Schiit Freya + Class A in Stereophile

Again this will turn into the argument that more money gives you better sound. To a certain degree that is correct but also needs to be broken down. Yes the Freya is considered to be a “ bargain” for what it does at it price. Yes you can spend a little or a lot more and get better sound. Now look at the sound gain as a return on investment. Is it wise to spend twice as much in cost to achieve a 10% gain in sound or return on investment? Some will say yes some will say no. This is user discretion and only the buyer can make this decision. Bottom line if it sounds good to you no matter what you paid sit back and enjoy the music!

Hi Brunomarcs.  I was thinking of trying the Rogue RP7 to upgrade the Freya +.  I am really wondering how much improvement it's going to be and maybe not worth the trouble.  I like all the features of the RP7 or 9.  I really like the Freya + in tube mode best and I have upgraded my tubes to the CBS Hytron which cost almost as much as the preamp.  The tubes made it a lot better I thought.  I didn't go back and forth a lot but my initial impression was wow.  You might try some better tubes there is a lot of info on tube rolling in the Freya + out there.   

I also own the Benchmark LA4 which is really good too right up there with the Freya.  The Benchmark is a cleaner leaner sound. I still overall like the tube mode on the Freya slightly best.  I was thinking there has to be some big bad tube pre Lamm, CJ, AR that is going to be a lot better than this little guy.  

Anyway amazing and lucky we can get such a great product at a low price.  Good job Schiit 

Stereophile needs to do this to drive and create interest in the low end market. The better your gear is the less interest you have regarding reviews,opinions or snake oil nonsense, you become your own reviewer!

I don't blame Steeophile for producing the Recommended Components, but they are dealing with a minefield of comparisons, approximations, and expectations in doing so.  It should be read as a field guide, not a bible.  Hopefully, all of us have been around the block enough to know you can't just buy the cheapest item in the same grade of each category and automatically expect great sound.

What I appreciate about Stereophile is that:

1. They do both an extensive subjective & objective analysis of the reviewed equipment.

2. The subjective testing generally includes direct comparisons to both reference & competitively priced gear.

3. Most pieces end up having more than one reviewer weigh in on the sound, as the measurement guys will also give their subjective assessment, as well as trying to correlate the subjective findings with the objective measurements.

4. The same reviewers are there for many years, giving the reader a chance to get to know their sound systems, choice of music, & listening preferences.  Reviews by someone that you're often in agreement with on familiar gear are far more compelling on kit that is new to you.

It's my understanding that the issues that contain the Recommended Components section sell off the newstand in much higher numbers than the other issues.  They're bought by people looking for a quick fix and have decided to take a step up from Consumer Reports.