[PoMarantz]

WOW…those are wild looking. The bases are ceramic, right? …so that should not be a problem touching the top plate of the amp. I have a set of NOS tubes (4), GE I think…and the originals…and have a 300BYaqin tube amp…I never experienced any of the things you described. I even had a prong pull out on one of the smaller tubes on my Yaqin and no noises or fireworks.
OK….but…..HOW DO THEY SOUND!!!????

 

[uphoto]

Yeah, I don't get it......I think maybe it was the coating on the pins because it hasn't done it again after a few times of putting them in and out.

Sound is EXACTLY what I wanted, really brought vocals forward and added some air to them. Also noticed a bit more precise bass too, I'm really happy! Tung-sol's come in tomorrow for the other pair.

 

[Balthazar B]

Got my Treasures in today and plugged in.

At first I got nasty high static from the left channel so I unplugged the unit and took the tubes out and back in. The got loud crackles and pops. Unplugged again and took them out. Now plugged back in and seems fine, got one nasty loud crack but nothing since. Anybody else experience this? Seems like the tube base is almost too big for the opening and it might be causing some noise from being in contact with the opening in the preamp? Pic attached on how little space there is.

God made socket savers for Freyas to use with oddly-dimensioned tubes...

 

[jbua5150]

God made socket savers for Freyas to use with oddly-dimensioned tubes...

I feel socket savers are a MUST on Freya.
Without socket savers, one has to remove the tubes by the glass.
Probably ok with current production tubes, but any OLD tubes may have VERY old glue.
I have some 6C8G pairs from 1943 and 1944. That glue is nearly 80 years old, I WILL NOT pull on the glass!

 

[zoophaugus]

Hi All,
Just got my Freya+ in a few hours ago.
I barely get any volume until the dial is at 12 O clock and then it starts to kick up.. Most other dials in other equipment that I have used the action is from 8 or 9 oclock to 12. It would appear to be reversed on this frey+. Obviously the tube stage has higher gain and volume is at higher levels on the same mark on the dial as the other 2 stages.

Is this normal?

EDIT- P.S i am running balanced from my yggy to freya but only single end to the power amp (adcom GFA-5802) even though amp has balanced input I know the amp is not truly balanced so I may as well make use of my my Cardas Neutral Reference interconnects.

 

[jbua5150]

Hi All,
Just got my Freya+ in a few hours ago.
I barely get any volume until the dial is at 12 O clock and then it starts to kick up..

This is the same way my Freya + behaves.

 

[uphoto]

Hi All,
Just got my Freya+ in a few hours ago.
I barely get any volume until the dial is at 12 O clock and then it starts to kick up.. Most other dials in other equipment that I have used the action is from 8 or 9 oclock to 12. It would appear to be reversed on this frey+. Obviously the tube stage has higher gain and volume is at higher levels on the same mark on the dial as the other 2 stages.

Is this normal?

EDIT- P.S i am running balanced from my yggy to freya but only single end to the power amp (adcom GFA-5802) even though amp has balanced input I know the amp is not truly balanced so I may as well make use of my my Cardas Neutral Reference interconnects.

Yup, normal. My system I have very efficient speakers (95db) and 200w per channel and I still have to turn the Freya + up to 1 o clock to get high volume. I'm using all balanced and tube section too. It's just how that volume control is.

 

[rkindel]

Yup, normal. My system I have very efficient speakers (95db) and 200w per channel and I still have to turn the Freya + up to 1 o clock to get high volume. I'm using all balanced and tube section too. It's just how that volume control is.

I use a low output moving coil cartridge feeding a Mani phono stage. My volume is typically at around the 2 to 4 o’clock position when I listen to vinyl.

 

[zoophaugus]

Is there a burn in time for the Freya?

Ive been running it today for 12 hours and it has some good imaging and super clean sound but it falters at higher volumes with a some what fatiguing sound. Doesn't seem to matter if I'm in Tube mode or the others. Ive been running the tubes in all day today. I don't normally listen to my music really loud but I do turn it up on occasion and tonight I my ears immediately picked up on it.
I bought freya+ for secondary system mainly for its remote and to replace a 45 lb. behemoth all tube pre amp with no remote might add. To say Freya doesn't compete with it would be an over statement but at this point I would have to say they are clearly not at the same level. The JAS Audio Array 1.1 presents the sound as though your in front row centre at the concert and can be turned up with no fatigue to your ears.

Does Freya improve with time?

 

[rkindel]

Is there a burn in time for the Freya?

Ive been running it today for 12 hours and it has some good imaging and super clean sound but it falters at higher volumes with a some what fatiguing sound. Doesn't seem to matter if I'm in Tube mode or the others. Ive been running the tubes in all day today. I don't normally listen to my music really loud but I do turn it up on occasion and tonight I my ears immediately picked up on it.
I bought freya+ for secondary system mainly for its remote and to replace a 45 lb. behemoth all tube pre amp with no remote might add. To say Freya doesn't compete with it would be an over statement but at this point I would have to say they are clearly not at the same level. The JAS Audio Array 1.1 presents the sound as though your in front row centre at the concert and can be turned up with no fatigue to your ears.

Does Freya improve with time?

Absolutely. Mine took months to settle in. I turn mine on in the morning and leave it on passive all day, out of habit. I didn’t notice it so much with passive stage but tube improved greatly over time. My impression is we aren’t talking about tube burn in but the preamp itself.

 

[rkindel]

Hi All,
Just got my Freya+ in a few hours ago.
I barely get any volume until the dial is at 12 O clock and then it starts to kick up.. Most other dials in other equipment that I have used the action is from 8 or 9 oclock to 12. It would appear to be reversed on this frey+. Obviously the tube stage has higher gain and volume is at higher levels on the same mark on the dial as the other 2 stages.

Is this normal?

EDIT- P.S i am running balanced from my yggy to freya but only single end to the power amp (adcom GFA-5802) even though amp has balanced input I know the amp is not truly balanced so I may as well make use of my my Cardas Neutral Reference interconnects.

Just noticed you are running a Adcom 5802 power amp. I love my vintage 5500. Sounds great after I had it recapped a couple of years back. On a whim, I set it on three Isoacoustic Orea isolation feet a couple of days ago. The term “blown away” is very overused but it’s perfectly descriptive of what I heard. Didn’t hear a change when I tried vibrapods and cones on my Freya when I first got it. Maybe I might try Oreas on it instead. Must say, I’m beginning to become a believer in isolation devices. I’ve had good luck using Vibrapods and cones with both my CD player and Benchmark DAC but not so much when I tried them with my Mani.

 

[PoMarantz]

Just noticed you are running a Adcom 5802 power amp. I love my vintage 5500. Sounds great after I had it recapped a couple of years back. On a whim, I set it on three Isoacoustic Orea isolation feet a couple of days ago. The term “blown away” is very overused but it’s perfectly descriptive of what I heard. Didn’t hear a change when I tried vibrapods and cones on my Freya when I first got it. Maybe I might try Oreas on it instead. Must say, I’m beginning to become a believer in isolation devices. I’ve had good luck using Vibrapods and cones with both my CD player and Benchmark DAC but not so much when I tried them with my Mani.

FUNNY! I am so far in the other direction from you kindle. My Freya + controls my 40+ year-old Bob Carver C-500 Power Amp with its original capacitors. An excellent tech told me that I DID NOT need to replace the capacitors…and this guy knows his stuff….. It powers a pair of DynAudio Contour 20s. I am always happy when I am listening to music. This system is all I know…so…I am sure that there is better sound out there…but I am happy with what I have for now…..
I noticed no "burn in" time, etc….whatever…might be because I am old and my hearing is not as sensitive as it once was….but it’s more about the music for me these days….

 

[zoophaugus]

Just noticed you are running a Adcom 5802 power amp. I love my vintage 5500. Sounds great after I had it recapped a couple of years back. On a whim, I set it on three Isoacoustic Orea isolation feet a couple of days ago. The term “blown away” is very overused but it’s perfectly descriptive of what I heard. Didn’t hear a change when I tried vibrapods and cones on my Freya when I first got it. Maybe I might try Oreas on it instead. Must say, I’m beginning to become a believer in isolation devices. I’ve had good luck using Vibrapods and cones with both my CD player and Benchmark DAC but not so much when I tried them with my Mani.

The mighty GFA-5802- Adcoms flagship amp - Bought the amp and pre amp (JAS Audio - Array 1.1) brand new in my early 20's nearly 20 years ago with some higher end interconnects(Cardas Nuetral reference) and always thoroughly enjoyed the synergy between those 2 components (Lot of coin for a kid in his 20's back then)- And a $1000 dollar CD Player as well.. I use a switch box to bypass the tube pre with my receiver into the adcom ONLY for watching movies in digital surround... I absolutely cannot stand the 2 channel pre amp function of the receiver as it sound like absolute garbage.
Only thing buggin me the whole time is no REMOTE volume control on the pre amp hence the new Fray+ now. This set up is now in my basement. Was planning on ditching the switch box and using one of Freya's inputs. Freya's ability to turn off/on the tubes was another big motivating factor here which would come in handy while watching movies.

My newer more modern system (Main level) consists of an Audio Research LS26 pre amp with Bryston 7B3 mono blocks. The LS26 bests my Array 1.1 in its ability to holographically image the sound at you and again that volume can keep going up with no strain to your ears what so ever.

So far I can say the Freya+ is a capable pre amp with good imaging and crystal clear sound - it will annihilate any digital pre amp from a common HT receiver. The vocals and instruments are not as pronounced and right in front of you as they are presented by the Array 1.1 which is fine as every pre has its own sound (but they are good none the less)- the fatiguing sound at higher levels might be the deal breaker for me here. Will run 24/7 for the next few days and see if it improves.

 

[rkindel]

The mighty GFA-5802- Adcoms flagship amp - Bought the amp and pre amp (JAS Audio - Array 1.1) brand new in my early 20's nearly 20 years ago with some higher end interconnects(Cardas Nuetral reference) and always thoroughly enjoyed the synergy between those 2 components (Lot of coin for a kid in his 20's back then)- And a $1000 dollar CD Player as well.. I use a switch box to bypass the tube pre with my receiver into the adcom ONLY for watching movies in digital surround... I absolutely cannot stand the 2 channel pre amp function of the receiver as it sound like absolute garbage.
Only thing buggin me the whole time is no REMOTE volume control on the pre amp hence the new Fray+ now. This set up is now in my basement. Was planning on ditching the switch box and using one of Freya's inputs. Freya's ability to turn off/on the tubes was another big motivating factor here which would come in handy while watching movies.

My newer more modern system (Main level) consists of an Audio Research LS26 pre amp with Bryston 7B3 mono blocks. The LS26 bests my Array 1.1 in its ability to holographically image the sound at you and again that volume can keep going up with no strain to your ears what so ever.

So far I can say the Freya+ is a capable pre amp with good imaging and crystal clear sound - it will annihilate any digital pre amp from a common HT receiver. The vocals and instruments are not as pronounced and right in front of you as they are presented by the Array 1.1 which is fine as every pre has its own sound (but they are good none the less)- the fatiguing sound at higher levels might be the deal breaker for me here. Will run 24/7 for the next few days and see if it improves.

I am running a surround system with my music system as well, using the Freya in surround pass through (left and right fronts from the processor to the Freya in passive mode with the volume opened all the way up then out to my power amp as usual.) Works just like a designed surround pass through.

 

[zoophaugus]

I am running a surround system with my music system as well, using the Freya in surround pass through (left and right fronts from the processor to the Freya in passive mode with the volume opened all the way up then out to my power amp as usual.) Works just like a designed surround pass through.

Volume opened all the way up? Sounds like a recipe for disaster while switching inputs to another live incoming stream .. say your music..
Would it not make more sense to crank up the pre outs on the reciever a little? Find a happy sweet spot so as not to accidentally damage your speakers.
If I keep my Freya I will be putting a sticker on the volume knob for a visual indicator of what level its at. This would be handy when switching inputs in a scenario such as described above.