Tubed Preamp recommendations?

I've never heard a Saga, but then I don't get out much. It sounds like a long story (Get it? Saga?...I'm here all week...how 'bout that airline food...where ya from?).

Schiit Freya +...a bargain, with more capability than any of the above mentioned preamps.

Surfmuz...if anyone is incapable of reaching over a Freya (which has room for this since the tubes demand the room) to switch it on I sympathize...mine turns on from the power conditioner anyway, although I do switch it off if I want the other items (non tube) to stay on. I don't think this is generally a widespread complaint. I actually have compared my Freya (original version) to other, more "precious" preamps including ARCs and others and it holds its own, and in fact sounds a lot better than many. It is an astonishingly good preamp that's far less expensive than most, mine has had zero issues with microphonics with any of the various tubes I've tried, and cherry picking complaints from here and there is meaningless when compared to the overwhelming success reported by many happy Freya owners. I can only assume you haven't actually compared a Freya to the preamps you've mentioned, or you lack the experience to understand what you're listening to.

I'm not surprised he likes his Saga so much...I think Schiit gets grief for simply being less expensive (except for pricey DACs) which clouds the brains of those owning pricier gear, or thinking there's a connection between cost and performance. I have a couple of Magni 3s, a Loki, and an original version Freya...all are outstanding sounding things and the cost of each relative to performance is outstanding and unmatched by most.