Wow what a ton of information on my insufficiently used Freya+. I have had a reliable and enjoyable Saga as my daily driver for an extended amount of time. I have found some enjoyable NOS to work with along with Tungsols for the Saga.
I have to say i am a hybrid preamp fan not for nostalgia, or because i am under some type of marketing spell, but because i enjoy the sound. It took me a long time to even invest in the tube vein.
For those who have owned both, did you not observe the Freya to sound better than the Saga? To what degree? My Freya is out of pocket at the moment, but i remember thinking it sounded better than the Saga, and i was not disappointed by the cost difference, from an audio perspective at least