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Sugden Sapphire DAP-800 Pre Amplifier Purchased new in September 2023. Used infrequently. Excellent condition. Here's a link to the specs https://www.sugdenaudio.com/dap-800-digital-analogue-pre-amplifier Condition: Excellent Payment Method: Direct Deposit, Cash on Pickup Region/State: (QLD) Queensland/Australia By D. Love 0 Comments Secure Ad AUD $6,800 Date: August 28, 2025Aug 28
The Sapphire DAP-800 is a notable piece of kit: a premium British preamp with built-in DAC, and A$6,800 looks fair to attractive versus its typical new-price positioning and the few available used-market signals. A new European price around A$9,000–A$10,500 equivalent and Australian retail around A$12,295 put this listing well below replacement cost, so it is not ambitious for an “excellent” unit.
What makes it worth a look is the combination of a well-regarded Class A preamp section, useful digital input flexibility, and the kind of weighty, resolved presentation Sugden fans buy into. If the unit is complete with remote and original packaging, and the seller can confirm clean operation on all inputs and volume control, this reads as a solid buy for someone wanting a serious analogue-style pre with DAC convenience.
Independent perspective — not a price guarantee. Always verify condition, accessories and provenance before purchase.
Sugden Audio: British Heritage and Class A Excellence
Sugden Audio was founded in 1967 by James Edward Sugden in Cleckheaton, West Yorkshire, as a division of Research Electronics, his earlier scientific instrument manufacturing company. Sugden's background in precision engineering and broadcast equipment design at EMI informed the company's founding philosophy of meticulous craftsmanship and sonic integrity. The brand has remained rooted in British manufacturing throughout its history, maintaining its West Yorkshire base and family involvement through successive generations, most recently under the stewardship of the Miller family alongside the long-term Sugden team.
The company is synonymous with Class A solid-state amplification, having pioneered this technology with the legendary A21 integrated amplifier in 1967—widely recognized as the first commercially produced pure Class A solid-state amplifier. Sugden's product portfolio centers on high-end electronics, particularly integrated and power amplifiers, alongside preamplifiers. The brand's design philosophy emphasizes minimalism and musicality over unnecessary features, captured in their tagline "Rescuing Music from technology." All products are hand-built to exacting standards, reflecting Sugden's commitment to quality over mass-market appeal.
Sugden occupies a distinctive position in high-end audio as a niche boutique manufacturer with deep credibility among serious audiophiles and collectors. The A21 remains in continuous production—now in its A21a iteration—making it one of the longest-running models in specialist hi-fi. Vintage Sugden equipment has become highly sought-after by collectors, while contemporary designs maintain the brand's reputation for sonic excellence and engineering precision that has defined British audio craftsmanship for nearly six decades.
See all Sugden listings on RADAR.
