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Starkrimson and Freya+ F ??

Hello,

I have an Orchard Audio's Starkrimson Stereo Ultra Power Amplifier (Class D with beefed up power supply).  Haven't used it for a while but I'm getting it serviced and would like to pair it with decent tube pre-amp. I am considering the Schitt Freya+ F because it can be run in Tube or Passive mode.  Tubes for when I'm sitting down and listening to music seriously, Or in Passive mode, without the tubes on, for when the music is just playing in the background (Like when my wife is just streaming Christmas music in the background for most of the day).  Also, my thought is matching a Tube preamp with the class D amplifier could be a good pairing, But I am concerned about the heat and wear and tear on tubes if the amp is on all day.  From what I can see there are some favorable reviews of the Freya+,  I don't know of any other preamp that has ability to run in ether tube or passive modes.  

I'd appreciate any thoughts you have on this,  thanks 

grantgg
evank's avatar
evank
346 posts
 

i own The Ultra for 3 years and the Freya+ was my first preamp. I would not leave the Freya in tube mode on all day as it gets really hot. I shut down my system when I'm done listening. No big deal. As far as the Freya's passive mode it will not have enough gain for the Ultra. You can use it in passive mode for background music but not for serious listening sessions

soix
11,233 posts
 

The Freya might be a great option, and another way would be to get a tube preamp with looong tube life that doesn’t run hot and with relatively inexpensive tubes to replace.  Linear Tube Audio comes to mind, and here’s a nice used one (with the pretty much mandatory LPS) for not much more than a new Freya.  An added bonus is it’s also an excellent headphone amp if you go that way.  Just another option to consider, and best of luck.

https://tmraudio.com/fresh-arrivals/linear-tube-audio-microzotl-mz2-tube-integrated-headphone-amplifier-lps/

orchardaudiollc's avatar
orchardaudiollc
12 posts
 

I have many customers with Freya+ and have heard good things about the combination. Some other tube preamps that work well are:
Black Ice preamps
Rogue preamps
Supratek preamps

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