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Classe closes Montreal operations

Classe has closed it's Montreal operation and has let everyone go. All warranties and parts will be taken care of through B&W. A customer at the $20,000 High end thread on AVS forum received a letter from Classe informing him of the situation. Looks like the rumors were true.
linnlingo
linnlingo OP
173 posts
 
Rotel has no worries in this shutdown. Rotel is distributed through the B&W network but is still owned separately.
mofimadness's avatar
mofimadness
4,992 posts
 
I was a Classe dealer for many years.  David Reich was a brilliant designer, but not much of a business man.

IMHO, Glenn Grue did a great job after David left.  Classe was still a viable company for many years after.

I do believe that some of the best designs were early on and Classe never really saw it's own potential.

At the time, the DR3VHC amp, DR8 amp, DR9 amp and the DR6 preamp were some of the best sounding gear you could buy.  Not only good, but some would consider state-of-the-art for the time.

Sorry to see them go...
czarivey
5,946 posts
 

for some reasons outsourcing to China makes product more expensive for buyers. Why (Pourquoi??) Since they moved to China prices went up and not down. I'll certainly be looking to purchase some of same models sold 'outside of serial production' for a lot cheaper. Would be sweet to get monoblocks for $400/pair. Isn't that fair after all? I'd rather feed slave worker trying to make living than boss or master who's ain't hungry at all. $400 in one transaction will give him a-lot more than month worth of work at Neo-China-Classe-B&W sweat shop.


linnlingo OP
173 posts
 
I was at my local dealer today and he said he received a call from B&W confirming the closing.
roxy54's avatar
roxy54
8,007 posts
 
Keep dreaming Czarivey...
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