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Classe CAM 350 monoblock vs Classe CAM-400 or Bryston 4B3

I am looking at two Classè audiogon postings. A Classe CAM 350 monoblock ($4,449) vs Classe CAM-400 monoblock ($4,900).


I don’t know Classè amps all that well but the earliest reviews I can find for the CAM 350 go back to 2001. The CA-400 may go back to 2009, when was the CAM-400 last made? I don’t know. Any differences in reliability or performance?

Should I assume both need to be recapped? Does one amp run hotter than the other? Is one Class A the other class AB?

Are there any Classè experts out there? I’d guess for the newer more powerful CAM-400 and extra $450 is not much of a difference everything else being equal.

As an audiogon virgin, having never bought or sold here I don’t know that “everything else is equal”.  I don't know how much to trust what I read.

All source material will be FLAC files. Speakers are Magnepan 3.7i about two years old. I know I love how Classè sounds but I worry about the heat making the room unlivable.  My taste in music is eclectic, almost anything except rap.

Perhaps the cool alternative would be a used Bryston 4B3 which Audiogon has 4 for sale at $4,100 - $4,500, any of which would have to be newer and less expensive than the Classè amps.  I have never listened to Bryston 4B3 on magnepan 3.7i speakers.  I don't know if I would like it?

A little guidance for the blind, but not deaf, yet, please; thank you.


timothywright

Showing 5 responses by georgehifi

georgehifi's avatar
georgehifi
10,312 posts
 
If I will not use something because they make my home unlivable than no sense paying $4,900 for it

It won’t, people think Classe Audio amps are Class-A and produce big heat and is going to roast them. They are not, they have as as much Class-A bias put on them to make them run luke warm like any other Class-A/B amp.
And if thrashed at party levels they will get hot, just like any other Class-A/B amp will.
If you want a cool running amp get a Class-D and you go black too as sound won’t matter.

Cheers George
georgehifi's avatar
georgehifi
10,312 posts
 
Today I found a black Bryston 4B3 power amp for only $3575 on Echohifi.com. Black will match the rest of my rack.

Classe over Bryston every day, less the back matching the rack has priority sound. 

Cheers George

georgehifi's avatar
georgehifi
10,312 posts
 

timothywright


The Magie 3.7i have a nasty low load at 200-600hz
http://www.people.vcu.edu/~sliner/MG37_P&I.jpg

The Classe CAM 350 monoblocks on Stereophile said
"Classé more than met its specified power, delivering 450W into 8 ohms (26.5dBW) and 780W into 4 ohms (25.9dBW). Into a 2 ohm load, however, the protection circuitry cut in at 1000W, equivalent to an output current of 44.7A!"
Look good to go for the 350 monoblocks

Cheers George


georgehifi's avatar
georgehifi
10,312 posts
 
timothywright OP
The Parasound Halo A21+ is rated 500 wpc 4Ω (which I like) costs $2995, however THD is rated <.1% which does not impress me. The amp I am replacing has THD <0.005%
That’s because John Curl as does Nelson Pass etc etc most of the gurus, don’t believe in tones of feedback (and use local instead of global feedback) to get "reasonable" THD figures, where the amp that has .005% obviously does. I hope you know feedback if not used sparingly is detrimental to sound and can make an amp sound sterile.

Stereophile A21+: The A 21+’s distortion was predominantly the subjectively innocuous second harmonic, the second-order difference product at 1kHz lay at a very low –86dB (0.005%), and higher-order intermodulation products were even lower in level.
https://www.stereophile.com/images/220Para21fig5.jpg
https://www.stereophile.com/images/220Para21fig4.jpg


Cheers George
georgehifi's avatar
georgehifi
10,312 posts
 
timothywright OP
I was warned that McIntosh owners are cult members and that McIntosh was not as good as Pass Labs or Classe for the same money.
They’er not.

Seriously have a look at the new John Curl design Halo A21+ you should find a dealer that will let you listen to it. and you’ll have $$$ left in your pockets.
https://parasound.com/a21+.php
https://www.stereophile.com/content/parasound-halo-21-power-amplifier

Or if you want monoblocks and can afford them the Halo JC1+ monoblocks, (too new no review/bench tests yet.)
https://parasound.com/jc1+.php


Cheers George
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