Best Sounding Passive Preamp


What is the best sounding inexpensive passive preamp? I may have to send my preamp in for repair which could take a while and I don't want to be without music. My top priority is sound, but I don't want to spent a lot of money as I will be putting my preamp back in system upon return. Help please.
slowhand

Showing 6 responses by michaeljbrown

I guess I must be one of those tube lushness guys. I already own a Schitt Asgard headphone amp, which impressed me enough to act like a Math guy and try the passive pre/tube combo, just in case!

I just ordered a Schitt Saga. It is both passive and active, in case I want a little tube sound. I will compare it to my Transcendent Grounded Grid Preamp, a great bargain its own self! I'd like to spend a little money, before I spend a Lot!
Mesch
I have spent a frustrating evening trying to hook up my Schitt Saga passive/tube active preamp, which arrived today. It is so passive I can't get any sound out of it. I emailed Schitt and got a pretty quick reply from Nick L, but only to ask questions re muting and if I had bad interconnects. I have good interconnects, I am listening via those same interconnects to my Transcendent Preamp,and Eric Clapton sounds really nice on my Audio Nirvana modified Thorens 125. I have checked my right to right left to left on all inputs and outputs. Fooled with every input on the Saga with the cool little remote: Nada, nada, nada. 
More will be revealed, but not tonight!

I was just too dumb to hook the Saga up. I started all over again and followed directions, for a change, and despite my learning disabilities, got it successfully inputted and outputted.
The sound is quite refined both buffered and non-buffered. I don't know if Schitt is a tongue in cheek operation, making fun of the whole audio circus; in any event, I like the sound. My Transcendent tube pre was,by comparison, blurred and lacking air with more pronounced peaks in both voices and instruments, especially guitar. I had a CD over my PSAudio Lambda transport and Classe DAC 1--and 180 gram vinyl Eric Clapton's "Unplugged"..
Still listening, no doubt I'm sticking with the Saga. For $350? Come on Man!! What's not to like?