Tube Preamp

I just installed a Schiit Loki EQ device that sells for only 149 from the Schiit website.  It has four knobs that have a decent click at dead center and are turned left or right to influence the EQ.  Each of the four knobs controls a different EQ range, rather than just the old “bass/treble”.  It is passive, and has a bypass switch to take it off line if desired.  It gets VERY HIGH reviews by users as not molesting the quality of the signal.  I can not determine any negative impacts to soundstage or quality of sound.  Each knob adjust at a very slight EQ level for the first portion of the turn, then gets more aggressive as you turn it more, allowing for very fine tuning.  You simply install in the signal path between your pre and power amp.  This is not the old EQ design, it has the mastery of the latest technology that Schiit has become well known for, at a very good price.  I too have a tube pre-amp, but with no EQ controls, I previously did not like any of this in my system.  Im 65 yrs old and have been running tube equipment since I was 15.  This is the first EQ i have allowed into my system, usually run everthing flat and straight.  Its that good to my ears, and saves me a little money by not always rolling tubes to get the sound I am looking for.  I now get to adjust it for every source and quality of EQ recordings to my taste.  I usually don’t influence it much, but just enough to fine tune each source or specific music.  Read the reviews on the Schiit website or on-line idependant reviews.  Don’t like it?  Send it back.  But I don’t think you will, its that good.

Low rider:  Indeed a linear power supply may result in an improvement.  Its a 16V wart.  I’ve got 3 warts on my system.  To date I’ve addressed this by doubling up a Furhman power conditioner with EFI-EMi clamps on all my plugs/connectors, and isolate the warts as far away from my components as possible using a dedicated power strip for the warts also plugged into the Furhman.  I’ve plugged and unplugged the warts at full power/volume and don’t hear them.  Thats not to say soundage isn’t impacted.  I’m dead quite on all inputs except my Mc phono, but don’t feel its coming from any of the warts.  Tubes seem to be the #1 variable in the phono section noise department.  I’ve done an AB comparison of the LOKi in/out of the system and detect no issues.  Its clean.  I strive for extreme detail as my MO and accomplish this via driving a large pair of ML electrostats bi-amped with a pair of NUForce STA-200’s, and a tube pre-amp that includes grid frame’s in the first section of the tubes and the Russian 75 HG Saratovs in the 2’nd part of the phono stage.  Have also installed the little VIshay low uF bypass capacitors on both the Martin Logan high and medium stator caps, and run the same along with bypass capacitors and Mundorf Supreme EVO gold, silver & oil caps in the audio output stage of the pre-amp.  Net, I can hear a flea walk across the recording studio.  The soundstage is crisp, detailed, and deep.  Not everyone likes this, I strive for it.  But its extremely revealing of system, source, or recording issues.  Not detected w/the Loki.  But I have to admit in the quest for improvement, a linear supply may result in another step up.  The challenge is numerous different voltages in the wall wart row.  You think the industry would standardize.  Need a Swiss knife LPI that can handle various voltages from one unit.  The Schiit Loki is not a tube pre-amp, but I wanted to mention it because the topic author suggested EQ was important to their interest and its the first EQ that meets my expectations without molesting the SQ IMHO for what its worth.

Gutenberg has a nice review of the LOKI.

PS:  agree the Freya looks like one heck of a pre-amp.  My own personal reservation with that amp is the limited tube options, saying that from having amassed a  quantity of various 6922’s and 12ax7’s over the years.  I would hate to part with the frame grids.