Предусилители — Sugden Audio SAPPHIRE DAP-800

The Sapphire DAP-800 is a digital and analogue preamplifier from J E Sugden of England, part of the Sapphire range alongside the FBA-800 power amplifier. It works in two separate domains, an analogue line preamplifier and a built-in DAC, and each domain has its own power supply that has its own mains switch. Level is adjusted with a motor driven analogue potentiometer controlled by an RC5 compatible remote control.

Key specs that matter

On the analogue side there are four line level RCA inputs and one balanced input, which can also be used as a bypass. The digital side accepts three S/PDIF coaxial inputs, two S/PDIF optical inputs and one USB type B port, with the USB connection limited to up to 16 bit and 44.1 kHz. Outputs comprise two line level RCA pairs, one balanced pair and a tape output. Input sensitivity is 120 mV for 1 V out, and maximum output reaches 9 V. The response is flat within 0 dB from 15 Hz to 98 kHz, while the overall bandwidth extends from 8 Hz to 125 kHz. Sugden specifies noise at better than 85 dB. Height is 120 mm, width 430 mm and depth 340 mm, with 10 kg quoted as the packed weight.

Engineering and use context

For the analogue stage Sugden uses its VCV circuit built from a high impedance input, a current gain stage, a folded cascode stage and an output stage working in class A. The digital section shares its conversion technology with the standalone Sugden DAC-4. Instead of oversampling and filtering in the digital domain, it converts without a digital filter and relies on an analogue filter after the converter. Keeping analogue and digital supplies apart, with separate mains switching, means the DAC circuit can be powered down entirely whenever the listener plays only analogue sources. The bypass function on the balanced input lets the unit sit inside a home cinema chain at a fixed gain.

Pairing

The natural partner is the Sugden Sapphire FBA-800 power amplifier from the same range, fed from the balanced or line outputs. Because the DAC is built in, a CD transport, a TV optical output or a network streamer with a digital output can connect directly, while a turntable still requires an outboard phono stage wired to a line input. The tape output suits a recorder or an extra zone.

Alternatives

The Sugden Masterclass LA-4 is a purely analogue line preamplifier from the same maker with relay input switching and a 10 V maximum output.