Black Magic: SAEQ Astraeus

It took almost a year before we were finally able to welcome a demo unit of SAEQ’s latest flagship headphone amplifier to our showroom.

When this amp was unveiled at High End in mid-May 2025, it already knocked our socks off! Now it is here in our showroom and can be tested by our customers at any time.

I would like to begin this blog review with a bold claim: The SAEQ Astraeus is currently the best headphone amplifier for the RAAL Immanis and Magna. Period. And it is certainly one of the best headphone amplifiers in the world for (almost) all other headphones.

A Little Backstory

There is a reason why the Astraeus and all of SAEQ’s other headphone amplifiers are particularly well suited to RAAL’s headphones: Aleksandar from RAAL and Dragan from SAEQ have known each other for decades. Despite the distance between them, they meet regularly to discuss their products in depth, support each other and, of course, maintain their long-standing friendship. They work closely together to get the very best out of their respective products. And you can hear it!

Dragan himself describes the depth of this friendship and professional connection best:

"The distance between Alex and me is 240 km. Maybe a little more ... However, that does not stop us from seeing each other very often and exchanging experiences and impressions. It is a truly beautiful relationship full of goodwill. We listen carefully to one another. Alex is the person to whom I owe the fact that I ever started building amplifiers professionally. Our exchange of experiences and impressions is extremely enriching for both sides. It is characterized by honesty and deep goodwill. Alex’s headphones have enabled me to test my amplifiers with serious—one might say reference—sound sources. Today, he truly sits on the throne in the field of headphone sound quality and has set new standards. This gives me the opportunity to rediscover subtle nuances and musical details and make them accessible to audiophiles through our amplifiers."

It is not uncommon for the two “masters of sound” to engage in heated but extremely constructive discussions during their meetings about how a new product should sound. The discourse is worthwhile every time, because the results achieved by both manufacturers speak for themselves.

This is where passion meets extensive expertise: two friends who support each other with advice and practical help, constantly developing together—and their customers benefit from exceptional, handcrafted products whose sound is in a class of their own.

You can probably tell already: I am a huge fan of both their products, and every year I meet Aleksandar and Dragan in person at High End to discuss their latest creations and, of course, to exchange ideas on a personal level as well. Two absolutely wonderful, friendly people who pursue what they do with complete conviction and passion!

Design & Development

Dragan best describes the vision and goal behind the Astraeus in his own words:

"The Astraeus is one of those steps on which we continue to climb higher. We have always had powerful hardware and a serious sound, but the Magna and the Immanis gave us the opportunity to reach new heights in uncompromising music reproduction. Let us immerse ourselves in the beginning of relaxation and exhilaration. We invested more than a year of development work in the Astraeus, driven by the desire to create an amplifier that would leave true audio connoisseurs anything but indifferent. Its golden elements are a kind of symbolic representation of the starry sky: in Greek mythology, Astraeus is a second-generation Titan associated with the stars, planets, astrology and dawn. His name carries the mystique of the universe within it ..."

Let us take a closer look at this magnificent piece of equipment...

Alongside SAEQ’s familiar power switch and a striking volume control with a “porthole” and red LCD display, the center features an output selector that allows you to switch between operating two or even four headphones—and, yes, the speaker output on the rear panel as well.

The Astraeus is also a genuine amplifier for efficient loudspeakers that demand the highest-quality input!

There is also, of course, a selector for switching between one balanced XLR input and two unbalanced RCA inputs.

As a convenience feature, there are two memory presets for the desired volume level, which can of course be deleted and reassigned.

The rear panel provides the aforementioned XLR and RCA inputs for DACs/streamers, as well as high-quality speaker terminals. Naturally, there is also the power connection.

What Makes the SAEQ Astraeus Special?

The Astraeus is a hybrid headphone amplifier that combines transistor and tube technology, cleverly bringing out the best of both worlds: the precision of transistor technology—in this case, germanium transistors—combined with the silky warmth of a tube preamplifier produces highly resolving, precise sound without the slightest harshness.

According to Dragan, developing the Astraeus took more than a year, and it was truly worth it: this headphone amplifier can certainly be considered a milestone, because at least personally, I have never heard a better headphone amplifier. Of course, tastes differ, and one can debate whether—and to what extent—the SAEQ Astraeus sounds neutral.

To be honest, I do not really care about that discussion, because only one thing matters to me: Does what I hear move me emotionally or not?

Partners in the Test

• Headphones: RAAL 1995 Immanis with silver interface & RAAL 1995 Magna EVO

• DAC: Denafrips Venus 15th & Denafrips Terminator Plus 15th

• Cables: Supra Excalibur XLR Rhodium interconnect, Supra Excalibur LoRad power cable

• Input: Roon

RAAL 1995 Immanis

RAAL 1995 Magna EVO I

Sound Check

Describing the Astraeus in words is not entirely easy, because it requires fully grasping its “performance” with the intellect. But this is about feelings—about what music does to you when you experience it through this breathtaking combination.

And so I will not even attempt to analyze individual technical aspects. Instead, I will simply describe how I felt listening to music with the Astraeus.

I have already hinted at this: never before has music reproduction touched and moved me emotionally as deeply as what the Astraeus is capable of with the Immanis/Magna EVO. It is not individual aspects that particularly stand out here and make this headphone amplifier so special.

As Arthur C. Clarke once put it so aptly: “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.” That is exactly how it feels here.

The music “locks into” my mind and simply feels right. I drift off into sonic worlds without ever thinking about individual details—such as an especially fast, punchy, precise and well-textured bass, or highs that are incredibly airy and detailed yet still gentle and silky. How large and wide the soundstage is, or how spacious and three-dimensional the presentation feels. Yes, all of this is absolutely accurate when examined closely, yet it cannot begin to describe the overall experience the Astraeus offers me.

This amplifier seems to whisper to me:

"Forget all the technical details, do not try to analyze, because you will fail. Simply let the music carry you away into dream worlds, lean back and enjoy the show!"

And that is exactly what I do, because I cannot do otherwise. I listen to the music; I do not simply hear epic soundtracks—images arise before my mind’s eye and I immerse myself in the respective fantasy worlds. An extraordinary experience.

Conclusion

The SAEQ Astraeus is a prime example of what a small team can achieve through passion, dedication and hard work—but also through decades of experience and, not least, friendship.

I take my hat off to Dragan & Alex and all their employees who have created this and other outstanding products to give music lovers what they desire most: Pure Emotion.

Paired with suitable headphones, the Astraeus is a genuine investment—in the pinnacle of musical enjoyment, and financially as well. However, I have never heard even the most expensive stereo system draw me in as profoundly as this combination does.

That is why I warmly invite every interested reader to convince themselves at our showroom. Just today, after testing the Astraeus with several headphones he had brought along, one customer said that it was the best headphone amplifier he had ever heard...

Outlook

For absolute enthusiasts, there is now also a special edition—the Astraeus SE with specially selected components that extract the final ounce of performance from the design. In addition, SAEQ has just released its Direct-Drive counterpart, the Hypnos : it can drive RAAL ribbon headphones directly, without an external interface, making it an extremely exciting alternative.

Oh yes, there is also the new Hyperion LF —an even more compact headphone amplifier powerhouse that is considerably less expensive than the Astraeus or Hypnos, but is also absolutely top-tier in terms of sound! The demo unit is already waiting in our showroom, and I hope to find the time soon to write an appropriate blog post about it!