Heathkit SA-2 (1959)
The Heathkit SA-2 is a compact integrated stereo amplifier kit introduced in 1959. It was advertised as a complete dual-channel amplifier/preamplifier combination in one unit, which was still a novelty at the time. The surviving ads are enthusiastic about the styling and the convenience, promising "every modern feature required for superb stereo reproduction" at a kit price. Audio (January 1960, p.9) carried the same launch advertising, and High Fidelity (March 1960, p.33) ran it again a few months later. Heathkit was clearly pushing the SA-2 hard as its entry-level stereo amplifier during that period.
Beyond the advertising, the documented record is thin. The tube complement is known from Radiomuseum.org - 4×12AX7, 2×12AU7, 2×EL84, 2×5AR4. That points to a push-pull EL84 design with tube rectification, a common and sensible setup for a 14-watt stereo amp of the era. The power output is listed simply as "14 watt" without further qualification. No frequency response, distortion, or signal-to-noise figures have survived in the sources we have. No original price, dimensions, or weight are documented either.
Mostly, what we know is what the ads told us. It was a 14/14-watt stereo amplifier kit, self-contained with its preamp, styled to look good on a shelf, and priced for the do-it-yourselfer. The EL84 output stage is well-trodden territory for rebuilds, but specific SA-2 documentation is scarce, so a schematic is worth hunting down before you start.
- Type: Integrated stereo amplifier kit
- Power output: 14 watts per channel (as advertised, "14/14-watt")
- Tube complement: 4×12AX7, 2×12AU7, 2×EL84, 2×5AR4
- Production: 1959
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