[Quiz]

It's working until it isn't. There's zero degradation at all with tubes (the preamp tube do not dim down or lose brightness the same as incandescent light bulb). The normal functioning tube in Saga should give you at bare minimum a decade of use at 4 hours of listening per day before it just gives no sound. I haven't replaced mine Saga tube for 7 years and counting now

If we ignore the price difference, would you pick the Saga+ or the Kara as a preamp for powered studio monitors with the Bifrost 2/64 as the DAC?

 

[theveterans]

If we ignore the price difference, would you pick the Saga+ or the Kara as a preamp for powered studio monitors with the Bifrost 2/64 as the DAC?

I like tubes and single ended triode amplifier, so Saga+ for me. My advice is that you should get the Kara to get the fully balanced (differential preamp) setup to your powered studio monitors

 

[tincanear]

Saga impressions thread (earlier posts might for original Saga, as Saga+ and Saga S were introduced later)
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/schiits-saga-preamp-impressions.826388/

If you like the stackability of Saga+ with Bifrost 2/64 (same 6" x9" footprint) but don't want to deal with tubes, there is also LISST "solid-state" tube available to fit the Octal tube socket on Saga+. Or find a pre-owned Saga S (no tubes)

Jason also hinted at a second-generation Saga 2 (but that might be several months or more before it is released)

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/sch...bable-start-up.701900/page-9975#post-18096883


Kara is second-generation of Nexus preamp topology (predecessor is the now discontinued Freya S)
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/schiit-kara-impressions-thread.969604/

 

[Quiz]

Saga impressions thread (earlier posts might for original Saga, as Saga+ and Saga S were introduced later)
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/schiits-saga-preamp-impressions.826388/

If you like the stackability of Saga+ with Bifrost 2/64 (same 6" x9" footprint) but don't want to deal with tubes, there is also LISST "solid-state" tube available to fit the Octal tube socket on Saga+. Or find a pre-owned Saga S (no tubes)

Jason also hinted at a second-generation Saga 2 (but that might be several months or more before it is released)

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/sch...bable-start-up.701900/page-9975#post-18096883


Kara is second-generation of Nexus preamp topology (predecessor is the now discontinued Freya S)
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/schiit-kara-impressions-thread.969604/

Thanks.

Do we know if the Saga 2 will have a tube?

Also, how do the Kara and Freya+ compare?

 

[theveterans]

Nobody knows what will Saga 2 be. Freya+ will sound thicker and more organic (vinyl-like) than Kara (more transparent and dynamic). Depending on your monitors, Freya can make it sound less fatiguing over long listening sessions while Kara won't sugarcoat anything (i.e. a recording that's bright and edgy will sound bright and edgy)

 

[Daniel Johnston]

^ This

In addition it has a SS mode to bypass the tubes if you want to control your monitors without the tube flavor.