normdeplume
Pithecanthropus Erectus
Hey folks,
I recently picked up a Schiit Saga passive preamp. When considering it, I wasn't able to find a lot of useful impressions of the thing online, so I'll share mine here. Maybe my first post in ~5 years!
The rest of my system:
Impressions: The Saga is a half-width unit and feels very well made, both in materials and assembly. The top and front finish is a nice brushed aluminum. The FP has a volume knob and two buttons: One increments the selected input (5 total) and the other selects and deselects the tube buffer. There are two sets of outputs (handy; I use #2 for needle drops) and five sets of inputs on the back, along with a mini toggle switch to control power, next to the IEC socket. A credit-card type remote is included - it's cheesy but works fine to select inputs, adjust or mute volume, or select/deselect the buffer. The first thing I did when unpacking was to transfer its functions to my learning remote, then re-packed the original in the box. The Saga came with a new, unbranded 6SN7 tube. The white LEDs on the front panel are way, way too bright. I slapped silver LightDims on them but doesn't look super clean.
Power isn't remote-controllable, which is good and bad. I turn my rack on and off with a power conditioner but tend to leave it on all day when I'm home. The preamp, tube, and other components are likely to be warmed up when I play them, but in theory tube life will be shortened. Additionally, both the FP and remote switch cycle incrementally through the 5 inputs, so 4 > 3 requires four clicks of the button. These clicks have to be spaced a bit as it takes maybe half a second for the relay to do its thing. Likewise, the stepped attenuator makes a quiet clicking sound when adjusting the volume either by knob or remote. This isn't a big deal and I'm happy to deal with that quirk for a real stepped attenuator. The tube is always powered, whether the buffer is engaged or not.
The preamp sounds, in a word, great. That is, it doesn't sound like anything at all. I've attempted to A/B and can't discern a meaningful loss of detail or any frequency when using the Saga versus my sources direct to power amp (both Sony CDPs have a variable output.) I have maybe 100 hours on it now and it appears to have solved my preamp dilemma as described above. Between accurate performance and frequency extensions (as sources and my speakers will allow) and a very transparent midrange, very good stage and image are possible. I noted that this is probably the furthest I've got into serious audiophile territory - brilliant recordings sound brilliant and lousy recordings sound lousy. The most notable improvement over my B&K is in midrange inner detail, previously smeared over but preserved very well here. My references during these swaps have been Cowboy Junkies' Trinity Session (single mic, great staging and atmosphere) and Trinity Revisited (no longer single mic, but perhaps a "better" recording.) Selecting or deselecting the tube doesn't make a night and day difference, and my impression is that it functions mainly as a buffer. I do notice a slight increase in midbass bloom with it engaged, and a moderate improvement (exaggeration?) of soundstage as well, for whatever reason. It's all pleasant, so the tube stays on. I've got a NOS GE 6SN7 in place of the stock generic thing.
Objectively, I'm pretty happy with the Saga, and on feature comparison (passive, multi-input, remote, buffer, stepped attenuator) with the rest of its market this seems like a crazy value.
Hope this is helpful!
Drew
I recently picked up a Schiit Saga passive preamp. When considering it, I wasn't able to find a lot of useful impressions of the thing online, so I'll share mine here. Maybe my first post in ~5 years!
The rest of my system:
- Music Hall MMF 2.2, Acri-plat, Speed Box > Stanton 680EEE > Schiit Mani
- Sony CDP-XA1ES > SMSL Sanskit
- Sony CDP-CA70ES
- HTPC > SMSL Sanskrit
- Chromecast Audio > SMSL Sanskrit
- B&K ST2140
- ADS M12
Impressions: The Saga is a half-width unit and feels very well made, both in materials and assembly. The top and front finish is a nice brushed aluminum. The FP has a volume knob and two buttons: One increments the selected input (5 total) and the other selects and deselects the tube buffer. There are two sets of outputs (handy; I use #2 for needle drops) and five sets of inputs on the back, along with a mini toggle switch to control power, next to the IEC socket. A credit-card type remote is included - it's cheesy but works fine to select inputs, adjust or mute volume, or select/deselect the buffer. The first thing I did when unpacking was to transfer its functions to my learning remote, then re-packed the original in the box. The Saga came with a new, unbranded 6SN7 tube. The white LEDs on the front panel are way, way too bright. I slapped silver LightDims on them but doesn't look super clean.
Power isn't remote-controllable, which is good and bad. I turn my rack on and off with a power conditioner but tend to leave it on all day when I'm home. The preamp, tube, and other components are likely to be warmed up when I play them, but in theory tube life will be shortened. Additionally, both the FP and remote switch cycle incrementally through the 5 inputs, so 4 > 3 requires four clicks of the button. These clicks have to be spaced a bit as it takes maybe half a second for the relay to do its thing. Likewise, the stepped attenuator makes a quiet clicking sound when adjusting the volume either by knob or remote. This isn't a big deal and I'm happy to deal with that quirk for a real stepped attenuator. The tube is always powered, whether the buffer is engaged or not.
The preamp sounds, in a word, great. That is, it doesn't sound like anything at all. I've attempted to A/B and can't discern a meaningful loss of detail or any frequency when using the Saga versus my sources direct to power amp (both Sony CDPs have a variable output.) I have maybe 100 hours on it now and it appears to have solved my preamp dilemma as described above. Between accurate performance and frequency extensions (as sources and my speakers will allow) and a very transparent midrange, very good stage and image are possible. I noted that this is probably the furthest I've got into serious audiophile territory - brilliant recordings sound brilliant and lousy recordings sound lousy. The most notable improvement over my B&K is in midrange inner detail, previously smeared over but preserved very well here. My references during these swaps have been Cowboy Junkies' Trinity Session (single mic, great staging and atmosphere) and Trinity Revisited (no longer single mic, but perhaps a "better" recording.) Selecting or deselecting the tube doesn't make a night and day difference, and my impression is that it functions mainly as a buffer. I do notice a slight increase in midbass bloom with it engaged, and a moderate improvement (exaggeration?) of soundstage as well, for whatever reason. It's all pleasant, so the tube stays on. I've got a NOS GE 6SN7 in place of the stock generic thing.
Objectively, I'm pretty happy with the Saga, and on feature comparison (passive, multi-input, remote, buffer, stepped attenuator) with the rest of its market this seems like a crazy value.
Hope this is helpful!
Drew