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Post by tejasrichard on May 9, 2019 15:56:38 GMT -5
[mention]audiobill[/mention], I have a quick question for you:
I am looking for a preamp that throws a holographic soundstage. Would you put your SP14 in this category? Also, did you build yours or buy it assembled? (I am pretty handy with an iron, and wouldn't mind the project...just wondering what sort of time commitment is required)
For that matter, Freya owners, how does it perform in the soundstage department?
My current system:
Analogue: pro-ject debut carbon esprit sb -> modded yaqin ms-23b
Digital: chromecast -> v-dac
Emotiva usp 1
Emotiva basX a-300
Infinity Quantum 2
I have been interested in hearing the Infinity's with a good tube preamp, as I have read that Arnie Nudell voiced them with tube equipment.
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Post by audiobill on May 10, 2019 20:38:35 GMT -5
The SP14 is excellent in timbre, soundstage, bass, you name it.
I built mine, along with over 100 amps, preamps and rebuilds.
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Post by pop on May 10, 2019 21:38:26 GMT -5
I have a freya on the way once back in stock. Probably around mid to late May. I don’t have an XSP to compare it to, but I’ll let you know my findings on the freya vs XMC vs Oppo 105
I decided to add it instead of using the Oppo as a preamp for analog inputs for a Rega Planar 1 I just ordered.
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Post by brubacca on May 11, 2019 7:58:26 GMT -5
I have a freya on the way once back in stock. Probably around mid to late May. I don’t have an XSP to compare it to, but I’ll let you know my findings on the freya vs XMC vs Oppo 105 I decided to add it instead of using the Oppo as a preamp for analog inputs for a Rega Planar 1 I just ordered. What Phono Preamp are you going to use with the Rega/Freya? |
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Post by pop on May 11, 2019 8:01:49 GMT -5
I have a freya on the way once back in stock. Probably around mid to late May. I don’t have an XSP to compare it to, but I’ll let you know my findings on the freya vs XMC vs Oppo 105 I decided to add it instead of using the Oppo as a preamp for analog inputs for a Rega Planar 1 I just ordered. What Phono Preamp are you going to use with the Rega/Freya? I bought the planar 1 plus so no need. We will see. It was too good of a deal to pass up so I couldn’t skip the savings. Got it for $400 shipped brand new |
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bootman
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Typing useless posts on internet forums....
Posts: 9,358
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Post by bootman on May 11, 2019 9:00:23 GMT -5
I have always questioned why haven't E come out with a preamp exclusively for two channel listening. RSP-1 RSP-2 USP-1 XSP-1 These were the last ones I remember. Now a new one with a world class phono and class A headphone section with a selectable impedance switch would be nice.  |
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Post by garbulky on May 11, 2019 9:19:25 GMT -5
I have always questioned why haven't E come out with a preamp exclusively for two channel listening. RSP-1 RSP-2 USP-1 XSP-1 These were the last ones I remember. Now a new one with a world class phono and class A headphone section with a selectable impedance switch would be nice. Plus the XSP-1 had two different generations so that would have been five pieces total. Also technically there was the two generations of the standalone phono preamp, which I guess most people don't think of as a preamp. Also this probably won't count as it has no gain but the control freaks were also passive preamps. The DC-1 also has a great two channel preamp. Though it is a dac so it wouldn't necessarily be considered a dedicated preamp. It does have a dedicated signal path for the analog signal though which sounds quite good. |
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bootman
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Typing useless posts on internet forums....
Posts: 9,358
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Post by bootman on May 11, 2019 9:30:43 GMT -5
RSP-1 RSP-2 USP-1 XSP-1 These were the last ones I remember. Now a new one with a world class phono and class A headphone section with a selectable impedance switch would be nice. Plus the XSP-1 had two different generations so that would have been five pieces total. Also technically there was the two generations of the standalone phono preamp, which I guess most people don't think of as a preamp. Also this probably won't count as it has no gain but the control freaks were also passive preamps. The DC-1 also has a great two channel preamp. Though it is a dac so it wouldn't necessarily be considered a dedicated preamp. It does have a dedicated signal path for the analog signal though which sounds quite good. If we are including the DC-1 then we have to mention the XDA and its two gens. But those are digital preamps. So if Emotiva made a 2ch preamp that combines the XSP and XDA it really would be the XMC in 2ch mode. So take out the other channels and put in a world class phono and headphone amp and we would have a winner. |
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Post by pedrocols on May 11, 2019 10:37:12 GMT -5
I have always questioned why haven't E come out with a preamp exclusively for two channel listening. RSP-1 RSP-2 USP-1 XSP-1 These were the last ones I remember. Now a new one with a world class phono and class A headphone section with a selectable impedance switch would be nice. I am talking about something more "pure" without bass management and this and that. The aforementioned units seems more like a receiver but without the power amp. |
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bootman
Emo VIPs
Typing useless posts on internet forums....
Posts: 9,358
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Post by bootman on May 11, 2019 11:40:06 GMT -5
RSP-1 RSP-2 USP-1 XSP-1 These were the last ones I remember. Now a new one with a world class phono and class A headphone section with a selectable impedance switch would be nice. I am talking about something more "pure" without bass management and this and that. The aforementioned units seems more like a receiver but without the power amp. Even the current offerings from Parasound, NAD, and Project have sub outs. Maybe something more traditional like the Bryston BP 26? |
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Post by vcautokid on May 13, 2019 10:48:49 GMT -5
Just fyi - Schiit's restocking fee is 15%, not 5%. Oh it is not a Schiity day to restock because it IS 5% not 15%. Directly from their own site. Read the bottom paragraph of the details for Freya for example here. You have to return it within 15 days of receiving it to see if it is the Schiit for you or not, and a 5% restocking fee is subracted from your refund. Not too Schiity really. www.schiit.com/products/freyaAnd for Schiits and giggles. www.schiit.com/products/jotunheimSo two products same policies. So same Schiit, different day, and yeah the devil is in the details. It is how I catch my manager scheduling someone for a 16 hour day instead of 8 like he did for everyone else. Your humble fact finder and accuracy for your kind view. Good day! |
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Post by ramatam on Jun 17, 2019 10:23:50 GMT -5
Shiit offers a 15-day in home tryout; Emotiva offers a 30-day in home tryout. Buy them both, listen to both, let your ear decide, keep your fav, return the other one. You can't get a definitive answer to your question any other way.
cheers,
KP
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KeithL
Administrator 
Posts: 10,256
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Post by KeithL on Jun 17, 2019 10:41:49 GMT -5
Are you referring to the solid state Freya or the tube Freya (now they have both)?
I would expect the tube one to sound rather different....
[mention]audiobill[/mention], I have a quick question for you: I am looking for a preamp that throws a holographic soundstage. Would you put your SP14 in this category? Also, did you build yours or buy it assembled? (I am pretty handy with an iron, and wouldn't mind the project...just wondering what sort of time commitment is required) For that matter, Freya owners, how does it perform in the soundstage department? My current system: Analogue: pro-ject debut carbon esprit sb -> modded yaqin ms-23b Digital: chromecast -> v-dac Emotiva usp 1 Emotiva basX a-300 Infinity Quantum 2 I have been interested in hearing the Infinity's with a good tube preamp, as I have read that Arnie Nudell voiced them with tube equipment. |
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Post by tejasrichard on Jun 29, 2019 9:16:46 GMT -5
I ended up getting a really good deal on an audio research LS-15.
I am amazed daily by how much better this preamp sounds! The clarity and in-the-room realism is better than anything I have ever owned, for sure! I was also pleasantly surprised to find that the bass is much improved over the USP-1, as well. I never would have called the bass muddy, before, but in comparison it was.
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Post by audiobill on Jun 29, 2019 14:43:56 GMT -5
Tejas, are you new to tubes?
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Post by tejasrichard on Jul 5, 2019 14:26:06 GMT -5
Tejas, are you new to tubes? Yessir, newish. I had a little dot mkiii headphone amp that I ran as a preamp several years back, before I replaced it with the USP-1...and I am using a Les Box modded yaquin ms-23b for my phono stage, but this is the first real tube preamp I have ever used. |
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Post by audiobill on Jul 5, 2019 14:46:21 GMT -5
Excellent, glad you’re hearing the improvement with tubes many of us do!
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Post by audiosyndrome on Jul 5, 2019 15:51:57 GMT -5
Let’s see. LS-15 $3,000 20 years ago. USP-1 $499 10-15 years ago. One would expect.......
Russ
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Post by tejasrichard on Jul 5, 2019 16:12:03 GMT -5
Let’s see. LS-15 $3,000 20 years ago. USP-1 $499 10-15 years ago. One would expect....... Russ One might expect, yes. But then again, one might not know WHAT to expect, considering THIS one is only now dipping one's toes in the deep end of the pool. I could never have justified paying anywhere close to that much for a component. I have been very fortunate in my audio upgrades to have always managed to trade up, and have ended up with a pretty nice system, but it isn't TOTL. Most of my gear has been solidly entry-level HiFi (or maybe a little better, depending on how you feel about yamaha's m-series separates). To be frank, I had no idea if/how much diminishing returns were going to be at play, here. |
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Post by woofy98102 on Jan 29, 2020 16:50:25 GMT -5
And now we have the Freya+ with quite a few improvements in it's tube section that significantly deal with the noise many complained about. Has anyone given it a listen to it? Or better yet, compared it to the Xsp-1 Gen 2?
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