SAA-250

SAA-250

  • Features:
    • Low distortion, very high bandwidth output stage with no negative feedback loop
    • Low distortion, high bandwidth discreet J-FET input stage
    • Distortion lowers as signal decreases
    • Patented floating bridge topology
    • Three output drive modes: stereo, bridged and parallel
    • Fully protected outputs
    • Balanced inputs
    • 160 output devices
    • 44 regulated power supplies
  • Specifications:
  • Frequency Response (±0.5dB)
    100W RMS into 8 ohms DC-300kHz
    Distortion
    100W RMS into 8 ohms 0.1%
    1W RMS into 8 ohms < 0.01%
    Mono Power
    8 ohms 150W RMS
    4 ohms 200W RMS
    2 ohms 100W RMS
    Damping Factor
    35W RMS into 8 ohms 100
    Dimensions
    Width 17″
    Height 7″
    Depth 14″
    Weight 40 lbs.
    The patented “floating bridge” topology, which enables amplifier designs which deliver arbitrarily high power levels into any load. With the SAA-250 the maximum power is 200 W into loads from 2 to 8 ohms. With no negative feedback, the output stage has no masking by the “hunting” dither that amplifier feedback systems normally create. The SAA-250 can transparently drive very difficult loads, like electrostatic loudspeakers and complicated passive crossovers. The lack of “hunting” also enables incredibly low distortion at low levels which revelsl the subtle nuance of the musical performance.

    The SAA-250’s output stage has full power bandwidth to 100MHz. This gives unprecedented slew rates up to two thousand times higher than the frequency limit of the amplifier. A total of 44 separate voltage regulators along with massive power supply decoupling delivers impeccable dynamics and superior low frequency “slam”.

    The input stage utilizes a completely balanced discrete JFET design which has wide bandwidth and impressive open-loop and closed-loop distortion characteristics. Local negative feedback and light loading of this input stager produces the optimum voltage gain characteristics. The input stage delivers full amplitude performance to 200KHz but is intentionally limited to 50KHz to provide for extra bandwith/gain margin thereby enabling extended high frequency resolution.

    The SAA-250 performs as both a stereo 50 watt amplifier and as a bridged 200 watt monoblock. It is stable under very difficult loading and is very well protected. For the most demanding impedances, the two channels can be safely wired in parallel to provide 15A RMS into any load. When the two channels are paralleled, 400 watts RMS is available to a 1 ohm load.

    Damping factors of 50 are also available. The SAA-250 is DC coupled and has no overshoot or ringing with most loads. Any overshoot is normally the result of current injected by the load into the amplifier output’s series resistance.

    The end result of this unique technology in the SAA-250 is an incredibly fast amplifier with massive dynamics along with the ability to resolve subtle nuance in the midst of demanding crescendos. It has the cleanliness and dynamics of a state of the art solid state amplifier with the subtlety and musicality of a great tube amp. It uniquely does this while driving nearly impossible reactive speaker loads.