Freya Plus has three modes, 1: passive solid state wire no gain 2: active buffer solid state no gain 3: tube buffer mode with 12dB gain
The passive solid state volume control is just that. It adds a bit of a veil due to more cabling and circuitry in the audio path.
The active buffer doesn’t add gain but it does offer a cleaner, less veiled sound with greater dynamics. (Not more volume or gain)
With the Jotunheim R I find myself almost always listening in mode 3. It takes an edge off of the top but keeps the shimmer, female vocals are more lush and full, bass is more authoritative. For a bad recording or if I just want a bit more or less of something I use a touch of EQ in the form of the Schiit Lokius connected balanced in front of the Freya Plus. The Lokius is there more for my active near field monitors than headphone use. My usual signal chain is redbook CD to Yggdrasil A2 via coax then on to the Lokius via balanced XLR to Freya Plus via balanced XLR to Jotunheim R via balanced XLR.
Growing up I spent quite a bit of time in the organ loft, built a harpsichord, sang in many choral ensembles and played the cello in the orchestra and smaller ensembles. I have a very good grasp of what acoustic instruments sound like in a live environment. I was blessed to grow up with both parents having masters degrees in music and was exposed to it from an early age. Back in the 80’s I had golden ears and comprehension skills that could tell the difference in many a blind test. Now in my mid 60’s with tinnitus active almost 100% of the time, not so much. I still very much appreciate what I do hear using the SR1a headphones and my other favorite, the HD800.
I’ve recently realized (decided?) that I’m just not that into solid state - I’m a tube man. If I must have solid state for its functionality/compatibility (i.e. to drive a planar) then it needs to be a tube hybrid, because there should always be a bit of tube magic in the chain somewhere.
I’ve been using Verite on tubes (Schiit Valhalla 2) for awhile already, but Valhalla lacks the current to drive Arya to its full potential, so until recently I was using an A90 with Arya. Swapping the A90 for Lyr 3 (with NOS Sylvania black plate), Arya gets a bit thicker on the bottom, smoother on the top, and is all around less dry, which has always been the one thing about it that I couldn’t make peace with. A90 and Arya are both inherently neutral-bright and analytical, and that’s just a little bit too much in one direction for me. Lyr has better synergy with Arya for my needs.
As for Verite Closed, I’m pretty sure “Thou shalt not plug thy ZMF in to solid state” is the 11th commandment. So there’s that. Go tubes, you won’t regret it.
Comparing Verite on Valhalla vs Lyr: Valhalla is smoother, richer, and more refined; Lyr is more dynamic, better bass extension, less tube soundstaging. I prefer Verite on Valhalla.
I’m also a lover of tube amps. Don’t count planar headphones out with them. I use my Meze Empyrean headphones with a Feliks Euforia 20th Anniversary Special Edition tube amp and it’s a spectacular combination. I gave my son a Feliks Echo tube amplifier and he uses it with his Audeze LCD-2 planar headphones. Again … outstanding synergy.
There really is, I think, a remarkable synergy between Verite & Valhalla that often goes unnoticed as they live on opposite ends of the value spectrum. But those who know know.
I know. I know. And I hear it. But which tube amp? And which tubes? Those are the hard questions. How’d you decide on the Valhalla 2 over something that is on the same end of the value spectrum as your VO?
ZMF has its recommended tube amps for sale on its site. Feliks tube amps (as per Upscale Audio) are also a highly recommended pairing. Although I have both the top of the line Feliks tube amp and ZMF Atticus headphones … I break with recommendations and use my ZMF Atticus headphones with a solid state Schiit Jotunheim amp (and its multi-bit DAC) for desktop pairing. They are a great combination.
I actually bought the Valhalla 2 long before I even decided I was interested in ZMF. Valhalla was meant to be my initial foray into tubes, opposite A90 which was my initial foray into mid-fi solid state. At the time I had a Sennheiser HD800S and a Focal Elex. Both sounded very good on Valhalla, but neither was what I would call exceptional. Verite + Valhalla is exceptional. Verite has, to my ears, a surprising synergy with Valhalla that I never expected. Even as I shop around for a high end “endgame” OTC tube amp, I often wonder if I even need anything more than my lowly Valhalla? I think a good part of the magic I’ve found is the admittedly overkill tubes I have in it - 1960’s NOS Siemens E88CC. Together, Verite on Valhalla with these particular tubes has an organic elegance, a refined ease that is smooth yet also somehow not at all lacking in dynamics or detail, that to my ears sounds like it punches well above its mid-fi price bracket. They say mid-fi is all about chasing details; summit-fi is all about chasing smooth refinement. I feel like I’ve found that in Valhalla + Verite.
I suspect Feliks Euforia may be the high end upgrade along the same lines as Valhalla, though I haven’t yet become quite curious enough to ante up the $ to buy one to find out.
I own the Feliks Euforia 20th Anniversary Special Edition amp and it’s incredible with many headphones, including ZMF models. That said … I’m sure the Valhalla gives incredible bank-for-the-buck performance. I use the Schiit Jotunheim as my desktop amp and the Schiit Gungnir DAC as my System 1 DAC and they are both outstanding.
Thanks @chrisnyc75 and @cspersel! As with many things in this hobby, I feel like I’ve got money burning a hole in my pocket, but it’s really the receipts of all the expensive gear I’ve bought over the past calendar year. For my initial foray into tubes, reason tells me the Valhalla 2 is the right move. But some voice that I should probably ignore is whispering—no yelling—the ZMF pendant or the Feliks Euforia would be a mighty nice addition to my chain. So thanks on behalf of my wife for urging me towards reason.
I mean, Valhalla 2 is certainly a better price-to-value ratio for your first “dipping your toes in the water” with tubes… BUT you’re going to end up with a Pendant eventually anyway, so sometimes it makes sense to jump right to endgame.
Yeah, I know that didn’t help, but it’s good to know we’re all having the same conversation with ourselves about these things. lol
There is some truth to that strategy. I’ve spent a lot of money getting to endgame gear. Could have saved a lot by jumping straight to it. Believe it or not, it’s my wife that always urges me to “get the best” and quit messing around with lesser purchases.
I’ll second or third that. Once you establish what you want, get the best you are willing to afford. It ultimately saves you going through the middle steps in both time and money, especially if you know you are going to go to what you deem to be “the top”. Some people like the slow upgrade process though.
I’m going to be recording the output of my Darkvoice playing the same track using a couple different preamp tubes. So far I have the following for the test:
-The preamp tube that came with the Darkvoice labeled “J”
-Tung-Sol 6SN7GTB
-NOS Russian Novosibirsk 6SN7GT 6N8P
I’ll post the audio along with some subjective impressions for each.
Let me know if there are any CLASSICS I should pick up for the test!
Go tubes, you won’t regret it.