Price Paid:  $1200.00

Summary:
I have access to several hi- end products ,and have listened to each one in several different setups.For the most part each one having its own strenghts and weaknesses.However,the one with the best sound and build quality is the one I want.With that criteria ,I chose the Classe.THe sound for movies is very detailed and dynamic,yet never bright or offensive.Furthermore,there is a analog bypass mode for stereo listening and no tv on screen display that can degrade the sound.If what your looking for is smooth detailed sound and pure stereo you need not look any further .I got it cheap,but even for the regular price it is a steal.

Strengths:
build quality,SOUND,EASY TO USE!!!!!

Weaknesses:
no upgrade for future formats

Similar Products Used:
BK REF20,Krell,AVP

Price Paid:  $1200.00

Summary:
I have access to several hi- end products ,and have listened to each one in several different setups.For the most part each one having its own strenghts and weaknesses.However,the one with the best sound and build quality is the one I want.With that criteria ,I chose the Classe.THe sound for movies is very detailed and dynamic,yet never bright or offensive.Furthermore,there is a analog bypass mode for stereo listening and no tv on screen display that can degrade the sound.If what your looking for is smooth detailed sound and pure stereo you need not look any further .I got it cheap,but even for the regular price it is a steal.

Strengths:
build quality,SOUND,EASY TO USE!!!!!

Weaknesses:
no upgrade for future formats

Similar Products Used:
BK REF20,Krell,AVP

Price Paid:  $2000.00 from Ambrosia, Bel Air, CA

Summary:
Well, I remember reading the warnings from other owners, but I figured that would never happen to me. Classe has a lot of people saying nice things about them. But God help you if you have to send yours back to them for repair.

That's what happened to me. I had my Classe SSP-25 in-home for a couple of months, when the front two channels started to intermittantly disappear when switching between audio modes. No getting them back unless I switched off the unit for a while and prayed they would be there again after the unit cooled. Try pulling that off calmly while all your invited guests are waiting for their long-awaited demonstration.

So the unit goes back to the dealer, who in turn ships it to Classe in Canada, arriving there on February 16. Today my calendar says April, and I'm still waiting for them to repair it and send it back to its owner. Ambrosia, my retailer, will give a courtesy call to them upon my prodding, but it has been one long waiting game for me while my home entertainment system remains blown apart from its center.

If I had it to do over again, I'd definitely save myself the anguish and look elsewhere; perhaps a manufacturer with a better customer service history.

As for the unit; I think I remember liking it as I was getting familiar with it, but my surround speakers have been silent for a long time now, and I've kinda forgotten what it's like to have surround sound in my living room.

Strengths:
ease of setup and use, great sound quality, non-onscreen adjustments

Weaknesses:
infamous 2-second pause before CD begins to play; repair downtime rendered the purchase regrettable.

Summary:
I have waited for almost 6 months before leaving a review so
I could get a good feel for this preamp/processor. My conclusion: this is a steal at the price.

The unit can compete with excellent sounding 2 channel preamps. I previously had an ARC LS9, and the SSP25 is airier sounding, deeper soundstage, tighter bass, et. -- it basically bettered the ARC LS9 in nearly every respect. I listen to mainly 2 channel stereo music, and I have been thoroughly pleased with the 2 channel performance. It is clearly superior to the Lexicon DC-1 (compared both in my home system for a couple of weeks), and though I didn't get to hear in the same system, appears to better the Theta Casa Nova and Meridian 561 in this area as well. The Classe also has an analog bypass mode that is a must for audio purists, and provides one set of balanced inputs/outputs.

As a processor, it again is excellent sounding. In straight DD or DTS mode, it again bettered the Lexicon unit in nearly every respect. The dialog in movies is extremely clear, and the overall experience is very dynamic and clean. There are only 3 surround modes (stadium, club and natural), and these are nice sounding, but definitely not state of the art. If the unit has any weaknesses, it would be in the features department. The subwoofer output is only active if your main speakers are "small" or you are listening to surround modes. Also, the crossover frequency is fixed at 80 HZ, so you are somewhat limited in maximum matching of sattelite/subwoofer combinations. This is an area in which the Lexicon is clearly the winner, with variable crossover frequency settings and numerous surround modes. But when it comes to the sound, especially 2 channel music, I could not think of a better unit under $5000 (especially when you can pick up a used one for under $2000). Unless you want to step up to the Krell or the top Meridian and Theta processors, I don't think you can get any better sound. The only thing that might hold someone back would be the flexibility issue.

Associated equipment:
Legacy Focus and Studio speakers
Bryston 4BST and 8BST amps
Nordost Red Dawn interconnects
JPS Labs Superconductor speaker cable
Classe CDT-1 transport
Panasonic A-110 DVD

Strengths:
Excellent sounding as 2 channel preamp, easy to set up

Weaknesses:
Limited flexibility (not upgradable to newer formats, fixed
crossover frequencies, only 3 surround modes)

Similar Products Used:
Lexicon DC-1

Summary:
This is a follow up to my previous review of this product.

One of the reasons I was so positive about this product was basicly the quality of sound you get for your $ compared to many other processor preamps on the market.

Because of this Ive been able to save up and buy an upgrade for my system, I picked up a 2nd hand meridian 508 cd player -> I think the best thing about SACD is we will all be able to buy reference grade cd players for 1/4 the original price :-))

Anyway I just wanted to say the ssp-25 is performing brilliantly in analog bypass mode as a preamp for my cd player.

Of course the dual differential dacs, jitter filter and class A discrete output stage in the meridian cd player leave the ssp-25-s dac for dead but keep in mind its a $3000 cd player.

The great thing is that the analog preamp in the ssp-25 is performing well enough to do my new cd player justice (no easy task) and the ssp-25 is more than I would ever need for dvd's

Strengths:
see my earlier review