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Classe' Audio Uncompromising Audio

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  #41  
Old 08-01-2017, 09:36 AM
malba2366 malba2366 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by akfaulkner View Post
+1

Personally I suspect the margins are huge for a lot of high end equipment bc of the low numbers of customers...

It's ripe for someone to come in and turn things on their head by making something just as good and upgradable for more than half the price & marketed to a broader customer base.

I think you are 100% correct. I think Mcintosh and B&W are doing a pretty good job pushing into a broader customer base mainly through selling at Magnolia. B&W is also smart to make partnerships with high end car companies to get their name out.
Samsung is making pretty big moves as well with their acquisition of Harman, and just yesterday it was announced that they acquired Arcam.
Despite healthy margins, there are too many manufacturers of Hifi equipment out there to remain profitable. The ones that are small operations with minimal overhead and owned by enthusiasts who are passionate about the hobby will stay open, as will those who are at the super high end... but the ones that are corporations, targeting the mid-high end (many of which are owned by private equity firms) have to make profits otherwise the owners will make drastic changes in the business model. There are some juggernauts in the space who will no doubt survive (ie. Mcintosh, B&W, Naim, Focal, Harman etc.) but the smaller firms will be bought up and within 10 years we will have a few small conglomerates controlling the industry. The same consolidation can be seen in high end fashion houses which occurred in the late 90s/early 00s.

Last edited by malba2366; 08-01-2017 at 11:49 AM.
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  #42  
Old 08-02-2017, 03:14 AM
4music 4music is offline
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Hmmm, after reading the letter send to dealers by Classe...I somehow think we are to see an active version of B&W speakers. Just a hunch
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  #43  
Old 08-02-2017, 09:58 AM
malba2366 malba2366 is offline
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I think that's where the company has been headed ever since its takeover. Hopefully they can make some tightly integrated high end system (a la Steinway lyngdorf) with all the electronics in an all in one box (preamp, dac, streamer) and active amps on the speaker end. This will take out all the vagaries of interconnects wires etc and be an easy all in one system for the higher end of the mass market. Hopefully they don't just pimp out the b&w name on a bunch of iPhone speakers and call it a day.
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  #44  
Old 08-03-2017, 11:28 PM
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Lassej Lassej is offline
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Yes, we will probably see new products like active speakers for example and other products for a broader customer base. That's good for a company to produce products that the market wants and where they can get sales volumes and be profitable. But, I will absolutely miss the new high-end Classé products. I was looking forward for the new Delta line.I had made up my mind to order the new amps but now I have to look at something else than Classé.
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Speakers: B&W 802 Diamond.Pre/amplifier: Mark Levinson No:326S/Classé CP-800mk2/ Classé CA-2300/14BSST2.TT: Michell Orbe/SME 309/Benz Micro Wood Digital: Bryston BDA-3/BDP-2 & Mac mini, SOtM-200 Ultra, Roon, Synology NAS. CD/SACD: Marantz 7007
Cables: Supra/Van den Hul/ Isotek, AQ. Others: Isotek Aquaries/Finite Elements/SMT Wings/Entreq
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  #45  
Old 08-04-2017, 05:14 PM
Mike-48 Mike-48 is offline
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I was looking forward to it, too. I was hoping that the new preamp would have the features of the CP-800, implemented better. That would have been an update I couldn't resist. Even a CP-800 Mk III with gapless streaming and more transparent DSP would be worth the upgrade price, IMO.
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  #46  
Old 08-04-2017, 05:21 PM
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Lassej Lassej is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mike-48 View Post
I was looking forward to it, too. I was hoping that the new preamp would have the features of the CP-800, implemented better. That would have been an update I couldn't resist. Even a CP-800 Mk III with gapless streaming and more transparent DSP would be worth the upgrade price, IMO.
+1

I agree.
__________________
Speakers: B&W 802 Diamond.Pre/amplifier: Mark Levinson No:326S/Classé CP-800mk2/ Classé CA-2300/14BSST2.TT: Michell Orbe/SME 309/Benz Micro Wood Digital: Bryston BDA-3/BDP-2 & Mac mini, SOtM-200 Ultra, Roon, Synology NAS. CD/SACD: Marantz 7007
Cables: Supra/Van den Hul/ Isotek, AQ. Others: Isotek Aquaries/Finite Elements/SMT Wings/Entreq
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  #47  
Old 08-17-2017, 04:07 PM
Richard D. George Richard D. George is offline
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I had a CP-800 in a two channel system. I liked it very much. Because of a house move and the layout of rooms in the new house, I sold the CP-800 and bought a Sigma SSP and Sigma Amp 5 to use for both two channel audio and 5.1 home theater. Not many processors for home theater do a good job for two channel audio but the Sigma SSP does a very good job IMHO. (NAD M-17 is one other surround sound processor that does a good job with two channel audio).

I am hopeful (if not optimistic) for an eventual positive outcome for Classe Audio.
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