Freya S has now burned in and stands ready for review. The quickly switchable modes and input sources with the ingenious remote is a nifty innovation indeed. Volume control is pinpoint, and for me, the clicking gives a sense of authority. Design is clean and appealing. Balanced in/out also a great bonus at this price level.
That said, I'll be moving to the Freya+ when Schiit's next batch arrives. Principal reason: having run a tube buffer on digital inputs for 6 years prior to Freya S, I'm finding annoyance with SS brightness. The Freya+ won't likely solve my other quibble, though: the absence of a huge power supply giving the impression of effortless grace. I seem to hear this little 11-lb engine huffing and puffing up the hills that a brute preamp negotiates with ease. Through my speakers, anyhow.
So next we'll give the Plus a couple months to show whether it's up to playing the role of Forevermore Line Preamp. If not? At worst it becomes an instructive yet eminently affordable experiment, while at best it leaves $5K in the bank for other frivolities.
That said, I'll be moving to the Freya+ when Schiit's next batch arrives. Principal reason: having run a tube buffer on digital inputs for 6 years prior to Freya S, I'm finding annoyance with SS brightness. The Freya+ won't likely solve my other quibble, though: the absence of a huge power supply giving the impression of effortless grace. I seem to hear this little 11-lb engine huffing and puffing up the hills that a brute preamp negotiates with ease. Through my speakers, anyhow.
So next we'll give the Plus a couple months to show whether it's up to playing the role of Forevermore Line Preamp. If not? At worst it becomes an instructive yet eminently affordable experiment, while at best it leaves $5K in the bank for other frivolities.