Schiit Freya + emits a high pitch squeal when using tube stage


Hello,

Bought my Freya + back in April 2020. I mainly use the tube stage. After a few months of use (total of less than 30 hours of use), I started hearing a low volume, high pitch squeal coming from an area around the tubes after an hour or so of listening. I swapped the tubes around and it didn't resolve the issue. If I switch to passive or JFET stage the squealing sound is no longer present. I contacted Schiit and they had me send the unit back (without the tubes as they told me to exclude them) for repair. I received the unit back with a note stating they fixed the problem and burned the unit in. After several hours of using the unit again, the noise is back. Has anyone experience this with their unit? I don't want to pay to ship the unit back to Schiit a second time.
masterklee
The older units had problems with noise and microphonics. Perhaps this is still the case. I wont retube Schiit products for this reason.

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What do you mean?. Won't retube. I'm not following you.. You chuck the piece in the bin? The ol' flush and run.. LOL

Regard
I own an "older unit" (original version) and it's quiet as a mouse with any tubes I use from my pile. This was simply a myth spread online about these preamps, as a few people (out of many happy campers) experienced issues. Of course you don't much from people who haven't had Freya issues, but Schiit should send you a prepaid shipping label at this point as they did when my Aegir misbehaved.
Yup , I had a REAL serious problem, and they went out of their way to make it right. Just plane and simple. Wonderful customer service. and a product that punches WAY above, its weight class. It does have a wonderful look and feel, it’s pretty heavy too. I really liked the product..

Regards
For over 20 years I have sold old stock vacuum tubes on a retail basis and also provided bulk stock new production to manufacturers. Over a 2 year period all of the noise/microphonics issues I had with hundreds of 6SN7s and, I believe, 12AU7s sold were in Schiit products. At this point (probably 3 years past) I was done and stopped selling to Schiit users. The OP asked for opinions and experiences and this is what I gave him. The few instances I have heard Schiit products I thought they offered a good value but had a higher level of noise than what I was used to with similar products. My limited exposure to Schiit users has not been positive and I would expect higher than normal service issues with these products. Do a search on Schiit products and experience this "myth" for yourself. 


I tried one for over 3 months. It was a buddies. He was on vacation. I just got to use it. It was the perfect little setup for a project I had.  My shop was getting a little upgrade, from an OLD Mac being pulled out of service for it's overhaul (20 + years I had it). Still sounded pretty good. I thought this it the one.

I order one and it arrives in less than 5 days. It's packaged wonderfully.
No dented corners on the box, looked wonderful. opened it up, installed the stock valves, PC, hooked up and plugged in.
 
1-2-3-4-5-6-7, times I hit the little remote, I see the light flicker, nothing.
FINALLY the machine pops on, but won't change inputs, if I remember..

 Within a very short time it was so hot you could cook eggs on it.. Man alive.. No red plating, but you would have sworn EVERYTHING, was. It got that hot, that quick, then it shut down, the tube section on it's own and continued to play. I waited.. I turned it off, waited turned it back on, and like magic everything is working great.. NO IDEA, WHY..

I turn it off check make sure everything in seated a couple of times, and start a listening session.

The volume pot sticks.. LOL for cryin' out loud.. I think it got so hot it messed up the pot, all I can figure. WHY did it get hot? I think there was a piece of something INSIDE the new valves that came loose after testing both valves and unit (but not together), and then shipped and it was knocked loose in transport, and lodged in a valve, then BURNT quickly, but caused the first BIG overheat.. I'm sure a pencil tap on the valve would have cleared the initial issue.

They were fantastic, like lightning.. fast. I declined to have a new one sent in it's place. I mean I really lost the desire.. LOL They took it back with no problems, and offered me a consolation prize, in spite of it all.

Wonderful customer service.. The owner calles direct... Yup they care...

Regards