Hope you understand the limitations of a direct comparison by someone else, unless they talk your audio language (which, speaking generally, is not often the case, at least not without repeated questioning). It’s like comparing the effect of a tube change, something I posted about the other day on a What’s Best Forum in relation to Lampi dac and Supratek Chardonnay. I have no doubt one of the two tubes, the one most transparent, detailed, lively, articulate, etc. would be the favorite of most, "the best," but I preferred the one that is less transparent, etc., because instead of finding myself focused on the first’s wonderful analytics, the second draws me into the music emotionally. Yet, there are a whole lot of people, if not most these days, for whom analytics, "sonic effects," are their emotional draw. So is the person doing the comparison the same or similar to you? It is no different with preamps. In fact, the problem is even more difficult with tube gear, because the comparison may be made on the basis of the provided tubes, which may or may not be of equal cost/sonics and thus the best presentation of the developers’ current ideas about voicing. Some tube rolling might change the comparison dramatically.
I chose the Supratek Chardonnay for a few reasons:
- true balanced outputs at no extra cost vs. faux balanced outputs, meaning impedance issues running to low impedance amps (active speakers), and additional costs for dealing with it (cost for different value caps)
- sound intentionally on the warm side (I don’t see anything about tone/pitch in the Sachs’ write up or in customer comments, or in discussing the sonics of the provided/recommended tubes)
- separate power supply
- lifetime transferable warranty vs. "one full year" (in bold) to the original buyer for the Sachs. Record of units lasting decades.
- a good case made for point to point wiring, however "messy"
- lower upfront cost and possible tube rolling costs not that much
