Classe Audio pre/power

[macvisual]

Any users of the older Classe Audio DR5 pre-amp and DR15 power-amp here?

Would like to hear any views/thoughts/experience on these units please, thanks.

[Reid Malenfant]

You should have a chat with Dave (synsei), he bought my DR5 off of me ;)

It's a great pre amp, very natural sounding. Just like a straight wire with gain really. I wish I hadn't gotten rid of it now but there you go :lol: Could have used it in another system, but didn't think about it at the time.

Big & heavy & built to withstand a nuclear explosion :eyebrows:

[jandl100]

DR15? dunno.
Frank effem used to have a DR10 power amp. Blimey - talk about SLAMMY!
He should never have sold that - I tol' him he was potty at the time! - the perfect amp for Frank. It gave me a bit of a headache after a while - BAM BAM BAM on Frank's fave percussion tracks ... a full-on, inyerface sort of sound, wow! :stalks:
I've no idea if the DR15 is similar, though.

[Effem]

DR15? dunno.
Frank effem used to have a DR10 power amp. Blimey - talk about SLAMMY!
He should never have sold that - I tol' him he was potty at the time! - the perfect amp for Frank. It gave me a bit of a headache after a while - BAM BAM BAM on Frank's fave percussion tracks ... a full-on, inyerface sort of sound, wow! :stalks:
I've no idea if the DR15 is similar, though.

Yep that amp sure did have some wallop Jerry :eyebrows: Where it didn't score too well was it could sometimes lose the plot with complex music full of tiny nuances or many layers.

I have the XTZ D100 integrated now and in many ways it is better than the Classe Ten. It has wallop too, but it can also do subtleties too and for once it doesn't sound "hifi" at all. Top end is slightly rolled off, but the bottom end is bursting with articulation given the right speakers to partner with.

[synsei]

The DR5 is certainly revealing although not to a fault and it is a huge improvement over the Audiolab 8000C I used before. I've not owned a Classe power amp so I can't help you there.

The DR5 and Hafler DH220 have proved to be an excellent match. This combo provides amazing slam when needed and yet also does subtlety and texture rather well too. I'm sure if funds allowed I would gain further benefits by upgrading to a better power amp but for the moment I am very satisfied with what I have ;)

[clap]

I've got Franks old Classe10, and very pleased with it I am too. My totems arrow work well with it. They are a bit of a different animal to Franks Dalis. I never find it fatiguing.

I must compare it to my mates xtz head to head.