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Schiit Freya+ Pre-amp Review
- Thread starter amirm
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The tube performance is much better in their reports than what Amir got here. Who knows? It could be they used different tubes during the testing. The picture of the review here appears to have the stock NOS tubes:
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it seems unlikely to me that NOS vs current manufacture is the causing a large discrepancy unless one of the tubes was faulty. More likely It is testing criteria. That said, I’ve been running a tube integrated in one system the last 30 years and have rolled dozens of tubes. NOS does not = better in many cases. At this point, I’m far more likely to buy reputable current tubes vs. vastly overpriced NOS.
I figured the input level is the difference.
It seems the input sensitivity of the Freya+ is such that feeding it 2V via RCA or 4V via XLR guarantees it will perform poorly. Particularly in tube mode.
I will contact Schiit to figure out what the input sensitivity actually is.
It could have rather gnarly implications in matching DAC output level to the Freya+.
It seems the input sensitivity of the Freya+ is such that feeding it 2V via RCA or 4V via XLR guarantees it will perform poorly. Particularly in tube mode.
I will contact Schiit to figure out what the input sensitivity actually is.
It could have rather gnarly implications in matching DAC output level to the Freya+.
Mine sounds great in either of the 3 modes and am feeding it 5V from the D90SE.
It sounds great even at 5% THD.
Knowing input sensitivity would still help avoid the blow-up point.
So you know the Freya+ is producing 5% distortion??
No, I don’t.
I didn’t measure the Freya+ in isolation. I measured a tube-based power amplifier that was connected to the Freya+ and was surprised to find out distortion was that high, even though it sounded great to my ears.
Hence my comment, “it can sound great even at 5% THD”.
The inputs at 2V / 4V are the standard for RCA and XLR output / inputs respectively. Those are the ranges, not the sensitivities. The figure that I attached from their website appeared to have been tested with balanced XLR at 1.000 Vrms. The tests from Amir are at full XLR (4V) levels. That might explain the discrepancies.
I never said 2V / 4V were the sensitivities. All I said is that if the output from the source exceeds the input sensitivity, performance can degrade.
As you mention, Schiit tested with a 1Vrms signal and got better performance.
So, I guess the actual input sensitivity of the Freya+ must be somewhere around 1V.
I stand corrected, thanks, yet I still don't get the input sensitivity issue. Normally a phono preamp, CD player, DAC, feeds the preamp at full amplitude voltage (2V for RCA and 4V for XLR). The volume pot of the preamp is an attenuator in this instance. In the case of the Freya+ the pot can also operate either as a buffer or a tube attenuator, which as you know, add 0 and12 dB to the output signal, respectively.
It may not or it may be a problem.
I think Amir tests with the volume pot at maximum, then he sets his generator to feed a 4V or a 2V signal. If that is correct, and if the input sensitivity of the Freya+ in tube mode is at 1V or below, I can see how Amir’s signal level could be well above the input sensitivity of the Freya+, which would lead to heavy distortion.
For the rest of us, mere mortals, who use the volume pot to control volume, we have no way to know at what position of the volume pot we are above or below the input sensitivity of the Freya+.
Finally, all of this is very speculative and based on the fact Schiit measured their device with 1 Vrms or well below 1 Vrms (in tube mode) of input signal.
Maybe they used these levels because they produced better distortion numbers, or they know 2V is way above the input sensitivity of the Freya+ in tube mode.
So, a lot of words to say: I still don’t know why Amir and Schiit’s measurements are so different.
mhardy6647
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No it doesn't -- it depends on the signal (amplitude)! If the output is silence (e.g., between tracks), there's 0 volts AC being output by the source (other than noise). If the signal's say pppp, the output voltage'll be much less than if it's ffff.
I'm feeding it 5V from a D90SE and haven't noticed any distortion on passive or even with the tube buffer-unless my chain is wack I don't think the Freya+ minds a 5V signal. I run it in passive w/ volume maxed out to simulate HT bypass when feeding the amps from the RZ50 and there is no discernible distortion when listening to HT at high volumes.
How did you measure it?
Measure it? That's what it outputs on the 5V setting-of course it's not outputting 5V the entire time as music is not a continuous tone. The DAC has 2 settings-4V or 5V.
I was referring to “haven't noticed any distortion on passive or even with the tube buffer”. How did you measure that?
I didn't measure it-did I claim I did? I believe with my chain I'd hear obvious distortion. You're welcome to disagree but I listen and enjoy the music. Without a AP not sure how I could measure distortion.
Hi, you quoted me without reading my comment : feeds the preamp at full amplitude voltage (2V for RCA and 4V for XLR). Of course in between tracks there is no voltage, but for the purpose of testing one has to assume the worse case at full voltage, because that is where the maximum distortion would be observed.
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