Detail, Power, Build Quality

Slight Hum

Purchased Used 6 mos old. 85lbs of Power and Glory. A bit more power than glory. Vice Grip/Arc Welder Bass. Nice clean midrange and enough detail in the highs to almost seem delicate. Not real airy/transparent like a top tube amp, but only noticeable in contrast. Used w DR6 Ref. Could be the DR6.

Also, transformer hums when I turn on light in room w dimmer. Called Classe and they were very helpful diagnosing the problem. Now I keep the light off.

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Van Alstine

everything,sound,price!

ground loop hum.

What can you say? I have listened to Krell,ML,AR, and for the money and performance I just can not see how you would by anything else. Powerful, used on Thiel CS 7's and the Eggleston Andra, both very hard to drive. Did so w/o a wimper. SRONGY RECOMMEND!!!

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Listened to alot but this is my first hi fi amp

the ca300 is a must audition,for the price vs performance.If your looking for a SS that will give you the best of both worlds ck this one out.It does everything right,will drive anything,and built to last a lifetime.A good match for the Aerial 10t.I liked the sound better than the Krell FPB300 and BMW N801 for 1/2 the price.

Outstanding soundstage, power, very dynamic.

Slight hum,but was corrected with a Synergistic Master Coupler Power Chord.

I have own the 300 for 4 years and it is as good as it gets in amps under 5 g's. This amp can drive any load that is out there with ease. I have mine on a pair of Dunlavy 4's and it does the best job of any amp tested on them. It reproduces the entire audio range with power and authority. I have put this amp up against all the companies mentioned above, none out performed the Classe 300 in all aspects. It is the best all round performer. It reproduced the best soundstage and never sounded harsh or shrill at any frequency or volume level. It gives outstanding bass and it came very close to Krell in this department. It doesn't sound like many transiter amps and has a sound almost as liquid as many tube amps. If you can find a used one, by all means buy it. You won't be disappointed.

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I've tried many brands from Aragon, Krell, Chord, Acoustic Research, and Bryston.

At this website, I have seen Classe products rate widely between positive and negative, however, the positives seem to outnumber the negatives. What bothers me a lot is that some people who have had a bad experience with a Classe product have condemned the entire line without probably even hearing these products (and in a properly set up system at that).
Even worse are the disparaging remarks aimed at other enthusiasts who may disagree with one's assessment of a particular product. Is this really necessary ? I don't think so. We are all music lovers here. I also could not help but notice that those persons with the strongest opinions and nastiest comments are the ones with poor spelling/grammar, clearly not typos. Sort of reminds me of certain members of racist groups. I always find it interesting that these people are always high school dropouts, etc. Poor command of the English language shows either poor schooling or just that you did not pay full attention in class. How then are we supposed to have faith in your judgement, especially when it comes to the evaluation of expensive high-end audio components ?

To cut to the chase, I am very pleased with the Classe CA-300. I find this amp to be detailed without being harsh. I place the highest value in a component on midrange purity and lack of grain. This amp is clean and smooth across the frequency spectrum. Bass is tight and powerful. On many recordings, especially those with closely miked voice and acoustic instruments, reproductiuon is chillingly real. With the CD of the broadway hit Rent, on the track Seasons of Love for example, it is as if the entire cast is in the listening room. I can just about pick out the individual voices. I can find nothing about this amp to criticize. It runs cool, construction is first rate. It is built like a tank. I plan on holding onto this amp for quite some time to come.

I cannot say what has caused some individuals to have bad experiences with Classe products. Most reviewers at this website do not list their associated components (including cables which in my opinion do make a difference). When very revealing components are placed in a system with one or more weak links, the entire system can sound bad. Maybe this is what some have experienced with certain Classe products. That is why careful component matching is very important, regardless of brand of product.

My associated components are as follows: Denon DP59L turntable, Audio Technica AT-OC9 moving coil cartridge, CAL Icon CD player soon to be replaced by a Classe CDP-.5 on back order, B&K MC-101 preamp, Mission 765i floor standing tower speakers, Lightspeed A.C. line conditioner, AudioTruth Lapis and Emerald interconnects, AudioQuest Indigo speaker cable, dedicated 15 amp 120 V A.C. branch circuit.

I agree with all of the above sentiments. I am a person who admittedly will buy a piece of gear, and sell it just to try something else, even though it is a great piece. Been doing it for decades. I've sold many things I wish I could get back. I have had a CA300 for about a year and a half, and I have been tempted to sell it many times, but just can't. Where would I go from here? It is so easy to live with, does everything right, will drive anything out there, yet is so dynamic, powerful, delicate, refined and lovely that I too plan on keeping this one a long time. Forget the tube/SS debate, this amp truely gives you the best of both worlds. One of the great diamonds lost in the hifi gem world, the classe CA300 is hard to fault.. And it is built to last a lifetime. This is one great amplifier.