Quote:
Originally Posted by Crumhorn
I wasn't casting any aspersions on Classe in general, or your amps in particular, just stating my perception at the time.
There were definitely better SS amps to be had in 1992 than the M-700s (although not that many were high-power designs); when it comes to bass control, Krell immediately comes to mind. But to get a similar amount of power, the cost would have been double to quadruple the Classe's, and it just didn't seem worth it to me - the Classe's were good enough.
In the next few years I expect to (sadly) let go of the Infinitys, & just stick with the Atrias (I need to simplify my life), so I will no longer have a need for the Classe's either. In the meantime, they will continue to serve...
SOTA Cosmos TT (vacuum, Electronic Flywheel), SME V, Koetsu Rosewood Signature
Marantz SA-10 SACD player, Alesis ML-9600 mastering CD burner, Nakamichi 700 ZXE Cassette Deck
Pass Labs XP-15 phono stage
Pass Labs XP-30 (SS) & Hovland HP-100 (tube) preamps
Edge G8+ laser-biased monoblocks & Classé M-700 monoblocks
Rockport Atria & Infinity IRS Beta Speakers
Audience AU24 SX Phono cable, MIT Shotgun ICs, Shunyata Alpha SCs
Revelation Audio Labs 'Passage' CryoSilver Reference DualConduit DB-25 umbilical cables for Pass XP-30
Shunyata Denali 6000T power conditioner (on BBA platform), Shunyata Alpha NR, Delta NR, & Venom HC PCs. Also PS8 & 2 Venom Defenders.
Audio Magic Ultimate SHD Bees Wax Fuse, Synergistic Research Blue & Black fuses, Hi-Fi Tuning fuses
Klaudio LP200 ultrasonic RCM
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There were certainly better SS amps to be had in 1992 than the Classe M700. I found some Classe Delta series amps a bit dry lean and mechanical sounding lacking fluidity and bits of refinement. They are great at extracting every single last bits of details and nuances but fail to capture true emotions of the artists/musicians. They are great for home theater (movies) IMO but just ok for music. However, the Classe Omega Reference amps are different.
Actually, the new latest Classe Delta series amps (Delta Mono & Delta Stereo) are improved a lot compared to their prodecessors. They are way smoother and way more refined more musical than their Delta series prodecessors. They possess full bodied sound and pretty balsy.