Aklegal

@rhythmdevils I don't doubt anything you have said. Both the WA6SE and the Zen Taboo would often sound like magic but also sometimes weirdly pedestrian - so a lack of consistency. That and my never-ending tube nervosa pushes me toward SS. I don't think I will ever cross into the realm of $4k+ tube amps. I didn't realize you were looking for a WA6SE trade - I would have figured something out for you.

Try a SW51+ to hear tubes with a more SS feel to them.

Only SS amp I've heard before that I was actually wowed by and not just "this is good" was $50k+ vs several tube amps over $1k have wowed me before.

Correct. I expected to hear speaker soundstage issues in NOS mode but I hear none. Bass is a little worse (softer less detailed), the midrange sounds a little more congested (I think). The differences are super small. I might give comparing the two another shot but frankly I am bored with it.

Are you upsampling with HQ Player or some such?

I have the trial version of HQ Player. I haven't really gone through what seems to be hundreds of filters and options but did get it working. I am going to give HQ player a shot but I'm not that motivated. I did 4x SOX upsample from Jriver but I still prefer the Yggdrasil in OS mode.

Been running Yggdrasil A2 > Piety > JAR600 and I'm pretty happy.

I'm going to use the A2 tonight. I expect to prefer it given my preference for the A2 with headphones and the GS with speakers.

NOS isn't the sound of the Yggdrasil. It's the sound of what happens after the Yggdrasil when it has to deal with an incomplete stepwise signal. Might sound fantastic, might sound terrible depending on your chain. Nothing to do with the Yggdrasil. Turn NOS off, and the chain after the Yggdrasil has an easier time with a more processed signal.

"drive it exclusively below 2000 RPM for 2 weeks"

It works for record decks.

Don‘t you ever try to crank up this Porsche to 2000 rpm:
http://www.fahrzeugseiten.de/Traktoren/Porsche_Diesel/P111/Porsche_P111_5m.jpg

Could you compare a2 vs GS on your speakers? I would like to know more about imaging and soundstage . i almost bought GS this week.

I am going to find the GS thread and post my thoughts there. I find the GS to be superior in both my speaker and headphone rigs. Maybe Schiit can refine the first run analog board circuit for a new flavor; Same is Better or Old is Better.

GS can be a better match synergistically than A2 for sure. It's the case with my system, so I'd agree with @purr1n. I'm slightly curious how GS compares to Gungnir A2, but not curious enough to audition or buy it.

I had a similar home-coming a couple weeks ago. I sent my MIL in for a self inflicted RMA. When I got it back it really struck me how good it is.

This Mother-in-Law talk on SBAF does my head in.

It might have taken out a transformer. That is my guess.

Insurance may cover, but I don't want to risk a higher premium. The TV was 12 years old. The Yggdrasil at the most might be $700 to fix. The deductible will make it not worth it.

That's insurance in a nutshell isn't it? Unless you have a major claim, it's not worth the collateral damage.

Hope the Yggdrasil comes back cheaper than anticipated...

Which model SurgeX? I'm amazed things got fried at the other end of a pricey brand like that. Overpriced trash clearly

By the way, was the Hestia a new unit?

It is brand new. I just put some very brief remarks up. I am going to give this some time though since it is brand new and so far only has about 4-5 hours on it.

Yep, good idea. I found Freya+ also changed a fair bit (luckily for the better), although some of that is likely the tubes as well. Of course some break in is actually “between the ears” too ;-)

Sounds like it may be too much gain. In X4 mode, Freya S adds 12 dB of gain to your chain. If your stereo amp has high gain, and/or you have sensitive speakers, this can easily result in loud audible hiss. For example, when I run Freya S in X4 mode into Vali 2 on high gain, I get the kind of hiss you describe. Flip Vali 2 into low gain, no hiss. Just a heads up in case your replacement unit doesn't fix it.

No, it wasn't gain. Nexus 4X is 12 db gain and so is tube mode on the Freya+. The Freya+ is extremely quiet in my system. My headphone amp has 14db gain in preamp mode and again I have to put my ear to the tweeter to hear hiss. What the defective S put out was more like broadband white noise. Clearly audible through even my midrange drivers.

Tried a quick search for the diff between Freya S and +, was taken here:
https://www.freyalingerie.com/row/

Seem nice for a set and forget option, what was your experience ?

I have had it for about a week. Unfortunately my unit has some issue with the Nexus stage - lots and lots of noisey hiss. Schiit has agreed to replace it so I am awaiting instructions...

Since the Nexus stage is a no go at the moment I have spent a ton of time with the passive mode. It is outstanding. I have 97db speakers and my amp's input sentivity isn't quite 2V so the balanced out from my Yggdrasil is more than enough to drive two of the Freya's RCA out pairs - one to my main amp and the other to stereo subwoofer amps.