Schiit Freya plus. Is this an upgrade?

This should be a considerable upgrade. Maybe transformational for Schiit. Any time you lower the noise floor in any product by 20db over the outgoing model, that's significant. The ability to shut down the tubes when not in use is a big deal to many and the stepped volume knob I guess is nice. With the ability to cycle the tubes on/off, one can leave the preamp on all the time, sort of like a stand by status, and then turn on as necessary. The Freya S (without the tube stage) provides a pretty nice balanced remote controlled linestage for less than $600 and is likely all the non tube camp should need without spending alot more money.

Whether the Schiit sound (or lack thereof) floats your boat or not, what they are doing to make high quality audio gear affordable is refreshing.

@tomcarr

From the FAQ section of the Freya + on Schiit's website:

"So what’s the difference between Freya+ and the original Freya?
Actually, quite a bit. Here’s the breakdown:

1. Freya+ has a completely new tube stage, with DC heaters and a noise-cancelling semi-circlotron output buffer, which reduces noise by more than 20dB when compared to the original Freya—a significant improvement!
2. Freya+ has a completely new differential JFET buffer stage, which converts single-ended signals to balanced, which allows you to use more sources with mono Vidars or Aegirs.
3. Freya+ has a tube shutdown mode—tubes are completely off unless Freya is in tube output mode (no B+, no heaters, off means off), so you can extend life of costly tubes.
4. Freya+ has a motorized pot that tracks the remote control volume, which provides a continuous physical reference for the volume level.
5. Freya+ uses our new “fastenerless” chassis for a sleeker overall look.
6. Freya+ is sold only with new production Tung-Sol tubes, which we have found to be superior to affordable NOS tubes."

I've had a Freya and a couple of Sagas, amazing preamps for the money and its important to note that I also had an Audio Research Ref 5se at the same time. Make no mistake, the Freya/Saga did not play in the same league as the Ref 5se but you are talking orders of magnitude here. The Freya to me was noisier than the Saga but, (a) I only used the Freya single ended and (b) it was not noisy enough to cause me any issues and (c) I was using the Freya/Saga with non Schiit amps. The 5se is dead quiet and 3 dimensional in a way that defies reason, its that good BUT...and this is a big but, in a normal home with normal ambient noise, the Schiit preamps may be all the typical audiophile ever needs.

Any way you slice it, if this outperforms the original Freya, then it is a stone cold bargain. 

@tomcarr



No worries at all! I’m far from being a knowledge base for Schiit gear, just a casual observer. They make amazing gear that most everyone can afford and enjoy. Frankly, I wish they had come along before I went down the rabbit hole chasing sound in ever more expensive ways. All the best and enjoy your Freya, it is a truly fine piece of gear and when you factor in the price to value ratio, there may not be a better proposition anywhere.