[garbulky]

I'm quite interested in the Freya-S. I've just been waiting for an all solid state balanced preamp that is (hopefully) high performance. My previous Freya impressions were somewhat favorable so it would be interesting to try a higher performance Freya to see if it would consider me to jump.

@Jason Stoddard : Support is important for me. That's why I love your plan for your dacs. They've stayed the same and any one of them can be upgraded to the latest for a modest price. It shows that I don't have to throw away my gear.

With this project Thunderdome, I can't help but be wary of the future long term support for these (potentially) short lived products. What's your plan for support when the warranty runs out? Do you plan to stock parts past the warranty? Would we get a message saying we are out of luck since it's out of warranty even if we are willing to pay for repair? I have kept all my audio gear past warranty and shop at places that are willing to service my gear for a price.

 

[Jason Stoddard]

I'm quite interested in the Freya-S. I've just been waiting for an all solid state balanced preamp that is (hopefully) high performance. My previous Freya impressions were somewhat favorable so it would be interesting to try a higher performance Freya to see if it would consider me to jump.

@Jason Stoddard : Support is important for me. That's why I love your plan for your dacs. They've stayed the same and any one of them can be upgraded to the latest for a modest price. It shows that I don't have to throw away my gear.

With this project Thunderdome, I can't help but be wary of the future long term support for these (potentially) short lived products. What's your plan for support when the warranty runs out? Do you plan to stock parts past the warranty? Would we get a message saying we are out of luck since it's out of warranty even if we are willing to pay for repair? I have kept all my audio gear past warranty and shop at places that are willing to service my gear for a price.

Same 5-year warranty and support as the rest of our products, and no wacky parts...so no worries. We're still happily repairing garage-era Asgards, which have a whole lot more scary parts in them (like very very obsolete 2SK170 JFETs). We will service everything as long as actually possible, just like Velodyne keeps repairing the amp board on my 18" servo sub, which craps out every 4-5 years. I expect someday, they will say, "We can't fix this ancient thing any more," which is fine by me, because it's over 20 years old.

 

[garbulky]

Same 5-year warranty and support as the rest of our products, and no wacky parts...so no worries. We're still happily repairing garage-era Asgards, which have a whole lot more scary parts in them (like very very obsolete 2SK170 JFETs). We will service everything as long as actually possible, just like Velodyne keeps repairing the amp board on my 18" servo sub, which craps out every 4-5 years. I expect someday, they will say, "We can't fix this ancient thing any more," which is fine by me, because it's over 20 years old.

That's good to hear!

 

[ashirin]

Freya S = a devilish way to tempt me into trying the dual monoblock thing.

I know... I just have to tell myself I don't need to buy another Vidar and Freya S.

the saga portion of your pre amp choices leave me wanting a bit more. I have a gen 1 saga with LISST, it would seem I have the best of both worlds aside from the motorized pot and alum remote.

I have to agree here. I was really hoping for a Saga that had a passive, tube buffer, AND solid state buffer mode (so basically LISST build in). The current Saga S and Sage + make you choose between SS and Tube forever since LISST is no longer a thing. On the flip side, I think Freya S and Freya + nail it. A balanced preamp with a motorized pot,128-relay stepped attenuation, and the simplicity and reliability of solid state (using a proprietary topology no less) for $600... seems amazing. Meanwhile, Freya + adds a differential tube stage and comes in at $300 more, which I think helps justify the existence of both products.

That's basically a Saga S with less inputs. Maybe $199 in a cheaper chassis.

Well, since we're in the Thunderdome... that's a product I really wish existed. Maybe you could also skip the motorized pot (going back to the old system) to save a little more? My point is I do think there is merit to making the cheapest product possible that does wireless input switching and volume control. I really do love the stepped relay, but maybe a regular volume pot might be a way to lower the price as well (though I suppose that would have to be motorized to be remote operated).

 

[W S L]

Soon. Just waiting for photos.

Oh, and one other note: these preamps, like Aegir, use light pipes, so the LEDs are less Death Star-planet-killing-like.

Do the LEDs come in red?

 

[liamo]

Do the LEDs come in red?

They’re saving that for the future HT bypass indicator.

 

[gonzalo1004es]

So how do the old Freya in JFET mode and the new Freya-S in Nexus mode compare? That's what I need to hear!

 

[Brubacca]

So Saga+ + Fancy Tube = $555

Or

Freya S for $599

Things that make you go hmmmmmm.

 

[belgiangenius]

I own a tonne of tubes already, including the new production tung-sols it comes with.

Is it possible to order Freya+ without the tubes and save some money?

 

[Zer0.p0int.Zer0]

The Freya S with Nexus is the most intriguing to me. Been looking for a balanced pre amp to feed dual monos for a while. And the $600 price tag is great.

 

[PioBeer]

Do the LEDs come in red?

I like the cut of your jib

 

[kumar402]

That's basically a Saga S with less inputs. Maybe $199 in a cheaper chassis.

That's great...I was hoping for preamp with tone control. But this one will do as well.

 

[Derrick Swart]

Don’t forget that all four pre amps come with the clicker dee click option as in the old Saga/Freya!

I think i’d fancy the Freya S. Since the Vali2 i am tube saturated...6 tube choices and i can’t choose; well one is out because it suffers microphony.
I have now SE inputs on my amps but balanced out on my DAC makes the Freya S future proof either way i choose to go in the future

 

[PioBeer]

Don’t forget that all four pre amps come with the clicker dee click option as in the old Saga/Freya!

I think i’d fancy the Freya S. Since the Vali2 i am tube saturated...6 tube choices and i can’t choose; well one is out because it suffers microphony.
I have now SE inputs on my amps but balanced out on my DAC makes the Freya S future proof either way i choose to go in the future

I hear you. a future proof set-it and forget it Freya at a killer price is....Killer. But man I think that juicy tube gain mode is worth the price of admission. a tube pre-amp paired with a good solid state amp can be magical.

 

[W S L]

Do the LEDs come in red?

I just like red LEDs alot more than white ones. I even went and did this to my Yggdrasil. Yes it looks horrendous during the day, but looks pretty good in the dark.