i just read david a Audiophile review. You must have the worst front end on the planet. I do admit I have $22,000 in preamps driving my CA-400. Ref 3 and Ref2 Phono from Audio Research.i was looking for a great solid state amp that was great sounding for no money...will compared to Ar, Boulder etc. This is it. This amp is far from grainy. I have an all vinyl rig and it sounds glorious and I have found my giant killer, dead quiet. You will have to spend 12k-30k to get this signal to noise of 137! Only a $25,000 Boulder amp has that stat!
Background: Bassist on RCA records. Cant tell you my band name, Toured the world and have listened to some of the highest play back systems in the word. I feel my ears are pretty good. If you want a tueby but not to tubey and a solid statey but not cold solid statey sound. This is it. Now go find one!!

For all its power, the CA-400 is amazingly delicate and articlate. The bass slam is out of this world. DEAD quiet w/ balanced interconnects, though I've not heard it through RCAs. Unsurpassed amplifier-for-dollar ratio in the used market.

Size and weight -- very deep cabinet and 125 pounds in weight

I researched this purchase for weeks and weeks, finally settling on this model based on affordability, build and sound quality, and reliability. The solidity and build quality are old school, but the rich aural pallet suggest a modern component.

Highs are exquisite, delicate and sweet. Mids are outasight [You should hear Tchaikofsky's 1812 on Telarc, Erik Kuntsel & Cincinnati Pops -- talk about your horns, mistuh.] And I hope that some time you can experience the instantaneous explosion of bass out of a CA-400 -- headroom like a coliseum. Even at low levels, the live canon shots in that Telarc 1812 sound like cherry bombs going off in the room! Subwoofers are superfluous with this amp.

The very first reviewer complained of lack of bass: I doubt that he has a tin ear, based on the gear they were using, but I would suggest unequivocally that there were issues with that amp. It's like saying there's no oil in Saudi.

I use a Classe CDP1 CD player and DR-6 preamp (all in black), and perhaps there is some synergy, but I doubt it. I'm quite sure that a Naim, Carey, etc. would sound at least as good as my Classe CDP1. Bi-wired Neat Vito loudspeakers (my review for which is under Neat Mystique on this site), a Sansui 777 tuner and and Linn Sondek LP12 round out the system.

One tweek I recommend is using balanced interconnects with the CDP1 and the DR-6. This system is DEAD quiet, and the PS Audio sound conditioner plays a role here, I'm sure. Quiet musical passages have a stunning black background, highlighting the intstruments. Between songs, the music fades to dead silence and all I hear is the quiet ticking of the wall clock. Quite remarkable. I feel so honored to own such an incredible system.

Is it the final word in high-definition audio? No. It's not. Can more articulate equipment be purchased? Yes. If you're the Prince of Siam, buy a Halcro, Kondo, or the like. But in my opinion, the value of this equipment, i.e. vintage Classe, is quite unsurpassed. If you have budget constaints as I do, used, quality equipment such as this is the only way to go. The whole system, including power cords and interconnects cost me well under $10k, while full retail runs perhaps three times this.

One easy improvement might be to pick up another CA-400 and run them monaural. A friend of mine who owns three CA-400s claims that the soundstage opens up with more air and dimension. But 2.7 KILOwatts mono into a four-ohm load smacks of excessive. Nevertheless, could happen :o)

I absolutely recommend this amplifier. You're not compromising on anything except price, and that's a good thing. Just promise you won't get in a bidding war with me when the next one comes up on A'gon ;o)

Customer Service

I understand through blogs that repairs are competently and cordially effected, but I've had nothing but reliable service so far.

Very smooth, imaging not bad

Very anemic bass

I have read the other reviews of the 400, my obsevations agree but for one major exception. VERY WEAK BASS! I received the amp from a friend who was driving Aerial 10T''s & said the bass was weak. He brought it over to drive my Von Schweikert VR6''s, my conclusion was the same. For an amp of that much power, it was a major shock to both of us. My Conrad Johnson MV125 tube amp[125 watt/ch.] had more "balls'' in the bass department. My friend traded it for an Audio Research VT100 [100 watt/ ch.] amp & it had it all over the Classe! Was it defective? Who will ever know!

Similar Products Used:

Conrad Johnson MV125, Audio Research VT 100, Sim Audio W5

Very powerfull, crystal-cleer sound, deep & quick bass

NONE

Simply the the best for this price ! And more ...

Similar Products Used:

KRELL KSA 250B EUR

Powerful, Detail, Resolution

None

This is a super power amp with super value price, buy it if you can find one on the used market.
It has a very balance and musical from bass to mid and extend to the high. It drive all diffecult speaker easily. It compare well with up to three times of the price on the market with name brand such as ML, Krell, Pass lab, Jeff Rowland. Unbelieveable value!

Similar Products Used:

Krell KSA-300s, ML-333, Pass 250,

power

grain, veilness in midrange

This is one solid state amp that I just can't live with. I admit I am somewhat bias since I use my tube amps as reference, but CA-400 is so grainy and edgy that I will only turn it on if I have to. Among all solid state I have tried, McCormack DNA-2 is the best. Surprise? Me too. IAR certainly agree with my opinion as well and my reference is Sonic Frontier Power 3 and Audio Research VT-200. I heard Sim Moon 5, Plinius, Pass X series, and Rowland all are very good too. If you like music, not loudness, sell your CA-400 for a good price (I don't understand this one either, CA-400 commands a high resell price even though the performance sucks) and get something else.

Similar Products Used:

Bryston 4B-ST, Levinson 333, Krell FPB 300, McCormack DNA-2

Powerfull but gracefull

none

This is a undiscover treasure power amps, it is big, powerfull, but gracefull at the same time.
It nevery run our of power. the high never has the ss harsh sound, it is clear and esxtended. It is very sweet in mids, better than a lot high end tubes amp. The lows is the one tube amp never match. I fell it can match up well with KSA250. The sound stage is wide and deep.
It is a greatest giant killer ss amp!

Similar Products Used:

ML333, Bryston 7, Krell KSA250, FBP300

Deep tight bass, wide and deep soundstage, very dynamic

None

This is a great amp and its better than most more expensive amps. The soundstage is wide and deep, and images are razor sharp. Bass is very deep and well controlled. Dynamics are effortless. I use a PS Audio Lab Cable on this amp which made it even better. When I was shopping for an amp to drive my Thiel CS6's, I called Thiel for advice. I told them I was considering a Classe CA400, they told me it was a great amp and they were using it as one of their references. Since I auditioned the Thiel's with a Classe CA200 and it was great, I decided to go for the larger 400. I've had the amp for almost 3 years and I have no desire to upgrade it. The rest of my system includes a CAT SL1 Ultimate, Meridian 500/566 24 bit and PS Audio P300 and various aftermarket power cords from TG Audio, Synergistics and ESP.

Similar Products Used:

Aragon 4004 MKII, Counterpoint NPS400A

Seemingly unlimited power, tight control over bass, detailed...

Haven't discovered any.

I had been using the M-1000 monoblocks (1000 watts/per/channel into 8 ohms, double into 4, etc...)for several years and became very curious to hear the CA-400 (400 watts/per/channel into 8 ohms, double into 4, etc...) line in my system. When I came across one at a ridiculously low price, I bought it and proceeded to be blown away.

First impression was it was huge. 120 pounds! If you aren't working out, you'd find it VERY difficult just to get the thing out of the enormous box. Be smarter than me and get a friend to help. And no, not a girl friend.

Though the M-1000's were the biggest amps I had, the CA-400 looked like the bigger brother. 19' wide, 23" deep, and 9 1/2' tall. In other words, it won't fit in most racks.

Listening to the amp immediately made a dramatic and positive improvement in my system. The CA-400 is SO much more musical than the M-1000's. I analogize the M-1000 as sounding the way a proper British product would (even though it's Canadian)...neutral, flat response with a proper pulse.

The CA-400 is anything but proper. It is a beast. Forceful, gutsy, and very much possessing a racing pulse. Its impact on the music is profound, but I would also praise this amp as being transparent and detailed.

The CA also ran hot to the touch. Compared to the M-1000, which were never more than warm.

Neutral? Perhaps, but clearly not flat and laid back.

After a few months, I was able to locate another CA-400 for a song so I am running two CA-400's bridged.

I did notice that the temperature of the first amp ran MUCH hotter than the second. After a few phone calls and postings at some internet audio sites, I determined that the bias was turned up higher on the first and, sure enough, when I opened them up, that's what I found. I adjusted the bias and they both run at the same temp; hot (as in medium-well), but not too hot to touch (well-done).

(As an aside, had I known about biasing solid-state amps I would have tried this with the M-1000's).

Similar Products Used:

Classe M-1000's, Bedini 250.

I pick up this mighty Classe Ca400 power amp after I compare with some other hi end power amp, such as Bryston 7, Krell FPB300, ML-333, BAT VK500. The CA400 sound the best to my ear, and it come with a resonal price. It build like a tank, high quality, SS power and bass without SS harsh sound. It can compete with some high end tube power amp. High is clear and extend, mid is sweet as tube, low is as good as you can get. Staging, imaging all first class. It make all other high price amp in shame!