Schiit Freya + Class A in Stereophile

@mrmojo   THX for proving my point!

I think their rating system should have a class A low, medium and high high rating. This should be for all A,B,C,D. Clearly this preamp doesn’t have to build quality or reach the level of class A $10,000-100,000. Sonically. What this reviewer heard was probably very fine $1000. Preamp work well in his system. I bet if he put that preamp in ultra high end class A system it probably sound like Shcitt.

@hiendmmoe +1

Some form of clarification from Stereophile would be useful. I have frequently listened (and many times owned) cheap Class A and expensive Class A stuff… no comparison… but in general, if there is a Class A at $200, $1000, $5000, and $10,000, and $22,000 they are spot on worth their price at each price point. It is an attractive delusion that you can buy a $200 component that sounds as good as a $5000… but in reality it doesn’t happen. A company getting started can sell a product with exceptional sound quality… but this is not something that happens often or for long… great sounding equipment requires competent designs and costly components.

bsme85

03-15-2022 at 08:44pm

"Most, but not all, people who post here don’t listen to music. They listen to equipment instead."

Never were truer words spoken!

I’m one of those with OCD, which is driven to seek excellent sound quality and all that means, which mostly focuses on the equipment. Though, it also focuses on the type and quality of the song and how it was recorded and engineered - but - not so much on the lyrics and music. In other words, I prize how real the sound is, and how much of the artifacts of the performance are present - can I hear all the details of the performance, as the recording engineers might.

Though, I do appreciate and prefer certain types of musical genres (e.g. classical, jazz, blues, country, etc. - all things acoustic - in which those details are more apparent in the live performances - say in a jazz club, or hall, etc.

So... yes... you are so right about the typical "audiophile."

I've ben impressed with my Freya+.  Upgraded the tubes of course to a nice matched quad of Tung-Sol.

I do not care for the volume/gain though.  Both in that I have to turn it way up to nearly the 1 or 2 o-clock position to get to decent volume levels, and I do not like the clickity click noise it makes when adjusting it.  Seems to have a lag to it as well when using the remote.