Sonic Frontiers Line 2, Heaven or Hell?

I think my cart is fine and to me the digital end would benefit from a tune preamp to counter the ss amps. This Sonic needs to back to to Canada for a $300 volume control fix. so I can't decide to keep it or not.

I think the Sonic Frontiers Line 2 is a good choice. Buy a used ARC PH3 on audigon to run with it. You will be very happy. I think it will be a perfect match. I used a ARC PH3 with a Sonic Frontiers SLF-2 for years and then moved up to my current Line 3 four years ago. They both were a great combo with the PH3. You can get a PH3 for about $750.00 on audiogon.

Didn't like the SFL2 at first. Swapped the stock Sovteks to ECC88's and it improved but still a little rolled off on cymbals. Went to XLR cables, both out "direct" in, sacrificing balance control, ... much better. Tried balanced AC, through a centre-tapped, step-down industrial transformer and "Holy $#%@", it's a different animal. It loved balanced AC, more than any component I've tried. Not quite as transparent as TVC and just a little bloated in the bass. Didn't require the gain it provided with a high voltage source along with sensitive amps and speakers.

Ngjockey, could you elaborate on balanced AC? What is that?
My first foray into a Sonic Frontiers Line 2 began alittle less than stellar as well, which i briefly described in a previous posting. BUT.......my recent discovery in how I accidentally connected it to the two pairs of inputs on my Parasound A21 amp with BOTH RCA (Syn. Res.) and XLR (Audio Metallurgy) cables have yield such an open, airy and deep soundstage, it was the moment I decided to keep this preamp as opposed to sell it. It might not have the comparative wamrth of a CJ or Audio Research, but for the type of music I listen to (technical metal/prog rock), its a small trade-off for the amount of detail and instrument placement/depth that this preamp extracs from the music (thanks to its black background). And I haven't done the Parts ConneXion upgrade to this yet. I will be trying that later this year, just to see what more this can do. I am curious to hear what tubes people have had luck with on their SF preamps.

My favorite 6922 tube for SF is the Amperex Holland SQ E88CC.

I've own 3 different SF preamps and 1 amp. I find stock SF sound is a little thin, lean, mechanical and dry. The PCX SE+ mod addresses all the weaknesses and much more. IMHO, PCX SE+ mod is a no brainer for all SF owners.