Audiophilepure

https://www.stereophile.com/content/brilliant-corners-7-dual-mono-manley-mahi-amplifiers

This musical breadth and their energetic, approachable, largely faultless sound make the Manley Mahis a pretty compelling proposition at a price that strikes me as entirely sane. If your speakers and room can make a big noise with 40 watts, then these petite but never petite-sounding amplifiers will probably delight you, doing justice to all but the most ambitious systems. They will allow your favorite recordings to excite, inform, and inspire you, like an audiophile version of my Fisher Vinyl Grinder: a magic box, now with good sound.

https://www.soundstagehifi.com/index.php/reference-components/1829-recommended-reference-component-hegel-music-systems-h600-integrated-amplifier-dac

Concluding his review, Philip pronounced the H600 “an exceptional integrated amplifier” with “a topflight DAC that can easily rival external DACs costing thousands of dollars.” He also declared, “This is the finest integrated amplifier-DAC combination I’ve heard in my time as a reviewer.” Together with the fine set of measurements from our lab, Philip’s praise earned the H600 a Reviewers’ Choice designation at the time the review was published—and now a Recommended Reference Component award. But those aren’t the only accolades that the H600 has received. About two weeks after Philip’s review was published, the EISA organization, a global group of print and online publications covering several consumer-electronics market segments, presented the H600 with one of its Best Product awards. It is unquestionably one of the most critically acclaimed integrated amplifiers on the market right now.

The Saga+ did not sound exactly like my Pass XP12 ($6100) but it was far closer than I would have thought. Far closer. Grit, grain, attenuated frequency extremes? No. I was stunned at how good the Saga+ sounded. This is a really linear reproduction of music. My benchmark for good sound is not imaging or soundstaging or the visual elements of music, but tone and timbre, they’re absolutely essential to me. The Saga+ and the Pass XP12 were far more alike than I’d have thought. Far more.

Both are just a wee bit drier than a well balanced tube line stage, but, they’re both very good. Where the Pass stepped ahead was with nuance. Music was just more elegant, performances seemed just a bit better executed. I found myself holding my breath just a little more often with the Pass than the Saga+. If the cost of the Pass does not dent your pocket book, get it, it’s better. No question. If it’s a painful stretch, the Saga+ should be on your radar.

To contextualize, if a Saga+ system is not as rich as desired, I believe the listener should reach for a richer source or richer speakers first. This small, inexpensive preamp is a stunner. Of course, if you have thick or stiff cables… forget it, the Saga+ at six pounds is going to get pushed off your shelf.

Building a satisfying system is about knowing what you want and making complimentary choices to fill your bill. Were I starting as an audiophile today, I’d look at the Saga+ as maybe a starting and destination preamp for audiophiles that don’t want to spend decades and tons of money chasing their tails. Sure, better performance is available but that’s an endless and expensive climb, summiting with the Saga+ gets a great view of music at a silly good price. Overlook it at your wallet and time’s peril.