CLASSE - Great amps or highly flawed?

Hi noromance,

Not arguing your opinion, but many (including me) used the early Classe’ class A/B amps via the XLR inputs. Dave Reich designed the DR-9 with single-ended inputs and later succumbed to pressure from Glen Grue to add XLR inputs. Reich did so in a less-than-ideal way, using a cheap opamp in the XLR circuitry. This continued for years in the DR-10, DR-15, and DR-25 and even in the later Fifteen and Twenty Five models after Reich left Classe’. I can personally attest to the lack of dynamics and liveliness of these amps using the XLR inputs. The result was that they were often described as "dark sounding". A different story completely using the single-ended (RCA) inputs IME.

Is it possible that you were also a victim to this in your auditions of the '80s?

Best to you noromance,
Dave

I would not buy since they moved production to China !

^Agreed.

Most of this thread is pre-that, in fact, waaay pre-that, jakeman.

Best to you,
Dave

I had a McCormack DNA-1 and a Classe CA-300.  The McCormack was obviously faster and probably a more open sound, but the CA-300 was more of a stable brute of an amp for some Martin Logans. My son-in-law now has the CA-300.  The CA-300 was much better than the CA-200 with low impedance speakers.

Dave, it is possible. My dealer enthused about them but he never used them himself! It may be my taste- I like a very open, live sound. The Decca/401/tubes/ESL mob!