| Reviewers and consumers tend to
gravitate toward the latest and greatest -- it’s fresh, it’s exciting, and maybe
it’s on the cutting edge. But newer doesn’t always mean better,
and that’s particularly true of amplifiers; technology in this area doesn’t
change much. Amplifiers that have been on the market for a while and are still readily
available, also deserve consideration.
It was with this in mind that I asked Classé Audio to send me a review sample of an integrated amplifier that they introduced in summer 2004. Classé was founded in 1980 and is based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada; the CAP-2100 ($5500 USD), part of their well-regarded Delta line, is currently the only integrated amplifier the company makes. Description The Delta CAP-2100 measures 17.5"W x 4.75"H x 16.5"D and weighs 50 pounds. The elegantly curved, silver aluminum panels that surround the front and sides looked unconventional, even radical, when the Delta line was introduced five years ago; now, though no longer new, the look has successfully stood the test of time -- I liked the Deltas’ simple yet sophisticated styling in 2004, and I like it just as much today. The CAP-2100 isn’t only nice to look at; it’s built exceptionally well, feels sturdy, and has good appointments: solid-aluminum feet with Navcom LimbSaver material on the bottom to reduce vibrations; unobtrusive heatsinks inset on the side; and top-quality speaker connectors on the rear. All of these aid performance, but have been implemented in ways that complement the appearance and help give the CAP-2100 a high-end look and feel appropriate to its not-insubstantial price. Commensurate with the CAP-2100’s solid build is its stout output capability -- Classé claims 100Wpc into 8 ohms or 200Wpc into 4 ohms. The fact that the CAP-2100’s power output doubles as the impedance halves indicates good current capability, which in turn means that it should be able to control most speakers, even those presenting a tougher-than-normal load. According to Classé’s literature, the CAP-2100 has three separate power supplies, one each for the power amp, preamp, and control sections. The three transformers are near the front of the chassis -- when you lift the CAP-2100, it’s front-heavy. The circuit boards have been laid out to optimize performance: the preamp section is toward the rear, nearest the connectors, while the digital-control circuits are toward the center, to keep them away from the analog signal paths. On the rear panel are three sets of single-ended inputs, one set of balanced inputs, one set each of single-ended tape inputs and outputs, and one set of single-ended preamplifier outputs. An optional internal phono stage, available as a kit for $500, occupies the first single-ended input spot if you choose to add it. With the popularity of turntables these days, some buyers undoubtedly will. Also on the rear panel are the main power switch, the power-cord receptacle, a trigger input and two trigger outputs, two sets of high-quality speaker binding posts for each channel to ease biwiring, an infrared remote-control jack, and, finally, Classé’s CAN BUS input and output ports, to communicate with other Classé components and make for more efficient system operation. I had no other Classé products on hand and so didn’t use the CAN BUS, but was told that standby status, display intensity, input selection, and other functions can be controlled from component to
| ||||