I listened to the newly arrived Freya today and I can only think of one word: WOW!!!!
This is not a little difference, this is not a difference, this is not a big difference. This is a HUGE difference.
I know my old unit the Quad 44 was dated, but it was designed by one of the audio wonders of the sixties to eighties, Peter Walker. But I have to say it is no match whatsoever to the Schiit Freya.
The differences are everywhere. The high is more billiant, cymbals sound so brittle. And the decay times ........... The bass is so tight it surprises met with every new track I play. I always thought bass was no fun to play as it was so monotone, now I hear all the nuances in acoustic as well as electric and electronic bass. And the midds are so laid back that I sometimes think I'm missing something. And I am, the (even little) harshness I had before is now totally gone. The voices are so intimate it's like you're having a private concert in your own living room. This pre-amp is a miracle to me.
This is my second Schiit device that will never leave my audio system unless it is replaced by something new Jason Stoddard en Mike Moffatt come up with in future. I adore these guys for what they are doing for the audio world. Thumbs up.
The comparison between the 3 stages, passive, JFET and tube are very difficult to distinct because of the gain difference between them. Output on passive is low, JFET is higher and tube is much higher. So it's not easy to make A-B compare in a track playing. You have to replay the track in every mode and try to find the right volume level to compare. Not easy in my opinion.
My first impression is that JFET is my favourite, has a little bit more punch over the passive mode. The tubes sound very impressive at first but it looks like they are a little more work for my ears and give earlier listening fatigue. But especially on old analogue recordings the performance in tube mode is just phenomenal as it gives that little more juice to the recording.
The sound stage overall is double the wide it was before. The instruments that used to swerve in the sound image before are put in place and never move. There is more depth in the image, more top and bottom.It's holographic and immensely realistic.
I realise now that I have never heard the Gumby to it's full potential before now.
The clicking of the stepped attenuator is nowhere to be heard in audio signal. Big difference to the Khozmo I tried so time ago. The clicking was over the speakers. You can sometimes hear that the first step is released before the next is engaged by a very short silence as I experience it. The clicking sound itself is no bother to me.
The most amazing track I played so far was St. James infirmary blues by Yo Yo Ma and the silk road ensemble from the Sing me home album. I saw in the Ted presentation of this performance that there were many instruments in the recording, now I can see them all with my eyes closed when I play the recording. Truly amazing.
So back to what started this conversation. I can't say anything about the Van Alstine Trans 10RB SD because I have never heard it, but I can say about the Schiit Freya that it rocks the world for me. At this price the Freya is a real bargain.On a scale of 10 I would give it 11-12.
