"II. What color is your preamp? What color should it be?"

"The SAS 10A and the Sonic Euphoria Passive Line Controller are close enough in sound that the choice between them depends largely upon your musical tastes, the material you listen to, and the equipment you connect them to."

"The SAS 10A is the most musically truthful preamp I'm aware of, and I will expand that statement by listing some of the line stages I've had in my otherwise very stable system: Herron VTSP-1, VAC CPA III, VAC Standard LE, Audio Research 3A, ARC 8, ARC 10, Mark Levinson ML-1, Levinson ML-7, Levinson ML-10A, Original Aronov PS-100 and Musical Concepts modification, Nagra PL-P, Beveridge RM-1, Rappaport, Placette Passive - there are more, but you get the point. Until I got the 10A, I struggled to make the other components live up to their potential."

"Recently I sent the 10A home for a few upgrades. Steve Sammet put a cryo'd Furutech female IEC connector on the back so I can swap power cords and added another Cardas female RCA. The process took a couple of days, and cost a little more than a hundred dollars. The sound became a little smoother without compromising its extremely high definition."

"The 10A is silent, as is the SAS 7.0 SE amplifier. In passing, I will remark that Steve stopped selling the amp because of problems with shipping damage. If you're in the market for a terrific low-wattage SET amp, and don't want to shell out for some exotic brand triode, I suggest that you implore, supplicate and importune Steve to build one for you. After all, my preamp survived its trip to and from Illinois without a scratch."

"What don't I like? IT DOES NOT HAVE A WRETCHED REMOTE CONTROL. Also, the volume pots (plural) inflame my neuroses. Steve says it sounds better this way, and the arrangement does provide a de facto balance control - a useful feature in my asymmetrical listening environment...."

"The choice between the SAS and the Sonic Euphoria will be based entirely on your musical preferences. If you find the Sonic a very tiny bit dry, you will buy the SAS. If the SAS seems minutely warm, you should get the Sonic."

Bound For Sound Review - Issue #163, February 2005

Bound for Sound has issued their first "Component of Merit" issue in 7 years. SAS Audio Labs is pleased to announce that the 10A is among only 3 mentioned in the "Components of Exceptional Merit" category.

Martin explains the history of preamps and comes to this conclusion (before the actual listings and short reviews of each).

"I expecially feel that way about the SAS 10A, a tube unit of moderate expense that simply stomps a mud hole in just about every active unit made - regardless of price."

"SAS Audio Labs 10A Active tube linestage:"
"Why spend more for an active linestage? I'd give the Symfonia a very small edge in overall transparency, but you can't buy the Symfonia anymore, and if you could, it cost thousands more. So, what's better? The Herron VTSP-1, perhaps? The Herron is more neutral, and spectacularly musical, but over two and one-half times as expensive. In terms of active line stages, I'm hard pressed to name any that I clearly prefer to this statement of simplicity and musical purity at anywhere near this price."

"Whereas some preamps come off as accurate and competent, the 10A has an uncanny way of expressing the emotions of a performance in terms that other preamps simply can't. I think it's because this unit gets sooooo close to the performance that the subtle aspects of the music have no where to hide. "

"I'm not talking "close" as in up front and in one's face. No, this unit has the special ability to lay bare the inner detailing and expression of a song like few others. Few other "active" units, anyway. Heartfelt, warm and touchy-feely when called upon to be so, the SAS can give the competition at any price a lesson in focus and there-ness."

"It is super grain-free and dimensional. When I say that this active is "warm", I'm not so much speaking of the musical participants as much as I am the backdrops to the performance that have this nice dark and dimensional sound - Yes, the quiet darkness around the music is dimensional....Note: I believe the Sonic Euphoria PLC to be an even more transparent and truthful device than the 10A. However, in this world of extreme and diverse audio conditions, there will be times when an active linestage is a must. At that time, I expect the SAS to be the near perfect preamp for difficult conditions."

"H.R. Weiner says: Smooth and musical but as revealing as anything tested except the Sonic Euphonia. In some slightly brighter or aggressive systems it may be the piece that completes the puzzle. Build quality and parts far exceed the retail price of $1500.00."