Schiit Saga+...What’s the point of the tube?


Just wondering about this. I bought one used because I wanted a passive preamp with 0 gain and remote control. It functions fine and doesn’t seem to color the sound of my inputs at all whether I have it in tube buffer mode or not. 

So then why is there a tube? To sell more units b/c of supposed tube sound? It came with 5 tubes, several NOS American made ones from the 50’s-70’s and some of recent manufacture. I rolled them all and none of my listeners (4 including myself) could hear a difference. 

I’m not into tube voodoo after rolling these tubes and engaging tube buffer mode vs. “normal” mode. Makes me question the value of tube rolling in general. 

I know half of the replies will be bad puns on the Schiit name, but if anyone has a serious reply, I’d be grateful to read it. 
larshepping
Post removed 

I have the Schiit Saga (original) and use it in tube buffer mode with all my sources except Audio Horizon phono preamp run passively.

I don’t presume to tell anyone what they hear, but after spending time rolling a few 6SN7’s with the Saga, I was able to choose a clear preference based on overall sound quality. I compared the stock tube with new issue Electro-Harmonix, Sylvania Chrome Top (not Chrome Dome), Melz 1578, and vintage RCA Grey Glass. This not only yielded a clear winner, but also a ranking: 1. RCA, 2. Melz, 3. EH, 4. Stock Tube, 5. Sylvania

Were these differences dramatic? Well no, but I’m listening for subtle cues and the best SQ based on different things, like transparency, timbre, highs, midrange, and bass reproduction. 

“So while there were some noticeable gains in collective performance from a few candidates, the overall race was so close that only significant deficits in quality stuck out against the negligible.” 

The quote above is from a “Double Blind” 6SN7 tube shootout using four Saga+ units. Check it out. 

https://audio-head.com/double-blind-a-b-schiit-shootout-tubes/

There was a clear consensus on rankings, which seems to indicate that the tube is doing something. No?


I’d say that discerning the differences between tubes of the same design is an advanced listening skill.  Don’t draw conclusions like that as a newbie.
I have had similar experiences with tube buffers. I could not hear a difference.
I have found the quality of the volume control to trump everything else in the preamp regardless of the rest of the design.