Schiit has the best customer support of any company I've dealt with... I wish they could get FedEx to stop abusing the packages...Wow, that was a fast turnaround, with a happy endingI've been following this thread with interest
Schiit Fans ?
- Thread starter Frank Sol
- Start date
No surprise hereWow, that was a fast turnaround, with a happy ending
Re: damaged Freya+
Wow, that must have been a heck of a swan dive. Did the shipping box show an obvious dent in a corner? I guess not or you would have said so from the start. It could have landed flat, of course.
Sorry you had to involuntarily take one for the team, but this reaffirms that Freya+ sounds great and Schitt customer service comes through.
Wow, that must have been a heck of a swan dive. Did the shipping box show an obvious dent in a corner? I guess not or you would have said so from the start. It could have landed flat, of course.
Sorry you had to involuntarily take one for the team, but this reaffirms that Freya+ sounds great and Schitt customer service comes through.
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All the shippers (USPS included) use crazy train conveyor belts with 3 to 4 foot drops between one going onto another, so the package has to be designed to handle that 4 foot drop, but some of the conveyors are 15 feet high, so if your package goes flying off from that height it will likely break.
fredgarvin
Super Member
I put the savers in my Freya N as well. it does deal well with the heat.
Gigantic
A big, big love
in my neighborhood, FedEx just leaves packages on the stoop, despite explicit instructions posted on the door that they be left in the parcel locker, located behind a coded entry gate. roughly 50% of the parcels they deliver get picked up by porch pirates before a delivery notice is even received. I'd prefer that they just abandon FedEx altogether, rather than expect the company to reform its practices. I need to send my Freya+ back to have the transformer replaced again, but I'm hesitating, partly because I don't want to be without it for ten days, but also because there's a very good chance it will be stolen if I'm not home to receive it when its delivered. I'd basically have to camp out for the better part of a day on my balcony to intercept the delivery before the low-lifes who shuffle down my street, stealing everything that's not tied down, get it first.
You might check if your local Fedx location offers a 'hold for pickup' option. If so, you could ask Schiit to ship it to that location. I used that option many times when traveling (for work) and needed a part shipped in. Just be sure that Schiit labels it "hold for pickup", under your name.
Everybody requires a signature for anything over $1K value, some start requiring it at $600
RVT1K
Super Member
I am giving some serious thought to getting a Freya. And have a question for the experts i.e. owners.
I've been into home audio since I was a kid but have never owned any tube gear. The Freya looks like a good way to try it out. I've read several reviews and have yet to see anything negative with the exception of small/incomprehensible markings on the front panel and remote.
I have to admit that I was first considering a Audio Research SP-9 but came to realize that it will not fit in my rack.
Which leads to my question...
The shelf that the Freya would be on is open on all four sides but only about 5 1/2 inches high.
Do you feel that there is enough clearance or am I asking for trouble?
I've been into home audio since I was a kid but have never owned any tube gear. The Freya looks like a good way to try it out. I've read several reviews and have yet to see anything negative with the exception of small/incomprehensible markings on the front panel and remote.
I have to admit that I was first considering a Audio Research SP-9 but came to realize that it will not fit in my rack.
Which leads to my question...
The shelf that the Freya would be on is open on all four sides but only about 5 1/2 inches high.
Do you feel that there is enough clearance or am I asking for trouble?
You will be restricted in which tubes you can use as you won't have enough room to use socket savers with new production tubes. Most of the new tubes have larger bases than "traditional" size ones and won't fit into the Freya without the socket savers (they are also much taller). You'll be able to use socket savers with the NOS size tubes which helps it run much cooler. The first pic shows some traditional tubes next to new production ones that don't fit without the socket savers. Second pic shows some NOS tubes with socket savers on a shelf with 7.5" of space. While many prefer using 70 year old NOS tubes I find most are unreliable, all of mine start making noise after a couple hours of continuous use. I like the new production CV181 style tubes- much more reliable (with a warranty) and have a much "bigger" sound (see last two pics).
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That shouldn’t be a problem. I had mine in an open- backed, but otherwise enclosed cabinet and it only ran 30* warmer than ambient. My issues with it were ergonomic.
Step-through selectors vs direct access aren’t well suited to concealed remote operation. Dead reckoning will eventually get you lost and make you get up and open the cabinet doors to figure it out. After not having to do that for 25 years with anything else, it became frustrating. Then again so were the constraints on rotating and maintaining equipment because of the cabinet. I’ve recently taken the cabinet out of the equation. Problem solved.
edit: some gripe about the volume control relays clicking. I’m okay with it, maybe even like it. Unlike @krautmaster , I’m not a tube roller nor particularly concerned with signal tubes overheating in Schiit’s semi-recessed design. The pair of original tubes in my original Schiit Lyr headphone amp are pushing 15 years old of nearly daily use without issue.
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Nimbley
Active Member
I love my Schiit. I started with a Modi many years ago. I added another Modi, Loki, and Magni Heresy to build a headphone stack. Used a Fulla as my travel amp for a while. I use a Bifrost 2 as my main DAC and love it. I did have to send the Fulla back for repair after my laptop power supply shorted out and killed the USB. Even being a few years old, Schiit fixed it for free and turned it around in only a couple weeks. Everything has worked flawlessly.
The Freya was on my short list when I was looking for a new preamp and still would love to hear one, but I found a Marantz SC-6 preamp and it does everything so well, I'll likely never replace it.
The Freya was on my short list when I was looking for a new preamp and still would love to hear one, but I found a Marantz SC-6 preamp and it does everything so well, I'll likely never replace it.
RVT1K
Super Member
I appreciate the input but I don't see me having that particular issue.
RVT1K
Super Member
Thanks for your input and info on heat.
I almost always use one input in my preamp, the one from my DAC. I have my CD player's analog outputs connected to another input but always route my CD's digital out thru my DAC. So I don't think that will be much of an issue with me.
Perhaps see if it can be delivered to a parcel locker.
Years ago I had a modi multibit but sold it during hard times, just ordered a modi 5 which frankly is as cheap as chips just hoping it has the same energy, so might post some pics etc. Should arrive here in the UK next Wednesday.
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Gigantic
A big, big love
Here's the thing: I have a parcel locker at my building. They refuse to use it. I'm mobility impaired rn, and FedEx's nearest drop-off location is at Kensington & Allegheny, which you may or may not have heard of as the largest open air opioid market on the east coast. I won't link to it, as I don't do misery porn, but it is a place of unimaginable human suffering and I'd rather avoid it, less for my own safety, than for my mental health. FedEx's problems aren't just in my neighborhood, I've seen numerous complaints from friends across the country. Companies use them because they have the lowest rates, but that comes with its own cost to everyone else.
I see that Schitt says CV181 tubes not recommended. I wonder if that is because of some electronic reason or just because it won't seat with that bottle shape (so requires a riser)?
RVT1K
Super Member
So the real reason I am interested in the Freya is that it is a "tube preamp". I also like the promise of "perfect channel balancing" due to the way the volume control is done. My current preamp -Adcom GFP815- sounds off at low volumes.
But I see that it has two other modes of operation for lack of a better expression: passive and differential buffer on top of the tube buffer.
So another question for the Freya owners...what differences do you hear between the three modes? Do you even use the other two much or do you just leave it in "tube mode"?
But I see that it has two other modes of operation for lack of a better expression: passive and differential buffer on top of the tube buffer.
So another question for the Freya owners...what differences do you hear between the three modes? Do you even use the other two much or do you just leave it in "tube mode"?
The new CV181 are electrically identical to 6SN7's, they just use the bigger coke bottle shape glass. Jason said he wouldn't use NOS CV181 as those are different electrically. Both my Freyas sound wonderful with the modern CV181/6SN7s but you do need to use socket savers with them.
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