Schiit Saga S Audio Precision APx555 Test Results

[jjk]

I am considering the Schiit Freya S (solid-state) for Pre-Amp duties in my system.
I see that Schiit posts Audio Precision APx555 test results for their gear; and they have done that for the Freya S. On it's face, posting these test results is pretty impressive, compared to most of the audiophile industry.
Can any Forum members or even @amirm validate that these tests are similar to ASR tests, or just as valid?
The posted results seem to indicate that this is a very good piece of equipment and a recent ASR test review indicated that the Schiit Saga measured quite well.
Finally, could a kind member point out which of the tests is most comparable to the @amirm dashboard results?
Thanks very much, Happy Holidays.

 

[Deleted member 5620]

Do you have a real need for separate preamp/amp setups?

 

[jjk]

Yes.
This is a good question.
I do not have separate audio and HT systems. So I need switching capability and volume control.

 

[pozz]

Good questions and mindset. You can compare Amir's results with those of Schiit in the APx555 documentation they have posted online:

• https://www.schiit.com/products/saga-s (click on Specs, scroll to the bottom for the link)
• https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...easurements-of-schiit-saga-tube-pre-amp.6520/

 

[jjk]

Thank you @pozz.
Without running through individual AP test results, would you accept those results to be just as valid as @amirm results?; i.e., it looks to me that this would most likely be a highly recommended device. Again, based on the AP results.

 

[amirm]

It is time consuming to analyze the Schiit measurements as they are not using the same settings on graphs, tests, etc as I do. It can be done but requires more effort than I am willing to put in it.

 

[jjk]

Understood. Thanks.
@amirm, If I purchased and drop-shipped to you, would you measure?

 

[ElNino]

Thank you @pozz.
Without running through individual AP test results, would you accept those results to be just as valid as @amirm results?; i.e., it looks to me that this would most likely be a highly recommended device. Again, based on the AP results.

You're considering the Freya S, not the Saga S, right? For the Freya S, I think it would get recommended for passive and unity gain mode. For the higher gain mode, performance is (arguably) average.

There's no reason to doubt Schiit's AP results (but do note that they don't provide individual IMD measurements, just the CCIF ratio, which is more of an issue for their DACs IMHO).

 

[Soniclife]

It is time consuming to analyze the Schiit measurements as they are not using the same settings on graphs, tests, etc as I do. It can be done but requires more effort than I am willing to put in it.

That's quite a problematic statement isn't it? If other AP555 users cannot easily parse the results posted, exsctly how many people in the world will bother to understand them. They have bought the kit, improved their products, and posted proper measurements, everything we could hope for? I'm not having a go at @amirm here, I get that he is very busy, but how many times have people complained that the specs posted are meaningless single numbers, but when given the opposite we cannot make use of them?

 

[Deleted member 5620]

If it's pure passive (I don't know), then it really shouldn't sonically impart or modify anything.

Kind of like a cable, really.

 

[jjk]

Thanks @ElNino.
Yes, Freya.
And yes, also agreed.
Other Pre-Amp recs?

 

[amirm]

Understood. Thanks.
@amirm, If I purchased and drop-shipped to you, would you measure?

Of course.

 

[amirm]

That's quite a problematic statement isn't it?

Depends on the audience. I *can* go and make use of their measurements. So the value is definitely there. Average person though wants me to translate their measurements into my comparison graphs. That is the part that takes work and some interpretation.

 

[Soniclife]

Depends on the audience. I *can* go and make use of their measurements. So the value is definitely there. Average person though wants me to translate their measurements into my comparison graphs. That is the part that takes work and some interpretation.

If the audience that can translate is vanishingly small, and they're isn't a translation for the rest of us, why should other companies bother to provide the measurements? I don't see what more the company should be doing, unless there is a standardised set they are not following. The gap between data and understanding needs addressing somehow.

 

[LuckyLuke575]

These

Depends on the audience. I *can* go and make use of their measurements. So the value is definitely there. Average person though wants me to translate their measurements into my comparison graphs. That is the part that takes work and some interpretation.

These pirate / third party tests don't make sense to me at all. The accuracy, objectivity, and consistency is difficult to verify, and it risks creating confusion.

 

[jjk]

Wanted to let y'all know that I have forwarded a Freya S to ASR for testing.
Great weekend!

 

[majingotan]

I wouldn't be surprised if it measures far worse than my Saga OG in passive mode since there's more complexity in the audio path than the Saga OG

 

[pozz]

If the audience that can translate is vanishingly small, and they're isn't a translation for the rest of us, why should other companies bother to provide the measurements? I don't see what more the company should be doing, unless there is a standardised set they are not following. The gap between data and understanding needs addressing somehow.

There's a lot of material posted here that helps. But in general the details can only be addressed by engineers and those who understand the testing equipment, so at some point it comes down to trust. It's like the AP SINAD measurements provided by some manufacturers: immediately you have to ask yourself about the source signal, level, bandwidth, filtering and so on. It helps to have a somewhat skeptical mindset, but understanding what exactly is given to you takes work. Or like FR graphs given for speakers: what were the measurement conditions? What kind of smoothing is used? Etc. If the manufacturer doesn't take the effort to make the measured results clear, it just promotes the "measurements are meaningless" message.

The criticism I would level at Schiit is that they provide graphs and accompanying data which, because of the messy presentation and overlong reports, are less clear than they could be.

 

[pozz]

@amirm Are the PDF reports that Schiit post using the AP "Sequence" mode?

 

[ElNino]

I wouldn't be surprised if it measures far worse than my Saga OG in passive mode since there's more complexity in the audio path than the Saga OG

I think it's probably the opposite. Freya S has more space to separate the signal from the power supply, and it doesn't need a high voltage supply, unlike the Saga. If you look at the AP measurements they posted for the Saga+ (which has an improved power supply over the Saga OG), the Freya S is still cleaner in passive mode. (Both are decent devices though.)