Have you upgraded from a Freya?

@marco1 

Be prepared to spend a sizable sum to get a significant improvement.  I just upgraded from the original Freya to an Atma-Sphere MP 3.  The Atma is 10 times the price of the Freya and considered to be one of the better preamps available at any cost.  Is there an improvement?  Sure.  But it also shows me how good the Freya really is.

Thanks for the response and insight, good to know. Based on my experience and what everyone else says, I was pretty sure the Freya was a high performer. I am intrigued by the Benchmark LA4, though it may just be a lateral move with a different sound.

Just an update, I acquired a used Coda 07x to mate with my #8. I am not as excited about as I expected to be, but still evaluating. My primary issue is that it is not great for low volume listening, which is my primary mode. Great soundstage and detail, but lacks a degree of liveliness that the Freya delivers at lower volumes. 

I have some other options on my list, the Holo Serene and the Benchmark LA4. @yyzsantabarbara You have extolled the virtues of the LA4, can you comment on how it does at low volumes? I am also concerned that the level of detail it seems to offer might lead to fatigue, any comment there?

@dain Thanks! I will check that one out. I only have a single source as well, but as we know a good preamp makes all the difference.

@chenry Agreed the ergonomics are not so great on the Freya. I have "enhanced" the volume knob so that I can see the setting from more than a couple feet away. I tend to have mine on all day and use the buffered mode for that reason. The temperature of the case in tube mode is scary, enough so I would not leave it unattended. For occasional use the tubes do sound good though.

@yyzsantabarbara Thanks, it sounds like the LA4 is what I am looking for and I will take the next step.

Trigger pulled. I shall report back.

Following up as promised. I am really enjoying the Benchmark LA4, it is quiet, exceedingly neutral, offers great detail and is good for low volume listening. But of course I want more! "Exceedingly neutral" might be the highest compliment for preamplifier purists, but I remain curious about the sound of other preamps. The other preamp I have on my list is the Holo Serene and I would be interested to hear from others that have had this preamp in their stack, and ideally from those that have compared it to the LA4. ( @yyzsantabarbara  🙂)

The Serene is also know to be dead silent and very neutral, but I have seen hints that it might add a little tinge of flavor or musicality. The latter term is hard to define, but one of those things that you know it when your hear or feel it. I am also interested in other options in the solid state space, I am not interested in tubes at this time. Any Schiit Kara owners yet? I am very curious about that one as well.

Thanks for the feedback folks.

@ozzy62 Beautiful piece of gear that Hattor, and very attractive pricing. I could not find any specs, specifically output impedance, on the site. Given it is passive, that would figure heavily into any decision. I tried the passive on the Freya+ for a while, but it seemed a bit dull compared to the buffered and tube stages. That is my only experience with passive, but I am not against the idea.

@yyzsantabarbara I do plan to upgrade from LS50's someday soon and will likely give the LRS+'s a listen. I plan to move to a slightly larger room this winter and that will open up some possibilities in that area. Interesting thoughts on the Mjolnir, I looked at it, seems like a pretty amazing piece of gear.