SMSL Audio SA98E is a compact, powerful and well-sounding stereo amplifier in mini format. The width is not even 10 cm! The design contains an astonishingly fine component quality for the price range, and with a class D amplifier (whose efficiency is 85%) you get a respectable output power for the handy format - the whole 2x160 Watt in 4 Ohm, however measured with 10% THD. In reality, the power is estimated at around 70-80 Watt RMS, but it is still an incredibly respectable figure from such a compact amplifier. It can be an excellent feature of multiroom solutions or bass shaker packages.
Stereo amplifier in mini format - only 98 mm wide
Class-D amplifier built around ST Microelectronics TDA7948E chip
Aluminum chassis provides good shielding
Built-in protection against short circuit, overheating and overload
If you are looking for a powerful amplifier, but do not have room for a large one, then you have come to the right place.
SMSL Audio's SA-98E is a wolf in sheep's clothing. Just unpacking the amplifier from its cartons already gives the right feeling. The chassis is made entirely of aluminum, with the intention of shielding the circuits from external disturbances, and CNC-machined for its fine details. The information on the front piece is laser engraved.
A given budget reference
In terms of sound, the construction is just as first-class and in fact a little surprising how SMSL's engineers have managed to get such a high component quality for its modest price tag. Of course, the compact chassis and the small number of connections (the amplifier has only a few RCA inputs) are a contributing factor to a lower manufacturing cost and thus more room for a higher class of component details.
A well-thought-out construction that exudes class
SA-98E is built around the ST Microelectronics circuit with the TDA7948E chip, but here we also find fine audio components from Panasonic, EPCOS, ALPS, RIFA and ERO. All details are carefully calculated for each other, which gives this amplifier an extremely fine resolution to the music.
ERO film capacitors are selected for their fine performance with a high level of detail and information, especially in the intermediate register. The Panasonic capacitors have their advantages with low leakage, low internal resistance and high ripple current (minor irregularities that remain after the AC current has been rectified). They give the amplifier a warmer sound with a pleasant treble reproduction.
For volume control, we have an ALPS potentiometer with high precision. This has a low color on the sound and a high durability.
Everything is mounted on 1.6 mm thick circuits with copper paths that lead well.
Awesome output from the compact chassis
SA-98E, SMSL themselves have stated capable of delivering 2x160 Watt in 4 Ohm, but then they have allowed 10% distortion of the signal. If you were to play music with such a high distortion, it would sound really bad. You should therefore measure with a very low distortion amount if the specification is to be more honest, but then the output power on the paper will not be as high. So you have done a little ugly, but it still does not remove anything from the amplifier's slightly unique performance.
A more honest specification should give an output power more around 70-80 Watt / channel in 4 Ohm, and those are still insanely nice numbers when you consider both the price and the size of the SA-98E!
At the back we find solid screw connections for the speaker cables, which also handle banana plugs.
