Don Sachs Owners Thread

I had Don's first preamp and now his latest version, which is fantastic as well.  I recently got the Linlai 6SN7's and they sound fine to my ears, as Don said they would.  My current ss amp in the rack is dead quiet and I sense no noise generated by the preamp at all.  I have dozens of NOS 6SN7 tubes -- not the holy grail variants, but Sylvania, RCA, and Raytheon, which were dramatically better than the crappy Russian tubes Don originally sourced with his first preamp, figuring buyers would be rolling tubes anyway, but Don has been a devotee of recent Chinese tubes and I absolutely agree with his assessment.  Don told me long ago that among the 4 6SN7 tubes, sonically the 2 most important ones are those on the left side of the top of the preamp.  If you have a pair of fabulous NOS tubes, it is best to place them there. 

I have both Don's preamp and KT88 amp and believe that I own legacy audio gear, somewhat rare in quantities produced as well as with respect to their sonic excellence.  Don's own passion for music is reflected in his excellent gear.

@bugredmachine nice cable collection. I always find it beneficial to try multiple wire looms with new components. Some setups just lock in and sound great.

Didn't realize Don provides caps and allows customers to diy install them. Good to know. 

@whitestix  just received my 2nd pair of Linlai E-6SN7. Can't wait to try the complete set. Good to know the left row makes the most difference. After full break in I will compare the Linlai vs antique tubes.

Thanks,

aldnorab

I did not buy it from Don. Since I can solder he told me what to buy from VH Audio and I did that.

My Linlai's are very noisy so I cannot use them. They are noisy at my seat and noisier than the music! That was a wasted purchase.

@bugredmachine sorry to hear there's a problem with the Linlai tubes. Can you get replacements in warranty? Mine don't have any audible noise 10 feet away. Have you tried just two in the left position to see if half are good? It is unlikely, but did you try cleaning the pins? Hope you get them working for you. 

Seem to remember something about VDH taking over the sales of certain caps. Greaf that Don refered you to them, and told you what to buy. 

Thanks for the info,

aldnorab

Just chiming in on the Linlai tubes.  I run four of these in my DS2 and they are very quiet.  They sound absolutely fantastic.  To my taste they are better than the recent offerings from Shuguang and Psvane.  With LinLais in place, I have no desire to explore further.  

@whitestix - How is that KT88 power amp?  I have enjoyed the DS2 for a few months and given how nice it sounds, I have been wondering if the matching amp should be on my wish list.

Cheers, Soren