[limelake]

Has the Freya knocked the wind out of this thread ?  There has to be more than the handful posting that own a SAGA ! Stand up and be counted I say ! The Freya is nice....but I have no use for it in my audio system. Wow.....the SYS got more posts than the SAGA. Anyone tried new production tubes yet ?

 

[theveterans]

It's head-fi where most listeners are using headphones. With SYS, you can go backward and use switch for a/bing headphone amps while you can't do that with Saga. Some are turned off with tube costs and Saga's price above Sys of course. It's either go big with Freya or go small with Sys. Then there's Jot with preamp outs so that also cannibalize Saga.

 

[limelake]

  It's head-fi where most listeners are using headphones. With SYS, you can go backward and use switch for a/bing headphone amps while you can't do that with Saga. Some are turned off with tube costs and Saga's price above Sys of course. It's either go big with Freya or go small with Sys. Then there's Jot with preamp outs so that also cannibalize Saga.

Yes....I do for get this is Headfi....... ! I came here because of the snobbery of another forum. I just couldn't handle the people there. So I do hear what you are saying. I love Headfi very much.....I sometimes forget where I am ! My true apologies

 

[hornytoad]

I know nothing about tube rolling but I have some Tung sol kt 120's for one of my amps and like it quite a bit .

I really think I'm going new production as I feel like we need to support current not out of business manufacturers

 

[limelake]

I do agree. We do need to support current manufacturers. I do own NOS tubes as well as current manufacturers tubes. Jason's (Schiit) post about new tubes being questionable kind of scared me away..... I do like my new production el84 tungsol's and mullards, curious about JJ's el84s....never owned NOS el84's as they are stupidly priced. I would love to hear from some people with experience using new production tubes in the SAGA. I do use my second output on the SAGA into my headphone amp(s). (vali2 valhalla 2 and bravo ocean).

 

[theveterans]

I just grabbed a matching pair of brown base 1957 CBS JAN 5692 as they are getting rarer and pricier. I'll compare it to the 1961 RCA GTB for fun. If I have enough spare cash I'll probably grab a later 5692 variant with black base and black plates from Sylvania as well

 

[Synergist969]

  Tube NEWB here would like some help...
 
For the Schiit Audio Freya pre-amp...
 
1. Takes a 6SN7 tube...is this an 8 or 9 pin tube?...(I am considering locating/purchasing socket savers unless that is a bad idea...
 
2. What Tube sellers/web-sites would you recommend for me to begin my search/research?
 
3. Any critical information with which I should be armed prior to making a selection/clicking the "purchase" button?
 
4. How do I attempt to request/ensure(?) I am obtaining matched tube sets...either two or ideally four tubes...
 
5. At the novice level of tube experience, would recently manufactured tubes, (new), be a better value/lower risk than NOS tubes...?...
 
6. Are there website based suppliers who tend to be more reliable with regard to tube recommendations, and/or reliability of recommended tubes?
 
THANK YOU for any an all input!...

 

[theveterans]

    Tube NEWB here would like some help...
 
For the Schiit Audio Freya pre-amp...
 
1. Takes a 6SN7 tube...is this an 8 or 9 pin tube?...(I am considering locating/purchasing socket savers unless that is a bad idea...
 
2. What Tube sellers/web-sites would you recommend for me to begin my search/research?
 
3. Any critical information with which I should be armed prior to making a selection/clicking the "purchase" button?
 
4. How do I attempt to request/ensure(?) I am obtaining matched tube sets...either two or ideally four tubes...
 
5. At the novice level of tube experience, would recently manufactured tubes, (new), be a better value/lower risk than NOS tubes...?...
 
6. Are there website based suppliers who tend to be more reliable with regard to tube recommendations, and/or reliability of recommended tubes?
 
THANK YOU for any an all input!...

 
1.) 8 pin tube. Standard 6SN7 (all variants GT, GTB, CV181, etc.), 6H8C or 5692 except for 12SN7.
 
2.) If you want NOS only, go to tctubes (period) com or if you want new production tubes (EH, Tung-sol reissue, JJ) and NOS in one store, go to tubedepot (period) com. If you want used tubes, go to ebay of course.
 
3.)The 5692 and the vintage GT (not the newer GTA,B) gives one of the widest soundstage and rich sound. If you want overall smoothness, go for the CV181 from Psvanetube
 
4.) Select match pair from options.
 
5.) Newer tubes are better value than NOS, but the sound quality depends on the amp. With Saga, NOS sounds better than new tubes, but they range from subtle to noticeable right away.
 
6.) see reference 6SN7 headfi http://www.head-fi.org/t/117677/the-reference-6sn7-thread

 

[axc123]

According to the manual, Freya accomodates any 6SN7, 6N8S and 5692 tube type, and 6SL7 or 6N9S also work. Does anyone know if ECC32 or ECC33 tube types work with Freya as well?

 

[theveterans]

According to the manual, Freya accomodates any 6SN7, 6N8S and 5692 tube type, and 6SL7 or 6N9S also work. Does anyone know if ECC32 or ECC33 tube types work with Freya as well?

 
ECC32 = Mullard CV181 and that might work but beware of the voltage limitation. ECC33 = 6SN7GT which works. Psvane's version of CV181 = 6SN7GT

 

[ICTWoody]

Hey guys. I joined here on Head-Fi just so I could join into this thread. Not new to forums though.

I just received my Saga on Friday and have only listened to it for a few hours. I should note that I'm not using it in a headphone setup. It's being used in an analogue only 2ch setup. Source is my Denon DP-1250 with a Sumiko Premier MMT arm. Denon DL103 LOMC cart. Emotiva XPS-1 Phono Preamp. Schiit Saga. Icon MB30SE monoblocks using KT150 power tubes. Speakers are custom built 2-Way Altec's using an Onken 360L cabinet with 511B horn etc... Cabling is Belden 8402 for interconnects and Duelund DCA16GA speaker wire.

My Saga showed up with a bad stock tube. The right side triode was popping and crackling so bad that I thought I was going to damage my right speaker. I switched the output to passive and it went away. I grabbed a few other 6SN7's I had handy and popped one in. No more noises. Tried a different tube, still no noises. Put the stock Russian tube in again and the popping and cracking was back. Emailed Schiit and am awaiting a response.

This started me tube rolling the Saga much earlier that I anticipated.

I have been rolling pairs of 6SN7's through my Modwright LS100 preamp in my main system the last few weeks so this is an interesting comparison, hearing the same tubes in the two different preamps. I can tell you with 100% confidence that it is much harder to hear subtle difference with the Saga. I think this is because it is a unity gain unit compared to my Modwright where difference in tubes are easy to hear. I'm guessing it would be easier to hear the difference in a Freya.

So far I've rolled only 3 tubes into the Saga... so I'm going to post more as I listen more. So far I've rolled a Shuguang Black Treasure CV-181, a newer Japanese production NOS GE Black Plate labeled RTT, and a 1940's Sylvania VT-231.

I can say that the Black treasures will fit in a Saga... but just barely. The base will go in, but the glass bottoms out on the cover... I'm not sure if the pins were all the way in or not. I wish the opening was about 1/8" bigger diameter.

The Black Treasure had the most clarity. Soundstage and imaging was lovely. Detail was nice. Very open sounding. The GE was great too and ultimately what I've left in for now. A little better bass than the BT. A little more lush. More tubey sounding. The Sylvania was good too... but somehow less open and exciting to me than the other two... it only stayed in for a couple albums.

I'm going to post more detailed thoughts once I have more time listening and actually take some notes using reference tracks. I also will wait to get a stock tube so I can put that in the mix as well and how it relates to my other tubes.

Stay tuned.

- Woody

 

[Fr8dog]

I've had my Saga for about 6 weeks. Also bought a Mimby at the same time. Replaced an Emotiva DC-1. Almost returned the Saga. Sounded horrible. Found the crossover I had didn't play nice with the Saga. Not sure why. Removed the crossover (too many cables extra cables anyway) and never looked back.

 

[Synergist969]

1.) 8 pin tube. Standard 6SN7 (all variants GT, GTB, CV181, etc.), 6H8C or 5692 except for 12SN7.
 
2.) If you want NOS only, go to tctubes (period) com or if you want new production tubes (EH, Tung-sol reissue, JJ) and NOS in one store, go to tubedepot (period) com. If you want used tubes, go to ebay of course.
 
3.)The 5692 and the vintage GT (not the newer GTA,B) gives one of the widest soundstage and rich sound. If you want overall smoothness, go for the CV181 from Psvanetube
 
4.) Select match pair from options.
 
5.) Newer tubes are better value than NOS, but the sound quality depends on the amp. With Saga, NOS sounds better than new tubes, but they range from subtle to noticeable right away.
 
6.) see reference 6SN7 headfi http://www.head-fi.org/t/117677/the-reference-6sn7-thread

 
  Dear theveterans:
 
    Thank you sir for your very complete and detailed response(s)!...it will go a long way to my engaging in my latest addiction subset...    ...my long-standing primary one being "Hi-Fi" in general...
 
"Hi, my name is Tim, and I'm an audiophile"...
 
Oh, and I enjoyed watching that old Mullard Factory video on tube manufacturing...learned a good bit coming from my state of nearly total ignorance...wondering if there are any more, easy to digest, informative video...    ...

 

[belgiangenius]

Messing around with various tubes in my Freya, I've noticed you are best off with your most transparent tubes in the buffer stage.    So, now I have my Sylvania VT-231 in the buffer stage. 
 
The Kenrad VT-231 and Sylvania 1952 6SN7GT chrome domes I have sound similar (great bass, slightly less transparent).  I've settled on the KenRads in the gain stage for now.  If I use those tubes in both stages, sound starts to get a little syrupy because I think they just compound each other.
 
I have CBS Hytron 5692 (brown base) and RCA VT-231 grey bottles on the way to try out too.

 

[bigro]

  Messing around with various tubes in my Freya, I've noticed you are best off with your most transparent tubes in the buffer stage.    So, now I have my Sylvania VT-231 in the buffer stage. 
 
The Kenrad VT-231 and Sylvania 1952 6SN7GT chrome domes I have sound similar (great bass, slightly less transparent).  I've settled on the KenRads in the gain stage for now.  If I use those tubes in both stages, sound starts to get a little syrupy because I think they just compound each other.
 
I have CBS Hytron 5692 (brown base) and RCA VT-231 grey bottles on the way to try out too.

 
This is Interesting, My Expectation was the tube selection in the Buffer stage would not have much if any effect. Are you only Rolling NOS?
 
I guess this will Be the Saga/Freya Impressions thread until someone create a Freya Thread. My Freya is on the way (Although it will be here on Friday when I am out of town) Monday is a Holiday for me so  I will have some time to play Once I pick it up from the fedex store.