Sonic Frontiers Preamps - Cold & thin?

Cold and sterile!!! What a joke - I own the Line-3 and it's superb! The fact is: it doesn't sound like solid state OR tube. It's not supposed to - it's supposed to sound like a wire with gain and it does just that perfectly. SF nay-sayers are just die hard hard cj/arc fans who like tube warmth (ie: harmonic distortion).

I have been in high-end audio for the past 25 years and tried most high-end preamps out there in the 2k-4k bracket. If anyone finds the SF preamps thin or could, look elsewhere in your system. Most people finding thin sound had thin sounding cd players and other gear. Sonic Frontiers is serious equipment but above all very neutral, meaning it will bring out the best and worst one has from gear and cd's. The older SFL=2 preamp was more euphonic and tubey, while the current line 1-2-3 are less so but VERY accurate. I beleive that for the money nothing else touches it. I am tired of preamps that sound ok but lack modern conveniences like remote (a beautifull piece in itself), phase inversion, a mono switch, gradual fade-in, and so much more. The build quality is also unheard of at the price of the entry-level Line-1, with the exact same casing, faceplate and controls of the most expensive line-3, which is amazing. For you information, I am not a dealer but an ordinary audiophile, and there is no way a beautifull preamp such as the sonic Frontiers Line series should not be considered as a terrific purchase in audioland!

Hmmm: I listened a SF CD player a while back. I did not give it too much attention as it was way out of my price range (even used). I did not find it to be thin or cold at all. The speakers in the demo were Linn's and I did not pay any attention to the amp/preamp, they may have been Plinius, but I am not certain as the shop has quite a few combinations on a switch box. People have certain expecatations when listening to a tube unit for the first time (they expect it to sound tubey). Audible Illusions L1 and various AR models do not sound tubey, but they do sound musical.

I had a SF2 & SF3 in my system for a few weeks and did not like either of them. I found them dead sounding. If that is what the reviewers mean by "cold and thin", I agree fully with their assessment. I personally like the BAT VK50SE and the ARC Ref 2. The ARC is not what I would call neutral, but it is fantastic. The BAT is my "current" favorite peamp. If you do not need balanced and remote you should also listen to the CAT.

I auditioned all the above mentioned preamps in my system with no preconcieved ideas about their sonic characteristics. The SF were my least favorite. Sorry to all the Sonic Frontier owners.

Odd, I know a guy who got rid of his Ref2 for a Line3... He ran mostly arc ref equipment - it looked so strange. Anyway, I do have to admit though: I've heard the Line3 sound bad in a system also. SF doesn't mate well with all electronics. I would guess this is probably where some people are getting these odd reviews from. Jtinn what is your system composed of? I'd like to know what NOT to buy in the future because I love my pre. :)