SAE 2900 Stereo Preamplifier/ Equalizer

Vintage SAE 2900 Stereo Preamplifier / Parametric Equalizer – Fully Working, USA-Made

A 1970s Scientific Audio Electronics (SAE) 2900, analog gear that was built in Los Angeles to complement their legendary 2200/2500 power amps.

The Parametric EQ: Each channel gets a full 2-band parametric equalizer (bass below 1.2 kHz, treble above) with independent controls for boost/cut, center frequency, and bandwidth (Q). You can dial in anything from a wide, gentle shelf to a surgical notch filter — the same tool professional recording engineers used to tame rooms and recordings. No app, no presets, no digital artifacts. Just four smooth sliding faders per channel and an analog signal path that opens up the music.

The Preamplifier:

• 2 phono inputs (MM/MC), tuner, aux, 2 tape loops with dubbing
• 30 Hz and 100 Hz low-frequency filters (switchable, combinable with EQ)
• Mode switches: stereo, mono L, mono R, mono sum, reverse stereo
• 2 headphone jacks, 2 pairs of pre-out, 4 rear AC outlets
• THD < 0.01%, S/N > 95 dB, 55 dB channel separation
• 1U rack-mount, solid steel chassis, ~9 lbs

Condition: Only discrepancy - one of the sliders for the balance section is broken (pictured), but functional. Minor cosmetic rack wear consistent with age; cosmetically clean.

Great for: Taming room modes, dialing in your speakers, adding analog warmth and precision to vinyl.