So I finally got my paws on a CP-700, integrated it with SSP Bypass biamping the fronts. Simply put, separate stereo XLR interconns from the PR-SC5509 (disabled the biwiring touted as "biamping" by Onkyo) and DVD-A1UDCI player, which, like the CP-700 is also fully balanced for stereo. The CP-700 is fully diferentially balanced from ground up, even the external PSU consists of two transformers.
Needless to say i got heavily into auditioning my favorite Universal Japan and MoFi stereo discs. The Classe really opened them up, I mean big time. Wait, I did not hear that before, esp with T Rex Electric Warrior and Pixies Doolittle, discs which I acquired recently and auditioned end-to-end several times, so they are fresh in my mind. Particularly striking were the nuances and humongously wide sound stage in Electric Warrior's track #7 "Planet Queen", the one after their most famous song.
After that all the classic jazz and blues, vocals fascinating. I have literally become a prisoner of my basement.
The big surprise came as my kids started bugging me again to put on "Monsters vs. Aliens" a perennial that gets played monthly in my theater. The CP-700 does stereo biamp duty in line-level mode here. Right from the beginning the localization on front sound effects became strikingly accurate. The gooey blue monster sticking out a trunk limb repetitively in 5-6 directions spreading out from center screen now created sound effects that were almost pinpointed into the ether, name it audio 3D if you will. We never heard this before.
And as professional reviewers have stated about the CP-700, I also believe it is very natural and accurate, no bloating anywhere.
