Which leads into the next difference.Ģ) The separation of sounds and instruments into their constituent parts was breathtaking. you heard the knock but you also heard the detail that went with that - I can best describe it as hearing the quality of the wood! Without any mistake, you also heard the sound of how the knock resonated in the six associated strings! What was previously just a knock became a superb, captivating, harmonically rich event! Now consider that every sound heard now had that harmonic richness associated with it and you start to get an idea of the impact that this has. What was identifiable before as the artist knocking on his guitar, became more. I've listened carefully to what it is that is so striking about the new sound and come to the conclusion that it is a combination of things:ġ) The first that struck me was that sounds had much more of the accompanying harmonic content than they did before. And this was with them being fed by a $600 preamp! Not only that but the sense of 'being there' was so strong that it was simply incomparable to what I had before. I heard 30% more music - it is that simple. Let me unequivocally say that the Wolcotts are the best amplifiers that I have ever heard and, I currently believe, perhaps the best that I will ever hear. This had the added advantage that I could try out the Wolcotts with both an active (LS-3) and passive (OBH-10) preamp. Due to the cost of the Wolcotts (about $4500 used) I bought the cheapest good preamp I could at the time - a used Audio Research LS-3 that came with a Creek OBH-10 passive remote volume control (total cost $600). Now one of the problems with upgrading from an integrated is that you have to buy both an amp and a preamp at the same time. I recently traded in the M3 (along with every spare thing that wasn't being used around the house) and bought a used pair of Wolcott P220m amplifiers. The problem is that I've now heard better. Make no mistake, this is an outstanding integrated amp and at that stage in my audio journey I fully believed that it deserved that rating. I've owned a Musical Fidelity NuVista M3 amp for the last 5 years and gave it a 5/5 rating when I bought it. Note that all items valued over $500 will require a signature upon delivery.The problem with writing reviews (and especially with allocating 1-5 stars) is that you get to read them years later when you have more experience and you have (hopefully) steadily improved your system. When factory packaging not available re-usable shipping box with custom injected-foam mold will be used. Items with factory packaging will be double boxed. For all other locations including Hawaii, Puerto Rico and Alaska, please request a quote prior to purchase. Shipping: Cost to ship this item within the contiguous United States is a flat rate of $37 - including packaging and insurance. One is a direct input, which bypasses any non-essential signal paths and results in a slightly more dynamic sound. The SFL-1 has two preamp outs, tape ins and outs, and five line-level inputs. Other Notes: 'The Sonic Frontiers SFL-1 preamp rose to fame in the 1990s as a giant-killer and was widely praised, reaching Class B on Stereophile's recommended components list. What is Included: Preamplifier, 12AT7 tube, Manual, White gloves, Power cable, Screwdriver, Factory packagingįunctional Notes: Operational condition of this item is excellent, fully tested and no issues found. One screw head is broken off on the left surface. Outstanding condition overall - the condition will please even the most discerning audiophile. Product: Sonic Frontiers SFL-1 Stereo Hybrid Tube PreamplifierĬosmetic Description: 8/10 Excellent condition with minimal visible cosmetic wear including a very faint rub mark towards the back right corner of the top surface.

Sonic frontiers sfl 1