„We ’re an engineering company“

That’s where it all begins.

At SAE, a product is born in engineering, not marketing. It starts as an idea about sound. A way to do something that has never been done before. Something that will furter the art of sonic reproduction.

That’s why we made the first fully complementary amplifier, which inherently reduces distortion.

That’s why we introduced the digital readout tuner to audio, also recognizing its inherent advantages and expanding upon them.

That’s why we developed the graphic equalizer for consumer use. And later the parametric equalizer.

That’s why we invented the Impulse Noise Reduction System, the first device of its kind to go beyond surface noise elimination and into more complex dimensions.

But we didn’t just develop these products. We developed a way to manufacture them.

We’ve always felt it was okay to design audio with one eye on the stars, as long as you’ve got the other on the punch press. In other words, you have to be able to manufacture what you imagine.

So we integrated the entire assembly process right here. In our new plant. Chassis construction, parts inspection, testing, everything.

It’s the ideal marriage of technology and skill. Our workers are better because our product is better. There’s something at the end of the line to be proud of. The chassis is taken from raw material to its MIL-SPEC black anodized finish. Every front panel is hand polished. It’s meticulous, one-of-a-kind type of job. But there isn’t a better way to do it.

Inside an SAE product you’ll find a staggering array of the best parts in the world. We have an entire staff of professionals that spend each and every day searching the globe for that better transistor. Or capacitor. Or switch.

And when they’ve found it, our Quality Assurance department tests it. And re-tests it. You see, it has more than its own specifications to meet. It has ours.

When we make a circuit, we use materials like Fr4 glass epoxy boards, metal film resistors, and computer grade connectors.(We’ve minimized the amount of hand wiring because it’s not as consistent or repeatable as circuit boards.)

After completion the board is run through a gamut of tests and inspections to ensure that it meets a long list of strictly defined parameters.

And ultimately, final assembly.

Trained hands carefully place all components in position. Dimensions are checked. By tool. And by eye.

Then it gets tough. We call it “burn-in”. Every component must operate under actual working conditions for up to 24 hours. (Power amps are operated at full music power.)

And if there are no inadequacies, if every part of every assembly of every unit measures up, it’s readied for the final and most difficult test: the human ear. Quality Control listens. They check every input and output. Every switch and slider. When they’re satisfied – and only then – the component is placed in a carefully designed SAE container and sent to you.

And that’s when the magic begins. That’s when you unpack the box. Connect the cables. And discover some thing new. Something you never thought could be done with sound. We are an engineering company. But it is for that moment of discovery, that small bit of wonderment, the we do everything we do.