Added a Schiit Freya+ to a Sansui 8080

Probably lower distortion. SS Freya measures well from what I have seen. Is this the Freya with the tube mode? I’d expect that to sound different than SS or passive.

I have a Freya (no tubes) I’ll be hooking up for first time this weekend. Expecting good things!

Freya with vintage amp will work fine. All depends on personal preference for sound. Personally, I would avoid most vintage gear. Technology has come a long way and best products at all price points which includes Freya reflect that. From a pure technical execution perspective, vintage gear is more likely to be the bottleneck to ultimate performance. Thing is ultimate performance is not the same thing as what people like. People like whatever for whatever reason and that’s perfectly fine. Different strokes…. I remember that vintage Sansui sound quite well.  Very nice!

Sansui amps are not in the same league as modern well designed stuff...I didn't like them much even back in the day, and saying they're "tuned for analog" begs the question, "as opposed to what?" before there was anything else. Tuned to limited range FM, cassette tapes, and mediocre turntables? I use an original series Freya with well designed modern amps and it sounds astonishingly good...NOS GE tubes are my preferred bottles and the early Freya like mine allows instant switching between modes for reference. Also, my early 70s KLH compact system sounded better than any Sansui I encountered.

Hi wolf_garcia -

I have been around hi-fi literally for almost seven decades; my dad sold and repaired the stuff for a living, so I can't remember a time when stereos were not part of my life.  I was testing tubes for my dad when I was 5.  My statement that stereos back then were 'tuned for analog' means just that, there was only analog.  So yes, LPs, tape, and radio were the only things on the menu at the time.  There were no CDs, SACDs, Blu Ray audio, streaming, or HD anything.  

I don't think that you, myself, and the original poster disagree here.  We have all recognized that today's stereos sound different, with the nod being given to today's stuff as sounding more accurate.  There is a YouTube video out there with Paul McGowan (PSA fame) saying just that and to him, it's not even close.  

To some, the vintage sound is worth chasing, but to me that is nostalgia talking.  I started out with Philco & Voice of Music equipment.  Graduated to SONY and there must be at least a dozen or more brands that have made their appearance since then.  I chased vintage 22XX Marantz receivers at one point, but outside of FM radio, they didn't quite do it for me.  

One of my buddies had Sansui equipment that sounded nice, better than my SONY.  Another buddy moved up from a KLH compact to a McIntosh/ Bose 901 combo (his dad had a cash business), but truth be known, I liked the KLH better.  

And so it goes.  No reason to shade stereos from 40 and 50 years ago.  How and what I listen for has changed dramatically.  I think you would agree.

Rich 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iApp9vIQihs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AbIWGo2zCfY

@ steam_engine

Might be a question of impedance matching between Freya+ and the 8080, variable with frequency?

Forge ahead! 👍