About the Company
Saja was a brand name used by Sander & Janzen, a German electronics firm based in Berlin that made consumer tape recorders during the post-war era of magnetic audio tape’s spread into home and semi-pro use. The name Saja comes from the first two letters of Sander & Janzen.
Brand / Manufacturer: Saja (Sander & Janzen, Berlin, Germany)
Country of Manufacture: Germany
Reel-to-Reel Production: Approx. 1955 – 1968
Market: Consumer / portable / basic home recording
Technology: Tube (valve) electronics in early models; later solid-state (transistorized) versions appeared toward the mid-1960s
Sander & Janzen itself dated back to the 1930s, originally making record cutters and studio equipment before shifting into tape recorders. In 1960 it was taken over by Graetz, after which the Saja line continued briefly under that influence before fading as the tape recorder market consolidated.
Production History & Company Background
Origins (1930s – 1950s)
The company Sander & Janzen (often abbreviated SAJA) was founded in Berlin in the mid-1930s and originally made record cutting machines and related studio gear.
After World War II, SAJA expanded into turntables and then magnetic tape recorders as the new technology became commercially viable.
1955 – First Tape Recorders
By 1955/56, Saja was producing tube-based reel-to-reel machines intended for consumer and home use, as well as portable recording. These featured full-track or half-track mono formats and were typical of early domestic tape decks.
1960 – Takeover and Transitional Era
In 1960, the company was acquired by Graetz, a larger German consumer electronics maker, which continued and partly integrated Saja equipment before eventually consolidating the lineup under Graetz and later brands as the market changed.
Mid-1960s – Solid-State Models
Later Saja models such as the DG5 illustrate the transition to solid-state transistorized designs, featuring typical consumer specs (½-track mono, 3¾ ips and 7½ ips speeds) and more compact transports.
Late 1960s – Market Decline
By 1968, production and distinct Saja branding largely disappeared as Japanese imports and other European brands dominated the consumer tape recorder field and as compact cassette formats gained popularity.
Representative Saja Models
Saja Mk IV (1956–1959)
Electronics: Tube (valve) design
Format: Full-track or half-track mono
Tape Speed: 3¾ ips (single-speed)
Max Reel Size: ~7″
Features: Permalloy heads, built-in speaker and fairly typical mid-50s performance for a consumer recorder.
This was among the earliest Saja consumer decks and was based on all-valve electronics, producing modest performance suited to home audio rather than pro studios.
Saja Mk 40/42 (1958–1961)
Electronics: Tube (valve) circuitry
Tracks: Half-track mono
Tape Speeds: Mk 40 at 3¾ ips; Mk 42 at 7½ ips
Reel Size: ~7″
The Mk 40/42 extended Saja’s early tape decks into two-speed designs, with slightly improved frequency response and basic features such as magic-eye level indicator.
Saja Mk 5 Export (1957–1960)
Electronics: Tube configuration
Speed: 3¾ ips and 7½ ips
Target: Export markets, especially outside Germany.
This model was positioned for international consumers, with dual speeds and slightly better specs for export pricing and performance.
Saja DG5 (1965–1968)
Electronics: Solid-state (transistorized)
Tracks: ½-track mono
Speeds: 3¾ ips and 7½ ips
Max Reel: 7″
Features: 3 heads, basic transport, and controls common to mid-60s consumer decks.
The DG5 reflects Saja’s later era shift into transistor electronics and more compact consumer machines.
Technical & Market Characteristics
Consumer Focus
Saja reels were built for everyday home recording and playback, not professional studios, with mono tracks and speeds suitable for radio and music recording in the home.
These machines were generally not high-end hi-fi but provided reliable performance for budget-minded buyers in Germany and abroad.
Technological Transition
Early models used tube electronics, typical of the 1950s.
Later models transitioned to solid-state transistors by the mid-1960s, mirroring broader industry shifts.
Legacy & Collectibility
Saja tape decks are less well-known today compared with contemporaries from brands like Grundig, Telefunken, or Philips, partly because they were mostly consumer-oriented and not exported in huge numbers.
They’re of interest to vintage audio collectors for their representation of early German tape recorder design and the transition from valves to transistors in consumer gear.