Veri
Master Contributor
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- Feb 6, 2018
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Yeah whatever the RCA is supplying is carried over.
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Freya+
- Thread starter mafelba
- Start date
I am looking for a balanced preamp for my NC1200 amp. I am strongly considering the Freya+ but then I saw that FAQ on Hypex‘s website saying that tube preamps cause damage to class D amplifier and should only be used with tube power amps. Has anyone experienced this?
I was also considering miniDSP SHD or SMSL M400 to use as a preamp. Not sure which would be better. I’m wondering if the miniDSP would sound the best since it offers room correction and sub output.
I was also considering miniDSP SHD or SMSL M400 to use as a preamp. Not sure which would be better. I’m wondering if the miniDSP would sound the best since it offers room correction and sub output.
Damage??
Helicopter
Major Contributor
Freya+ is not going to hurt your amp. Maybe some completely different and poorly designed tube product will, but this will not. There is nothing particularly risky about a proper circuit with tubes.
From Hypex FAQs:
7 Q: Do UcD amplifiers work well with tube preamps?
A: Fundamentally there is no problem of course. However, most tube preamplifiers are designed alongside tube power amplifiers which are always AC coupled. As a result, many tube preamplifiers lack precautions against turn-on/turnoff transients. Some are liable to produce the full anode voltage at their outputs during turn-on and turn-off. We find that a large proportion of repairs are due to tube preamplifiers discharging their output caps into the UcD’s input circuit. Note that most solid state amps dislike such treatment, not just UcD.
I get UCD is not NCore but im sure there’s similarities. Wondering if anyone has experienced this.
7 Q: Do UcD amplifiers work well with tube preamps?
A: Fundamentally there is no problem of course. However, most tube preamplifiers are designed alongside tube power amplifiers which are always AC coupled. As a result, many tube preamplifiers lack precautions against turn-on/turnoff transients. Some are liable to produce the full anode voltage at their outputs during turn-on and turn-off. We find that a large proportion of repairs are due to tube preamplifiers discharging their output caps into the UcD’s input circuit. Note that most solid state amps dislike such treatment, not just UcD.
I get UCD is not NCore but im sure there’s similarities. Wondering if anyone has experienced this.
It takes the Freya + tube stage 1-2 minutes to warm up to output any sound.
Helicopter
Major Contributor
And Schiit pairs this with their two power amps, neither of which is a tube amp.
I have a question. What is the difference between the passive and differential buffers? Is it that the diff buffer converts SE to XLR? If so world that double the voltage the power amp sees if connected via XLR?
This has been confusing for me too. Schitt states the the unit does NOT convert SE to balanced in passive mode, but it certainly passes the SE signal just fine to the balanced outputs so I assume it is only on pin 2 with pin 3 floating. However, there is no real volume difference when you engage the active buffer. You would definitely expect a volume jump downstream if it was suddenly creating a fully differential signal.
I'm trying this right now too, and as far as I can tell the RCA sub connection is affecting the main XLR connection in passive mode. I think I hear some quality degradation which to be fair is in the realm of perception bias, but there is definitely a relative subwoofer volume difference between passive and active, active being louder. This suggests that the the XLR and RCA outputs are simply tied together at the pin level. I haven't rung it out to be sure.
Are you seeing anything like that?
Helicopter
Major Contributor
It gets louder, but it is subtle. It takes quite a bit of an increase in sound pressure before you can clearly perceive it. It is more likely to sound like better detail or something at these levels, rather than sounding louder. 10X the sound pressure only sounds twice as loud, 100x, four times as loud, and 1000x less than 10x as loud.
D
Deleted member 31910
Guest
I just ordered one of these but it looks like it might be at least a month before it ships. I've never had any tube gear I have SS amplifiers that I want to bi amp with the Freya+ ... no problems with this configuration I hope... it would be probably one amp using balanced and the other, or possibly both using the SE outputs.
Can anyone comment on the range of the remote control? I will mostly be controlling the volume from my bed which is a good distance from my audio stack of components.
Can anyone comment on the range of the remote control? I will mostly be controlling the volume from my bed which is a good distance from my audio stack of components.
Helicopter
Major Contributor
You will be fine with that application and distance. My remote works flawlessly all over my 50m^2 room. You may need line of sight, but distance won't be an issue in a big bedroom. You will be happy. This level of gear from Schiit is really impresive. I don't know how they do it at the prices they manage.
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D
Deleted member 31910
Guest
Well it said backordered 4-6 weeks but when I woke up this morning it said shipped, so I guess I will be getting my Freya+ soon. Now I need some balanced cables.
Same happened to me, it said backorder and shipped right away, marketing? We're so popular that we can't supply demand, but once you pay we have a secret stash cause you're special... Just joking but it was a nice surprise for me too.
Same here- email indicated it would take 6-8 weeks and arrived in 2. Really enjoying Freya+, even the tube buffer.
I enjoy the Tube Buffer too, in fact, and it's for me in some cases the only good option because of the extra gain, that's where looking back, and for me not for everybody, I think I would value a pre with more gain than the Freya +. One day I should try to go trough a deeper analysis of the gain structure of my system but at least with certain sources, I am maxed out on the Freya feeding a pair of NCore nc500 monoblocks with stock buffer. I don't think I could get it to clipping, which means that some watts are lost. Weirdly, It's specifically Netflix streaming, The volume is low, I often listen to movies with Volume on the Freya to max, and the digital volume on the computer looks maxed too but there might be something I don't get. The output of the mani phono preamp is quite low too, I end up using gain setting that are not common for my cartridge. They are all little issues that are not Intrinsync to the Freya, since I can get other sources to deafening levels, but just saying that I could use a few more volume notches sometimes, and wonder what's the payback of preamps capable of more gain. I could use it and NC500 are quite powerful amps. Yes I got a large room.
I am not sure I agree that it should be that subtle, if made traditionally, It should double the voltage, and give you 6 dBs, that's a lot. I find that the Schiit spec sheet don't give enough info on how the outputs are designed, maybe deeper reading of the measurment report may give answers. I don't hear a volume difference neither when switching from passive to active for a unbalanced source feeding Balance out.
I'd too want to get a better understanding of this because I just purchased a sub for my system having the balanced out feeding my mains and the unbalanced feeding the sub, I don't have enough out put to the sub compared to the main when the volume on the sub is maxed (silver w12-500 watts, it should be plenty). I will get rca to xlr adapter to use both rca outs instead, but I wonder if I will get that much less output to the mains where I find it's already limited
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When feeding the Eval 1 Purifi via xlr from the Freya+ the volume is fairly low to moderate until the volume knob reaches around 2 o'clock then the volume increases and at a much faster rate than lower in the range. Is it possible it's not a linear pot? I can easily drive the Purifu to painful levels prior to reaching 3 o'clock on the dial.
Oh man I came here because I have the same question. I sure have to turn up my Freya+ to get good volume out of it. It is feeding 2 Liberty Audio B2B monoblocks (600w @ 4ohm each) and I feel they aren't getting the power they need. I cant find a voltage spec anywhere for the F+. I am wondering if I should try the matching LA B2B preamp that advertises "117V / 234V @ 50/60 Hz" of input voltage. But OTOH I'd kinda like to know/research before throwing more money at the system..
Have you tried another pre-amp?
