CLASSE - Great amps or highly flawed?

articdeath,

If they were on dope in 2002, they probably aren't anymore.  You two new guys are arguing with ghosts of the past.  These posts are 14 years old and only one person (the OP) seemed to have anything but praise for Classe' amps.

Dave

^Agreed.

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

Best to you,
Dave

Fair enough, noromance. I have a DR-25 I bought new and two used DR-9s purchased recently from different sellers with the intention of running them dual bridged mono. One was fitted with a refurb kit from Classe’ a couple years ago, the other bone-stock original.

I know exactly what you mean about the DR-25 and the untouched DR-9 lacking the last degree of openness and lively sound. This other DR-9 with the refurb kit is another animal. Extremely open, fast, and lively and superbly musical. Among the best I have heard. Go figure...

Best to you noromance,
Dave

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

Hi Gilles,

The guy I bought that amp from said that he had the Classe' refurb kit (bought directly from Classe' Audio) installed. Best I can tell from visually examining this amp vs the other two "originals", the refurb kit consists of new large power caps and all new power transistors. The "refurb" power transistors have Motorola vendor markings on them whereas the originals did not (it was intentionally removed by Classe' on the originals).

Hope this helps.

Dave