2. amps-preamps
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Thinking Out Loud

I have been interested in checking out the “tube sound” for some time and just bought a Schiit Freya+ to pair with my SS amp.  The Freya+ replaces, or compliments, a Parasound P5 preamp I have been using.  I don’t know whether to just set aside the Parasound pre and go with the Freya+, as I don’t know how to incorporate both into my system so I could just switch between them.

A bigger issue surfaced when I realized the Freya+ doesn’t have a dac, not even for phono use.  So it wasn’t as simple as getting the Freya+ and dropping it into the system, I now need to supply a dac for at least the phono.  I had previously purchased a Audiolab CD transport, which lacks a built-in dac.  To remedy that, I bought a Pro-ject Dac Box 2 that I was just using with the Audiolab via the RCA-type connection.  I know this dac has other connections, but I’m not sure if I can connect it to the Freya+ using the other connections.  The Pro-ject has no power off button, so I have been plugging and unplugging it each time I play a CD.  Now I would have to do that each time I want to play vinyl — a bit annoying.

I think my problem is that I approached things piecemeal, adding/substituting gear without realizing up front the problems in doing that.  Do I just switch to the Freya+ full-time or is there a good way to incorporate both preamps?  Do I try to use the Pro-ject dac with available connections, or do I retire the Pro-Ject and buy a more full-featured dac equipped to handle multiple devices easily?
bob540
lowrider57's avatar
lowrider57
5,397 posts
 
@hshifi , why use both Toslink and SPDIF?
And why would he need both preamps? The Parasound Zphono-USB phono preamplifier can be used for vinyl.


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jwillox
177 posts
 
“I think my problem is that I approached things piecemeal, adding/substituting gear without realizing up front the problems in doing that.”

Exactomundo 😎
bob540 OP
405 posts
 
Today I hooked the Freya+ into my system.  It was a pain in ass just getting everything apart.  I see photos of others’ systems here and the cables are so neat — mine looks like a mass of spaghetti tied into a Gordian knot!  I ended up disassembling everything, wires and all.  Getting it back together wasn’t much easier and it looks very jumbled.  I will figure out the aesthetics later.

I must say — it was worth it.  The Freya+ brings the sound out more, especially the higher sounds.  I was expecting a “mellow” sound, as that is what everyone talks about with tubes, but it was the highs that were pronounced.  The bass was subdued and really needed my subs on to give some balance.  Still, the sound is a bit bright.  I haven’t yet hooked up the Parasound zphono to use as phone pre but that will be next.  
ghdprentice
6,491 posts
 
OP congratulations. It is always great to get a new piece of equipment.

The reputation for “mellow” sound comes from tube implementations of long ago where they tended to be rolled off at the top but with huge midrange bloom. Modern implementations tend to be very well balanced but still with a midrange bloom.
Some of your first impression may come from the unit not being broken in. Tubes tend to sound a bit trebly for the first ten or fifteen hours. The unit should mellow a bit and the bass may tighten a bit in the first hundred or so hours. The more expensive the unit the usually the more obvious are the changes. But give it 100 hours or more before solidifying your conclusions.
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