The SAE Mk One Preamplifier is by far the best solid-state preamp I have ever auditioned. Its complete lack of definable character and lightning speed brings the SAE to the top of the heap. Plus, the SAE's greater than 130dBs measured level of quieting brings out musical images and soundstaging to achieve a new audiophile benchmark. The SAE completely gets out of the way of the music and operates with less of a footprint than PASSIVE. As Clint Eastwood said in Firefox, "What a machine!" Bearing no resemblance to the SAE of old, this is all new thinking, and cutting edge at that. Congratulations to the SAE design team and bravo for actually listening to this preamp as it was created....
SAE 2HP-D and 8300 Amplifiers: Conclusion That brings us back to the beginning of this review: One amplifier to rule them all. There’s nothing more I can say really. You could pay more for an amplifier, a lot more, but I can’t see that getting you any- thing material in terms of what is coming out of your loudspeakers. These are the quietest, noise-wise, amplifiers I’ve ever experienced. The SAE amplifiers also have more detail, texture, and color to the music than any amplifier I’ve experienced before. I know I said some of the same things about the Datasat amplifiers. But these SAE amplifiers are still a bit better than my memory of the Datasat ampli- fiers. Interestingly, the...
I spent some time listening to systems from two companies of which Brian Barr is President: SAE (Scientific Audio Electronics) and CAT (California Audio Technology). In the first, two SAE 2HP-D amplifiers ($20,000/each), which graced the cover of Stereophile when Michael Fremer reviewed the amp in the October 2016 issue, drove new bi-amped Eggleston Works 20th anniversary Limited Edition Andra Viginti speakers ($40,000/pair). Michael is currently reviewing these speakers, whose 4 ohm nominal impedance indicates that they were driven by a mere 1200Wpc of SAE power… (Read more)
