The SBA horns play like a scaled down Mark VI with a little worse intonation. The keys were "weighted" a little more over the Balanced model and there were a couple other design modifications and additions, the most major being the introduction of the low A baritone.

The engraving on the horns is generally less elaborate than the Balanced horns. The middle of the bell, where on the Balanced horns is generally a portrait, is nothing at all. Some of the later horns have engraving identical to the Mark VI.

They sound about 95% as good as a Mark VI.