Review on SABAJ A20a: Powerful Balanced Stereo Power Amplifier with Infineon MA12070 Chip Hi-Fi Class D Amp, 150W x 2Ω, XLR RCA Inputs, Remote Control - Ideal for Home Speakers by Shawn Parker

I've had many amplifiers. Cheap, expensive, big, small, American brands, Asian brands. It is the first class D compact amplifier and is considered the best in terms of performance and sound quality. I think the difference is that most small class D amps are powered by ICs originally designed for use in smart speakers, bluetooth speakers, soundbars etc where performance should be good but not great for getting your work done. The Infineon chips, developed in Germany and used in the Sabaj A20a and A10a, were originally developed for use in high-end audiophile components. Distortion and noise are much lower, net power and ability to drive high and low impedance speakers is much higher. Of course, the chip isn't everything, and several manufacturers such as Sabaj and SMSL are now making small amplifiers with other quality components to match Infineon. How do they sound better? The significantly lower background noise is immediately noticeable. I don't usually play loud, but on my medium/low efficiency speakers it sounds really loud with no effort. Everything sounds detailed, balanced and musical. Note that many of the cheaper Class D amps sound pretty good. But there's a difference when you hear it up close. I think the SMSL DA-9 is electronically almost identical to this one. The differences are that the Sabaj doesn't have Bluetooth (my DAC has Bluetooth so I didn't want it here) and I believe the Sabaj's subwoofer has a low pass filter while the SMSL has full range. I haven't tested this myself. The displays are different, SMSL has a multicolored display with a much smaller font. So more text on the DA-9's screen, but I like the Sabaj's screen better because I can read larger text from across the room. The volume control is digital here, giving you lots of small steps between the softest and loudest, and the left-right balance is always perfect, even when playing at the softest levels. It has 8 built-in equalizer curves to change the tone. They are well audible, but everything is done with taste. It's not like the huge boosts and cuts found on most Bluetooth speakers. There's also digital bass and treble control, and you can adjust the brightness of the display in 3 levels. I bought the Sabaj because it was a little cheaper, readily available from Revain, and because its features best suited my needs. I am very comfortable.