SPECS THAT MATTER

Noise: inaudible
Distortion: unmeasurable by APx555 in passive mode, better than any recording and/or transducer on the planet in either active mode 
Heat: gets moderately warm; not surprising for a Class A device
Size: desk- and rack-friendly

ALL SPECS

Passive:

Output Impedance: varies, maximum 4.8 kohms
THD: unmeasurable on APx555
IMD: unmeasurable on APx555
SNR: maxed on APx555 (typically >120dB ref 2/4V RMS)

Low Gain:

Gain: 1x/2x (SE/balanced)
Frequency Response: 20Hz-20Khz, -0.5db, 3Hz-200KHz, -3dB 
THD: <0.001%, 20Hz-20KHz, at 2V RMS 
IMD: <0.001%, CCIR (active stage)
SNR: >124db, A-weighted, referenced to 1V RMS
Output Impedance: 75 ohms
Maximum Output: >10V RMS 

High Gain:

Gain: 4x/8x (SE/balanced)
Frequency Response: 20Hz-20Khz, -0.5db, 3Hz-200KHz, -3dB 
THD: <0.001%, 20Hz-20KHz, at 2V RMS 
IMD: <0.001%, CCIR (active stage)
SNR: >116db, A-weighted, referenced to 1V RMS
Output Impedance: 75 ohms
Maximum Output: >10V RMS 

Inputs: 4 RCA pairs, selectable via front switch or remote
Outputs: 1 XLR pair and one RCA pair, both active at the same time
Gain Stage: Equipoise differential discrete Class A, zero feedback, 75V rails

Headphone stage: booster based on OPA1656, 150mW typical max output
Volume Control: relay-switched stepped attenuator with discrete thin-film 0.5% resistors , 64 1dB steps

Power Supply: Wall wart, 24VAC/6VAC, internal +45V/-28V and 5V/3.3V rails
Power Consumption: 15W typical

Size: 9"W x6"D x 1.5”H

Weight: 3 lbs

APx555 Report for Saga 2 

This seems cheap. Is it real Class A?
Yes. By the way, we wrote the chapter on Class A. Here it is: LINK. Also by the way, Saga 2 is the hardest-way Class A, as in, single-ended Class A, can’t go out of Class A, real Class A.

Wait you said differential but now it’s single-ended? What is happening?
Saga 2 runs its output stages in single-ended Class A (as in, current sourced, not push-pull), in an inherently differential gain configuration. Sounds confusing, but makes total sense. Read the chapter. That helps.

And zero feedback? What kind of zero feedback? Just the final stage no feedback?
It’s real zero feedback, about as real as you can get anyway. As in, beyond emitter degeneration, there’s no feedback. We wrote the chapter on this, too: LINK.

And it’s fully discrete?
Yep! Chapter here: LINK.

And real differential? Balanced?
Absolutely. And yes, absolutely real, no funny stuff. As you may have expected from the previous questions, here’s the chapter we wrote on what balanced, differential means: LINK.

You guys like to write a lot of chapters.
Some of you guys like to read a lot of marketing. We thought we’d clarify a few things.

Well, why do you have balanced outputs but no balanced inputs?
Finally a great question. Here’s the deal: balanced inputs for inexpensive gear are, well, kinda a canard. As in, the good inexpensive sources are usually single-ended anyway, so your inputs are typically gonna be single-ended. However, we make a bunch of amps (Gjallarhorn, Aegir 2, Vidar 2) that can use balanced inputs to create a mono amp with much more power. So balanced out is important. All of that means that single-ended in, balanced or single-ended out makes a lot of sense. So that’s what Saga 2 gets.

I noticed the measurements for this are, well, OK but not spectacular.
“Ok but not spectacular,” translates to “I’d give my left testicle for these measurements” in the “perfect sound forever” CD era, because Saga 2 gives you 4-6dB better performance than the best theoretical CD. And considering that most modern recordings haven’t bettered this performance, the bottom line is the measurements are perfectly fine.

But I want better measurements!
Cool. Get a Kara. State of the art by any measure. Done.

But I want worse measurements!
Cool. Get a Freya+. Not state of the art by any measure. Has glowy hot things that stick out of it. Done.

This thing makes clicking noises when I turn the volume knob.
Yes. This is due to the relay ladder volume. We felt a bit of noise while adjusting volume was an OK trade-off for literally the best volume control in the world.

“Literally the best volume control in the world,” is a bit of a stretch, don’t you think?
Not at all. Relay ladder volume means essentially perfect channel matching from the top to the bottom of the range, which is something that no potentiometer can claim. It also means that the only thing in the signal path is a few resistors and relay switches, which means unmeasurable noise and distortion, even at the APx altar. This is something that no “volume control IC” can claim. So yes, “the best volume control in the world” fits.

But sometimes the sound drops out while adjusting volume.
Lots of relays changing at the same time means this might happen. See above. Reasonable tradeoff.

How is Saga2 different from Saga and Saga + or Saga S?
It’s wayyyyy different:

1. Saga 2 has balanced outputs.
2. Saga 2 has selectable gain—up to 4x/8x for single-ended or balanced connections, respectively.
3. Saga 2’s gain stage is similar to Skoll and Freya+’s discrete buffer—there are no tube options.
4. Saga 2 now uses a wall-wart, rather than direct AC in.
5. Saga 2 is the least expensive Saga ever.

Why is it so cheap?
Because there’s nothing inherently expensive about a preamp, no matter what others might have you think. In the past 20 years or so, audio gear has gone into full gold-plated Bentley/60’ private yacht/$120MM beach estate mode. As in, prices are completely and utterly insane. Go ahead. Look around for a remote passive preamp, and check the prices. And then start looking at preamps that use a sophisticated, perfectly-matched relay-switched stepped attenuator instead of a volume pot or cheap volume-control chip, and we’ll excuse you so you can go scream at the injustice of the world.

So what’s this about it being passive or active? How does that work?
Passive preamps can be great if you have short cable runs and high-impedance inputs to your power amp. On the other hand, active preamps give you the ability to run longer cables and drive low-impedance inputs on some power amps. Saga 2 is both.

But I want just a passive preamp—can’t you make a version like that?
Yes, and other people want just a tube buffer, or they want a preamp with gain, or they want a preamp with a DAC input, or they want a preamp with a phono input, or they want a preamp that’s based on a different kind of tube, or they want a preamp that’s based on a different kind of transistor, or they want a preamp without a remote, or they want a preamp with an app for a remote, or a thousand other things. While we hope you like the Saga 2, and that it fits your needs, we can only build them one way. That’s one of the reasons it doesn’t cost like a good used car. 

So what’s a "Saga?"
Saga is a seeress, or a goddess associated with wisdom. Once you get off the beaten path in Norse mythology, it starts getting a bit murky like this. But we do think you’ll find Saga 2 a wise choice in a system needing a preamp.

Saga 2 Manual