Stax DA-80 (circa 1978–1980)

Not much is documented about the Stax DA-80. The record shows a Class A stereo amplifier advertised by Stax from the late 1970s into 1980, plus a single listing in a period amplifier roundup. No owner's manual, no independent measured review, and no confirmed price or production figures have surfaced. That makes this page thin.

Stax's own advertising described the DA-80(a) as an improved version of its early commercial Class A line. The ad claimed a faster slew rate, better transient coupling, and IM/HD below 0.007 percent at 20 kHz, and it highlighted the dual power supply for discriminating listeners (High Fidelity, November 1978, p.23). Stax was still running essentially the same ad in 1980. The line's other members - the DA-300(a) at 150×2 watts RMS and the DA-80M(a), a 90-watt mono subwoofer amplifier - give some idea of the family's ambitions. The DA-80's own output rating is not stated in the surviving ads. An amplifier listing in Audio (October 1978, p.76) places the DA-80 among models from Spectro Acoustics, Setton, Sherwood, and Soundcraftsmen, but the surviving copy of that page carries no figures for it.

Class A amplifier (manufacturer's claim)
Dual power supply
Advertised distortion: IM/HD less than 0.007% at 20 kHz (manufacturer's claim)
Advertised circa 1978–1980

No verified specifications, original price, or production dates are currently known. If you have a DA-80 manual or measurements to share, the Archive would welcome the record.