Don Sach's pre amp

Hi folks,

I have narrowed down my tube preamp choices to the Don Sachs Model 2 and the deHavilland UltraVerve 3. Does anyone have any comparative information regarding these two preamps?

I have heard great things about both. My speakers are 98dB efficient and I am using a Pioneer M-22 30 wpc all Class A power solid state amp. I am currently using a Schiit Audio Freya preamp which is fine but I am looking for fantastic! I know the DS Model 2 has enough gain. I don't know the UltraVerve 3 gain number.

Any feedback is appreciated! 

I am using a Schiit Yggdrasil DAC and love it. I have a Schiit Vidar amp but it does not measure up to the Pioneer M-22 so I am selling it. I just need a "reference" preamp and I think I am done playing with components and I can concentrate on listening to music instead of components!

I ordered a Don Sachs preamp!

What upgrades are you getting done and why? 

I still have time to make changes to my order so I would like to hear what you are thinking!

@a_shah,

I am confident I am getting all the best stuff. I was just curious if you thought of something I did not. I am not getting a tape monitor switch or inputs/outputs. I am getting one set of XLR inputs. The output caps are 2uf for my Pioneer M-22 SS amp. Don wants me to use AudioCap Thetas bypassed by Russian Teflon caps. He says these take 100 hours of burn-in to sound right and he likes them better than Jupiters and as well or better than the Dueland when they do.

I hope he finishes it early because I can't wait to get it and burn it in!

@a_shah,

Mine will be walnut as well.

What rectifier tube have you been running? I am going to get a NOS Bendix 5852 to try.

For the 6SN7 tubes, Don is real high on the CV181z tubes so I am getting a matched pair of those from him to try. I have about 20 matched pairs of some real nice WWII era 6SN7 tubes I will be trying as well.

Already done. The Bendix 5852 is fine in the Don Sachs line stage. It does take 30 seconds or so longer to warm up so you should turn the line stage on about a minute before the amp.

@a-shah,

I find that Yggdrasil sounds just a bit better through its XLR output. It's not a huge difference, but it is there. So I have ordered my DS 2 line stage with an XLR input. I will compare XLR and RCA in to see how the DS 2 sounds best in the chain.

Of the top of my head, I have these tubes:

Raytheon VT-231 (flat plates with 8 copper rods)
Ken-Rad VT-231 (both black and clear glass)
RCA VT-231 (grey glass)
Sylvania 6SN7W
Sylvania VT-231
Sylvania 6SN7GT (Bad Boys)
Sylvania 6SN7GTA

I have some more that I can't remember. I am on vacation and don't have access to my list.

I have tried the CV 181-z tubes in the past and found most of the above tubes to be better. I ordered a set with the DS 2 and will try them with that line stage.

@wig 

In my tests, the NOS tubes walked all over the CV 181-Z. If these tubes were as great as you say, the NOS 6SN7 market would dry up in a New York minute....

I tried them in a preamp and they didn't sound great.....I guess I will see as I have a paired ordered with my Don Sachs preamp.

I ordered a pair of the Shuguang Black Treasure CV181z tubes to try out with the DS-2. The DS-2 needs over 100 hours of burn-in time for the capacitors chosen for the build anyway....so I will use them for the burn-in and see how they sound compared to my current 6SN7 favorite, the Raytheon VT-231 with 8 copper rods and flat black plates.