Reviews for Freya+
"For example, the Freya + captivates more of a warm sound with some midrange thump and smoother vocal delivery. The tube gain is also noticeably quieter which is more evident across sensitive audio gear; a complaint which the old Freya had often received. As with the previous model, the passive mode offers a solid-state flavor with a more transparent and revealing sound albeit with less soundstage and harmonic bloom compared to the tube gain. The tube gain also impacts a more holographic sound stage with height and depth while also adding some weight to the lower frequency spectrum."
:...I would strongly urge readers to try this product for those seeking a smart preamplifier solution to their audiophile needs."
From a blind test at the Schiitr between all four preamps (Saga S, Saga+, Freya S, Freya+.)
"After the first run of Tracy’s Chapman’s Fast Car it was readily apparent that the Freya + was earning its keep as the most expensive option of the lot. A flushed out, full representation of everything from bass to treble produced focused instruments that were never flimsy, vocals that drew you in and tonal beauty that both delighted and entertained the small crowd that was gathered. The guitar parts from 15 Steps translated as a smooth, euphonic sound – thick with both detail and dimensionality."
"...We have had numerous far more expensive tubed preamps in the system, including multiple models from Rogue, Audio Research, Lamm, Manley, and others. It is our belief the Freya+ was not in any way embarrassed by these units, and in fact, held it’s own in every category except maybe for less elaborate case work.
To add another perspective, we have also had many "budget" tube preamps in for audition and while all of them sounded generally "good", they all seemed to do one thing well, usually a smooth midrange, or they added some harmonic richness, but along with that a flat sounding top end, and somewhat sloppy bass. No such situation with the Freya+. It was difficult to find an area where it was deficient sonically overall.
The Schiit Freya+ gets our highest recommendation. For $899 you get a triple mode line stage, with a 128 stepped attenuator, rarely used but beautiful sounding 6SN7 tubes (new production Tung Sols to boot) and a nice metal remote control. The Freya+ with the design changes noted above, only commands a $100 premium over the original Freya, which is amazing. If you have no desire for tubes, the Freya S is available for less."
"The Freya + establishes what the original set out to do with its involving and holographic sound as well as the convenience of controlling multiple sources from one device. However, there are some differences between the new model and its predecessor. For example, the Freya + captivates more of a warm sound with some midrange thump and smoother vocal delivery."
"As with the previous model, the passive mode offers a solid-state flavour with a more transparent and revealing sound albeit with less soundstage and harmonic bloom compared to the tube gain. The tube gain also impacts a more holographic sound stage with height and depth while also adding some weight to the lower frequency spectrum."
"Together, the Freya+ and the Bifrost 2 made a nice little loop where the Freya+ wanted to soften the whole sound while the Bifrost 2 wanted to sharpen it all up, and the overall presentation ended up taking the best of both qualities. I suspect Schiit listens to pieces of its gear in concert with each other, which makes good sense. There are a lot of people out there building Schiit stacks and full-on Schiit systems, as they're reasonably priced, relatively attractive, and overall very solid values."