Withdrawn – Sonic Frontiers SFD-1 mk II dac

Discussion in 'Closed (Archived) Sales' started by lehmanhill, Jul 22, 2020.

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  1. lehmanhill

    lehmanhill Almost "Made"

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    Withdrawn - I have decided to play around with this for a while rather than sell it. It really is an excellent dac and I think I would regret seeing it go, so I will find a way to use it. Thanks for looking.

    I bought this dac about a month ago. I kept reading about how good it is here on SBAF and it was kind of an impulse buy. It is a real sweet sounding dac.

    Photos of the dac can be seen at:

    https://photos.app.goo.gl/bfU915349UQHvbJ16

    For a little while, I was worried that it wasn't working correctly because its analog output is lower than other dacs I own, but some consultation with other owners on SBAF and a little measuring and I confirmed everything is fine.

    I bought it with the idea of using with my Linkwitz LX-mini system, but the synergy wasn't quite right with the system. I put it in my main system in comparison with my Pavane L3 and it sounds just great. Overall, there are some small differences, but it is very close to the Pavane. In the end, there are one or two small things that I like slightly better with the Pavane and the Pavane is almost 30 years newer, so I decided to stay with the Pavane.

    I started to put the SFD-1 back in the box with the idea of saving it for a future project. But then it seemed a waste to have a dac this good just sitting in a box when it should be playing. So if someone is willing to pay me what I paid for it and the cost of shipping it, I'm willing to let it go to a new home.

    Apparently, there was some variation in how SFD-1 was built, so this one has coax (RCA), Toslink, and glass optical inputs. It has SE (RCA) and balanced (XLR) outputs and the HDCD module (which is why the output is lower). There are spare tubes are in the box but inside it has Matsushita 7DJ8 tubes (branded as National) which are a great choice for this dac.

    The RCAs have been replaced with newer connectors. The output caps have been replaced with Mundorf Evo-Oil caps. This is a typical update, possibly by Parts Connexion. The power supply elcos look in good condition and may be newer. Overall, the dac is in excellent condition, especially considering its age. It was obviously loved and cared for by someone.

    By the way, the HDCD is said to lower noise and increase dynamic range of Redbook material and there is a free program that can convert Redbook to HDCD, if you are curious.

    The price is $999.99 (what I paid for it) plus shipping and insurance. I will say that it is big and heavy, so shipping is not trivial. It weighs 27 pounds on my scale and is 23 x 21 x 9 inch box. For example, shipping from my home in Michigan to El Segundo, Ca (just a random pick that was far away), the best price I found for shipping was Fed Ex for $81.60 including signature and insurance. If you are trying to estimate shipping for yourself, use 48118 as the shipping zip code.

    I will ship it in the original box and it includes the dac, owner documents, original power cord (a nice one), 4 spare tubes (one marked noisy), and a screwdriver.
     
    Last edited: Aug 22, 2020
  2. lehmanhill

    lehmanhill Almost "Made"

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    I forgot to mention that the dac is in the US and is 120V mains power.
     
  3. gixxerwimp

    gixxerwimp Professional tricycle rider

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    Too bad it's on that side of the Pacific and would likely cost several $100s to ship here, as there's a chance I could get approval from the CFO for such an acquisition otherwise. GLWS
     
  4. Luckbad

    Luckbad Traded in a unicorn for a Corolla

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    Dang, if this had SE+ mods and AES input I'd buy it without consulting my wife.
     
  5. lehmanhill

    lehmanhill Almost "Made"

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    I have had a couple of inquiries about the software to convert Redbook to HDCD. I learned about it's existence here.

    Sonic Frontiers SFD-1mk2 Vintage DAC for $750 That Stomps Most Modern DACs
    ']Sonic Frontiers SFD-1mk2 Vintage DAC for $750 That Stomps Most Modern DACs[/URL]

    As I understand it, hdcd.exe is a program that was origin developed by Microsoft but has been reverse engineered and exists in the wild.

    Scott Kramer probably has a newer version, but I also found this from 2007.

    https://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?t=129136

    I haven't played with it personally, although that was the plan. I learned that any digital volume control makes playback not work which didn't work with the planned use of this dac for me.

    Jac
     
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