
The Apex HiFi Sangaku
“Sangaku” Japanese. It is also the name
of a national park in Japan that encompasses part of the “Japan Alps”, a beautiful
mountainous area in central Honshu.
The Sangaku headphone amplifier is a tube hybrid headphone amplifier (meaning that it
uses both vacuum tube and solid-state technology). It employs the “NuTube” device
from Korg Incorporated in Japan, which is a newly developed dual triode vacuum tube.
is one of many words that means “Mountain” in
The NuTube device provides true directly-heated
triode characteristics in a small package. It requires
very little power, at lower voltages, than other tubes.
This enables the Sangaku to provide true DHT sound
at an unprecedented small size and low cost.
For more information about the NuTube, please visit
Korg at www.korgnutube.com.
In the Sanguku circuitry, the NuTube device is used in a single-ended configuration to
provide the needed voltage gain. Solid state buffers provide both unbalanced and
balanced outputs with a very low output impedance to drive the headphones. The
Sangaku can drive any headphones, from 16 ohms to 600 ohms, and has enough gain
for even inefficient headphones.
To keep the footprint small and the audio path direct, all audio switching and routing is
done using relays, and control is done with simple buttons on the front panel.
Specifications
Power input: 115-125V or 230-250V, 50-60Hz, 25W maximum
Dimensions: 8.75” wide x 10” deep x 2.4” tall (including knobs, connectors, and feet)
Inputs: Three - one balanced input (3-pin XLR jacks), two unbalanced
(RCA jacks)
Outputs: Three - unbalanced headphone (1/4” jack), balanced headphone (4-pin
XLR jack), and unbalanced line out (RCA jacks)