Won't help with points 1-3, but still sounds fantastic to me.

This may sound fantastic, but he makes them utterly convincing.

I have an idea but it sounds too fantastic to be true.

It sounds fantastic, but I'm beginning to believe that we're going to take the next election.

It all sounded fantastic, and the smart money says that tonight's performance will be just as compelling.

There was no getting away from it: put like that, the thing sounded fantastic.

Your story sounds so fantastic, you see, that it might do more harm than good.

The evening goes very well, everyone is in such good voice, and the music sounds fantastic.

It sounds fantastic and didn't even cost us any money.

It will sound both fantastic and perhaps frightening, but I ask you all to hear me out.