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Sonic Frontiers or Pass with Dunlavy 4a

Heres my situation. I have a Sonic Frontiers Line 3 preamp connected to an X-350. I have an opportunity to go with an all Sonic Frontiers system, Power 2 and SFCD-1 and I like the idea of trying components that were made to complement each other. On the other hand, I could go for the X-1 preamp. I like the natural, detailed sound of the 350 and i've heard the SF tube amps are on the neutral, detailed side as well. I would like a little more bloom in the mids but not at the expense of sacrificing everything else. Im not trying to turn this into a tubes vs ss thread, but I wouldn't mind hearing from people who have had both driving their Dunlavys. Im sure opinions are extreme in both camps and thats fine, i'm just trying to get some insight before I make a decision. I also have a concern about the power 2's ability to drive the 4a's.
cmpromo

Showing 2 responses by sean

sean
6,231 posts
 
Before swapping active componentry, i'm going to give you my standard answer for someone running good quality equipment but looking for that last bit of system performance and sonics. That is, try swapping some Goertz MI-2 Veracity speaker cables into your system. Goertz offers a 30 day money back guarantee and are great to work with. Just make sure that you ask for and use their impedance compensation networks, even if they tell you that you probably don't need them.

These cables will provide you with different sonics than what you already have, and whether or not you like it is a personal choice. The MI-2 Veracity's should allow the Pass to really "load up" into the Dunlavy's. The increase in warmth and midrange liquidity should be easy to notice and may be just what you're looking for. If not, simply package them back up and send them back to Goertz. Simple enough, isn't it??? I don't know if you could find a cheaper way to make sure that what you've got for electronics isn't already "good enough" to do what you want : ) Sean
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sean
6,231 posts
 
The Python's are NOT THE SAME electrically or sonically as the Equivalent gauge Veracity design. In my opinion, they are a lower grade product that was designed to compete with other products cosmetically and to increase the flexibility of the conductors. As such, they should be avoided if possible and the "flat" series ( non-spiral twisted ) of speaker cables should be selected.

As to the Zobel's, they simply present the amp with a higher impedance load at frequencies well above the audible spectrum. The flat Goertz design is such a low impedance and so wide in bandwidth that some amps will see this as a near short circuit at very high frequencies, causing them to become unstable and possibly do damage. By placing Goertz' impedance compensation network ( a Zobel ) in parallel across the binding posts of the speaker, the amp sees a higher impedance load, maintaining circuit stability.

As a side note, there are many high priced aftermarket "tweaks" that are simply Zobel networks built into some type of fancy packaging. Not only do these help to keep an amp more stable, they can also reduce the potential for RFI to enter the system via the speaker cabling, etc... As such, they are strictly a "win / win" situation and people should not be afraid to use them. They will in no way subtract from the listening experience and in some cases, actually improve the performance of the system. That's why others have taken to selling them as an accessory tweak at outrageous prices. Sean
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