No sound

@lanx0003

I have not been in the market for a preamp for years and was not aware of the Saga 2.  I took a look and based on your listening impressions it seems like an amazing deal with input for four sources, passive or active gain and remote control, all for $279.

Depending on his longer term plans, if interested @rvpiano can certainly follow your lead and send the Sys back within 15 days for a full credit towards the Saga 2.

For my particular listening preferences, I prefer a tube preamp and prefer two sets of RCAs out.  Notwithstanding, seems like another Schiit smoking deal.

@jetter I kind of wish for swapping two RCA inputs with an XLR input, but this is not, I believe, a truly balanced design anyway. The 64-step relay ladder volume control works great and solves my channel balance issue. Yes, the Saga 2 is a great budget-friendly piece of gear for a humble system.

For a more revealing and pricier system, I strongly recommend the truly balanced Kara or Freya, which can also serve as a backup preamp in the future. 

@lanx0003 

i have a Conrad-Johnson tube preamp which is out for repair for an extended time. That’s why I got the Sys, so I could listen to music.  Of course the tubed CJ is much better, but the Sys is a very good stopgap until I get the CJ back.

It’s very interesting to to hear the set effectively without a preamp. The signal is direct from the amp and the DAC to the speakers. The Sys is a passive unit and ostensibly adds nothing to the sound. So the sound is extremely clear but cold. It lacks the pleasing coloration a preamp brings. 
Certain recordings (especially older ones). don’t seem to need the coloration and sound just fine.