As a longtime user of the venerable 6SN7 tube (my original home theaters preamp I built used a half dozen of them), my suggestion would be to try the Sylvania 6SN7 triangle plate version, a wonderfully balanced and engaging sounding tube, even when used at full gain. Sylvania made a lot of them from the late 1940’s on, so they are plentiful. NOS Sylvania are much cheaper than the holy grail 5692, and used ones are cheaper - and far better - than most new production. Nothing wrong with good used vintage tubes, especially when used in preamp service. The 6SN7 is by design a rugged tube, widely used in TVs of the day and also as switches in the earliest computers. Keep on rolling!
2x Shuguang Treasure CV181-Z left and 2x NOS Voskhod "rocket 6n23P 75' SWGP NOS Gray Shield or REFLECTOR Silver Shield 1975 SWGP on 6sn7 to 6n23p adaptor, will make your head go round. Regarding the tubes sitting low on FREYA, there are excellent Bakelite Vacuum Tube sockets Savers that will raise the height of the Freya tube sockets. one of the best 6N8S / 6SN7 equivalent is 1578 MELZ HOLE PLATE metal base tube. Put on the RHS.
I taped a small black paper triangle that points to the indent on the volume knob. that's the easiest way to gauge it from across the room when using the remote, without using a sharpie to mark a dot right on the knob's indention. I saw one guy tape on a toothpick
Just found your channel while looking for others who have experimented with tube rolling their Freya +’s. I received my Freya a couple months ago with JJ’s and ordered various tubes to experiment with. I also bought some socket savers because the chassis would get way too hot for my liking. I’m currently using four of the gold pin Electro-Harmonix since they arrived first. Big difference. I noticed with the JJ’s there was a weird resonance in certain male vocals that was irritating and the gold pin’s eliminated it. My experience could be different than others because our components will vary. I’m not sure if I’m going to try anything else because even with the socket savers I worry about the integrity of board and socket from swapping out tubes. And I like the sound now. The chassis temperature is way better now as well. Thanks for your research on the tubes. New subscriber too
@@SmallRoomAudio the other thing I noticed is after about three weeks with the JJ’s, my Topping D90 developed a little hissing sound through the speakers when no music was playing. Only noticeable with my ear up to the speaker but still bother some. It’s gone now
Schiit sells 6SN7 JJ matched quad tubes for $100. I have a feeling most Freya + buyers get these to have as backups and also to see the different sound.
Freya Plus measures better than any of the Bryston, Krell or Levinson preamps. Ayre, Pass and some other elite brands stopped listing their preamps' SNR when Freya came out for some reason.
Does the Tube 6SN7 (orginally provided) provide warmth to the sound? Sorry I am very very new in tubes! Because I intent to buy SAGA+ preamp and the Vidar Amp for my OMEN DIRTY WEEKEND [MK.II]. And changing that One tube can add more warmth? Thank you
This sounds perfect for me. I have a U-turn turntable that could benefit from no tubes and a Moon Audio CD player that could benefit from tubes. Plus, it is just better than what I have; Music Hall A25.2 @ 400.00 new, an old integrated in preamp mode.
The PSVANE 6SN7-SE are the PSVANE branded version of the COSSOR tube you have and at around 232 euro a pair. The glass envelope would need to be grabbed to pull tube, ideally one would want to pull tube from the base.
I own both. Saga is a nice way to dip a toe into tubes but the Saga is just a tube buffer so the impact is minimal; you really want to make a big difference something like the Freya is an entirely different game.
Odd, here in California I received my Freya+ W/ Electro-Harmonix (Black Bottom, NOT gold pin, ie cheeper ones) as stock and Schiit sell the Tung-Sol as the "upgrade". Tung-Sol sound better to me but only by a hair.
Hi B Tarr, thanks for the comment and for highlighting that Schiit offer different tubes in different territories - weird, you would think they’d get a large order to benefit from an economy of scale and keep all territories the same. I do agree the Tung Sols and EH are small differences, it’s all down to personal preference, but that’s the fun of tubes - so many to roll, I love it!
I have a schiit ragnarok 2 with outputs for both headphones and speakers. I really want a tube sound and the ability to swap and experiment and this looks perfect. My only question is would this benefit my headphones at all in terms of that Tubey sounds considering it’s meant for speakers ?
Hi Marcus, welcome to the channel! I’m more of a speaker man so don’t have a lot of experience with headphones. Maybe one of the subscribers can help answer that one for you.
@@SmallRoomAudio thank you for your responsiveness i just stumbled onto this channel and its got wonderfully produced content for its size and birthdate and i cant wait to see what other content you got in upcoming videos. cheers ! * subbed
Hi JJESSEE, thanks for the nice comment and Wellcome to the channel! I purchased them all on eBay. I’ll update the description box with more details when I can - on hols at the moment!
@@SmallRoomAudiothanks! In a newbie with pre amps in general and wanted something balanced (my new Purufi amp has balanced inputs only) and the tube option appealed to me, as I've never owned anything with tubes. Enjoyed your video and may try some of the tubes you recommend but my are they expensive!
I’d go with the stock tubes for now, get a feel for the Freya and how it works with your amp. Then you can choose the type of tubes you might want to compliment the sound signature later on - saving the pennies for the expensive glass! I’ve been eyeing up Mullard cv181 tubes...£300 per tube, gulp!! 😱
Hi Andy, they are certainly a tight fit on my Freya plus, but they did go in all ok. Maybe the size spec of the tube has since changed? Using a tube saver socket device might give you a bit of extra clearance?
@@SmallRoomAudio Yes I bet the diameter has changed ever so slightly. I was thinking along the same lines..maybe a socket saver would do the trick! Also I'd also like to mention that I really enjoy your videos and look forward to more. The production quality and entertainment *and* information value are all top notch. Even considering the crowded field with Steve Guttenberg, Zero Fidelity, Thomas & Stereo, Andrew Robinson, John Darko, etc. there's a place for your refreshing and insightful videos. Keep them coming!
@@SmallRoomAudio Yes a bit of John Cleese is a welcome addition to the audiophile reviewer stable! Also I noticed in your set up you mention Klipsch Cornwalls. I am interested in the Fortes vs Cornwalls. Aren't these a big big for "Small Room Audio"? Are you planning a review of the Cornwalls?
I managed to track down a pair of the Cossor’s but they don’t fit through the Freya 2 faceplate. Did you modify the tube insulator or the faceplate in any way to get these to play nice together?
Hi David, they fitted into my freya all ok, although it was tight there was no need for modification. Perhaps the design of that tube has since changed? 🤔
Might be from varying alignment of the PCB with the holes for the tubes. Mine is a little offset from the factory. Some socket savers could act as an extension to allow the fitment of these tubes.
Hi man, thanks for the very informative review. I have just one very important question. You said that one stock JJ tube died after 3 months. I would like to know how did you find out that tube is died? Was it during listening session? IF YES, did you hear any very loudly cracking/hissing noise in the speakers before that happend? I am very curious about this thing, because I am using Freya+ in my headphone setup, and I don’t want damage my hearing.
Thank you Mathúš 👍 It wasn’t a violent failure, it just got microphonic, starting with background hissing rather than popping, but this quickly got worse. If you start to hear anything dodgy I’d look to change them just to make sure you don’t get any nasty surprises!
@@SmallRoomAudio - Thanks for your answer. I would rather buy some replacement 6SN7 tubes, just for the case and also for future tube-rolling. Have a nice weekend. Peace.
Im building a Tube preamp , but i cant find the schematics for Shit freya, what i dont understand is why does it have 4 tubes , when you ha ve double trioudes in one tube , so that is 8 tubes , 4 per chanel , these tubes usually run at 50x amplification , so 4 of them is 50 to the 4th , that is a lot of amplification . My Single ended Power Amp has 3 tubes , ECC81 and 83 , so what i dont get is why does Shit have 4 tubes , i guess they run it in A class , not AB push pull , that wouldnt make much sense . Anyone knows a bit on this , maybe a schematic ?
Most all tube circuits use varying amounts of feedback which, by definition, lowers the gain by feeding back part of the output into the opposite phase input which cancels part of the output and a good bit of distortion and noise and hum as well as lowering the output impedance (important!). A buffer stage, which runs at unity gain, uses 100% feedback which results in the same voltage out as went in - except with more current available and a much lower output impedance. In a buffer circuit you could use almost any decent tube, as long as it isn’t defective or about to die, because all the feedback cancels out most all the hum, noise and overt tube colorations. The higher the gain in a tube circuit, the more critical the tube and it’s effect on the sound. The limit to the amount of gain a tube can deliver is stated as MU and can be found on tube data sheets. The 6SN7 is considered a low mu twin triode with an amplification factor of 20. By comparison, the ubiquitous 12AX7 is a high mu miniature twin triode with a mu of 100. Helpful? Good luck with your project and remember to always wear rubber-soled shoes and keep one hand behind your back.
@@daniannaci3258 No ,, i know all of that , dont know what makes you think that i dont know that , what i dont know is why Freya uses 4 tubes , what is the topology
I always thought that a Pre-Amp was basically a passive unit just used for volume control, and switching between different inputs that you may be using, and this Freya allows for up to 5 inputs. So let's assume that you are using just 1 input, like from your DAC for example. Does this Pre-Amp or any Pre-Amp for that matter actually make your SQ "better" than without a Pre-Amp? I get the tube rolling thing because I have a Schiit Valhalla 2 Headphone Amp, but the way you described the different tube combinations used on the Freya, shouldn't you get all of that out of the original source signal anyway without a Pre-Amp or is this now just modifying the original source signal?
Tubes in the freya (and tubes in general in preamps) undoubtedly modify the sound, but not like an eq, it’s more than that, it can make the sound more organic, more natural, probably less accurate but definitely more engaging. I’m a big tube fan, but it’s absolutely an acquired taste.
@@SmallRoomAudio Ok I get that it's an "acquired taste" thing, however, I'm just a guy with a champagne taste on a beer budget Uggg But I guess it's like anything else in HiFi, "you get what you pay for". I've heard nothing but good reviews regarding the Freya and of course you just had to take it to another level with the tube rolling, and that can become a hefty investment for sure. I guess I'll just have to start saving my pennies, and maybe write a couple letters to Santa :) But that was a great review nonetheless, thank's a lot for that :)
Thanks for the kind words Frank - if you get a Freya I’d start with new tubes as you can have lots of fun rolling those without breaking the bank. Leave the NOS tubes until you know exactly what sound you want to get, as they get pricey mega quick! Have fun, and enjoy the music :-)
As always such a treat to watch your videos This one was exactly what i was looking for 😊 ( I am using a Chinese tube amplifier ) Would appreciate your word on which would be a better set of Mono power amplifiers & preamp set..Schiit Freya + Aegir or should I opt for a complete Exposure Electronics stack or if you could suggest a brand I should follow Thanks in advance ! ( 2k to 3k Budget )
Thank you Anand! Either of those options are great, they lean on the warm side of neutral, and both carry rhythm really well. It’s hard to pick just one manufacturer as they all have their strengths and weaknesses - although it’s difficult to do in these times, but a home audition is the only true way to know what suits your tastes best. I’ll see if I can get some affordable mono setups later in the year though, would be a good vs video!
@@SmallRoomAudio You're right mate, an audition is the best way to judge but I have limited access to the above brands near me so i have to rely on friends like you before I make that purchase ...yes Schiit Freya looks Like an affordable yet commendable preamp
Hi, I Liked your review of the Freya and tube rolling. Could you tell me the name and model of the tubes ended up with? By the way, your description sounded exactly where I would like to go with the sound of my Freya. All the best, Matthew
Hi Matthew, thank you 🙏 I really like the psvane cossor globe twinned with the RCA 5692. There are lots of other options available; getting the right synergy with your system is key, but it’s a lot of fun experimenting 👍
The R8 is actually pretty good, a little harsh on the top end. Good halo-graphics & good sound stage depending on the song. If you listen to hard rock/metal or songs with a lot going on, it gets very busy with the sound. Sometimes a little over the top. If you listen to music that is more wide open it sounds really nice. Stuff like Country, slower songs, Jazz etc.. music with details, horns, strings & piano, have great details and separations. Basically listening at the 11 O'clock position is best, anything over 12-1 O'clock sort of falls off and a little harsh. I would recommend investing in a good DAC which will help and a Pre-amp. Which is why I'm here, my Freya + is to arrive soon, which hopefully will help with the little harsh and help relieve the load on the R8 tubes. Have tried the Winged C 6550's and currently using Gold Lions KT-88's no complaints. Although would like to try Mullard EL34 XF2 but that's more $$. Also good experience with CBS Hytron (?) 5691 & 5692. Also the Sylvania's Bad Boy's JAN tubes. I would look out for speakers with at least 92db sensitivity being the R8 puts out 45 watts in Ultra-Linear state. I currently am using Tekton Pendragons but I wouldn't recommend them. Don't get me wrong, they sound pretty good but the company itself is less desirable. 2 months wait time and you'll never see your grills, nothing but lame excuses. If I would do it again I would've spent a few dollars more and invest in speakers with horns like the Klipsch Heresey's 4 or spend more for the Klipsch Forte IV's or Cornwall IV's, where you can get them in days, fully equipped without excuses. The reason being they have horns in them , and hornst match good with tube amps. I also have some cheaper speakers with horns and they produce good high frequency sounds/vocals. Of course all above is just my opinion though...
I got the RCA Redbase ... it’s nice, very nice but won’t be able to match the Sylvania 6SN7GTA (50’s) for midrange and air. The best for me is the Pope Holland 6SN7GT. Nice review!
Michael Mityok ... so far mine are purchased from people I know. If not would have been too expensive to get the Popes. But I guess dealers like ‘The Tube Store’, ‘Tube Depot’ and ‘VacuumTubes.Com’ should be ok.
The 'Carlsberg' of Freya reviews! (ref; UK ad) Freya+ is on my Chopin Lizst, though production has halted due to Covid. I would look to 'roll' after a bit, and after what you have said would maybe go large with the output stage first. Did you experience much hiss btw?
Hi Rob! 😂 the Carlsberg reference! 👍. I found the freya+ to be quiet. I can only hear a slight noise through my Klipsch Cornwall 3, everything less efficient is pretty much silent. The JJ were the noisiest of the tubes I tried though, so just a warning on that one.
@@SmallRoomAudio Thank you for the reply!In your opinion does it worth its price?Currently i have got NAD 1155 old preamp which i like a lot,but i am wondering if Schiit Freya can give me better experience with the tubes.Thanks again!!!
Absolutely worth it - the best thing about the Freya is it’s versatility - changing the tubes can completely change the character of the sound, so you can mix and match to get a great combination that works for your setup. Cant say whether it’s better than what you have as I haven’t heard the NAD, but the Freya is one of my favourite pieces of equipment for under £1k
Freya gain settings are DANGEROUSE. Ht use requires gain set very high to get a little bit of sound which is then followed by ht receiver volume to control volume. However, DANGER if gain not turned all the way down when switching to tubes and say a dac. A very very dangerous and poor design. No warnings in manual.
I'm not at all a fan of people offering opinions of what "might" happen as negatives against any kind of product. Totally unfounded and not at all fair to the maker. In this case, the base "might " become a bit wobbly if you replace tubes often enough....
As a longtime user of the venerable 6SN7 tube (my original home theaters preamp I built used a half dozen of them), my suggestion would be to try the Sylvania 6SN7 triangle plate version, a wonderfully balanced and engaging sounding tube, even when used at full gain. Sylvania made a lot of them from the late 1940’s on, so they are plentiful. NOS Sylvania are much cheaper than the holy grail 5692, and used ones are cheaper - and far better - than most new production. Nothing wrong with good used vintage tubes, especially when used in preamp service. The 6SN7 is by design a rugged tube, widely used in TVs of the day and also as switches in the earliest computers. Keep on rolling!
Anything from sylvania sounds wonderful to me. Just so much air.
2x Shuguang Treasure CV181-Z left and 2x NOS Voskhod "rocket 6n23P 75' SWGP NOS Gray Shield or REFLECTOR Silver Shield 1975 SWGP on 6sn7 to 6n23p adaptor, will make your head go round. Regarding the tubes sitting low on FREYA, there are excellent Bakelite Vacuum Tube sockets Savers that will raise the height of the Freya tube sockets. one of the best
6N8S / 6SN7 equivalent is 1578 MELZ HOLE PLATE metal base tube. Put on the RHS.
Hi! What sort of adaptor is needed for the voskhod to be used in the freya+ please?
I look forward to more of your reviews and audio demos. By far one of the best videos I have seen on the freya +.
Thanks William, much appreciated!
I taped a small black paper triangle that points to the indent on the volume knob. that's the easiest way to gauge it from across the room when using the remote, without using a sharpie to mark a dot right on the knob's indention. I saw one guy tape on a toothpick
Just found your channel while looking for others who have experimented with tube rolling their Freya +’s. I received my Freya a couple months ago with JJ’s and ordered various tubes to experiment with. I also bought some socket savers because the chassis would get way too hot for my liking. I’m currently using four of the gold pin Electro-Harmonix since they arrived first. Big difference. I noticed with the JJ’s there was a weird resonance in certain male vocals that was irritating and the gold pin’s eliminated it. My experience could be different than others because our components will vary. I’m not sure if I’m going to try anything else because even with the socket savers I worry about the integrity of board and socket from swapping out tubes. And I like the sound now. The chassis temperature is way better now as well. Thanks for your research on the tubes. New subscriber too
Thanks Diggy’s Dad! I absolutely agree about mix and match dependent on components, and also personal taste. Welcome to the channel! 👍
@@SmallRoomAudio the other thing I noticed is after about three weeks with the JJ’s, my Topping D90 developed a little hissing sound through the speakers when no music was playing. Only noticeable with my ear up to the speaker but still bother some. It’s gone now
Schiit sells 6SN7 JJ matched quad tubes for $100. I have a feeling most Freya + buyers get these to have as backups and also to see the different sound.
Great job
Regardless of tubes, how do you rate the Freya+ compared to other 6SN7 preamps (like Icon Audio, Supratek and Cary)
Freya Plus measures better than any of the Bryston, Krell or Levinson preamps. Ayre, Pass and some other elite brands stopped listing their preamps' SNR when Freya came out for some reason.
Great review of FREYA! I've got the first Freya but i don't have changed the tubes. I think will do
Thanks Paolo! It’s great fun to experiment with, enjoy! 👍
Sound as good as a 10k preamp? Put black strip on volumn dial.
If a manufacturer of a 10k preamp is brave enough to send me one, I’ll find out!
Does the Tube 6SN7 (orginally provided) provide warmth to the sound? Sorry I am very very new in tubes! Because I intent to buy SAGA+ preamp and the Vidar Amp for my OMEN DIRTY WEEKEND [MK.II]. And changing that One tube can add more warmth? Thank you
The JJ, not really, not in the sense of ‘old school’ tubes and the big warm snuggle feeling. The Dirty Weekend looks like an awesome speaker, enjoy!
This sounds perfect for me. I have a U-turn turntable that could benefit from no tubes and a Moon Audio CD player that could benefit from tubes. Plus, it is just better than what I have; Music Hall A25.2 @ 400.00 new, an old integrated in preamp mode.
The PSVANE 6SN7-SE are the PSVANE branded version of the COSSOR tube you have and at around 232 euro a pair.
The glass envelope would need to be grabbed to pull tube, ideally one would want to pull tube from the base.
That's a useful comment - thanks
Freya+ is probably on my list. Many would like to know about the little brother Saga+ and tube rolling on it :)
Hi Hieu, the saga looks like a great entry point for a taste of tube magic. I’ll add it to my ‘to-do’ list!
I own both. Saga is a nice way to dip a toe into tubes but the Saga is just a tube buffer so the impact is minimal; you really want to make a big difference something like the Freya is an entirely different game.
Great review! I am planning on purchasing the Freya + and will try the RCA’s😄!!
Thanks ND, and enjoy the Freya+!
Great going,. Nice review
Thanks milaboss r! 👍
Nice job. You’re enjoyable to listen to, and you are well organized in your delivery. Nice b roll too. Looking forward to more!
Thank you, and welcome to the channel! 👍
Is sound of this preamp yin or yang sound signature? Looking for second pre amp on my main system is Conrad Johnson Et3se which is on the yin side.
Odd, here in California I received my Freya+ W/ Electro-Harmonix (Black Bottom, NOT gold pin, ie cheeper ones) as stock and Schiit sell the Tung-Sol as the "upgrade". Tung-Sol sound better to me but only by a hair.
Hi B Tarr, thanks for the comment and for highlighting that Schiit offer different tubes in different territories - weird, you would think they’d get a large order to benefit from an economy of scale and keep all territories the same. I do agree the Tung Sols and EH are small differences, it’s all down to personal preference, but that’s the fun of tubes - so many to roll, I love it!
can you try accuphase preamplifier? thanks
Hi, I’ve got a bunch of speakers to review at the moment but once I’ve cleared them I’ll have a look and see what’s possible!
@@SmallRoomAudio thank you
I have a schiit ragnarok 2 with outputs for both headphones and speakers. I really want a tube sound and the ability to swap and experiment and this looks perfect. My only question is would this benefit my headphones at all in terms of that Tubey sounds considering it’s meant for speakers ?
Hi Marcus, welcome to the channel! I’m more of a speaker man so don’t have a lot of experience with headphones. Maybe one of the subscribers can help answer that one for you.
@@SmallRoomAudio thank you for your responsiveness i just stumbled onto this channel and its got wonderfully produced content for its size and birthdate and i cant wait to see what other content you got in upcoming videos. cheers !
* subbed
Thank you for your kind words, and very pleased to have you on board!
Great review. Can you give a written detail on the tubes and link to where you purchased? Thanks
Hi JJESSEE, thanks for the nice comment and Wellcome to the channel! I purchased them all on eBay. I’ll update the description box with more details when I can - on hols at the moment!
hope your wallet is fat
I just ordered a Freya+. Which are the buffer tube sockets and which are the gain stage tube sockets?
Hi David, the gain stage is the two on the right, buffer is the two on the left. Enjoy the Freya! 👍
@@SmallRoomAudiothanks! In a newbie with pre amps in general and wanted something balanced (my new Purufi amp has balanced inputs only) and the tube option appealed to me, as I've never owned anything with tubes. Enjoyed your video and may try some of the tubes you recommend but my are they expensive!
I’d go with the stock tubes for now, get a feel for the Freya and how it works with your amp. Then you can choose the type of tubes you might want to compliment the sound signature later on - saving the pennies for the expensive glass! I’ve been eyeing up Mullard cv181 tubes...£300 per tube, gulp!! 😱
In comparison What's your thoughts on the freya+ and the Primaluma ev100
Hi Jack, I wish I could help with the comparison but I haven’t had that piece in my room to listen to yet. I’ve heard good things about it though.
@@SmallRoomAudio I went for th freya+ . Why 5 year warranty made in the USA the Prima looks is a 2 year warranty and made in China
It’s a great piece, enjoy! 👍
6SN7 reputed to be Microphonic. Your opinion? Whoops you mentioned it, thanks! No gloves?
you don't need to handle tubes with gloves, it's a myth
When I tried the PSVANE Cosairs, their base was too wide to pass through the Freya's chassis holes. Did you use new tube stock as I did?
Hi Andy, they are certainly a tight fit on my Freya plus, but they did go in all ok. Maybe the size spec of the tube has since changed? Using a tube saver socket device might give you a bit of extra clearance?
@@SmallRoomAudio Yes I bet the diameter has changed ever so slightly. I was thinking along the same lines..maybe a socket saver would do the trick! Also I'd also like to mention that I really enjoy your videos and look forward to more. The production quality and entertainment *and* information value are all top notch. Even considering the crowded field with Steve Guttenberg, Zero Fidelity, Thomas & Stereo, Andrew Robinson, John Darko, etc. there's a place for your refreshing and insightful videos. Keep them coming!
Thank you very much Andy, that’s really kind of you to say! I’m a big fan of those channels, and hopefully I can be their lighthearted British cousin!
@@SmallRoomAudio Yes a bit of John Cleese is a welcome addition to the audiophile reviewer stable! Also I noticed in your set up you mention Klipsch Cornwalls. I am interested in the Fortes vs Cornwalls. Aren't these a big big for "Small Room Audio"? Are you planning a review of the Cornwalls?
Haha yes well spotted - that’s going to be the Christmas special - HUGE speakers in a small room!
I managed to track down a pair of the Cossor’s but they don’t fit through the Freya 2 faceplate. Did you modify the tube insulator or the faceplate in any way to get these to play nice together?
Hi David, they fitted into my freya all ok, although it was tight there was no need for modification. Perhaps the design of that tube has since changed? 🤔
Might be from varying alignment of the PCB with the holes for the tubes. Mine is a little offset from the factory. Some socket savers could act as an extension to allow the fitment of these tubes.
Hi man, thanks for the very informative review. I have just one very important question. You said that one stock JJ tube died after 3 months. I would like to know how did you find out that tube is died? Was it during listening session? IF YES, did you hear any very loudly cracking/hissing noise in the speakers before that happend? I am very curious about this thing, because I am using Freya+ in my headphone setup, and I don’t want damage my hearing.
Thank you Mathúš 👍 It wasn’t a violent failure, it just got microphonic, starting with background hissing rather than popping, but this quickly got worse. If you start to hear anything dodgy I’d look to change them just to make sure you don’t get any nasty surprises!
@@SmallRoomAudio - Thanks for your answer. I would rather buy some replacement 6SN7 tubes, just for the case and also for future tube-rolling. Have a nice weekend. Peace.
cool so $600 in new tubes and we're good to go, nice, nice
Audiophile tinkering is painfully expensive. The standard Freya configuration is very good too.
The right tubes are worth it.
Im building a Tube preamp , but i cant find the schematics for Shit freya, what i dont understand is why does it have 4 tubes , when you ha ve double trioudes in one tube , so that is 8 tubes , 4 per chanel , these tubes usually run at 50x amplification , so 4 of them is 50 to the 4th , that is a lot of amplification . My Single ended Power Amp has 3 tubes , ECC81 and 83 , so what i dont get is why does Shit have 4 tubes , i guess they run it in A class , not AB push pull , that wouldnt make much sense .
Anyone knows a bit on this , maybe a schematic ?
A very interesting question - hopefully a member of the community can help. Good luck with the preamp build, sounds like an awesome project! 👍
@@SmallRoomAudio Should be nice , thank you , appreciate it .
Most all tube circuits use varying amounts of feedback which, by definition, lowers the gain by feeding back part of the output into the opposite phase input which cancels part of the output and a good bit of distortion and noise and hum as well as lowering the output impedance (important!). A buffer stage, which runs at unity gain, uses 100% feedback which results in the same voltage out as went in - except with more current available and a much lower output impedance. In a buffer circuit you could use almost any decent tube, as long as it isn’t defective or about to die, because all the feedback cancels out most all the hum, noise and overt tube colorations. The higher the gain in a tube circuit, the more critical the tube and it’s effect on the sound. The limit to the amount of gain a tube can deliver is stated as MU and can be found on tube data sheets. The 6SN7 is considered a low mu twin triode with an amplification factor of 20. By comparison, the ubiquitous 12AX7 is a high mu miniature twin triode with a mu of 100. Helpful? Good luck with your project and remember to always wear rubber-soled shoes and keep one hand behind your back.
@@daniannaci3258 No ,, i know all of that , dont know what makes you think that i dont know that , what i dont know is why Freya uses 4 tubes , what is the topology
Great tube rolling video. Any chance fo listing where you can purchase all those cool tubes?
Thanks Nick! I got them all from ebay!
I always thought that a Pre-Amp was basically a passive unit just used for volume control, and switching between different inputs that you may be using, and this Freya allows for up to 5 inputs. So let's assume that you are using just 1 input, like from your DAC for example. Does this Pre-Amp or any Pre-Amp for that matter actually make your SQ "better" than without a Pre-Amp? I get the tube rolling thing because I have a Schiit Valhalla 2 Headphone Amp, but the way you described the different tube combinations used on the Freya, shouldn't you get all of that out of the original source signal anyway without a Pre-Amp or is this now just modifying the original source signal?
Tubes in the freya (and tubes in general in preamps) undoubtedly modify the sound, but not like an eq, it’s more than that, it can make the sound more organic, more natural, probably less accurate but definitely more engaging. I’m a big tube fan, but it’s absolutely an acquired taste.
@@SmallRoomAudio Ok I get that it's an "acquired taste" thing, however, I'm just a guy with a champagne taste on a beer budget Uggg But I guess it's like anything else in HiFi, "you get what you pay for". I've heard nothing but good reviews regarding the Freya and of course you just had to take it to another level with the tube rolling, and that can become a hefty investment for sure. I guess I'll just have to start saving my pennies, and maybe write a couple letters to Santa :)
But that was a great review nonetheless, thank's a lot for that :)
Thanks for the kind words Frank - if you get a Freya I’d start with new tubes as you can have lots of fun rolling those without breaking the bank. Leave the NOS tubes until you know exactly what sound you want to get, as they get pricey mega quick! Have fun, and enjoy the music :-)
Awesome!
Thanks Isaac!
As always such a treat to watch your videos
This one was exactly what i was looking for 😊 ( I am using a Chinese tube amplifier )
Would appreciate your word on which would be a better set of Mono power amplifiers & preamp set..Schiit Freya + Aegir or should I opt for a complete Exposure Electronics stack or if you could suggest a brand I should follow
Thanks in advance ! ( 2k to 3k Budget )
Thank you Anand! Either of those options are great, they lean on the warm side of neutral, and both carry rhythm really well. It’s hard to pick just one manufacturer as they all have their strengths and weaknesses - although it’s difficult to do in these times, but a home audition is the only true way to know what suits your tastes best. I’ll see if I can get some affordable mono setups later in the year though, would be a good vs video!
@@SmallRoomAudio You're right mate, an audition is the best way to judge but I have limited access to the above brands near me so i have to rely on friends like you before I make that purchase ...yes Schiit Freya looks
Like an affordable yet commendable preamp
Great video, will you be reviewing the dynaudio speakers you have in your lineup?
Evoke 20 vs Special 40 is coming out at the end of the month once I’m back from a short holiday. 👍
@@SmallRoomAudio if you can please mention how they compare to the 705s2, really curious on that.
Absolutely - I plan on making a vs video between the winner of the Dynaudio test and the B&W - let’s see who takes the bookshelf crown!
Hi, I Liked your review of the Freya and tube rolling. Could you tell me the name and model of the tubes ended up with? By the way, your description sounded exactly where I would like to go with the sound of my Freya.
All the best,
Matthew
Hi Matthew, thank you 🙏 I really like the psvane cossor globe twinned with the RCA 5692. There are lots of other options available; getting the right synergy with your system is key, but it’s a lot of fun experimenting 👍
Did you use the Aegir or Vidar Amps? Do they Hum and Buzz up close?
I have the Aegir and don’t hear any hum - it’s a great little amplifier!
Hopefully their next model will include headphone input and then i will buy it :)))
Can’t wait for Freya plus plus plus!
@@SmallRoomAudio "Freyr" the brother of Freya :D .
Did you ever record the vid with those larger tubes?
Hi Even, they are 805 power tubes for my Line Magnetic 508ia, I’m looking to do that review with three different tube layouts in April.
Hi great reviews! Can you do a review on the Willsenton R8 and suggest some matching speakers for it? Best regards
Thanks Mick - if they send me one, I’ll happily review it!!
The R8 is actually pretty good, a little harsh on the top end. Good halo-graphics & good sound stage depending on the song. If you listen to hard rock/metal or songs with a lot going on, it gets very busy with the sound. Sometimes a little over the top. If you listen to music that is more wide open it sounds really nice. Stuff like Country, slower songs, Jazz etc.. music with details, horns, strings & piano, have great details and separations. Basically listening at the 11 O'clock position is best, anything over 12-1 O'clock sort of falls off and a little harsh. I would recommend investing in a good DAC which will help and a Pre-amp. Which is why I'm here, my Freya + is to arrive soon, which hopefully will help with the little harsh and help relieve the load on the R8 tubes. Have tried the Winged C 6550's and currently using Gold Lions KT-88's no complaints. Although would like to try Mullard EL34 XF2 but that's more $$. Also good experience with CBS Hytron (?) 5691 & 5692. Also the Sylvania's Bad Boy's JAN tubes.
I would look out for speakers with at least 92db sensitivity being the R8 puts out 45 watts in Ultra-Linear state. I currently am using Tekton Pendragons but I wouldn't recommend them. Don't get me wrong, they sound pretty good but the company itself is less desirable. 2 months wait time and you'll never see your grills, nothing but lame excuses. If I would do it again I would've spent a few dollars more and invest in speakers with horns like the Klipsch Heresey's 4 or spend more for the Klipsch Forte IV's or Cornwall IV's, where you can get them in days, fully equipped without excuses. The reason being they have horns in them , and hornst match good with tube amps. I also have some cheaper speakers with horns and they produce good high frequency sounds/vocals. Of course all above is just my opinion though...
I got the RCA Redbase ... it’s nice, very nice but won’t be able to match the Sylvania 6SN7GTA (50’s) for midrange and air. The best for me is the Pope Holland 6SN7GT.
Nice review!
Discovering new tubes is so much fun, I’ll have to give those two a go!!
Small Room Audio ... me personally, the Sylvania 6SN7GTA (50’s) is fine. Works great. Popes are usd500 ea 😂🤣
@@hushpuppykl which is the best online retailer for 6SN7 tubes?
Michael Mityok ... so far mine are purchased from people I know. If not would have been too expensive to get the Popes. But I guess dealers like ‘The Tube Store’, ‘Tube Depot’ and ‘VacuumTubes.Com’ should be ok.
@@hushpuppykl i ask cuz i bought some from an online retailer and all of them are microphonic
The 'Carlsberg' of Freya reviews! (ref; UK ad) Freya+ is on my Chopin Lizst, though production has halted due to Covid. I would look to 'roll' after a bit, and after what you have said would maybe go large with the output stage first.
Did you experience much hiss btw?
Hi Rob! 😂 the Carlsberg reference! 👍. I found the freya+ to be quiet. I can only hear a slight noise through my Klipsch Cornwall 3, everything less efficient is pretty much silent. The JJ were the noisiest of the tubes I tried though, so just a warning on that one.
Is this preamp too sharp sounding?
I find it to be clean and quick in passive, slightly more body in Jfet and as warm and smooth as you like depending on what tubes you stick into it.
@@SmallRoomAudio Thank you for the reply!In your opinion does it worth its price?Currently i have got NAD 1155 old preamp which i like a lot,but i am wondering if Schiit Freya can give me better experience with the tubes.Thanks again!!!
Absolutely worth it - the best thing about the Freya is it’s versatility - changing the tubes can completely change the character of the sound, so you can mix and match to get a great combination that works for your setup. Cant say whether it’s better than what you have as I haven’t heard the NAD, but the Freya is one of my favourite pieces of equipment for under £1k
Freya gain settings are DANGEROUSE. Ht use requires gain set very high to get a little bit of sound which is then followed by ht receiver volume to control volume. However, DANGER if gain not turned all the way down when switching to tubes and say a dac. A very very dangerous and poor design. No warnings in manual.
Explain. What will happen if the gain is not turned all the way down?
@@a3marketing991 youll explode ur eardrums
Huh. Not in my experience. Guess YMMV.
"Piece of kit", no it's a piece of schitt!
I'm not at all a fan of people offering opinions of what "might" happen as negatives against any kind of product. Totally unfounded and not at all fair to the maker. In this case, the base "might " become a bit wobbly if you replace tubes often enough....
STOP spinning your tubes into place unless you like shorting plate to filament...
Avoid this Freya+ pre - Its Bright sounding, Has a very Cheap sound & Garbage sounding. I just got a new one and its Horrible sounding BEWARE!
Still waiting for your reply? I guess you decided to keep it, fraud.