Don Sachs Owners Thread

Very kind of you.  If I can’t source any, I’ll be sure to reach out to you. 
 

I’m on my 3rd hour and an improvement just happened where soundstage detail in the back got clearer. 
 

Someone suggested unplugging, wait a few minutes and plug back in. Hoping that resets the Khozmo so the remote starts working again 

Just acquired a DS pre with the rare HT bypass feature that I need for my setup.  Didn’t think I would one with the HT bypass so Christmas came early for me.  Very easy to enjoy this hobby with a wife that supports and also enjoys music as much as I do. 
 

I’m not sure what tubes are installed since I couldn’t make out but the previous owner thinks they are the Shunguang that Don ships.  The rectifier is a Sylvania. I have my Threshold 350e in output 1 and sub in output 2.  Not sure if I need to switch them around but I think it sounds good in this config.  I have the gain on both channels full throttle since Don’s instructions says that’s how he runs his pre and it makes it easier so need to count the clicks. 
 

Compared to my Placette passive pre (w/ht bypass) that I’ve had for 15yrs, the DS is definitely a qualitative upgrade in all areas.  Transparency, imaging, micro-detail, bass.  All the sonics of the Placette are still there but improved.  I was expecting better imaging but with the DS it had me realize how “loose” the imaging was with the Placette. 
 

I may try different tubes in the left sockets but am really enjoying right now.  Almost 2hrs since I turned on and it just keeps getting better.   The one thing I will be upgrading is the power cord.  Previous owner gave me a generic cord and on Don’s site he has a power cord for $89 and improves the ore by 20%.  Sounds like a no brainer. 
 

I’ll report back how the audio progresses but I don’t think I will be upgrading for another 10yrs or so. 

I definitely will ask him @lous when I get the power cord.  I also need ask him for a screw and wrench for one of the knobs.  One of them fell off and noticed it was missing the screw.  Prior owner didn’t mention this but this is a very easy fix. 
 

I also like how my casing is in black which I prefer and not silver. 

I’m unsure how many hours the DS has.  The prev owner didn’t provide much info on the questions I was asking. Just that there weren’t any issues.  For the price, I got it, I was taking a bit of gamble.  Especially since he wanted to do COD which I didn’t know still existed.  
 

good point about the  dac tubes breaking in too.  I’m using Sylvania 6201 gold pins

I’ve been listening for a couple of hours today and am really enjoying the transparency.  Big, wide, deep soundstage.  The accuracy of how instruments sound.  I can hear differences in piano tonality.   Prior, a piano sounded like a piano   Now a piano sounds like a Steinway, Yamaha, etc. The bass digs.   Looking forward to the suggested updates to the DS to be done.  
 

Sometime tonight, I need to take a break so I post an ad for my Placette passive and to do some house chores 

I sent an email to Don asking about upgrades and my remote. My remote stopped working and thought it was dead batteries. Replaced them and still don’t work. In my music listening excitement, I got startled how good the vocals and emotions that was coming through from Josh Groban’ Noel album that my remote feel between the cusions. When I took it out, that’s when it stopped working.

is there a button sequence to pair the remote or is my remote just busted?

I tried the unplug suggestion in hopes something would reset.  Left it unplugged over night and no dice.  I sent an email to Roy if he has any suggestions while I wait for Don to reply to my remote and upgrade questions. 
 

Fingers crossed this could be resolved by getting a new remote and not send in to Don. 

Just want to say that both Don and Roy provide wonderful customer service with their helpfulness and insight.

Input tube question. What I want is a more middle to front presentation. Currently, I feel like I’m standing right up against the stage in a concert.

The Shuguangs sounds really good paired with the 6201 Sylvania GOld Brand in my Lector DAC. I tried RCA’s in the dac. It gave the middle-front presentation I’m looking for but timbre for instruments don’t sound the same as the 6201 and the hoghs are rolled off a bit.

I’m thinking of rolling the input tubes as a starting point. 2 recommendations to me are

Ken Rad vt-231 clear glass

RCA 6sn7GTB 1950’s short bottle

Looking for other recommendations to get the same timbre and realism as the Shuguang but more middle-front hall presentation.  Also thoughts on the 2 current recommendations 

I was able to purchase a replacement remote from Roy.  I am thankful for his outstanding customer service.  I may have a Don Sachs pre but he was willing to help out on diagnose.  I also purchases one of his power cords which helped tame the slight forwardness (not brightness’s)I was experiencing. 

I may still get the KR tubes but no urgency now.  Will sit back and enjoy for now. 
 

hope the rest are having great holiday.  

Anyone rolled the rectifier?

My version uses the 6x5gt and came with JAN Sylvania 6x5gt/vt-126b.

I know newer versions use a different rectifier but Mr. Sachs doesn’t do upgrades anymore due to being semi-retired. He explained to me he will fix my pre if it’s broken but will not do upgrades.

any recommendations if it’s worth upgrading the Sylvania. I was thinking RCA vt126 or Mullazrd ez35.

I’ve had Roy’s power cord cooking since last Thurs.  It has tamed the forwardness with the cheap computer cord the prev owner provided.  
 

Brent Jesse returns from his holiday break 1/9. I may contact him about the Kend Rad or RCA short glass. 
 

I’ve been tempted to try more economical choices from fleabay buy am nervous about a tube shorting or a fire starting.   There is a rectifier I want to try Bendix or Tungstram but am leery.  

@ptrck887 

I just went through the tube roll exercise.  I got my DS with 4 Shuguang and a Sylvania 6X5gt rectifier. 
 

I asked an old audiophile friend some tube recommendations since we have similar tastes for our system.  Top recommendation was the Tung Sol round/oval black plates.  Those were out of my price league right now.  Next were Ken Rad vt-231, 50’s Sylvania 6sn7w, 5692 RCA. 
 

I was in talks with Brent Jesse for some Ken Rad vt-231 clear glass.  Then I was gifted with Ken Rad 6sn7 188-5 date code 8-43.  They didn’t have the vt-231 or 6sn7 designation and only say Ken Rad.  I installed them in the input stage and left the Shuguang in the output.  From the start, bass was improved and had more detail.  As they warmed up more music snapped into focus and there was more separation and layering.  By the second day, the KR bloomed but the bottom end seemed tubby(?).  Did some research what to roll in the output stage.  I wasn’t able to find much info about tubes for the output but did find a post about one audiophile using 7N7 with an adapter.  From what I gathered, the 7N7 is a drop-in replacement with the adapter.  Supposedly, all 7N7 were manufactured by Sylvania.  National Union did make some and are very rare.  The construction of the short and tall  7N7 are similar to the Bad Boys/Chrome Domes.  Think one even suggested similar the the 6sn7w.  With the 7N7 in the output, everything got refined. More micro-details, lower noise floor, more solid bass.  Took the KR to another level.  I do wonder what the KRvt-231 would sound but for now am very happy.  As the 7N7 warm up/break-in more, I’ll report back if they will stay.  From what gathered, Sylvania’s can sound bright in some systems. 
 

I’ll have to check out the 6H8C and try some time. 
 

I’m really liking these Ken Rads.  The 7N7 Sylvania I’m still trying to figure out if I like the Shuguang more in the output.  The Sylvania seem the be neutral or what I call transparent since a lot more detail is coming through.  More noticeable than the Shuguang.  The 7N7 can sound a bit forward with some recordings.  I don’t want to say they sound bright but the highs seem to be tipped a bit too much. 
 

I then did a test where I turned the gain for each channel one click lower.  Seems all the info I heard before is still there but the highs aren’t tipped to where it can sound bright.  
 

I don’t know much about the gain controls.  The instructions from Don says to start at full throttle so that’s where I put them. Are the gain knobs used for impedance matching?   Are others leaving at full throttle or do you lower to fine tune?  My OCD wants me to crank it back to full since that’s what Don recommended and I feel like I’m limiting what is going through. 

@lous what soviet tubes do you have or recommend? Did a quick search and they are on the lower end which could be a fun tweak. VivaTubes has some for $13/tube. Are those the ones or do you have the Melz?

I’m back to using the Shuguang in the output buffer

Just ordered some ‘54 CBS/Hytron 6sn7gt (black base, white lettering).  Hoping they will pull a bit more detail than the Shuguang like the 7n7 did but not be too in your face.  Maybe a some top end “sparkle”.  I’ll find out next week when I get them. 

@wag12wag12 I agree the Shunguang cv-181 are good tubes.  I could have left my setup with the 4 in my DS but that’s the not reason why I got a tube preamp.  I wanted to roll some tubes. 
 

The combo I’ve settled on so far 

input Ken Rad vt231 black glass

output Raytheon vt231 t-plates

rectifier Raytheon brown base

I found the KR to be similar to the Shunguang but more extended on the bottom and little more on top.  The Raytheon add a little “sweetness” to the top end that made the whole setup more musical where it gets tour toe tapping and gives a you sense of a little boogie in your seat.  The Raytheon brown base rectifier replace the Sylvania v126 and it smoothed the presentation.  The Sylvania made me “anxious” and Raytheon calms everything down to enjoy the music. 
 

For fun, I rolled in some RCA (orange letter) in the output.  Good tubes.  Added some texture where is more velvet like smooth.  Had more lower mid and upper bass.  I didn’t find it as musical as the Raytheon and went back to the Raytheon a short time after. 

@ptrck887 I tried the SVS footers which good results with the DS preamp.

I've unfortunately am moving from the DS preamp.  It's a great tube preamp which I enjoyed and gave me a good introdution what a tube pre could sound in my setup.  With my new NSMT 100 speakers, the sound just sounded to colored with the DS.  I did try a more neutral sounding tube like Sylvania but then things became a bit too analytical for me.  Couldn't find a middle ground with the tubes I had on hand so I decided to try my Placette passive again.  The neutrality of the Placette brought back the balance I was looking for when I had the DS preamp and my Maggie 1.6's.  

Things have been hectic for me lately and hope to put the DS up 4sale in the near future. Keeping holding on that I may switch back to the DS but at this point seem unlikely.  Even my wife agrees she really likes the current setup.