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Author Topic: Sonic Frontiers SFD-1mk2 Vintage DAC for $750 That Stomps Most Modern DACs  (Read 20792 times)

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Clemmaster

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Re: Sonic Frontiers SFD-1mk2 Vintage DAC for $750 That Stomps Most Modern DACs
« Reply #50 on: October 08, 2014, 10:06:10 PM »
Hydra sounds a bit fat but very relaxing. Take the edge off of the M7 USB. That's with RCA coax.
Didn't use I2S, yet.
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Marvey

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Re: Sonic Frontiers SFD-1mk2 Vintage DAC for $750 That Stomps Most Modern DACs
« Reply #51 on: October 08, 2014, 10:12:03 PM »
Robert Redford is fucking awesome. So much better as Hydra guy than the "Natural"
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Anaxilus

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Re: Sonic Frontiers SFD-1mk2 Vintage DAC for $750 That Stomps Most Modern DACs
« Reply #52 on: October 08, 2014, 10:17:27 PM »
Quote from: Clemmaster on October 08, 2014, 10:06:10 PM
Hydra sounds a bit fat but very relaxing.

Ewww....that's something I do not like in converters like the Audiophileo.  Fail Hydra!
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Marvey

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Re: Sonic Frontiers SFD-1mk2 Vintage DAC for $750 That Stomps Most Modern DACs
« Reply #53 on: October 08, 2014, 10:22:40 PM »
Does anyone have one of these a-pedophilia converters with pure plus poop power supply? Only heard without the power supply, but supposed to be bettar with it. I have my doubts however given how it was already worse than stock XMOS USB implementation on PWD2. And I dislike products that are "gimp" without the "upgrades", because the upgrades in such cases shouldn't be upgrades, but standard.
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Clemmaster

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Re: Sonic Frontiers SFD-1mk2 Vintage DAC for $750 That Stomps Most Modern DACs
« Reply #54 on: October 08, 2014, 10:29:42 PM »
Quote from: Anaxilus on October 08, 2014, 10:17:27 PM
Quote from: Clemmaster on October 08, 2014, 10:06:10 PM
Hydra sounds a bit fat but very relaxing.

Ewww....that's something I do not like in converters like the Audiophileo.  Fail Hydra!

Offramp was darkening all my DACs... No free lunch!

I always read the Audiophileo on the contrary is lit up. Or is it the new DSD-compatible version?
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Marvey

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Re: Sonic Frontiers SFD-1mk2 Vintage DAC for $750 That Stomps Most Modern DACs
« Reply #55 on: October 08, 2014, 10:30:59 PM »
The 'phileo muddied and flattened compared to PWD2 XMOS USB.
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Audio Jester

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Re: Sonic Frontiers SFD-1mk2 Vintage DAC for $750 That Stomps Most Modern DACs
« Reply #56 on: October 09, 2014, 01:40:05 AM »
I have the AP1 + PP.  I honestly like it more than the converter in my Eximus DP1.  I have not had a chance to compare it to an OR5, but I hope to.

I would put a caveat on the that.  This is with the TH900 and D2000 running off the DP1.  I think that the "fattening" does help a little with the recessed mids of the TH900, but I am not convinced that it would be a welcome change for all headphones.  One thing that I do like about the AP1 is that it will run with basically all operating systems, which at the time suited me as I was looking into a linux based source.


... Also, Hail Redford.
« Last Edit: October 09, 2014, 02:06:53 AM by Audio Jester »
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Hands

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Re: Sonic Frontiers SFD-1mk2 Vintage DAC for $750 That Stomps Most Modern DACs
« Reply #57 on: October 09, 2014, 08:34:03 PM »

Quote from: DefQon on October 06, 2014, 10:39:17 PM
I agree with nearly all of the above, btw hans does your Classe have anything that look like this (sorry if pic is blurry):


Sorry I took so long to respond, but as far as I know, the DAC-1's internals should look like this.
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songmic

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Re: Sonic Frontiers SFD-1mk2 Vintage DAC for $750 That Stomps Most Modern DACs
« Reply #58 on: October 10, 2014, 01:54:58 PM »
As far as I know, the SFD-1 was a nerfed version of the SFD-2, which was the best DAC Sonic Frontiers have ever made.

http://www.stereophile.com/content/sonic-frontiers-sfd-2-da-processor-page-

Stereophile describes it as,

"Sonic Frontiers is working on a less expensive processor, the $1995 SFD-1. The SFD-1 is essentially a scaled-down version of the SFD-2, with the AES20 input receiver, one UltraAnalog D20400A DAC, and the same tubed output stage. The unit will have a less extensive power supply, lower parts quality, and won't be balanced in the digital domain."

So basically the SFD-2 is a fully balanced, dual mono differential DAC while the SFD-1 is not. There were three iterations of SFD-2: MKI, II and III. The MKII is considered the best of the bunch, because the MKII was an improved version of MKI with HDCD module (both MKI and MKII were R-2R DAC that used UltraAnalog) while the MKIII was radically re-designed as PCM.

If Marv feels that the SFD-1 was superior sounding to modern TOTL DAC's such as Bricasti M1, PerfectWave and Master-7 DAC, then I cannot fathom just how godly the SFD-2, especially its MKII version, would sound. Luckily, I know an hifi audio shop in the neighborhood I live in that happens to have an almost brand new SFD-2 MKII on display for a long time, collecting dust (perhaps because no one knows what a supreme DAC it is). I just called with him and he said it works perfectly so feel free to come and give it a listen. I'll be visiting there soon with my Metrum Hex, and A/B these two R-2R DAC's made in two completely different eras.
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Marvey

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Re: Sonic Frontiers SFD-1mk2 Vintage DAC for $750 That Stomps Most Modern DACs
« Reply #59 on: October 10, 2014, 04:57:16 PM »
The comparison with the Bricasti is difficult because they very different sounding DACs taking almost opposite approaches. The Bricasti M1 is one of the best delta-sigma DACs.

The comparison with AGD-M7 or Metrum DACs is more apt because they are along the same lines in terms of sound.

Also, make sure you have a decent transport or USB converter to get the best from the SFD-1/2. Tubes do matter. I may opt for some of the more neutral/brighter Telefunken 6922s, but I will replace the caps first. Some tubes can make the SFD-1 sound thick and bassy - reminiscent of some other UltraAnalog DACs I've heard. The SFD-2 has larger and higher quality caps than the SFD-1 I believe. I've had issue with the SFD-1 driving certain amps with low input impedance because the coupling caps were too small.

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