Schiit Freya plus. Is this an upgrade?

@recluse
Thanks for sharing.
What amp are you using it with?
Are the volume clicks a physical noise, or do they come through the speakers?
I've read that the Freya+ gets very warm.  Is it warm enough to be a concern about long term performance life?

The clicks come from the unit and are about as loud as a socket wrench. I don’t move the volume much after sitting but the mute button comes in handy. So far the volume has been at 12o,clock with tube gain. 2oclock without.

 I have been running tube and ss amps through, also using different speakers. So far am very impressed for the money. It gets a little warm but nothing like class A amps can get. The tubes are what’s hottest and I believe they shut down if not in use? - maybe someone else can clarify this.

I don’t think there is an amp that won’t mate well with it melm. It has three modes including gain and buffer so you can’t go wrong. I would definitely put it in the Best Buy category. You have 2 weeks to return for refund. There are others here on Agon that have more experience with the original Freya and other preamps in general....

I have owned both the Freya and Freya+.   The solid state on both the original and + are dead quiet and have excellent resolution.   The SS buffer is very good and in the class of the Adcom GFP-750 (Nelson Pass) and McCormack LD-2 that I have owned.  I sold these as I fell in love with tubes.   The best tube system I have owned to date is the ARC LS-26.   The original Freya was better than my Conrad Johnson ET-3SE.   The new Freya+ is a good as the LS-26.   The original Freya has a great balance and bloom.   With my system (Wyred4Sound Dac2 and self powered Martin Logan Purity Speakers), I loved the original Freya’s overall sound and bang for the buck but the noise floor and gain were a little too high with my very sensitive powered system (0.5 volts for full volume).   It was sweeter sounding than the CJ ET-3 SE so besting a $3500 Pre-amp.   The Freya+ is a nice step up.  It is Dead quiet with tubes.   Dynamics are greatly improved with the lower noise floor.  Resolution/Detail is also improved.  It is as good as the LS26.  If you are looking in the $1000 to $5500 and want to use tubes, you will be pleasantly surprised.  It is really good Schiit (lol).  

On the clicks, they do not come through the audio system.   Volume increase is very smooth.   It is just the physical relays engaging for the stepped attenuation.   This is the highest quality volume control you can have.  Both CJ and ARC use stepped attenuation.   

rrebello9,

Thanks for your comments about the Freya.  I have a GFP-750 and tried a Freya last year and was shocked at how much better the GFP-750 was, not subtle, but massive (in all modes).  I was not sure if the Freya I got was defective, and Schiit never advised it was when I returned it.  Seeing your post tells me that something was not right with my unit.  

Now the question is do I try the Freya +, or the Freya S?  I am leaning towards the S, as it has the Nexus active stage with no gain, and I traditionally run in passive on my GFP-750.  As I run balanced, I don't want (need) the extra 12db of gain from the tube section.  My system is a Schiit Gungir Multibit, Sunfire Stereo Amp, NHT active crossover, Magnapan 3.5s (factory rebuilt last year), Rythmik E15 subwoofer.