Schiit Freya+ Preamplifier
The Schiit Audio Freya+ ($949) is a passive or active, solid state or tube, balanced preamplifier.
Over 10 years ago when I began to put together a more serious audio system with a DAC, I did not include a standalone preamplifier. The DAC had a built-in volume control, and I had not yet acquired a turntable—my old one from years earlier had fallen off a shelf abruptly ending its life. “Direct to amps” was what many had suggested and there even was a catchy ongoing mantra at the time, “The best preamp is no preamp”. So direct to amps it was.
When I finally decided to acquire a turntable, I became alarmed: I would also need a phono stage; a second analog line input requirement seemed imminent. It appeared that I was beaten.
But I was stubborn. I acquired a phono stage that, as an option and at the push of a button, converted the analog to digital on the fly (24/96 PCM, or DSD) and sent it via I2S to the DAC using an HDMI cable. This is how things remained for some time.
Eventually, as my reviewing interests expanded, I realized that I must get a proper preamplifier in order to easily and efficiently compare two or more similar devices by using different lines in and just switching the lines on a remote. I first tried using a passive preamp with more than one input; they were touted as clean and transparent, generally do not require external power, and are much less expensive in general than active ones. But alas, I was not satisfied. I began to notice at audio shows and at other audiophile homes where active preamps were widely used, they offered a sound quality my system lacked; something more satisfying beyond just clean and transparent. I could not put my finger on what exactly was lacking, but I decided to hunt about for a proper preamp (and one with many inputs, not just two). My choice was the PS Audio BHK Signature ($6000)—with a tube front end. It remains my reference preamplifier. And I learned what had been missing: more body, textures, openness, separation of instruments, and warmth in varying degrees; additions that yielded a considerably more musical presentation. I have also heard solid state preamps that hit these marks in varying degrees, so, I am not concluding here that tubes are always necessary/best. But, as some say, a preamplifier is the heart of a fine audio system; I became and still am a believer in that.
This brings us to the focus of this review, the Schiit Audio Freya+ Preamplifier.
At a remarkably low price of only $949, it is balanced and has 3 modes of operation included in the same unit: Passive, Active Solid State, and Active Gain Vacuum Tube (four 6SN7 tubes; 12dB gain). The two active stages are described as differential, meaning they convert single-ended signals (if you choose to use them) to balanced. The unit has 5 input sets (2 balanced (XLR), 3 single ended (RCA)), and 3 output sets (1 balanced and 2 single ended); having multiple outputs allows attaching more than only one source of amplification. The volume control is a relay-switched stepped attenuator with discrete thin-film resistors; 128 0.625dB steps. Control is manual on the front of the unit, or by use of its included small but sturdy metal remote. Finally, the Freya+ only weighs 11 lbs with specs of 16” (L) x 8” (D) x 2”(H) (+ another 2.5” H for the tubes).
It comes in a black or silver finish; my review unit was black and it certainly looked very modern and attractive even with the 4 vacuum tubes sticking out from the top (without covers).
Specifications
Compound Differential Buffer
Gain: 1 (0dB)
Frequency Response: 20Hz-20Khz, -0.2db, 3Hz-500KHz, -3dB
THD: <0.004%, 20Hz-20KHz, at 1V RMS
IMD: <0.0055%, CCIR
SNR: >120db, A-weighted, referenced to 2V RMS
Output Impedance: 75 ohms SE, 600 ohms balanced
Topology: JFET differential amplifier compound pair with equalized-gm followers
Tube Gain
Gain: 4 (12dB)
Frequency Response: 20Hz-20Khz, -0.2db, 3Hz-200KHz, -3dB
THD: <0.01%, 20Hz-20KHz, at 1V RMS
IMD: <0.01%, CCIR
SNR: >115db, A-weighted, referenced to 2V RMS
Output Impedance: 75 ohms SE, 600 ohms balanced
Topology: differential triode input with semi-circlotron follower stage
Input Impedance: 10K ohms
Crosstalk: >85dB, 20-20kHz
Inputs: 2 XLR pairs plus 3 RCA pairs, selectable via front switch or remote
Outputs: 1 XLR pair plus 2 RCA pairs, selectable via front switch or remote
Volume Control: relay-switched stepped attenuator with discrete thin-film resistors, 128 0.625dB steps
Power Supply: One 48VA transformer with regulated 300V rail, plus 24VA transformer with regulated +/-18V rails, plus 6.3VDC tube heaters and regulated 5VDC for microprocessor
Power Consumption: 40W typical
Set up and use
Although the unit takes up very little space, you must give it some breathing room due to the tubes, so I made sure to have some air flow on all sides. The 4 vacuum tubes are very easy to connect on the top; there is a key on each that is to sit in a notch awaiting them and they fit in snuggly.
The back of the unit has a power switch/lever (on/off) next to the power plug which allows the stock cord to connect. Although you can use higher-end audiophile-quality power cords, the Freya+ instruction manual gives a “shocking” warning: “You can also use fancy audiophile types, but they won’t really do anything”. (I used one anyway.) Then, starting from the left are the 5 inputs of 2 sets of XLR followed by 3 sets of RCA, and then the 3 outputs of 1 set of XLR followed by 2 sets of RCA. I attached my monoblock amps using balanced cabling, with my DAC and turntable each using RCA cabling.
Besides the volume knob on the front, there is, on its left, a mute button, and a button that cycles (by repeated pressing) through (left to right) the 3 modes of passive, solid state, tube. To the right of the volume knob is a line-in button that cycles through the 5 line inputs. Choosing the tube mode initiates a 50 second (as I timed it) start up delay (no music will play during that interval), ending when the tubes are fully engaged glowing a nice orange; during the delay a tiny light on the far right flashes. The tube mode has a +12 dB gain, so be careful if cycling from one of the other two modes into tube when your volume is already high and music is playing. (The other two modes have 0 dB gain). Yes, the mute button is handy. If you only wish to compare passive and solid state: Moving from passive to solid state requires only one press of the button; from solid state to passive you need to quickly press twice so as to cycle past the tube mode first without along the way engaging the 50 second delay for the tubes.
All of the above functions are available on the supplied remote; but I must point out that the labeling both on the front of the unit and on the remote is very tiny and somewhat obscure. I found that using the remote was a bit dicey for volume; the volume could go up very quickly when trying to press the volume up button. I eventually only used the volume knob on the front of the unit to avoid mishaps; it makes tiny clicking sounds as you move along and is a slower process. Also, there is no numeric volume scale (dB or out of 100) on the unit or remote; one must wing it; another reason for using the volume knob instead of the remote. Finally, the unit remains relatively warm and quite hot when in tube mode (even the volume knob on the front gets hot)—so be careful.
Sound quality and music
Overall, I enjoyed the solid state and the tube modes best on the Freya+, at times, one over the other. I often had difficulty distinguishing between the passive and solid state modes, but ultimately solid state won out due to a slightly fuller sound at higher volumes. I did find that tube mode when played at very high volumes could introduce some distortion (bass in particular; less clarity); I generally do not play much music at very high volumes. I’ll illustrate with some examples below.
Manu Katché, by Manu Katché (drummer/percussionist), the first track “Running After Years”. ECM (2012) (24/88.2 FLAC, Qobuz). As an amatuer drummer, I am always intrigued when I hear a drummer that I never paid attention to before, and regret not having done so; this is one such example. One of my friends had complained to me about how his system had difficulty playing a certain piece of music (caused clipping during a powerful bass drum kick), and when I asked what it was, he reported that it was “Running After Years”. Fortunately, I did not get any clipping on my system but instead a wonderful treat (I enjoyed the whole album as well). The sound quality using the Freya+ was very satisfying. Katché’s cymbal work is unique (his use of the top bells, and tiny cymbals, for example), intricate and thoughtful; he has serious chops in jazz, classical, and rock, having studied classical piano as a child and then studying at the Paris Conservatoire (for percussion). In this case I liked the solid state mode best: the clarity revealed in cymbal work, in particular, for this album seemed the most accurate and satisfying.
“Streets of Laredo” by Suzanne Vega, (2011, Pioneers For A Cure, Songs To Fight Cancer). (Tidal, FLAC 16/44.1). A one-off single recording, this is her rendition of the classic cowboy folk standard. In it she sings intimately, front and center, backed up tastefully and gently by Gerry Leonard on guitar, and Gilad (for the life of me I could not find his last name anywhere) on drums. (Other versions can be found by the likes of Burl Ives, Johnny Cash, and Willie Nelson.) A lovely performance, which, of course, is at odds with what is needed. Since this is a very sad ballad, it is the sound quality of Vega’s voice that I focus on here. It illustrates how tube mode of the Freya + was attractive at times—her voice sounded lush, tranquil, soft, and seductive, and her expressions of emotion hit with more intense realism (in the same spirit as higher-level preamps). In the other two modes, although clear and clean, Vega’s voice was thinner, and the ballad sounded less musical to me. Perhaps that is what some audiophiles who strongly prefer non-tube describe as ‘colorless’; but in any case in this particular example, I’ll take the tubes.
Another example of voice: Sting, “Fields of Gold”, from Ten Summoner’s Tales (1993) (Qobuz, FLAC 16/44.1)
As with the Vega example, here again I preferred the tube mode for its ability to hit me with emotional content. Sting’s British accent in this piece charmed my kids who thought that his words “fields of barley” were “fields in Bali” (Indonesia).
The voice examples above made me think about something important: All of us as humans, with working ears, deeply know the human voice inside and out on a daily basis; parents, siblings, friends, relatives and so on. Unlike musical instruments that we may have never heard live or rarely so, we do not need to be lectured to or taught about how the human voice sounds—we just know.
Does that mean I think the tube mode is best for voice always? No. I next listened to Bob Dylan’s “Man in the Long Black Coat” from Oh Mercy (1989); the Freya+ in solid-state mode best captured what I understand as Dylan’s naturally edgy, nasal voice. It made me focus more on his exceptional poetry throughout my listening and appreciate it more than I had in the past.
Summary: Pros and Cons
Pros: 3 different modes at your leisure—all respectable, very quiet, many inputs/outputs, light in weight and small in size, unusually high performance/price ratio.
Cons: No volume scale numerical or otherwise, mode and input choices are by cycling thru instead of particular choices, gets hot in active tube mode, labeling for control (both manual and on the very small remote) is hard to see due to its tiny size and obscure symbols.
Final thoughts: The Freya+ is a surprisingly inexpensive and quality-in-sound preamplifier that I would highly recommend as a serious start for those who have now decided that a preamplifier is for their system. With 3 separate modes, you can’t go wrong. I would also recommend it as a useful experimental tool for reviewers because of its versatility, quality of sound and low price.
I think I just might now seek out a high-end solid-state preamplifier to complement my high-end tube front-end reference so I have one of each. Some audiophiles want two turntables or two DACS; I now want two preamplifiers.
Further information: Schiit Audio
