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SAE Mark XXXIB amplifier: opinions?

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Posted on July 26, 2014 at 06:45:40
KanedaK
Audiophile

Posts: 2519
Location: Brussels
Joined: April 27, 2010
 Hello,

I'm interested in purchasing a nice little SAE Mark XXXIB amplifier.

I own a fully restored SAE Mark IB preamp from the same era and I like it a lot.

I'd like to know if I can expect the sound quality of a XXXIB power amplifier to be in the same league as the preamp...

anybody here who owns / used to own this amplifier (or any other Mark--- power amp)?

thanks in advance!

 

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RE: SAE Mark XXXIB amplifier: opinions?, posted on July 26, 2014 at 07:59:36
Kal Rubinson
Reviewer

Posts: 12436
Location: New York
Joined: June 5, 2002
 It is a nice little amp. I bought a NOS sample a number of years back and used it as a utility amp for random purposes but I was not greatly impressed with it. It is very late SAE.

 

RE: SAE Mark XXXIB amplifier: opinions?, posted on July 26, 2014 at 08:06:57
KanedaK
Audiophile

Posts: 2519
Location: Brussels
Joined: April 27, 2010
 Are you sure we talk about the same amp? The one I'm talking about is very early SAE, being the smallest model in the early 70's "mk" serie...

 

RE: SAE Mark XXXIB amplifier: opinions?, posted on July 26, 2014 at 15:48:18
Kal Rubinson
Reviewer

Posts: 12436
Location: New York
Joined: June 5, 2002
 Yup. And not so early as you can glean from the model number.

 

RE: SAE Mark XXXIB amplifier: opinions?, posted on July 26, 2014 at 16:16:32
Brian Levy
Audiophile

Posts: 2438
Location: Toronto
Joined: June 5, 2000
 I think the Ib is from their early days. Seems after the 1st gen they just did not maintain the same level of engineering, parts and, production. I loved their 1st gen product line and the first 2 nixie readout tuners. I thought of the company as a one season wonder.
Don Brian Levy, J.D.
Toronto ON Canada

 

RE: SAE Mark XXXIB amplifier: opinions?, posted on July 27, 2014 at 08:42:21
abs1
 Wasn't Jim Bongiorno one of the designers of the early SAE amps before he founded GAS?

Will anyone here shed some light on this?

Cheers,
Al

 

RE: SAE Mark XXXIB amplifier: opinions?, posted on July 28, 2014 at 05:12:36
Brian Levy
Audiophile

Posts: 2438
Location: Toronto
Joined: June 5, 2000
 That was my understanding.
Don Brian Levy, J.D.
Toronto ON Canada

 

RE: SAE Mark XXXIB amplifier: opinions?, posted on July 28, 2014 at 11:42:39
Crazy Dave
Audiophile

Posts: 14371
Location: East Coast
Joined: October 4, 2001
 That is my understanding too. (See link.)

Dave

 

RE: SAE Mark XXXIB amplifier: opinions?, posted on July 30, 2014 at 07:31:50
KanedaK
Audiophile

Posts: 2519
Location: Brussels
Joined: April 27, 2010
 Oh well... I was expecting more comments over an amplifier that apparently sold like warm bread in the USA...
I confirm that the Mk XXXIB power amp was designed by J.Bongiorno and was apparently the template for many SAE amplifiers that followed.

Anyways I bought the thing, should arrive within a week, I'll see by myself how it sounds. And I'll post comments :)

 

RE: SAE Mark XXXIB amplifier: opinions?, posted on July 30, 2014 at 08:07:53
Crazy Dave
Audiophile

Posts: 14371
Location: East Coast
Joined: October 4, 2001
 The most popular was not always the best. SAE and J.Bongiorno do have their fans.

Dave

 

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