When I had my old Audio Research LS 16 sent to upgrade from MkI to MkII, my dealer loaned me a SF line 1.
To my ears, in my system, the SF Line 1 fell far short of the LS 16, less detail, and a total collapse of the soundstage. I even swapped out all six tubes, but it made little difference.
System at the time:
Martin Logan Ascents
Classe 301
Audioquest Diamond X3 XLR interconnects.
Needless to say, I was very happy to get the LS 16 back.
Just my 2 cents
To my ears, in my system, the SF Line 1 fell far short of the LS 16, less detail, and a total collapse of the soundstage. I even swapped out all six tubes, but it made little difference.
System at the time:
Martin Logan Ascents
Classe 301
Audioquest Diamond X3 XLR interconnects.
Needless to say, I was very happy to get the LS 16 back.
Just my 2 cents