Schiit Fans ?

[krautmaster]

So I had the A21+ repaired and nearly got a hernia getting it out of the box and back on my rack... I ended up selling it to a fellow member who is a lot younger and can muscle that beast around better than I can (I was afraid I was going to drop it on my foot). I bought a Schiit Wotan, but it came damaged in shipping (dropped from way up high enough to bend the whole bottom frame enough so that the internal panel that goes around the transformers no long fit) so they sent me another within a week. I like that I can move the Wotan around easily because it is 20lbs lighter (55lbs vs 73 lbs), and the case is half the height of the A21+ so it is easier to get a grip on.

After playing the Wotan for a week it sounds practically identical to the A21+ when I have the feedback turned on (neither amp ever ran out of power, and both have very strong bass). With feedback on the gain is lower (26db) but the damping is higher, with feedback off it has 32db gain but with a reduced damping factor, so it plays louder but less accurately.

Feedback off is good for low level/background music, as it kind of has a slightly warm tube amp vibe to it, but when you give it moderate volume the bass gets a slight bit more fuzz than I like - sort of like listening to an FM radio station that you haven't got tuned in perfectly. The sound stage is also compressed somewhat. With the feedback on the sound is crystal clear with a more developed sound stage, much wider and deeper, and all the instruments are pin pointed in space, so I'm just running it with the feedback on all the time.

I have yet to get the Forkbeard app to show it moving out of Class A into Class AB no matter how loud I play it. I've had my Monitor Audio Silver 500 speakers blasting away to at least 90db with 100+ db peaks and it shows class A all the time. After running it at moderate volume (75-80db) all day the heat sinks only get up to 92-94F degrees, the internal fans never come on. I'm very pleased with the performance of this amp, it plays my old Infinity RS4b low ohm load speakers just as easily as the A21+ did. I also prefer the $2K price tag of the Wotan to that of the A21+ which is now going for $5K.

Pics of the damaged unit:


Pics of the new one:

 

[izeek11]

gm, ak! some funk to wake you up

 

[krautmaster]

My SCHIIT saga continues: I just bought another Freya+ tube preamp to use in the office system and put the oldest one in the bedroom. It arrived this evening after waiting all day for FedEx to deliver it ( 9AM became 11, then 1PM, then 3, then 5, and finally "end of day" which was 7 PM) I hooked it up to my office stereo and it worked fine in passive and differential buffer modes, but the tube mode was horrid- they sent some cheap Russian 6N8S tubes that snapped, popped, hummed and howled no matter what position they were in. I took them out and put in my set of LIIST tube replacements, flipped it on and it proceeded to blow my Wotan amp to kingdom come- LOUD SNAP, blue spark out the front by the standby switch, room light dimmed down to nothing then the stench of an electrical fire... it still stinks in the room.

Needless to say both the Freya+ and Wotan are getting shipped back to them tomorrow, I just hope it didn't damage my Monitor Audio Silver 500 speakers or the new Mimir.
I checked the LIIST thingies in my other Freya and they are fine, but those 6N8S tubes makes the devils noise. I'll move the Silver 500's into the bedroom tomorrow to play them on a known good amp to see if they were damaged.

... if only Schiit would put the damn power switch on the front where you can get to it quickly...

 

[izeek11]

My SCHIIT saga continues: I just bought another Freya+ tube preamp to use in the office system and put the oldest one in the bedroom. It arrived this evening after waiting all day for FedEx to deliver it ( 9AM became 11, then 1PM, then 3, then 5, and finally "end of day" which was 7 PM) I hooked it up to my office stereo and it worked fine in passive and differential buffer modes, but the tube mode was horrid- they sent some cheap Russian 6N8S tubes that snapped, popped, hummed and howled no matter what position they were in. I took them out and put in my set of LIIST tube replacements, flipped it on and it proceeded to blow my Wotan amp to kingdom come- LOUD SNAP, blue spark out the front by the standby switch, room light dimmed down to nothing then the stench of an electrical fire... it still stinks in the room.

Needless to say both the Freya+ and Wotan are getting shipped back to them tomorrow, I just hope it didn't damage my Monitor Audio Silver 500 speakers or the new Mimir.
I checked the LIIST thingies in my other Freya and they are fine, but those 6N8S tubes makes the devils noise. I'll move the Silver 500's into the bedroom tomorrow to play them on a known good amp to see if they were damaged.

... if only Schiit would put the damn power switch on the front where you can get to it quickly...

View attachment 3770593View attachment 3770594View attachment 3770596

damn, that sucks. wonder what happened.
i didn't like those stock tubes either. mine didnt make noises other than being euphonic if you knocked against the stand or the freya itself. like tapping the case would do it.
got rid of them quick. replaced them with kenrad 6sn7s. they're wonderful.

 

[Gigantic]

I'm beginning to sour on my Schiit. I sent my Freya + to Texas twice last year and it is once again making a sharp "crack" ten seconds ofter it's powered off, meaning I've likely got another bad power transformer. My Skoll, which isn't two years old, has started to hum and I don't believe that it's simply forgotten the words, so that will have to go back to Texas, as well. Even if they don't charge for the repairs, the shipping will set me back a pretty penny and after so many repairs, I've begun to lose faith that the repairs will have any sense of permanence; I'll probably have to send them back again and again, and again and again. I can't afford that and at the current moment, I can't afford to replace them with something better, so I'm stuck with my schitty-ass, noisy Schiit.

 

[playittwice]

I’ve had three POS, I can honestly say I don’t miss them. Just my own personal experience.

 

[krautmaster]

Schiit send a return label for the Freya+, they are swapping it out for a new one, but I have to eat the shipping on the Wotan... at least it has a 5 year warranty. This is the first time I've gotten a bad piece from them, other than my first Wotan which was bent to hell in shipping, but replaced by them quickly. All my other Schiit stuff works just fine, crossing my fingers that they remain so.

 

[krautmaster]

damn, that sucks. wonder what happened.
i didn't like those stock tubes either. mine didnt make noises other than being euphonic if you knocked against the stand or the freya itself. like tapping the case would do it.
got rid of them quick. replaced them with kenrad 6sn7s. they're wonderful.

The differential buffer and tube sections were junk right out of the box... passive mode worked fine, in differential buffer mode there was some low level static and hiss which changed if I wiggled the tubes. In straight tube mode the cheap 6N8S tubes popped, snapped, hissed, squealed and farted no matter what position they were installed in. I put in my set of LISST replacements and turned it on, as soon as the warm up finished and it started to play and made the same noises as the tubes then the Amp blew two outputs on the right channel.

I tried the 6N8S tubes in my older Freya+ and they were horribly noisy, while the LISST work fine. I moved the speakers into the bedroom with a known good amp and they survived without damage so I got lucky there.

 

[krautmaster]

damn, that sucks. wonder what happened.
i didn't like those stock tubes either. mine didnt make noises other than being euphonic if you knocked against the stand or the freya itself. like tapping the case would do it.
got rid of them quick. replaced them with kenrad 6sn7s. they're wonderful.

Most 6SN7 tubes will make noises if you tap on the preamp case or the tube itself... all my NOS tubes do this as do my newer Psvane tubes. I only have one quad of tubes that doesn't make any noise at all (Ray Select 6SN7) but the glass on those is so thick & heavy nothing would disturb them.

 

[izeek11]

The differential buffer and tube sections were junk right out of the box... passive mode worked fine, in differential buffer mode there was some low level static and hiss which changed if I wiggled the tubes. In straight tube mode the cheap 6N8S tubes popped, snapped, hissed, squealed and farted no matter what position they were installed in. I put in my set of LISST replacements and turned it on, as soon as the warm up finished and it started to play and made the same noises as the tubes then the Amp blew two outputs on the right channel.

I tried the 6N8S tubes in my older Freya+ and they were horribly noisy, while the LISST work fine. I moved the speakers into the bedroom with a known good amp and they survived without damage so I got lucky there.

that's messed up for sure.
thankfully, I've not had any issues other than a socket i damaged. and. something else i can't remember that only cost me shipping. both on me.
sorry to hear you're having problems with your gear. always sucks. at least your speakers didn't get damaged.

 

[izeek11]

Most 6SN7 tubes will make noises if you tap on the preamp case or the tube itself... all my NOS tubes do this as do my newer Psvane tubes. I only have one quad of tubes that doesn't make any noise at all (Ray Select 6SN7) but the glass on those is so thick & heavy nothing would disturb them.

diint know.
mind if i ask what you thought of those tubes?

 

[Trays]

Not a good look for Schitt (Re: what krautmaster is reporting on a new Freya+).

To be fair to Schiit, maybe damaged in shipping, but if not, why isn't the factory running a quick test on their expensive stuff when it comes off the assembly line?

 

[nailer]

Emily Litella (Sorry, couldn't resist the play on words.)

Was looking into the Kara F and Freya+ F, but no balance control made it a no go.

 

[StimpyWan]

Not a good look for Schitt (Re: what krautmaster is reporting on a new Freya+).

To be fair to Schiit, maybe damaged in shipping, but if not, why isn't the factory running a quick test on their expensive stuff when it comes off the assembly line?

Jason has commented, on his Head-Fi forum, that all gear gets a burn-in test and listening check prior to shipping. He seems committed to his product and their purchasers, which is one of the reasons I buy from Schiit. Good sound for the price is the other. That said, I hope @krautmaster gets his equipment issues resolved asap...!

 

[fredgarvin]

I've been lucky with my gear over the years. I did have a Marantz amp that went bad and damaged crossover pieces and a tweeter in a speaker. I had a bad tube bring the magic smoke but that amp still works. I've had a couple of ChiFi amps brick after a couple of years but that's about it. The Schiit Freya N has become my favorite preamp.

 

[krautmaster]

diint know.
mind if i ask what you thought of those tubes?

Which ones? quick break down of all of mine from worst to best:

1). Late 1940's Sylvania 6SN7GT bottom getter (not the Bad Boy though,date codes are wrong) overall MEH, but the tops are turning brown so they are near the end of their life.

2). 1970's coin base Sylvania and RCA 6SN7GTB (three sets of these)- nothing special about these at all- used for spares in case the other tubes fail. Very mildly microphonic

3). 1950's Sylvania 6SN7GTA and GTB (three different sets of these: green, yellow, and red labels): top end is sweet and "sparkly", good bass, not much 3D holography- sound stage is pretty flat and between the speakers. Mildly microphonic, a couple make static after a few hours of use. Also have a couple of 6SN7WGT military spec tubes- these are pretty good and very quiet.

4). Russian reproduction TONG SOL 6SN7GTB- strong base, mid range is good, top is decent, one tube goes noisy after two hours- these too are now spares

5). Tie: Psvane Horizon CV181-AT (6SN7 equivalent) and RAY 6SN7 Select (hand picked Psvane Hi-Fi coke bottle tubes): Great bass, strong mid range, sweet highs, 3d Holographic like crazy, I love these tubes. the CV181 are a touch microphonic if you tap on the preamp or tube itself, the Rays are DEAD silent.

6). Psvanve CV181-T MKII (silver coating on the inside- see pic): Same as above, just a bit more of the good stuff... Steely Dan, Pink Floyd, Dire Straits are all astounding with these tubes. Viva Tubes sells a matched quad of these for $400, and these are the same tube as the Ray Reserve 6SN7 that they sell for over $1200 a quad.

 

[krautmaster]

Jason has commented, on his Head-Fi forum, that all gear gets a burn-in test and listening check prior to shipping. He seems committed to his product and their purchasers, which is one of the reasons I buy from Schiit. Good sound for the price is the other. That said, I hope @krautmaster gets his equipment issues resolved asap...!

As soon as the Return Authorization tag went active they shipped a replacement Freya+. I had to pay the shipping on the Wotan and it will get there on June 1st. If they determine the Freya caused the Wotan to grenade they'll reimburse the shipping. Tech also said that looking at the pic I sent of the damage, they may just send an entirely new Wotan, since it is only four months old.
Schiit has the best customer service of any company I've ever dealt with.

 

[StimpyWan]

I've been lucky with my gear over the years. I did have a Marantz amp that went bad and damaged crossover pieces and a tweeter in a speaker. I had a bad tube bring the magic smoke but that amp still works. I've had a couple of ChiFi amps brick after a couple of years but that's about it. The Schiit Freya N has become my favorite preamp.

I wanted a silver Freya N, but Schiit never produced them. Now, no more Freya N's either. While I admire Jason for not sitting on his laurels, I do feel that Schiit prematurely kills off some of their product. Good designs that didn't sell in the numbers hoped for. So, now Dead. Unfortunately that mentality keeps used Schiit prices elevated. Freya N's still sell used at near new cost. Bummer.

 

[StimpyWan]

As soon as the Return Authorization tag went active they shipped a replacement Freya+. I had to pay the shipping on the Wotan and it will get there on June 1st. If they determine the Freya caused the Wotan to grenade they'll reimburse the shipping. Tech also said that looking at the pic I sent of the damage, they may just send an entirely new Wotan, since it is only four months old.
Schiit has the best customer service of any company I've ever dealt with.

Awesome news. I hope everything works out...!

 

[izeek11]

Which ones? quick break down of all of mine from worst to best:

1). Late 1940's Sylvania 6SN7GT bottom getter (not the Bad Boy though,date codes are wrong) overall MEH, but the tops are turning brown so they are near the end of their life.

2). 1970's coin base Sylvania and RCA 6SN7GTB (three sets of these)- nothing special about these at all- used for spares in case the other tubes fail. Very mildly microphonic

3). 1950's Sylvania 6SN7GTA and GTB (three different sets of these: green, yellow, and red labels): top end is sweet and "sparkly", good bass, not much 3D holography- sound stage is pretty flat and between the speakers. Mildly microphonic, a couple make static after a few hours of use. Also have a couple of 6SN7WGT military spec tubes- these are pretty good and very quiet.

4). Russian reproduction TONG SOL 6SN7GTB- strong base, mid range is good, top is decent, one tube goes noisy after two hours- these too are now spares

5). Tie: Psvane Horizon CV181-AT (6SN7 equivalent) and RAY 6SN7 Select (hand picked Psvane Hi-Fi coke bottle tubes): Great bass, strong mid range, sweet highs, 3d Holographic like crazy, I love these tubes. the CV181 are a touch microphonic if you tap on the preamp or tube itself, the Rays are DEAD silent.

6). Psvanve CV181-T MKII (silver coating on the inside- see pic): Same as above, just a bit more of the good stuff... Steely Dan, Pink Floyd, Dire Straits are all astounding with these tubes. Viva Tubes sells a matched quad of these for $400, and these are the same tube as the Ray Reserve 6SN7 that they sell for over $1200 a quad.

View attachment 3771036

thanks! i have nowhere near what you have. im just getting started.
i had a saga+. realizing its a tube buffer as opposed to the freya+, the stock tube, lisst, and an rca were meh.
got a sylvania bad boy 6sn7 that really made a nice improvement. better bass, more open mids, definitely tamed the highs nicely.
next was a kenrad 6sn7 that was a big step up. noticeably stronger bass with really good detail, even better mids, and smoother highs.
i put a matched pair of the kenrads in gain stage of my freya, replacing some stock bland 6ns8s. wow. although not at first.
the kenrads were rather dark and somewhat thick starting off. the mids and highs were sorta syrupy. a lot of promise, though.
by the end of the week, i was more than pleased. and with about 150 hours on them, they are sweet.
but, yanno, more tubes.
those look awesome on your Freya! appreciate your information.