[PoMarantz]

Yes, though the changes were not as dramatic as with some caps I've owned.
Started quite nice out of the box at both ends of the spectrum, but thin midrange.
Went off the boil at around 20hrs, with weak bass and slight sibilance, then started to improve noticeably at about 60hrs.
By 80hrs, definitely better than they started, mid range made an appearance and sibilance died down.
Really good at about 100hrs, but still slightly improving.
I've also heard it said 100 to 200hrs for these caps to fully settle, but I recon 95% there at 100hrs.
Got about 160hrs on mine now and it's difficult to hear much of a change from session to session.
I find most caps are pretty much there at around 100hrs, if making changes, I always run for 100hrs before giving a serious listen.
So you might have to be patient.
I've also noticed over the years that caps take fewer hours to burn in if cycled, say 12hrs on, 12hours off, rather than 24/7 running. You don't really gain any time though, because it takes you twice as long to put the hours on when cycling, saves on valve run time and a bit of electrickery though.
Nice that your caps are closely matched, though in this application, as DC blockers, it's not critical.

Thanks for such a detailed response. So they sounded good out of the box…got a little worse and then got better. Interesting. I hope to get to this project later this week. I am looking forward to the experience!

 

[theeclone]

'68 Orange globes (O getter) in the freya n gain stage! Great high end after a couple hours warm up. Still burning in (tested NOS) but so far so good!

 

[qwin49]

Thanks for such a detailed response. So they sounded good out of the box…got a little worse and then got better. Interesting. I hope to get to this project later this week. I am looking forward to the experience!

Yes, I've noticed this phenomena many times with caps (mainly in XO work). After 10 to 20 hours they actually start to sound worse, the bass reduces and the treble gets spitty and sibilant, all in small measure of course. The main thing is midrange is almost non existent at the start, no body detail or warmth to it. I've had caps change gradually, the mids coming in over a 20 hour period at around 70/90 hrs. But then one set which made a huge change during one side of an LP at exactly 92 hours. I had to go back and listen to the start again to see if I was fooling myself about the change. I used to make lots of listening notes when running in caps/op amps etc and use the same set of test tracks each time I listened. These days I just run everything for 100hrs un-monitored, as I'm confident parts will have got to their best, or at the very least, 95% of their best by then.

I just put a 1960's pair of USA made Tung-Sol 6SN7GTB in the gain side of the Freya+, nice mids and bass, top end not the cleanest on cymbal shimmer etc, but not bad either. GE GTA in Buffer. I'm running the Freya+ balanced, direct into a pair of Event Opal Active Studio Monitors at the moment.

 

[PoMarantz]

Event Opal Active Studio Monitors

OK….I cut the vents horizontally into the top-plate yesterday… I bought a $12.00, 31mm hole-saw for plate steel on Amazon, (I wanted a fresh blade). It worked a charm thru the soft aluminum! WOW! It took a number of hours to disassemble The Freya+, layout the vent-hole patterns and precisely drill the pilot holes to guide the hole-saw at the ends of each vent. Tedious! Time well-spent, as I was fortunate to make two beautiful cut-outs that the vents friction fitted into with a wee bit of Dremeling at the end. I sealed them on the backside with a bead of heat-resistant glue and let it set overnight. The vents float nicely just above the transformers at the left ends, and are perfectly aligned above and below the Schiit Logo. Hard part done, (I think!), and warranty perfectly voided! YAY!
I am soldering in the new caps today and reassembling the unit and reinstalling it into the system for testing and burn-in. Pi2 Design Mercury Streamer—> Denefrips Pontus II DAC—>Schiit Loki Max—> Freya+ —> McIntosh MC152 Power Amp —> DynAudio Contour 20 Speakers.
I am officially coloring you eccentric! I looked up your Event Opal Active Studio Monitors …
Intresting! I would love to have a listen of those!!!

 

[PoMarantz]

Yes, I've noticed this phenomena many times with caps (mainly in XO work). After 10 to 20 hours they actually start to sound worse, the bass reduces and the treble gets spitty and sibilant, all in small measure of course. The main thing is midrange is almost non existent at the start, no body detail or warmth to it. I've had caps change gradually, the mids coming in over a 20 hour period at around 70/90 hrs. But then one set which made a huge change during one side of an LP at exactly 92 hours. I had to go back and listen to the start again to see if I was fooling myself about the change. I used to make lots of listening notes when running in caps/op amps etc and use the same set of test tracks each time I listened. These days I just run everything for 100hrs un-monitored, as I'm confident parts will have got to their best, or at the very least, 95% of their best by then.

I just put a 1960's pair of USA made Tung-Sol 6SN7GTB in the gain side of the Freya+, nice mids and bass, top end not the cleanest on cymbal shimmer etc, but not bad either. GE GTA in Buffer. I'm running the Freya+ balanced, direct into a pair of Event Opal Active Studio Monitors at the moment.

All went quite well, and my new Franken-Freya+ is operating as expected…burning-in now.

 

[qwin49]

Looking very nice, those grills look like they were factory fitted.
I like the bead you put on the volume pot as well.
My modified NS-1000m speakers are just to big and heavy to lug around to HiFi meetings, the Event Opals are much smaller/lighter.
Being active they reduce the box count as well. The Speakers, Freya and a source is all I need to make music.
The Opals go a lot deeper than you would expect for a smallish speaker.

 

[belgiangenius]

All went quite well, and my FrankenFreya is operating as expected…burning-in now.

I did this with the CAPS on mine as well.

I think Schiit should step it up a notch and offer premium capacitor options on devices that have them in the signal path. The upgrade in sound is BIG.

 

[PoMarantz]

Looking very nice, those grills look like they were factory fitted.
I like the bead you put on the volume pot as well.
My modified NS-1000m speakers are just to big and heavy to lug around to HiFi meetings, the Event Opals are much smaller/lighter.
Being active they reduce the box count as well. The Speakers, Freya and a source is all I need to make music.
The Opals go a lot deeper than you would expect for a smallish speaker.

Looking very nice, those grills look like they were factory fitted.
I like the bead you put on the volume pot as well.
My modified NS-1000m speakers are just to big and heavy to lug around to HiFi meetings, the Event Opals are much smaller/lighter.
Being active they reduce the box count as well. The Speakers, Freya and a source is all I need to make music.
The Opals go a lot deeper than you would expect for a smallish speaker.

OK…so because I had success here.…phew! ….this morning I ordered the 8 resistors. I know my way around the Franken-Beast, now! THANKS! THANK! THANKS! for all of your help!

 

[Smoothstereo]

All went quite well, and my FrankenFreya is operating as expected…burning-in now.

Nice job, looks slick. Wish I was more handy with electronics.

 

[qwin49]

I will be interested on what you think about the resistor upgrade.
Make sure you are familiar with the post cap mod sound before you do it.

 

[PoMarantz]

Nice job, looks slick. Wish I was more handy with electronics

THANKS!

 

[AstronomerXI]

One of my best friends in both audio and astronomy is also a classically trained musician who has played with orchestras and taught music at the university level. He was interested in my Freya N-Lokius-Asgard 3 setup and came over to listen to pieces that he knows well and has performed. As an aside, between my Hifiman Sundara and Sennheiser HD650's, he, like me, preferred the Sundaras in this stack by a wide margin. The tubes in the Freya are 1960 Amperex Bugle Boys on the right, and inexpensive 1960's Soviet 6N23P Reflector Double triodes on the left. He listened to several pieces in high-resolution audio with the tube stage and compared with the differential buffer mode. His impression was that the with the differential buffer mode, it was like being in the third or fourth row in the audience. With the tubes, it was like being on stage - something he's very familiar with. So, yeah, he was very impressed with the imaging, instrument separation, and over-all soundstage.

 

[PoMarantz]

I will be interested on what you think about the resistor upgrade.
Make sure you are familiar with the post cap mod sound before you do it.

No problem….I am letting the caps burn-in a solid 80 hrs. (With rest time), before I comment. So far…I am impressed…but must be patient as the sound is changing quite a bit!
My Audio Note Resistors are coming from China…so they will be a while getting here to The States
…. so I will be very familiar with the new sound with these capacitors before I solder in the new resistors. This is some good FUN!

 

[theeclone]

Wow. I did not expect to like these 12AV7's as much as I do. They were dirt cheap and aren't even matched, tho they are NOS. They're in the freya n gain stage with adapters, with 12AT7's in the follower stage w adapters.

I never really connected with the amperex orange globes, tho they certainly were impressive in their own way. That's two pairs of 6dj8's I've felt that way about now. I'm starting to wonder if the freya n just doesn't like them, being a bit lower gain than 6n1p's. The 12AV7's are a bit higher gain than the 6n1p's.

As soon as I switched over to these they made an immediate impression on me. A very engaging, grab-you-by-the-lapel kind of sound. The bass was a but muddy and squirrely, but I left the freya on for a few hours while I ran some errands, came back, and that seems to have abated.

Again, wow.

 

[Orange5o]

I bought some adapters from Pulsetubestore, 12Axx to 6922. Works great and more importantly fits the tube hole opening on the Freya N.

Think these would work for 12AT7 or should I just get some of the 12Axx ones?