New classe delta preamp and classe stereo amp?

Whats the Classe house sound like ? Does the midrange have good texture and just a touch of warmth to it?

I owned the Classe CA-2300 for quite a bit and could never hear the fan.  I thought it was great, and paired it with my SSP-800 until it broke for the second time.

This was when I bought an Audionet Preamp, and performance jumped  noticeably paired with the Classe amp.

The Classe amp however was outshined easily by Audionet Max mono amps.  Much more speed and resolution,  Easy to listen listen to.  After Audionet, I felt many other amps (example JC1+) were on the warm side.  I have not heard Accuphase. 

My advice in general is keep the DAC out of the preamp.  Just gives you so much more flexibility... and arguably a better Preamp.

This allows each componen to do what they do best.  Isn't that the point of separates?  :)

Wondering how this preamp would match up with the Parasound Halo JC5.

I also have Hegel P30 and Simaudio moon 740p on my radar .

@skinzy Thanks, I used to have the older CA2200 & CP500 and loved them. Just got bored and wanted to try something new. Glad the new stuff is great too.

I own the Delta monos and the older mode ampsl.  Love them both.  I drive my Wilson Alexx V's with the Delta's. Fan noise is a myth.  Very reliable.  I will say when my HVAC system comes on I can hear that.  Highly recommended.

@fredrik222 With regard to racks, have you checked out Salamander?

Modular Open Stands | Pro Audio Racks | Pro Audio Acces - Salamander Designs

I've got one of their Synergy modular racks without any front, side or back panels and this works quite well with my McIntosh integrated.  My MAC doesn't have a fan and, frankly, stays quite cool to the touch, even after many hours of duty but MAC recommends good ventilation.  Even with a glass front panel, dust will always find a way, if you know what I mean.  If you kept it covered when not in use, you could still remove the cover and watch the meters dance around when the music is playing.

Another thought:  is your amp positioned in proximity to a back wall?  Since the fan exhausts to the rear of the casework, any chance what you're hearing is actually the fan pushing air up against a back wall that is too close and not fan noise itself?  The shop I was in when I spent time with this amp had it on a rather tall rack, as I indicated in my initial post, and the wall behind it was probably a good 3' away.  Of course, I didn't know it had a fan at the time and, as such, wasn't making a point of listening for that sort of thing.  However, I was close enough to this beast and spent more than a few minutes eyeing and coveting it without noticing any fan noise at all.  Maybe dust accumulation on the fan?  I know this is nitpicking but just trying to help.  Bottom line:  If ya can't hear it when the music's playing; ain't a problem!

Enjoy!  Go play some music!

@fredrik222 That's good about he fan noise. It's a good looking unit for sure.

@duketbrd88 yep, I am aware of it that you can, but I’d like glass so you can see it, since it is a pretty piece. 
 

I have not pulled off the front grill, but maybe I will do.

just for reference, the fan doesn’t register on a spl meter.

@oldaudiophile That is the delta series I am talking about. There is no way for me to test them at home.I have the accuphase e5000 already and if I want to, I have the option to trade it in for the Delta pre and Delta stereo amp. I used to own the classe cp500 pre and ca2200 amp for 20 years. Got bored and got the accuphase e5000. It's great, just thinking of this option on the new stuff.

@fredrik222 According to classe, you can stick these in a cabinet because they have the fans. as long as the back of the cabinet is open. Have you ever pulled the front grille off the amp and look at the filter or blow it out?

@oldaudiophile  it is my stack, and yeah, I need to find the right rack that supports airflow, but blocks the fan noise. I have not been able to find anything yet, and like I said once I start playing music it doesn’t bother me.

on a side note, if you use the CAN bus, the Pre can read the temp of the Stereo and push it your phone. 

Just to be clear, the Classe stack I spent time with was the Delta Series:

Delta Stereo - Classé Audio (classeaudio.com)

Delta Pre - Classé Audio (classeaudio.com)

I would think twice about putting an amp like this or, for that matter, any powerful amp in a rack with glass on the front or anything possibly preventing good airflow or proper ventilation.  This Delta operates in pure Class A mode for the first 12.5 WATTS.  I'm no expert on this but I think that's why the fan.

Again, I stood right next to this thing when there was no music playing and it was dead silent.  No fan noise.  Now, would that change over time?  Don't know.  A good question to ask or do some research on.

@duketbrd88  Buy it from someone that offers free returns. Best Buy actually sells all of B&W and Classe products and offer 30 day free returns on all of them, even high ticket items. 

I am sure there are smaller dealers that do that too, but nothing beats testing in your own house. 

@fredrik222 Thanks, yeah don't think it is a big deal.  

@duketbrd88  I have the Delta Pre and Stereo, and they are amazing with my Audiovector R3s. I can however hear the fan when nothing is playing or during silent passages.

It still bothers me when I turn everything on, and I have been thinking about getting a rack where there is glass in the front. But once the music gets going, I certainly do not think about the fan.

@duketbrd88 - I should have mentioned, it was the Classé CA-2300. I thought the sound was otherwise outstanding, but in my quiet room, the fan noise was a dealbreaker.

@oldaudiophile Thanks, appreciate it

FWIW:  Several years ago, a friend and I spent approximately 3 to 3.5 hours in a high-end shop auditioning speakers.  As such, we were both in critical listening mode, if you know what I mean.  The salesperson used the Classe amp & pre-amp you're interested in that day.  My friend and I were both very, very impressed with the sound quality and had no idea the amp had an internal fan until both of us read about it later.  The combo powerhouse stack was positioned on a stand that placed the units approximately 5.5' above the floor (i.e.  near ear-level).  There's no way, of course, one could possibly hear the fan when music is playing, even at very, very low decibel levels.  Several times during this audition, I walked right up to the stack when no music was playing and heard no fan noise at all.  The amp was absolutely dead silent.  So, short of some sort of defect or malfunction, you've got nothing to worry about regarding fan noise.  That being said, regardless of but especially because of the fan, I would keep this or any fine quality amp, fan or no fan, covered with a protective cloth or cover when not in use and cooled off (e.g.  desktop computer or printer cover).  Also, I'd occasionally use a good vacuum cleaner to blow & suck out any dust that gets into the casework over the years.  I'm compulsive that way and have always done this with my amps.  Dust is the enemy!

As for the Accuphase E5000 integrated, I've never heard it but have read some wonderful reviews of it.  If the choice were mine, I'd make arrangements to demo both under as controlled conditions as I could arrange (i.e.  components as similar to yours as possible; listening room as similar to yours as possible; music you are very familiar with; etc.) no matter how much travelling I'd need to do.  After all, when you're spending that kind of cash, what's a little travelling?  Of course, if you can make arrangements to audition these amps in your own listening room, that would be optimum.

Good luck!  If you do manage to demo both of these beasts, please let us know which one you eventually choose.  I'd be curious to know which you think sound or sounded better your speakers.  Frankly, given the specifications of both amps, I think this would be an extremely difficult decision, unless you've got a very large listening room and/or weird acoustic concerns to deal with.

The DAC is excellent.  Very detailed and easy to listen to.  I also have the HifiRose 150b which is a tad warmer, but they are both very comparable.  The PRE is perfect for 2.1 because of the crossover, time-alignment, and available parametric EQ.  I did have a Denafrips Venus II with Gaia DDD and the DAC in the PRE is noticeably better than that.

I have the Accupase E5000 and was thinking of trading it towards the new classe delta preamp and delta stereo amp. I thought I posted that in my original post, but I guess not.

@hifihandyman How do you like the dac in the pre amp? The one i'm thinking about, has the hdmi board installed. I would probably bypass most in the pre and just use it for 2.1 music  listening.

@hifihandyman Thanks, appreciate it.

@mike_in_nc thanks, not sure witch generation you are talking about. I had the older delta series, which had no fans. I'm sure the new ones are great. 

I tried a previous-generation Classé amp, and I could hear its fan during quiet passages of music. I thought the amp was great otherwise but sent it back to the dealer because I didn't want that noise. Fan bearings don't get quieter as they age, either.

I have the PRE and MONOs and absolutely love them. The sound is very detailed, but listenable and smooth for long periods of time. It just sounds natural and right with my KEF Blades. My last amp was the Parasound JC5 which is such a great amp but the Classe was a very big step up. Many good amps tend towards brightness and the Classe is very enjoyable. The PRE has in my opinion the exact right set of options including sub crossovers and time delay. I have the HDMI card for ARC in from my TV and that works perfectly with no lip sync issues.  The fans are barely perceptible if you are close enough to hear them.
Good Luck!

@joe2022 Thanks, appreciate it!

@duketbrd88 no i cannot hear them that much. i would say its fine for my ears :) 

@joe2022 , was just wondering if the fans are loud or you can here them at all. Probably not from your response, which is a good thing. I guess behind the grate in front is a filter you can blow out or wash. You have the newest mono's, correct?

what do you mean fan noise? hmm. i havent noticed anything but i ll double check now that you mentioned it :) 

@joe2022 Awesome,thank you. No problems with fan noise at all?

i purchased 4 Delta Mono blocks and the Preamp from Cosmosound dealer here in Audiogon 5months ago. I used them to power the 800 series B&W i have. excellent combination :)