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Classe Sigma AMP5 Multichannel Amplifier Review
- Thread starter amirm
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What I'd like to know about this type of product is this:
Did the design engineers ever set design goals?
Did they define the task at hand?
Did they evaluate the end product?
Was the design of this product put on a Critical Path Schedule to save time and money?
What excuse is there for this under performance?
Did they run out of money?
How do they "run their show".
Did the design engineers ever set design goals?
Did they define the task at hand?
Did they evaluate the end product?
Was the design of this product put on a Critical Path Schedule to save time and money?
What excuse is there for this under performance?
Did they run out of money?
How do they "run their show".
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Am I to deduce that pairing the Classé pre- og power amp with an analogue input source then you end up digitizing twice? And at different samplerates?Even more strange. Luckily I don’t need this power amp since the SSP feeds active studio monitors.
A cool sounding French brand name probably helps.
My belief is that trying to reach out to the home theater market, to efficients and cool running amps was a huge departure from what their expertise and almost killed the company. Class D design is far from easy actually only a handful of designer do it right, still I wouldn't call that a complete failure, and I'm sure all those boxed where ticked, but it obviously failed to be competitive in this market. still it's ton of power in a small multichanel amp and I'd be surprised if it sounds poor at these specs. This looks expensive, but compared to their pedigree, that was targetted at widening their pool of clients by making things more affordable. Classé was pretty much bankrupt, then was Bought by B&W, only for a short time, then purchased again by sound united (Denon-Marantz-Polk). They are back now to what they where best at, very expensive class a designs. Bringing to sound-united a luxury brand, not trying to compete with denon and Marantz. We'll see how that pans out.
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The review says 2015, that sounds right.
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I hadn't heard anything about them for decades, when they were in the business of recreating that old Mark Levinson ML-2 magic--i.e., low voltage with lots of class A current. Their latest and greatest mono amplifier looks to be some sort of 'sliding' class A design. 35 initial 'A' watts, then the rest delivered in something more traditional.
At these prices it's going to be up to a dealer to convince the naive customer that 'the sound' is somehow better than the competition. They will have their work cut out for them. Classe design, industrial grey with a fan sticking out in front, paired with a black on white meter, is a bit on the limited appeal, streamlined modernist side. My guess is once the dealer lowers the lights for the demo, and the blue metered hue and green tubes start to do their thing from behind the backlit glass, and once that reflects off the oiled rosewood of those expensive B&W speakers--well, at that point most customers are buying the Mac.
Your point about the evolution (devolution?) of Denon and Marantz, and luxury branding, is an interesting marketing lesson. When Saul started out, his amp and preamp were decidedly luxury. Top of the line pricing. More expensive than anything out there. And his tuner was completely over the top. Even his first receiver. Once Superscope bought the company all that changed. Denon Japan has a history of some very high end products, but they were never exported to the US. My guess is that under SU, none of that will ever return. Personally, if I was in the market for big iron, I'd much rather have the Denon pictured below than anything from Classe.
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To compare, this thing from 2015 is average to below, at best. In fact, few probably want one, used. The AHB2 is also from 2015, and remains the undisputed design champ. They are always on back order. They are not easy to find, used. And when you do find them used, they are not give-a-ways. Something to ponder.
Yes, but the ahb2 is only 2 channels, I'd like to know how it compared to 5 x 450W-8R amps of the time. We are not that far from NAD pricing here, which historically was much cheaper. The chart says that it's average now, and even now, few delivers 5x450W in a single chassis. I'm not suggesting it was the best deal of the time. It obviously was not a commercial success. As your other comment, I personally like the look very much, but not for everybody I guess. Heck I would never want these Loud busy Fluorescent green, blue black and Greay Mac thing in my living room... Also heard the Deltas with the Polk legend serie and was quite a system. Visually too. Not in my price range tough, and it could be argued that it should not be in the price range of anybody, I don't think any amp worth this much but .
Not to nitpick, but the fan is in the back. What you see on the front is an air intake vent and filter.
As you can see in my avatar, I happen to like the look.
The Sigma line was made in China, Classe had many quality issues with products that were sourced there. Some of the later Delta products under B&W ownership were also sourced there with similar results.
They were under B&W ownership from 2001 - 2017.
They were under B&W ownership from 2001 - 2017.
Wow, that's a couple of years after NCore....what a joke.
NCore is the exception tough, and the reason nowadays most manufactures wouldn't even try to compete, they just buy the NCore module and stick it in their box. I find your statement cynical, It was not common at the time for respected manufacturer to go and purchase oem pre made solution. They took a shot at it, came out short of state of the art but by no mean a bad amplifier. which multi channel class D amps where significantly better than this in 2015? That's the question? Haven't listen to it but I'm sure those who owns that find it sounding good.
You can take a shot and then conclude you cannot match OEM performance and just decide not to release the project. But Classé did release it, so we can call them out on their sub-par performance. The NAD M27 is from the same period and absolutely crushes this in terms of performance, because they weren't to proud to use OEM parts.
Sure, ok, so any products that is not the absolute best in the world is not worth releasing? Any brand that comes second or third in their class of product "is a joke" and shouldn't even exist?
If you factor price in, yes.
I suppose that makes everything I own in every product category and possibly even my person "a joke".
Pretty tough criteria to which someone is to aspire.
On the other hand, I don't think there is a "best" anything. so I can carry on without further angst.
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Maybe more folks than I expected agree with me, given the number of "Ten Best" lists of things.
Competition is what makes the science and technology advance. Yes there will always be a leader of the pack, in amplification now it's THX and Hypex/Unifi, at least in term of measurments, the thing is, your point is relevent. Factoring in the price. The day that we only have one or two brand that is considered advanced enough to build hi fidelity amplifiers, don't expect the pricing to be democratic, they will go trough the roof without competition, they will also rest on their laurels and that would be the end of it. Now, I'm all for measurments, but it should be pointed that in the end difference are not night and day, I'm quite certain Classé would not have released this if it was not pleasant to listen to. Difference between amps are small.
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