power 2/Power 3 neither. If I am into the SS sound, I won't buy the Power 2/Power 3 because they sound slower, and does not have the precision nor vast soundstage that say Krell or Mark Levinson could give me in the same price range. Well they are tube hybrids, but what do that mean to *you*? Not reliability-wise this is almost exact opposite of the Line preamps (which I owned, and hated, due to very bad reliability).īut an forewarning too: The SF Power 2 and Power 3 - imho - does not sound like tubes nor solid state.

#Sonic frontiers power 2 series#

In retrospect, I think the Stereophile reviews are a sham (those people who owned SF Line series and the Triangle Speakers would know what I meant).Īnyway, not much to add about the sound. So I got this in the desperate hope of having great sound.

When I was an invoice, I suckered by the Stereophile Recommended Components virus.