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Don Sachs Owners Thread

A place to discuss amps, preamps, and phono stages from Don Sachs. 

 

I just purchased a like new D2 linestage. It has 2 gain controls, 64 step volume control, and digital volume readout. It is set up for the new rectifier. This is my first 6sn7 based linestage. It came with Ken-Rad Vt 231and gray RCA tubes. There are 3 rectifier tubes. A huge Philco 6BY5G, a Tung-Sol 6BY5G, and a Bendix 5852. There is also an Ice Age Audio power cord. With 2 different sounding outputs there are a lot of options. I need to find out what value the output caps are. I have the D2 connected at the moment to a VTL ST150. Input impedance is 125K and 2v in for maximum gain. 

I placed the RCA tubes in left front and rear and Ken-Rad in the right. Used Philco rectifier. Plugged VTL amp into output 1. The brightest sounding preamp I've ever heard. It was comical, bass drums sounded more like cymbals. Output 2 sounds like normal music. This surprises me. With 125K input, I thought there would be no problem getting bass response. 

Some questions.

1. Are the 6Sn7's in the right locations? I guessed by looking at the sellers photograph.

2. Is the Ice Age Audio the AC cord the brand Don offers as an option? 

3. I'll audition all 3 but which rectifier would be considered tops?

The linestage sounds amazing. 

Thanks,

aldnorab

aldnorab
rbautista
91 posts
 

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's avatar
lous
196 posts
 

Hi rbautista,

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I need to revisit the Ken Rads to be sure. They were necessary in the first version of the Schiit Freya in order to have a sound stage, and the oldest Raytheons were needed for tonality issues, but when I first got the DS2 they were not so great. I did 6BY5 rectifier conversion, and went to the ODAM and CuFT cap conversion as well as swappinge some Duelund wire for VH Audio hook-up wire, so I should check them out again.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

rbautista
91 posts
 

@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?

lous's avatar
lous
196 posts
 

rbautista, I believe that those are 1965 or newer, I have some but haven't listened to them. I believe that all of the ones I bought came from Europe, mostly from the Ukraine. I bought a lot of them in December I believe that they all arrived safely, at most there could be one shipment out there, but the late date was February, so I haven't bothered to check yet. They have the square/rectangular plate at the bottom. The ones with the disk at the bottom are newer. 1964 or before seems to be the division. With the square getter being the proof.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

rbautista
91 posts
 

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

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