[liquidsmote]

  I'll have 3 analog sources. 1. Like you a HTPC.  Analog out from my HT Omega Halo soundcard. 2. A gaming rig that uses a Gigabyte MB with what they call Amp Up.  It's the ALC1150 with a swapable op-amp.  3. Second room audio output from the HT receiver.  I still spin Blu Ray.  I want to watch movies and listen with headphones from my couch to the analog audio.  May get rid of the BD player when PowerDVD 17 comes out and use the HTPC for Blu Ray. 
 
All three are also hooked up to the receiver via HDMI.  Makes it simple for my wife. 

 
Can you give any feedback on that Omega vs the ALC1550? I was thinking about upgrading away from my integrated, but it's pretty decent for what it is.
 
I was looking at the HT Omegas and the Asus Essence before I discovered the Schiit Bifrost, and now IDK what to do.

 

[saddleup]

@ liguidsmote. Thanks for the replies.  I'll try and make it more clear on what I'm trying to achieve.
 
The HTPC, game PC and BD player all hook up to my receiver via HDMI so when listening through the speaker system all is fine.  If the headphone circuit in the receiver sounded better I'd just leave it at that. 
 
My main objective is to improve on headphone performance and have the ability to control headphone volume from my couch.  I don't have a desktop system just the HT system.
 
My receiver (Pioneer Elite SC-25) has preout and also stereo zone 2 output via RCA. 
 
I would take the preout from the receiver to the Saga and preout of the Saga to my power amp.  So when watching a mutli channel movie for example I would turn the volume all the way up on the Saga which if I'm reading the spec. correctly would essentially give me unity gain at the preamp.  Overall volume would be controlled at the receiver.  It would work the same way for games from the game PC or Netflix from the HTPC.
 
I would take the zone 2 output from the receiver to a second input on the Saga.  The second preout on the Saga would then feed the headphone amp (Jotunhein).  I would turn the volume of the headphone amp all the way open and control the volume from my couch through the Saga.  So essentially the receiver would be acting like a DAC, taking the digital signal via HDMI and converting to analog and out putting the signal via the zone 2 RCA jacks.
 
I would also take the stereo analog signal directly from the HT Omega soundcard from the HTPC and the stereo analog output from the game PC MB and hook them up to the Saga.
 
I would then have the choice of listening to that analog stereo signal through headphones via the Jot. or directly from the Saga to power amp through the stereo pair of speakers in the HT set-up. 
 
Make sense?  Clear as mud haha?  I've thought of getting a preamp with a HT bypass and built in headphone amp just to make the process simple but I really want to try some Schiit and this method seems like the solution all though it is a little convoluted.
 
The HT Omega Halo sounds better to me than the Asus card.  I really like this card.  With replaceable op amps I can tune the sound somewhat.  Having said that if funds allowed I wouldn't hesitate to get a Bitfrost MB.
 
The ALC1150 from the game machine sounds quite good also.  Gigabyte claims a SNR of 115db.  This particular MB uses Nichicon caps and a BB OPA2134 which is up-gradable so at least some thought was put into the audio circuit.  I want to grab that signal and feed it to a high quality headamp. 
 
Integrating a Saga/Jot. gives the best of both world.  I get better two channel analog and headphone performance.  I'm happy with the surround system the way it is.

 

[Robert Wortman]

I have had the Saga in my system for a couple of days now.  Very impressed.  One of the biggest steals in audio.  I have a full 5.1 surround system using the pre-outs of my receiver to drive an NAD C275BEE for the front L/R channels.  I now have those pre-outs going to one of these switchboxes that I had on hand from when I was running two TT's (https://soundapproach.com/rek-o-kut-low-noise-stereo-phono-aux-switch.html).  I have the other input on the box coming from the Saga and the output going to the amp.  HT bypass without having to have the Saga on all the time.  I now have the phono preamp going to the Saga along with the analog outs of my universal disc player/streamer.  Sounding very good.  Speakers are my new PSB Imagine T2's.   Interesting to me that what is now probably the best price/performance deal I have purchased in my 40 years of audio fandom is about the same price as the worst.  I bought a Music Hall MMF-2 back when they first came out. $300 and I felt completely ripped off.  Complete junk.  I wanted to find Mike Fremer and throw it at him.

 

[gldadis]

New Saga in a strictly 2-channel rig with a Bifrost Multibit. Amp is an Emotiva XPA-2 that's a few years old. Speakers are Harbeth P3ESRs. Source is Pure Music on a Mac Mini. The sound is liquid, dimensional, tonally accurate, and dynamic. I believe it's by far the best I've had since I started out in the early '70s. Very, very interested in the Vidar when it comes out.

 

[Robert Wortman]

New Saga in a strictly 2-channel rig with a Bifrost Multibit. Amp is an Emotiva XPA-2 that's a few years old. Speakers are Harbeth P3ESRs. Source is Pure Music on a Mac Mini. The sound is liquid, dimensional, tonally accurate, and dynamic. I believe it's by far the best I've had since I started out in the early '70s. Very, very interested in the Vidar when it comes out.

​I don't think I have had a better preamp in my system either, although I have never had a "gold plated Bentley" model.  If the job of a preamp is to select a source and connect it to the amp with minimal additions and volume control, I don't see how packing thousands of dollars worth of stuff into an expensive box improves on this simple solution.

 

[Mike Foley]

 I now have the phono preamp going to the Saga along with the analog outs of my universal disc player/streamer.  Sounding very good.  Speakers are my new PSB Imagine T2's.   Interesting to me that what is now probably the best price/performance deal I have purchased in my 40 years of audio fandom is about the same price as the worst.  I bought a Music Hall MMF-2 back when they first came out. $300 and I felt completely ripped off.  Complete junk.  I wanted to find Mike Fremer and throw it at him.

I am going to be getting a Saga next month, and was wondering how well it worked with an external phono stage, as a magazine review here in the U.K. said Saga was not suitable for use with phono stages as there is too low an output.
I currently have a SYS and my phono stage works fine with that. I assume it will be fine with Saga too, but would like to be sure.
I play loads of records, so it's important to me.

 

[Mr Rick]

I am going to be getting a Saga next month, and was wondering how well it worked with an external phono stage, as a magazine review here in the U.K. said Saga was not suitable for use with phono stages as there is too low an output.
I currently have a SYS and my phono stage works fine with that. I assume it will be fine with Saga too, but would like to be sure.
I play loads of records, so it's important to me.

The Saga has a gain of 1. That is to say, no gain. But, if you have a phono pre with normal output, such as the Schiit Mani, with 300mV. It should work just fine.
 
By the way, your SYS also has gain of 1.

 

[RonO]

I'm using a U-turn Pluto phono preamp, with the Saga, and for the pluto, which has 30db gain, I have to spin the volume as high at 100% with older recordings.  80-90% for most, it *just* makes is loud enough.  Now, I don't have efficient speakers, Elac UB5's, so that contributes to it also.  If I had a Mani, I could probably just up the gain on the mani to fix it. I agree with the previous poster, it's the same gain, 1, so it should be the same as the SYS. 

 

[gldadis]

I'm using a Mani with the Saga with a Denon DL-103, a low-output moving-coil, on a Pioneer PLX-1000, and it sounds great. Dimensional, dynamic, and plenty of gain. Also, the system is absolutely noiseless; you just hear the music and the spaces between and around the notes.

 

[Mike Foley]

Thanks for the replies guys. You've answered my question, and put my mind at rest.
Cheers!

 

[Robert Wortman]

I am using a SimAudio Moon 110LP with a LOMC and I have plenty of volume.  As others have noted if it works with the volume pot in your Sys it will work fine here too.

 

[Mike Foley]

Thanks, that's great info. I think the reviewer doesn't know his Schiit.

 

[438555]

Thinking of replacing my (now failing) JVC AV amp with a Saga and a Vidar.  I have a pair of bookshelf speakers and a powered subwoofer.  The issue is that my powered sub takes a mono input from the AV amp, and the Saga outputs stereo.  Would it work to just put something like this between the Saga and the sub, until such time as I upgrade speakers?
 
http://www.mcmelectronics.com/product/MONACOR-SMC-1-/50-9042

 

[Robert Wortman]

  Thinking of replacing my (now failing) JVC AV amp with a Saga and a Vidar.  I have a pair of bookshelf speakers and a powered subwoofer.  The issue is that my powered sub takes a mono input from the AV amp, and the Saga outputs stereo.  Would it work to just put something like this between the Saga and the sub, until such time as I upgrade speakers?
 
http://www.mcmelectronics.com/product/MONACOR-SMC-1-/50-9042

 
That will work fine.  Its just a resistor summing network.  You could make one but that is cheap enough. Most bass is pretty monophonic anyway so you could just try one channel out from the Saga and see if it sounds OK

 

[438555]

   

Thanks!  Now just waiting for the Vidar, and hoping my JVC doesn't fully die before then.  Then new speakers...