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Schiit Freya S Preamplifier Review 2

Veri

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I love my Freya+…working just fine for over a year!…I am a tube-stage only guy….but I get itchy ….so I did some research…I am pretty handy…I switched out the $10 WIMA caps in the tube stage circuits (little red buildings) for $90 V-2 ODAM Caps…and found some really cool vents online for the top-plate to cool that sucker down by getting some convection going!
Since it went so well…I just ordered 8 Audio Note resistors to replace the inexpensive ones in the Tub-Stage path, as well. Considering I know my way around the unit, now…that should be a cake swap-out! Fun stuff! People on the web are doing really cool things and many are super helpful!
The metal of the casing is actually quite thick...So...no worries about it warping. I am guessing it is a little over 1/8" thick.... I used hand tools...That part was totally in my wheelhouse, so I took my time and all went well....I solder...but not circuit boards...that is where I had to ask and learn.... If anyone is "serious" about doing this to their Freya and think that they have the right skill set & tools, I would be more than glad to share my email....and talk on the phone....it is kind of too much to type.... One of the most tedious things for me was to get the unit apart without damaging it...there are some tricks involved. I am looking forward to replacing the resistors!!! :)
The vent is really cool. Props to you!
 

idiomatically

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Well Schiit sent me a complete new Freya+ and picked up the tab for the shipping of the old one back to them this time which was a win. Took a couple of weeks of emailing but we got there in the end the only down side is the volume control on the new one has something up with the relay. The remote will work until it gets about 1/4 volume and than it won't go up or down in volume.

Stay under the 1/4 mark and it goes up and down fine. I think the control is too stiff maybe and after 1/4 its too tight to turn for the internal mechanism the remote uses? as when I do it by hand you can feel there is more resistance at this point. Have sent Schiit a video of it, and it happens with my old and the new remote.
 

Bobo77

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Well Schiit sent me a complete new Freya+ and picked up the tab for the shipping of the old one back to them this time which was a win. Took a couple of weeks of emailing but we got there in the end the only down side is the volume control on the new one has something up with the relay. The remote will work until it gets about 1/4 volume and than it won't go up or down in volume.

Stay under the 1/4 mark and it goes up and down fine. I think the control is too stiff maybe and after 1/4 its too tight to turn for the internal mechanism the remote uses? as when I do it by hand you can feel there is more resistance at this point. Have sent Schiit a video of it, and it happens with my old and the new remote.
Are you close to the unit when this occurs? Back away from the Freya about 6' or so and it should work fine.
 

idiomatically

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Are you close to the unit when this occurs? Back away from the Freya about 6' or so and it should work fine.
It was happening at any distant but I pulled the knob off and put it back on and it fixed it. I think it was just on too tight.
 

Bobo77

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It was happening at any distant but I pulled the knob off and put it back on and it fixed it. I think it was just on too tight.
Good! I thought about it and was going to suggest that you pull it out, as it is just a friction fit. Maybe the back of the knob was just rubbing on the chassis? Glad you fixed it…sounds like you have been thru enough!
 

BDWoody

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I wonder between this unit and the The Audio by Van Alstine Vision RB which would be better.

I don't have experience with the VA unit, but I've been very happy with the Freya S. No qualms recommending it.
 

BDWoody

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Would this work as a Microphone preamp?

I don't think it would work for that. It doesn't have the ability to amplify anything, only attenuate so it is looking for line level signals.
 

mete

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Does anybody know the output impedance in passive mode ? I think it is not mentioned in the spec.
 

AnalogSteph

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Output impedance of a passive attenuator is variable, reaching up to 1/4 of potentiometer resistance plus whatever extra output series resistance may be present (a few dozen to the low hundreds of ohms) at 6 dB below maximum volume. Seems the attenuator chain is 10 kOhms in total going by input impedance, so worst-case output impedance would be a tad over 2.5 kOhms. At more typical volume settings (-20 or -30 dB) it'll be below 1 kOhm.

That's for all SE input and output and an SE attenuator chain. Not sure about how this unit handles balanced I/O.
 

mete

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Output impedance of a passive attenuator is variable, reaching up to 1/4 of potentiometer resistance plus whatever extra output series resistance may be present (a few dozen to the low hundreds of ohms) at 6 dB below maximum volume. Seems the attenuator chain is 10 kOhms in total going by input impedance, so worst-case output impedance would be a tad over 2.5 kOhms. At more typical volume settings (-20 or -30 dB) it'll be below 1 kOhm.

That's for all SE input and output and an SE attenuator chain. Not sure about how this unit handles balanced I/O.

Why 1/4 and why at -6dB (parallel resistance of each half?) ? Do you know the circuit or topology of the attenuator ?
 

SIY

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parallel resistance of each half?
Exactly. An attenuator is configured as a voltage divider (I'm excluding special cases like L-pads which are pretty much loudspeaker-only), with the source impedance being at a maximum at 50% (-6dB). The two halves in parallel make a source resistance of 1/4 the potentiometer value.
 
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