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Thread: Sonic Frontiers SFT-1 cd transport and SFD-1 Mk2 valve dac with colossal upgrades

  1. #1
    Join Date: Jun 2013

    Location: Gloucestershire, UK

    Posts: 652
    I'm Robert.

    Default Sonic Frontiers SFT-1 cd transport and SFD-1 Mk2 valve dac with colossal upgrades

    Sonic Frontiers SFT-1 cd transport and SFD-1 Mk2 valve dac with colossal upgrades

    Regarding the Transport:
    These are superb to start with!
    It now has an oak fascia surround (looks better to me) but the original larger stainless steel version will be included. So a one off in terms of looks but you can revert back to the original.

    Design has over-beefy and regulated power supplies with two potted toroidal transformers.

    Has remote control and box.

    Upgrades:
    •Biggest of which is the clock, now a Dexa Technologies D-Clock Neutron Star 2 Reference. These are $425 on their own.
    •Dampening to chassis, transformers and chassis
    •Mains IEC filter removed and now a non-filtered gold plated type
    •Fuse is now a Synergistic Research Black

    Unbelievably good! World class.
    Price is £950 incl post

    Dac is on another level!

    End game and the only dac one could ever need.
    In stock form these are epic! They use the UltraAnalogue D20400-A chip, which some is the best made?

    It also uses the Pacific Microsonics PMD 100 HDCD decoder.

    Has a matching oak surround to that of the CD-T but I also have the original stainless steel surround if someone prefers that look.

    Upgrades (50 of them):

    •Mains IEC filter removed and now a non-filtered gold plated type
    •Fuse is now a Synergistic Research Black
    •All film capacitors (bar 2 in the power supply have been upgraded).
    •Analogue board caps to Mundorf ZN (14 of them), and the output caps (x4) to Clarity Cap CSA types but to the value of 10uF. Original caps were 3.3uF but the ex-owner of Sonic Frontiers and now owner of Parts Connexxion recommended this value as best and lowers the output impedance. These caps are bypassed (part of the original design) with Modwright film/oil types.
    •All 18 electrolytic caps upgraded so good for a few more decades
    •Other film caps and bypass caps upgraded to Mundorf and Modwright.
    •Dampening applied (also on transformers)
    •Output vacuum tubes now Philips SQ and treated with Audio Magic Black Out Paint as with as sporting some Herbies Tube Dampers.
    •Output RCA’s now gold over copper types (by DH Labs)
    •XLR outputs also upgraded
    •Study the photos to see how much work has been done to this dac!

    An end game dac with loads of cash spent to take it to the max. Very analogue in presentation.

    Original box. Collection or meet up very much preferred please.

    Price:
    £1050 bargain!




























  2. #2
    Join Date: Jun 2013

    Location: Gloucestershire, UK

    Posts: 652
    I'm Robert.

    Default

    Think quick*


    Got offers on the Bay.

    The dac has the UltraAnalogue AES21 input receiver which is a dual PLL design,*so no re-clocking necessary*
    Last edited by Open Door; 14-03-2020 at 11:13. Reason: Spelling

  3. #3
    Join Date: Apr 2016

    Location: Bishops Stortford

    Posts: 1,250
    I'm Chris.

    Default

    What drawer mechanism is in the transport? Also what is the age of this transport?
    Thanks Chris
    Last edited by bumpy; 14-03-2020 at 11:44.
    Source
    SW1X Universal Music Server UMS I Signature with Power Supply Unit PSU I Signature
    SW1X USB II
    SW1X DAC III Special
    Audiolab 6000 CDT transport
    Amps
    Pre amps -- Hi fi Collective twin mono ladder stepped attenuator, with Charcroft Z-foil and silver wired. And First Watt B1 active no gain buffer.
    Power amps -- Welborne 45 SET monoblocks 1.8W / Decware Taboo 6W / Elekit 300B TU-8600SVK plus further improved components 9W / ICE Power 1000W
    Speakers
    Highly modified Endorphin P17 open baffle speakers containing both vintage and modern alnico drivers and paper cones. All silver wired - 8" Cube Audio FC8 full range drivers and vintage 15" Altec VOTT 416 bass drivers. All sat on Townsend Audio Podium seismic isolation platforms.
    BK Electronics XLS400FF Sub.
    Cabling
    Silver mains cables, interconnects and speaker cables by SW1X
    Headphones
    HRT HeadStreamer and SennHeiser HD650 headphones

  4. #4
    Join Date: Jun 2013

    Location: Gloucestershire, UK

    Posts: 652
    I'm Robert.

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by bumpy View Post
    What drawer mechanism is in the transport?
    Thanks Chris
    It’s a Philips CDM-12.4

  5. #5
    Join Date: Apr 2016

    Location: Bishops Stortford

    Posts: 1,250
    I'm Chris.

    Default

    Sorry, I added a late question to my last post "Also what is the age of this transport?"
    Source
    SW1X Universal Music Server UMS I Signature with Power Supply Unit PSU I Signature
    SW1X USB II
    SW1X DAC III Special
    Audiolab 6000 CDT transport
    Amps
    Pre amps -- Hi fi Collective twin mono ladder stepped attenuator, with Charcroft Z-foil and silver wired. And First Watt B1 active no gain buffer.
    Power amps -- Welborne 45 SET monoblocks 1.8W / Decware Taboo 6W / Elekit 300B TU-8600SVK plus further improved components 9W / ICE Power 1000W
    Speakers
    Highly modified Endorphin P17 open baffle speakers containing both vintage and modern alnico drivers and paper cones. All silver wired - 8" Cube Audio FC8 full range drivers and vintage 15" Altec VOTT 416 bass drivers. All sat on Townsend Audio Podium seismic isolation platforms.
    BK Electronics XLS400FF Sub.
    Cabling
    Silver mains cables, interconnects and speaker cables by SW1X
    Headphones
    HRT HeadStreamer and SennHeiser HD650 headphones

  6. #6
    Join Date: Jun 2013

    Location: Gloucestershire, UK

    Posts: 652
    I'm Robert.

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by bumpy View Post
    Sorry, I added a late question to my last post "Also what is the age of this transport?"
    Hi Chris

    Transport: May 1996. I bought it from Parts Connexion in Canada whom the owner is the original founder of Sonic Frontiers, Anthem and Assemblage. I bought it in June 2019 after they serviced, measured it and then carried out the mega clock upgrade for me.

    Dac: Not sure of the assembly date but on the board is a print date of 1994. I also bought it from Parts Connexion in Canada whom the owner is the original founder of Sonic Frontiers, Anthem and Assemblage. I bought it mid 2019 as well after they serviced, measured and cleaned it. The tube upgrade was shortly after but all the capacitor upgrades are less than a month old so still burning in and improving. Basically near as new internally

  7. #7
    Join Date: Jun 2013

    Location: Gloucestershire, UK

    Posts: 652
    I'm Robert.

    Default

    Dac sold.

    Epic transport still avail.

  8. #8
    Join Date: Jun 2013

    Location: Gloucestershire, UK

    Posts: 652
    I'm Robert.

    Default

    Both back up for sale - long story...

    Photos are there - issue is Photobucket who say on their Twitter feed that they are working on it.

  9. #9
    Join Date: Jun 2013

    Location: Gloucestershire, UK

    Posts: 652
    I'm Robert.

    Default

    £850 for the transport

    Dac fuse is now Synergistic Research Blue - upgraded

  10. #10
    Join Date: Jun 2013

    Location: Gloucestershire, UK

    Posts: 652
    I'm Robert.

    Default

    Update and some more photos of the transport.

    As mentioned in a prior post, the fuse in the dac is now a Synergistic Blue, but I have since upgraded the tubes as well. Dac now sports a pair of ultra rare Reflektor 6H23N-EB Pearl Cryo Gold Grade types. Dac now even better

    Dac is an absolute sonic bargain at £1050 - truly!

    Transport, last price drop to £800





    Last edited by Open Door; 12-06-2020 at 18:58.

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