Exactly my opinion! There is no such thing as the absolute sound, there is only the most enjoyable sound. And that is something personal and highly subjective.

Definitely agree about the color - I replaced my Parasound P6 with a Freya+ and Electro-harmonix tubes and have been SO much happier with the sound coming from my B&W 702s2 speakers. Much more life and fuller sound. Plus, the balanced inputs and outputs are exceptional to find at this price point!

Just outstanding, as usual, John! I am so glad there is a calm and logical voice of reason doing video reviews of stereo equipment with a very, very high level of production values without hyperbole and the classic audiophile review frippery. Many thanks for your intelligent content, Olaf's beautiful cinematography, and Jana's superb editing and production quality. You guys set the bar for everyone else. Oh, and what Ray said below. Cheers! -Stephen

I own the original Freya and replaced the stock tubes (they were microphonic just like the ones in your excellent review.) with a matched set of Sylvania NOS 6SN7GT/GTAs. They were tested for noise & microphonics with a two year warranty. The result was a massive improvement. You just have to invest in a new set of tubes.

Because of an incident at work I’m forced at home in this period. You, Steve (Gutenberg) and John DeVore are my best entertainment when I’m not listening to music. Then first of all thank you so much for sharing such useful and inspiring videos. Secondly I believe this video is one of yours that teaches me more about “finesse” in audio reproduction. So it is a huge double thank you John

what i like is that u speak the truth, it speaks thru your emoitions and the way you talk about that particular sound. enjoyed it!

Having just found out about Schitt, and being interested in the Freya, I came across this video. What a fantastic video! Thanks

I own the Freya and the rest of the family. The Freya in one word is: musical. Love it. Great video. Keep them coming.

Have a Saga... i Love it. Two outputs, direct and tube, Sounds amazing!

Sir, you and your team are doing a splendid job.

Stop telling me that I have my own taste in sound and just tell me what the bloody answer is !!! I love your approach to reviewing kit, it's an absolute breath of fresh air. Please just keep doing what you are doing. I jump for joy every time I see a new video from you. Regards from London. [edit] Oh yes and as mentioned below, brilliant cinematography, editing and production; absolutely top notch. I noted the fade into focus during the piece which was quite nice (once I was sure that my eyesight wasn't going tits up).

Liked and subbed! Great review. I just picked up 2x Vidar's and am building my first real 2.0 system. I appreciate reviews like these as they feel genuine and not like a product specs/fanboy video. Thanks again

Thanks John----I always learn something new you and your fans. Great video.

Hey John, I really like and appreciate your attitude towards Hi-end Audio, thank you.

This is why I like your reviews unlike some of the snobby forums, the honesty about adding a bit of colour to music. Because you're totally right some music just sounds more interesting.

Finally! A reviewer who has the sense and courage to plainly and clearly state how things really are! All music is coloured, and the greatest colour is our individual perceptions. I personally like the colour of vinyl and tubes, but I recognized from the start that I was choosing to colour my music in a certain way. And there is music that I prefer to listen to as digital rather than vinyl. I also tend towards quieter volume and nearfield listening. But then, there is some music that you just want to "rock out " to! Thank you for this video. I'm certain that it will be of tremendous help for those who are trapped trying to find "that absolute sound"!

Adding the playlist to the “box below” is a great idea! Great review John, I like your practical approach to your videos. Cheers

Just had to drop a line and say "hey". Thanks for another great review.

The Freya is so simple and beautiful. I’m seriously considering it.

One of your best videos yet.

Knew I liked you as soon as you said you were a Luna fan. Best 90s band nobody ever heard of.

Thank you for enjoyable and honest review!

Thank you for making this video. It took me WAY too long to recognize as an audiophile that my subjective tastes in sound outweighed by far the superficial need for neutrality. If only I had seen this ten years ago.

very professional thank you John and your team

Clicked the like button before even watching the video, couldn’t help myself, it’s a Darko vid. Oh, and the term double DACing, definitely made me not regret it at all.

Great angle on your Freya+ review. Enjoyed the discussion! Think most ppl yearn for comparisons bc most ppl can’t access the range of products which you’ve tested.

A fantastically colored review. Have a few of those artists in my playlists as well. Cheers.

John, thank you for an interesting talk about colouration of music; and your experimentation with ways of changing the nuances to your liking. Your rhetorical question regarding the Schiit preamplifier rings true. What a wonderful instrument it is. Rolling the valves, as you say, would be another interesting method to see how this can affect the timbre of the music to your better appreciation (or possibly otherwise).

Nice one John - keep playing - have fun. I understand Spinal Tap's foray into the digital realm resulted in a double DACer Schiit sandwich! 😀👍

Among a number of things I liked about this, one of my favorites was being introduced (with a little help, from Shazam) to Cody High in the intro and outro. Playing "Kissing Street" on my lovely little setup at home sounds absolutely fantastic. Thank you. And thank you for the fact that there are tubes already in my lovely little setup at home, because of your extensive coverage of the Vinnie Rossi LIO, which I came to own with the AVC tube stage preamp module (and now with the fabulous DAC 2.0 upgrade) (I should add, posting these comments, that I have no relationship with Vinnie other than being a satisfied customer). Although I was a little shocked at how much I was spending for an integrated amp at the time, a few days ago I attended my first audio show out of curiosity, and I can say that: 1) Everything you've said elsewhere about the rooms sounding compromised seemed entirely true, even with hyper-expensive systems, so I only really bothered with the Kii/Innuos room, which sounded quite stunning in many ways. (And thanks to you I knew exactly who they were playing when I sat down: Yoshi Horikawa.) But more importantly: 2) I could not have been more pleased when I got home with how well my little LIO with tube preamp, fed by microRendu+ISORegen, compared in my perception to what I'd heard from the big Kii+BXT (no tubes involved) fed by Zenith+PhoenixUSB, costing a great deal more. (I employ a little bit of room treatment and some room-correction software at home, certainly helping the LIO pull closer to the Kii in that regard, too.) With the LIO with a fabulous DAC and tube preamp all cleverly built in to one small AC-agnostic package requiring no compromising interconnects or power conditioning, I think I probably not only got one of the audiophile deals of the century, I have also come to actually notice *sound* itself and how pleasing it can be, as its own substance. Presumably that is because Vinnie has a knack for wedding engineering prowess with his subjective feeling for what sounds pleasurable rather than just "accurate" (whatever that would even mean), like the folks at Schiit.

Perhaps the gentle, echo-feedback introduced by the Freya is what gives it such a pleasing sound

Phenomenal reviewer Precise and intuitive

I’m a low volume listener and it’s amazing how systems vary in sound quality at low volumes.

Steve Guttenberg Audiophiliac sent me here, subbed. Love the content, obviously passionate and sincere.

Great review again! Love that quote.... "I prefer it with the Schiit in the chain". Never tire of the puns.

I anxiously watch each of your vids John, this is one of my favorites and was instrumental in my much-appreciated purchase of my Freya+. Thank you...

And that is the reason why I use my the Vinnie Rossi LIO DHT and the Kii together!

Awesome John. Great to hear you chatting about the "individual" and "personal taste". One thing I suspect many new audiophiles struggle with is a demonstration of "fat" or "fast" or some other colour of sound. Learning what to listen for is probably on a lot of folk's hot list. Maybe a video demonstrating the extremes of "bright" or "lean" might be helpful. Obviously hard to demo an accurate sonic signature on youtube but putting the mic close to the speakers could help many to better understand how to interpret the "colour" of sound they're listening to.

Loved this review the Freya is on my wish list. I am currently building the very inexpensive Schiit coaster the Vali mini it will be my first tube device.

This review came right on time. I had bought the Freya about a year ago, due to the hectic pace of life, I just unboxed it 5 days ago. I have been listening to it after work, every single day. It is a different sound for sure, but the one that does not let you change the track you're listening to... it's tasty and smooth, kinda like when you bite slowly into a caramel candy (texture-wise not flavor-wise). Still, need a bunch of hours with it to have a more formed opinion, but so far that's my impression. Great Schiit!

Thanks for the video, John. I enjoy your common sense take on audio - and it's clearly evident you're a music lover first, audiophile geek second (which is what it's all about in the first place).

This is amazing piece of Shiit! So much, I just bought one w the premium tubes.

Thank you for the Tidal playlist!

You do a phenomenal job. Thank you!

I've been trying to get my grubby hands on a Freya Plus ever since this video (Sept 19). No stock at Electromod, UK...current situation suggests there may never be stock again. I was just about to cry (I was crying) when the Saga Plus came into stock in front of my very eyes. My delight was multiplied ten fold when I realised I could get it in black (the finest of colours). So here I am having replaced my 26yo Linn Kolektor solid state preamp with a Schiit Saga Plus. Boom. Wider soundstage, more detail, clearer instrument effects, more accent to lyrics, additional percussion, extra musicians. This Schiit matters. Music fixes everything. Have some happy listening folks. Cry with joy. May I recommend Bill Withers. Genius.

Love to discover your playlist...great idea 👍

12:06 in I learned something that no other reviewers have highlighted about the downside of tubes in the Freya+. Kudos to your investigation and expertise.

Great review, I have something similar. I stream Roon Tidal and flac via Mac Mini to soTm sms-200Ultra to my Mytek Brooklyn to my McIntosh C220 tube preamp to my Paradigm Studio 100 V5 and the sound is in readable! Lots of boxes but the sound! HEAVEN! Keep up your great reviews!

Enjoyed this informative videa. As a Freya owner i found it very helpful.

using saga + last two weeks, love this little box and little remote :)

Fan fuc....fantastic video ! Yes I love it ! More I have the hole weekend !

Very nice. Thank you for the open mind on adding something non-minimal in the chain. I would actually like to see the Freya add the Loki tone controls.

Great video Thank you, I appreciate you. The freya is beautiful, truly a remarkable Yet simplified piece of equipment.

John, this is your best video yet. You put an interesting spin on the hi-fi world that I have yet to read or see elsewhere. Thanks

Fantastic points!

Really a great job, on this one. Thanks man!

Great to find you, particularly after touring around the many audio equipment reviewers found on youtube. I am in the early stages of switching over my sources from discrete analog (CD vinyl tape) to digital and could use some pointers. This review seems to indicate my timing is perfect for value vs performance.

Freya+ , Mani, Loki, monoblock Vidar's into my Klipsch RP-6000F's and SVS 2000 sub and my vinyl has never sounded better. I, too, always use the tube stage.

Spot on review! I use the Mytek BB too along with my Audia Flight FLS10 integrated and the Cary SLP-05 (NOS Sylvania 6SN7GT). Running the Mytek direct to the FLS10 gives me a very clear sound, its clean and fast. But when I use the SLP-05 the experience changes, it's a whole new dimension of sound. The sound stage is more spacious, highs got that tube dry tone, mids seem to be more rich (for want of a better word). Overall its more lush with a slightly dry tone. Which is better? Neither, it just depends on your taste. Even my Cary SLP-05 is microphonic. Tap the chassis and it will be revealed through the speakers.

I picked up a Freya+ last year ... obviously hoping for great sound but I already had a good preamp. I just needed balanced inputs and dual outputs so the Freya+ was the choice. Admittedly the great reviews helped loosen the purse strings. The Freya+ in “tube mode” raised my attention immediately and was clearly an upgrade but the native 6SN7 tubes came with all kinds of little burps and pops. I took a chance and ordered a matched set of PSVANE dedicated audio tubes. They barely fit. The pins don’t bottom out in the socket because (unlike the JJ tubes) the PSVane tubes have a bulge in the glass. The audio results were fantastic though. The Freya+ is quiet as a church mouse now and is the single biggest “real” upgrade I’ve ever made. This could be my last preamp. Easily.

Enjoyed your Schiit list

Well done 👍. I’ve always considered the preamp to be the heart of the system. Love tubes.

Nice video. I like the idea of bringing different “color” approaches to listening and it could be helpful depending on the recording, applied like a tone control. Good work.

I at first was running my Bluesound Node 2i straight into my Navis, but then got a Pro-Ject DS2 Digital pre-amp, which ironically enough has a phono input on it (hence the reason for getting it). I found the sound got a touch richer and livelier once it was inserted in the chain.

I enjoyed your review, particularly your philosophy towards coloring the sound and how we should accept the fact that each of us as an individual has a different set of ears and sonic signature in our brain that best suits us, therefore chasing this one singular idea of 'that perfect sound that the engineer meant for it' is the one we all should listen to, is rubbish. Liked and Subscribed. Looking forward to your reviews as I go through the archives.

Cheers John, I'm sick here and your vids are lovely and welcome distraction.

Not to mention all the different rooms, which is part of the system. The more you learn the better the chances for good sound.. for you:)

"I prefer it with the Schiit in the chain" had to listen to that one twice..

The clicky sound from the stepped attentuator is there to emulate the scratchy Alps pots that Schiit uses in products like the Magni. It's part of the Schiit experience.

Thank you John I am definitely in the camp of NON source direct AND more in the camp of perhaps a little more treble and I wonder if I bought a graphic EQ would I be able to get that upper mid base etc etc ... Thank you for another great video and didn’t help but notice the 1500C has been upgraded already ;) Hope your liking it as I’m looking for a new turntable.

Awesome overview Darko-Audio 😆

Hi Darko, I have a Schiit Freya Plus connected to RME ADI-s Pro DAC. The sound quality with Schiit you described is spot on, that's exactly what I hear, a more mellow top end, bigger midrange, and the bass is robust. I use the Schiit preamp with a tube amp (Willensenton R8) and a solid state amp (Emotiva HC-1 monoblocks) to drive Magnepan 1.7 speakers, and I love it. and for the price, I think you won't find anything better.

John is an absolute pro.

Enjoyed this video ,I’ve been using a solid state pre with my Mytek and it works really well.Seriously thinking about trying a valve pre though ...

Fantastic review. Freya+ and a pair of Tyrs… 🤤

Great video. Cheers!

The Brooklyn Bridge is a game changer

Amazing video as always buddy. I’m thinking getting the Buchardt S400 do you think this will match well the Your setup on this video. I’m looking to get a setup in my living room. Thanks for any advice and help

I literally use those same exact cables (Water, Yukon) on my Schiit (Valhalla 2)!

Thanks for this vid, John. I’ve been looking for a preamp, and the Freya + is on my short list. Btw, the tubes shouldn’t be that noisy.

Great job, the Freya looks like a winner! Have you tried the Schiit Freya+ with the Peachtree Gan400? Curious how that would potentially sound.

Thanks for sharing these great videos. I really enjoy your approach to hifi. I would love to see you review the Moon 390 streamer/dac/preamp unit. I am curious if would like it, as it might sound something similar to what you are doing here, combining the Brooklyn and the Freya. 😊

Another great review 👏🏻Really like the graphics for the outputs 👍

Talking of colour, I would be very tempted to give one of these preamps a go if it came in black. I'm looking for a preamp, and Schitt should recognise that a lot of people would be buying one of these to fit into their system and should offer it in black as well.

if you like the tube 'colour', i'd love it if you could try out any of the Linear Tube Audio Microzotl preamps. i have Schitt's Saga pre(fronting a Carver M400t/ELAC UB5) and the MZ2 is on my upgrade list so i'm curious to know what you think.

This video really makes me curious. I own a pair of active loudspeaker (Adam audio compact mk3) directly connected to a DAC with volume control (Audiolab m-dac). For me listening to this combination is a little bit like a driving a sports car. When every thing is perfect (streets, weather, traffic, engine and even I have to be in the right mood) the experience will be great but also sometimes exhausting. I wonder if a shiit freya would give me a more relaxed cruising mode?

fantastic, your spotily playlist great idea, i subscribed thanks.

This man is so incredibly knowledgeable

I love my freya. Please do an Aegir review!

Great video, as usual. Enjoy your stuff on YT and also IG! Wanted to comment on the "color" of the sound though.. A Neumann U47 sounds very different to a U87 to a U67 (heck there are wild variations on U47s themselves).. to a Shure SM7 to an AKG C12, etc - so microphones add "color". Add to that, mic pre-amps (Neve 1073, dbx, etc) will add their.... "character" ... then the compressors (LA2As, 1176's, Fairchilds, etc) add their ... "tone"... to music / vocals / instruments et al... Studios have a certain sound (think Abbey Road and Skywalker) Then all the music get's "mastered" (which unfortunately, for so much music today means dynamically compressed) so our music already has the artist, recording engineer, / studio and mastering engineers taste or color... then our rooms add an incredible amount of coloration (kudos on your sound panels BTW). So When a piece of gear adds color (along with our listening rooms), BEWARE that was intended to sound like Rembrandt might actually sound like a Carlos Brito in your room.

Very good review

Thanks for a very informative video. I’m still fully committed to vinyl, so totally analogue since 1973. However, your description of the Schiit brings digital very much alive. It’s helping me grasp some of the issues and options. Very entertaining too :)

Just received my FREYA+. Now I understand "COLOR" FYI: In California at least and maybe the U.S. & internationally, the FREYA+ ships with Electro-Harmonix as the "stock" tubes and Tung-Sol as the "Upgrade" ... Thats what I received anyway - not disappointed at all.

Schiit Freya + or Saga + with Class D power makes alot of sense

Beautiful content.

The stepped attenuator and the microphonic reverb when you touch the chassis would drive me nuts. I like the idea of tubes for the character it brings, but I also like my low box count 'kallax' size hifi.

Im kinda obsessed with the BB but as a child of the 70s would like tube in the mix would love to hear it with a Primaluna power amp if you ever get the chance to review.

On the mytek did you have the volume control set on digital or analog? Or just line out for this test and review? I found line out too powerful on My Mytek Brooklyn Dac + and set the volume to 17 and anolog for best results to my headphone amp and active speakers then use the volumne controls in the speakers and headphone amp.

Hi John, interesting to know that you like the sound of even harmonic distortion.

I just bought my first tube preamp and installed a pair of matched GE tubes. Immediately I realize there is the added warmth and micro details. The soundstage has also become more holographic. The downside seems to be less tightness and clarity in the bass and less punch. Is there a way to get the best of both worlds?