{"id":316887,"date":"2026-04-29T21:02:27","date_gmt":"2026-04-29T21:02:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ecoustics.com\/products\/schiit-buf\/"},"modified":"2026-04-29T21:02:31","modified_gmt":"2026-04-29T21:02:31","slug":"schiit-buf","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ecoustics.com\/products\/schiit-buf\/","title":{"rendered":"Schiit Buf Tube Buffer Launches at $99: A Subtle Upgrade or Sonic “Buf”?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Schiit Audio is taking a more practical swing at tubes with the $99 Buf. It\u2019s a compact tube buffer designed to sit in your signal chain, not take it over.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Buf isn\u2019t a preamp and it\u2019s not a DAC. There are no inputs for sources beyond basic line level, no volume control, and no system control duties. You place it between components; typically between a DAC and amplifier, or between a source and powered speakers, and it inserts a tube stage into the chain. If you don\u2019t want that, it can be switched out and used as a straight pass through.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That makes it easy to experiment without committing to a full tube setup. It can be used to slightly reshape a solid state system, take the edge off a brighter chain, or add some variation to a desktop or headphone rig. It\u2019s also flexible enough to move around depending on the system or use case, which fits Schiit\u2019s usual modular approach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At $99, Buf is less about replacing components and more about giving users a simple way to try a tube stage in different setups and decide if it works for them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"schiiit-buf-front-angle\"
Schiit Buf<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Tubes Anywhere Without Rebuilding Your System<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Schiit Audio isn\u2019t pretending the $99 Buf is neutral. In fact, they\u2019re leaning in the opposite direction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBuf is a tube buffer. It adds a ton of low-order harmonic distortion, without adding a bunch of noise. It destroys the big perfect of \u2018measurement gear.\u2019 At the same time, lots of people, including those who use Audio Precisions all day, think it sounds better. So we figured we\u2019d make this thing and let you find out for yourself<\/em>,\u201d said Jason Stoddard<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s the pitch. Not accuracy in the lab sense, but a different presentation that some listeners may prefer, especially in systems that lean hard into ultra-low distortion solid state performance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite the price, this isn\u2019t a stripped-down implementation. The Schiit Buf runs a 100V plate voltage, uses a linear power supply, and incorporates higher-grade parts including Panasonic film capacitors. Schiit\u2019s Coherence topology is also in play, maintaining absolute phase and offering selectable gain; either 0dB or 12dB from a front panel switch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stoddard is also clear that this isn\u2019t a generic design.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not just another cathode follower,\u201d he explained. \u201cIt\u2019s more akin to our Lyr and Vali tube amps, but it\u2019s different than both\u2014a simple Class A stage optimized for line level use, rather than driving headphones<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That last part matters. Buf isn\u2019t trying to power anything. It\u2019s there to sit in the chain and influence it, subtly or not, depending on the system and gain setting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Connectivity is simple: RCA in, RCA out. It will work in most two-channel or desktop setups without much thought. And because it can be fully bypassed, it\u2019s easy to evaluate in real time without pulling cables.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"schiiit-buf-back\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Schiit Buf Specifications<\/h2>\n\n\n\n