Until Vidar comes out and I pick up some floor standing speakers, I am using Freya with my nearfield powered monitors. I hadn't been in a hurry to buy a Freya because I was content using my Mjolnir 2 as a preamp. I had been told that the MJ2 was not a very good preamp but I figured that it was more than adequate. I used great tubes and I was enjoying the sound I was getting.
Well, it only took about 5 minutes using Freya to figure out that either the MJ2 was a crappy preamp or Freya was an incredible preamp. Freya offered a much more realistic soundstage with much better vocal and instrument separation. The soundstage was mo wider but was taller and had more depth. The music had a more immersive 3D effect that sounded more realistic. I could play lower volume levels yet still have the music sound clean and clear. This is a cliche around here, but it was as if a veil had been lifted at lower volumes and there was increased detail and clarity at higher volume levels. Both the micro and macrodynamics are better too.
I have zero desire to use my MJ2 as a preamp now. However, it is still an incredibly good headphone amplifier!
That's really awesome to read! I've using the Jotunheim as a preamp on both PC rigs, but I might think of adding Freya (replacing the Jotunheims) to both of my work and home PC rigs. I'll start with the home rig though. I wonder if others here, that have replaced a Jotunheim as a preamp on a system with a Freya have noticed as dramatic of an improvement as you have from Mjolnir 2 to Freya. I'm going to start feeding my Yggdrasil's with AES/EBU via Lynx soundcard(s) as well, so I'm hoping to see some nice SQ gains.
Ok, I figured out which Tube was defective and this helped me see that my new manual is incorrect. The front row is left channel back is for the right. Right side is the gain where the better Tubes should go?
Yes that's it. Welcome to the club of trial and error. They really need to pull those manuals. I got one of the first Freya's and emailed them about the mistake the first part of January! Oh well, we are all a confused bunch. Oh and a disclaimer, that the supplied tubes are just to get you going and will most likely be noisy! The thing is Freya is flat out awesome sounding!
Yes i had the same issue with the manual that came with my freya a month ago, said front and back instead of left and right... the printed copies we received are incorrect... the copy online saying left and right is still correct.
Of my favorite tubes a quad always sounds best to me. With a quad the followers reinforce the qualities that you like about the input tubes. And it is true you can temper the inputs by using a different pair for the followers, but I haven't found a combo that is an improvement yet. It may be worth trying so as to see for yourself or not if you find the right tubes for you. You can try out a new pair of tubes in front of your most neutral followers to determine if you want a quad or not, that's certainly a cost effective way to go about it.
Trying to limit my research time on tubes. So following in the footsteps og the great Baldr. Which set of quad tubes would you guys bring with your Freya to a deserted island? (A healthy ulimited power supply is available. Lets say form an abandoned tidal generator) You can only bring one set.
That's really awesome to read! I've using the Jotunheim as a preamp on both PC rigs, but I might think of adding Freya (replacing the Jotunheims) to both of my work and home PC rigs. I'll start with the home rig though. I wonder if others here, that have replaced a Jotunheim as a preamp on a system with a Freya have noticed as dramatic of an improvement as you have from Mjolnir 2 to Freya. I'm going to start feeding my Yggdrasil's with AES/EBU via Lynx soundcard(s) as well, so I'm hoping to see some nice SQ gains.
For me Saga with the right tube sounds better than Jotty or Mjolnir 2 by a little bit placed in the same system as preamp. Freya in JFET is noticably better than those 3, no contest, and with the right tubes it's on steroids as someone else said a few months back.
Yes that's it. Welcome to the club of trial and error. They really need to pull those manuals. I got one of the first Freya's and emailed them about the mistake the first part of January! Oh well, we are all a confused bunch. Oh and a disclaimer, that the supplied tubes are just to get you going and will most likely be noisy! The thing is Freya is flat out awesome sounding!
I agree with you and am amazed by how good this realtively inexpensive device is performing! I fully expected the stock tubes to be less than optimal and that's why I had that quad of tung sols waiting though one is bad. Even with a pair of the Tung sols in and the stocks on the left this thing sounds great right now. I've yet to own a piece of Tube kit that came with decent tubes from the factory. I am running a Krell SACD Standard to the Freya to a Pass Labs x250.5 into a pair of Tyler acoustics D 20s.. So far I am happy.
That's really awesome to read! I've using the Jotunheim as a preamp on both PC rigs, but I might think of adding Freya (replacing the Jotunheims) to both of my work and home PC rigs. I'll start with the home rig though. I wonder if others here, that have replaced a Jotunheim as a preamp on a system with a Freya have noticed as dramatic of an improvement as you have from Mjolnir 2 to Freya. I'm going to start feeding my Yggdrasil's with AES/EBU via Lynx soundcard(s) as well, so I'm hoping to see some nice SQ gains.
Some people, that need a headphone amp, are using Freya as a preamp for Jotuheim. They are seeing improvements in the sound quality they get with their headphones.
It's too bad, but the pair of Sylvania JAN CHS 6SN7W (Black Base, Short Bottle, Chrome Top, 1940's) tubes that I have are microphonic and make consistent static noises when nothing is playing. I really like the sound of these tubes in the gain stage. I will be looking for another pair!
It's too bad, but the pair of Sylvania JAN CHS 6SN7W (Black Base, Short Bottle, Chrome Top, 1940's) tubes that I have are microphonic and make consistent static noises when nothing is playing. I really like the sound of these tubes in the gain stage. I will be looking for another pair!
If you're really lucky some or most noise might diminish with use. Hopefully the next pair will be silent, and if you can't return them and they do improve, try them as followers, they might perform fine there. Hope it works out.
If you're really lucky some or most noise might diminish with use. Hopefully the next pair will be silent, and if you can't return them and they do improve, try them as followers, they might perform fine there. Hope it works out.
I bought these tubes from circatubes on eBay. He goes by that name here as well. He has been stellar to deal with. He suggested I clean the pins and that helped quite a bit when I first got the tubes. When the static problem came up, he said I could send the tubes back if I wanted and he would help with the postage. I figured I would clean the pins again more thoroughly to see if the static problem would go away. I guess I didn't do a great job of cleaning the pins the first time as the static problem is either gone or virtually gone. So, I am keeping the tubes as they sound fantastic.
I can highly recommend buying tubes from circatubes! I will again!!
The date codes on my RCA VT-231 are "V2E" which is 1945. I have them in my Freya right now. I am giving them some time to burn in before I get too critical of them. They are starting to sound better...or I am getting used to their sound!
They are coming around. I just like the Sylvania 6SN7W tubes better. The static has come back on those but not as bad as before. I like them so much I will ignore it.
I bought a quad set of NOS Sylvania 6SN7GT "Bad Boys". The real ones...not the 2 hole variety. I am done buying tubes now!!
Can anyone tell me how they use the Freya with Ragnarok? I'm considering purchasing a Freya, but not really sure if it makes sense with my Ragnarok powering my ELAC UB5's and Elears. Is there improvements to gain with the tube preamp coupled with SS integrated? Is there added noise or distortion by double amping? Where should I set the volume pot on the Ragnarok?
They are coming around. I just like the Sylvania 6SN7W tubes better. The static has come back on those but not as bad as before. I like them so much I will ignore it.
I bought a quad set of NOS Sylvania 6SN7GT "Bad Boys". The real ones...not the 2 hole variety. I am done buying tubes now!!
I really think you like these, they impart a romantic sweetness to their fine imaging and soundstage. That's about the best way I can describe them. Of course there's a lot of things that come into play, but they are right fine tubes
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They really need to pull those manuals. I got one of the first Freya's and emailed them about the mistake the first part of January! Oh well, we are all a confused bunch. Oh and a disclaimer, that the supplied tubes are just to get you going and will most likely be noisy!
The thing is Freya is flat out awesome sounding!
