Sonic Frontiers SFD-1mk2 Vintage DAC for $750 That Stomps Most Modern DACs

It was UPS, in case anyone was wondering. HDCD module got dislodged!













!!!

This was an emotional rollercoaster to read thru lmao...

 

It is nice to see the buyer who is also patient and want to work things out with you.

 

he was OUTSTANDING as a buyer!

 

Damn! UPS, aka Useless Pieces of Shit really did a number on the SFD

 

To me, the P3 sounded fine, but upon inspection, PCX said that the modules were starting to fail. So I went with the upgraded modules. They upgraded my P3 to a dollar ceiling I gave them. It should be done soon.

 

PCX typically does coupling caps, power supply caps and diodes, series signal resistors, tube sockets, and output connectors. I also asked them to include some NOS Reflektors and a I2Se cable. But I think the bulk of the cost will be the upgraded modules.

 

Oh have you found a device which outputs an I2Se digital signal?

 

I've never heard mention of a coax output before. Is this a pass through? Or does yours also function as a DDC?

 

I believe it is only a pass-through, it is convenient for me because I can piggy back my CD transport via coax.

 

I think there were a couple:

The Sonic Frontiers Transport 3 (the companion to the Processor 3), modded SFT-1, and Assemblage D2D-1.

 

Thanks, I was hoping for another company to have a device which uses this connection as it would be nice to use it as another input.

 

Has anyone heard any of the SFDs from the mystical AT&T ST optical input, perhaps from an ancient transport that also sports that connection?

 

Devices now under test - SFD1 Mk2 with SE+ mods and Processor 3 with SE+ mods. Both fed by Assemblage D2D-1 and pi2aes Mercury V2.

 

Do they also upgrade clocks and receivers?

If CA wasn't such a hassle to ship from EU I would love to send that gigantic DAC in.

 

do impressions, i double dog dare you

 

I would ask Chris or Glenn at PCX.

 

Definitely. It is interesting to hear the differences between the SFD1 Mk2 with original UA DAC module and upgraded Mundorf caps, versus the P3 with upgraded SparkOS/AD1862 DAC modules and DynamiCaps (among other things). The latter needs some break in time.

 

OK. Maybe I missed it. What are these upgraded Mundorf caps?

 

Nothing new. The same mundorfs typically in the SE+ mod.

Sonic Frontiers SFD-1mk2 Vintage DAC for $750 That Stomps Most Modern DACs

 

VERY late reply, but I was just looking at the the schematic that gaspasser got from PCX and I think I know what happened. The dac chip has a single ended output, so Sonic Frontiers created a balanced signal by using an opamp inverter, then a fully balanced, discrete component, iv section and tube buffer. The Mundorf caps in the output are part of a filter to remove the DC from the tube section. In your case, that unit doesn't have a balanced output, so whoever upgraded you unit only replaced the caps to the single ended RCA output. Saved some money, I guess.

EDIT: I read your post earlier and didn't reread it to catch your EDIT. So we came to the same conclusion. I find it interesting that they used an opamp inverter to create their AES output. There may be some DIY tweaking of the opamp possible to improve the AES. There have been some really good improvements in opamps since the SFD-1 was built.