Get real Peter - Harman Kardon and S.A.T Amplifix!

They are not even in the same league as Classe'

I bought a used CAP-100 to power my Platinum Audio Solos after hearing the amp drive a pair of Martil Logan Arieus i's. I was blown away by the fantastic transparency, soundstaging and natural tonal balance. The build quality is fantastic. I build superconducting radio astronomy receivers for a living, and was extremely impressed by the internal workmanship and parts quality, especially for the money. The Solos are extremely inefficient (85 dB/W/m), but the amp has absolutely no problem driving them to very high levels with no hint of strain or hardness. The treble is quite smooth and not too forward, but still has a little grain (but I think youd have to spend twice as much to get better). bass performance is great, but my speaker only goes down to about 40 Hz in my room without attenuation, so I can't comment on the low bass. As compared to the Krell KAV-300i, the Classe has better transparency, soundstaging, imaging and tonal accuracy. The Krell wins only in the area of midbass and bass impact, although it still is quite good in the other areas. I really can't understand why everyone wants one and is willing to pay more than $1750 used; I think it has to do with Krell snobbery.

I feel the need to weigh in on the Krell vs.Classe CAP debate but cannot because I have not heard the Krell. However, having one (a CAP 150, which now sells for, get this, $1995, the old price of the CAP 100), I can tell you that Robert Harley's review in Stereophile is dead on, particularly in regard to the resolution and micro and macro dynamics. I hear what Chris Groppi, Justin and J. Tjahjadi do, but do believe these new Classe products are much more neutral than the Classe products of days past. The dynamics and resolution really are way out of the unit's price range, with excellent tonal balance, to boot. The Krell would have to go some to get the CAP 150 which has, I am told, more bottom end slam than the CAP 100. More than one dealer has mentioned to me that the CAP 150 puts some much more expensive separates to shame, indeed to the point of wanting to hide it a bit in their stores.

A Postscript.
If you want to seriously improve the sound and dynamics of a Classe CAP 100 or 150, which are already good, add the ESP Essence AC power cord. Pricey, but worth it. And then plug an Blue Circle Audio BC-84 line conditioner into the adjacent wall socket to where the ESP Essence power cord is plugged in. Do not plug the power cord into the BC-84 or it will, like most conditioners, slow and restrict current flow (but not by much) and dynamics. The parallel circuits of the BC-84 kick in on the ESP Essence and do a great job, without bringing the series circuits into play. This combination IS NOT A SMALL IMPROVEMENT. It is a MAJOR one. Smoother and more dynamic highs and lows, better resolution, more weight in the bottom two octaves. More open and relaxed at the top, but with the bite of the real thing, when called for. Very interesting and good.

Once again we have a Krell v. Classe' debate, and once again I reach the same conclusion. The Krell 300i and the Classe' are both great integrated amps. The Krell has better bass definition and perhaps a bit more clarity, but the Classe's mids and highs makes the Krell sound rough. The Classe' is much more musical and has better build quality than the Krell. Classe' also makes the best remotes in the industry.

I really feel the need to comment on this piece of gear in light of all of the heat that has been stirred up between Kevin and myself in the other
reviews of Classe' components(see the reviews of the Classe'CA150 and Classe'
CDP.5).The Classe'CAP100 is well bulit,and has a beautifully machined remote.
I had high expectations when Classe' introduced this integrated amp.For it
was directly aimed at being competitive with Krell's KAV300i.Upon auditioning
the CAP100 and CAP150 I was once again disappointed with the sound of the
Classe gear.The CAP100 and CAP150 lacked balls and definition in comparison
to the Krell KAV300i.The Classe' integrated amps just could not compete with
the Krell.I will say that the Classe' integrated amps blow away any other
integrated amps in the lower price bracket(NAD,Rotel,Acurus,etc.)though.But
in direct comparison to the Krell,the Classe' is just not in the same league.
When I read Robert Harley's review of the Classe'CAP100 I agreed with him on
many aspects of the sound.I just do not agree with the "Class A" rating that
it was given.I feel "Class B" to be more appropriate.I really don't mean to
slam Classe' products.I have owned and auditioned many of them.They are well
built and good sounding products.It is just that every time that I have
replaced them with a Krell product,it has been a good thing.I must also add
that I don't like Krell's or Classe's digital products.They don't sound right.
The Krell digital products sound cold,bright,and fatiguing.The Classe's digital
products sound unclear and unrefined.Another reason why I tend to have a
problem with Classe'products is the dealers that sell them.What kind of an
attitude is this : "Well we got best sound at Hi-Fi '96 so we know" or
"Classe' is the Canadian Krell" or "Stay away from Krell,they blow out output
stages all the time" These are quotes from 3 different dealers across the
country that I have dealt with.Why is it that everybody that either owns or
sells Classe' feel the need to defend themselves against Krell.If Classe'
products were so good, they would stand up on they're own and not have to be
defended,or lied about.I rest my case.The Classe CAP100 and CAP150 are
good but they ain't no Krell.3 1/2 stars.

tight bass, solid build, remote is built like tank, wide soundstage, precise imaging

input selection not remote controlable,

this integrated was purchased used for $1000. a steal at this price, for it rocks. built to last forever, it presents a wide precise soundstage and tight, accurate bass. can be a little forward sounding, and soundstage depth is not that deep, but for small rooms it works ideally. i use with b & w p-4 speakers and nakamichi cd-2 in a 12' x 19' apartment living room and the sound is perfect. before purcashing i listened to the yba complete(audio refinement), bryston b-60, (both of which i recommend for my purposes), the linn majic, (okay, but not great), and the arcam 10 (not impressed at all, way over priced). happened to come across this used in brand new condition and have no regrets. gets better when played for long periods of time, really presents music as recorded, not for all speakers as it is a little forward sounding, but pairs well with monitor speakers like the p-4. now realize the cd player is 9 years old. i give the $1000 price i paid a 5 star rating (this retailed at $2400, still not bad for quality) and 5 star for performance for this price range ($1500 - $2500)

Talk about an amp that gets out of the way! The Classe CAP-100 lets the music come through. It has since been replaced by the CAP-150, but if you don't need the extra watts, you can find this at bargain prices. It seems ideal for the Thiel CS 1.5 speakers that I am using with it.

The Classe CAP-100 integrated amplifier is no longer in production. It has been replaced by the CAP-80 which is also rated at 100W per channel. The CAp-150 is currently produced and Classe says that the 100 and 150 are the same except for the output stage. The specs for the new CAP-80 and CAP-150 are sufficiently different that I suspect the 100 is more closely related to the 150 than to the 30; hence, this review might be of worth to those looking at the 150 or a used 100.
I auditioned the following integrated amps in the $800 to $2000 range: Classe CAP-100, Rega Mira, Mistral, Acurus DIA-150, ARcam Alpha 10 and the new NAD S-300. Unfortunately, the YBA Integre and Complete (Audio Refinement division) were unavailable for the audition. The other, obvious contender in this group - the Krell KAV-300i - is priced too high (except used) and a number of people I talked with that had listened to the unit thought it to be "cold", a frequent comment in these reviews, also.

The Rega Mira, surprisingly, took 2nd place. I find it better for solo vocal and instrumental, and for small instrumental ensembles. It gives a more homogenized sound at greater complexities. It has a very fine bass, though. The onboard Rega phonostage is excellent (MM/MC). The Mistral is thin, throughout. The Acurus amplifies the finest female vocal and brass sounds I have heard from any am, anywhere - crystal clear, realistic, right-on-the-money. Unfortunately, it has no texture in the lower frequencies and a very sharp edge in the higher frequencies. The Arcam seems to be no better than the old Kenwood I am replacing. The NAD is the most surpising. Because it has the newest design and technology of any unit (and is dual mono), I expected it would skunk the others. As a stand alone unit (as with the companion S-500 CD player), it has very poor characteristics with other CD players. With the NAD CD player, it has the most detail and texture of any combination auditioned, but the bass is extremely tight - much too tight for my taste. The soundstage is most peculiar. It is absolutely 2 dimensional - no depth whatsoever - right at the front of the speakers, but could project imaging slightly wider than the walls.

Note: The speakers I am using tend tominimize the soundstage. A "hint" of depth is about average for most of the equipment auditioned. (See my CD and speaker reviews for more details).

The Classe (and Rega) have a very full and balanced bass. With a good CD player, the bass is respectably tight, but no choked. In pianissimo passages, the bass is well balanced with higher frequency instruments. (Most other amps present a thinner bass in quiet passages). Overall, the sound is slightly on the rich side. I prefer this to a more clinical or cold sound, unless, like the Acurus, it hits the sound dead on. The optional phonostage of the Classe is switchable (by jumpers) between MM and MC, so differenct cartridges (or units) are not easily interchangeable. Inthe MC configuration, there is a noticeable hum with no input. The hum completely disappears (even in extremely quiet passages) with input. Classe says they can eliminate the hum, but at the expense of the sound reproduction. (Works for me). The remote IS a tank and minimalist - mute and volume only. I like the spacing of the single-ended terminals. They are not so close together that the interconnects can accidently touch. It also has a pair of balanced inputs, but only outputs for 1 pair of speakers. It has a balance control (rare) which has been used a few times. The Classe has a good, solid feel and is substantially heavier than any other unit.

Of the amps I auditioned, the Classe is the superior one, particularly for amplifying a complex sound. Since it is at the top of the price range, I give it a rating of 4 since the rega sounds almost as good at less than half the price - giving the reviewee and interesting choice.

System: Classe CAP-100, Arcam Alpha 8SE CD player (WBT interconnects), Well Tempered Reference TT (Audioquest interconnects), Yamaha TX-950 tuner, Mirage OM6 speakers (Tara Labs Crystal cables). (See my reviews of the other components).

Another excellent product from the Canadian manufacturer. I made an A/B comparison of the CAP-100 and Krell KAV-300i at a local dealer. The speaker used were Martin Logan SL-3 and Wadia 23 CD player. Cables and interconnects were Cardas Cross. The Krell is a very good amplifer, but I like the Classe CAP-100 for its sweeter highs, warmer mids, and more airy soundstage. Both are very good in the bass, although the Krell sounds a little tighter. Overall I prefer the CAP-100 over Krell's KAV-300i, and would recommend it to anyone looking for an integrated amplifier at this price range.