Gonzalo

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 4 of 5

Used product for
1 to 3 months

Visitors rate this review
5.00 of 5, 1.00 votes

Price Paid:  $0.00

Summary:
Behemoth of an amplifier, excellent on hungry speakers, lower impedance speakers see the best of this amplifier.
Need a room big enough for it to really develop, speakers at least 85 to 86 db Efficiency and impedance of 4 to 6 ohms really take the best advantage of thsi monster of an amp.
a Real champ, in my office system where i am testing it it seems very unconfortable with my tube tuned speakers (10 ohms 95 db Efficiency, not for thsi room or equipment.
Otherwise a very neutral and exceptional sounding amplifier, easily bests other amplifiers on hand such as teh Aragon 4004 MK-II Threshold, and others.
Price point a little too expensive, retails for $5,500 favorably compares with other behemoth amplifiers.
Nowadays there si soo much competition in thsi arena that price is really a big concern here.

Still preffer tubes in thsi particular rig in my office, triodes really shine.

Hope this helps, Enjoy the music;

G.

Price Paid:  $4250.00 from Future Sound

Summary:
I am very pleased with this amplifier -- it looks and sounds great. It replaced an Audio Research tube amp which died of old age, and it compares favorably with the ARC. I use an ARC tube preamp, and the combination with the Classe amp is terrific. Also, when I had a problem with an upstream component creating a DC offset, the Classe went into protection mode reliably and protected the speakers.

Strengths:
great sound at any volume, reliable, great looking amp

Weaknesses:
none that I have found

Similar Products Used:
Audio Research D-125, Gamut D200

jng92130

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
1 to 3 months

Visitors rate this review
4.69 of 5, 16.00 votes

Price Paid:  $5000.00

Summary:
I've tried many amps and preamps over the past couple of years, including tubes... and this CA-2200 is the finest mix of power and finesse I've ever heard. It's much clearer and more articulate than my CA-301, an older-generation Classe amp (and, mercifully, about 30 lbs lighter). It presents a wide and deep soundstage and sounds incredible with music (two-channel, of course) and movies. The 2200 exhibits none of the sluggishness that the 301 did; it seems quick and agile, despite or maybe because of its considerable power output. In comparison to my ARC 100.2, the CA-2200 is far more neutral and natural-sounding. It gives the impression of presenting the music and sound completely unimpeded -- it is, as a reviewer on soundstage.com said, a giant music nozzle. My Audio Research 100.2, in comparison, provides a tube-like warmth that I particularly like, but that is clearly a modification of the signal that's passed through it. This modification is particularly noticeable as it plays movies, and in comparison to the utter transparency and effortlessness of the 2200. Very highly recommended.

Strengths:
powerful, clean, articulate, quick

Weaknesses:
physical size? it was just a touch too large for my AV rack, but that's a problem with my setup and not, of course, with the amp itself

Similar Products Used:
Classe CA-101, CA-301, BAT VK-200, ARC 100.2

REL Q201E

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