First post, could definitely use some advice.

[Climbfourteener]

Great forum!

I know that I'm in the Classe forum and I'm looking at a system comprised of Classe and B&W... and I could use some solid advice as the cost, which can be handled, is A LOT.

In reality, I'm not used to spending this kind of money, and I hope many could appreciate this.

That's why I need some feedback.

I'm doing a complete remodel of my house, a ranch here in Denver and I'm doing most of the work myself. I'm in the near finish phase and things are looking fantastic.

The audio system I'll be putting in is in the living room, the main room of the house which also connects to the dining room. The living room anchors the whole house.

The Panasonic 1080 Plasma will not be centered but on the left side of the end of the room, to the left of the fireplace. The sound in the room is top notch. I have been watching movies on a 32 inch Sony flat TV in two channel which is fine for me.

Initially I went to the high quality dealer here in Denver with the intention of buying a five channel surround, most probably with a $2500 Denon 4308 amp and 683 B&W speakers with 685's in the back and a $600 center channel and $600 subwoofer.

Most probably the whole shebang would have cost me 12K give or take. It'll probably work fine.

After listening to Classe and higher end B&W, I'm thinking of staying with the two channel with the following equipment.

Mind you, this shebang will be costing me approx $26K.

Please tell me if I'm out of my mind, or if I'm in the ballpark?

I listen to audio, CD's, MP3 and FM approx 90% of the time with the other 10%, DVD's and TV. I'm moving more to MP3 and computer driven audio.

I'm fifty four, very active and love listening to great music.

The room is 14 ft wide by 24 ft long with the dining room of 14 x 15 added, separated by a four ft high half wall. There are large bay windows with shades on the west wall along with a patio door and other window and door. I can close up the windows and doors with top notch window shades.

The Classe CD player is 'better' than the Rotel... but is it worth $3300 more?

Classe CA2200
Classe CP500
Classe CDP102... initially I was looking at the Rotel 1072, a lot less and I've listened to both.
B&W 803D
Control4 Tuner/XM
Control 4 HC-300 Controller
Sony Blu Ray Disc
Panasonic 1080 42 inch Plasma, don't have room for 50 inch.

Thanks in advance!

[sikoniko]

looks like a great setup with one exception. get a ps3 instead of the sony BD player. You may not play games, but the PS3 is an excellent value for the price!

[gostan]

Climbfourteener:

You are going to love those 803D's!

I am not really a Classe guy, but for audio only the best cdp out there for under $1500 (competing with CDP's far more expensive) is the Cambridge Azur 840C. The new September issue of Absolute Sound concurs. Of course, no video with this one.

But, then again, your Classe dominated rack will look (and sound) great. :T

[RebelMan]

C14, what are your true intensions, a balanced audio/video system or high performance stereo? From your description it would appear that you have some mixed feelings.

BTW, How many of the 14ers have you been too?

[Climbfourteener]

C14, what are your true intensions, a balanced audio/video system or high performance stereo? From your description it would appear that you have some mixed feelings.

BTW, How many of the 14ers have you been too?

I'm looking for very high quality audio and the visual is important, as it should work well, but it's only 10% of the time used.

All of my friends tell me that I should buy a 5.1 system with good front audio.

I do have mixed feelings and that's why I'm here asking for advice.

The CA2200 and the CP500 and the 803d's, I can deal with.

But the added 4K for the CD player. This with all due respect to all, kind of put me over the top.

I recognize the balance of the Classe CD player with the rest of the system.

But heck, it's not even the top of the line and with the savings of going to another CD player, I could buy another Dell laptop and run Itunes direct to the system for a lower price than the Classe CD player.

I could even pick up from mixed Rotel components with the 803d's and save substantial money, but a slightly lower quality to the Classe.

I guess the CD player's 4K price hit me hard.

I wasn't prepared for this costing so much.

And I'm only being honest and looking for good replies and help.

BTW, I've climbed all of Colorado's 14,000 ft peaks.

[RebelMan]

I'm looking for very high quality audio and the visual is important, as it should work well, but it's only 10% of the time used.

In this case I think laying down the ground work with a high-end two channel system from which you could build a multi-channel sound system is the prudent course of action. A pair of 803D is a great way to start. Later as your home theater needs grow you can add the supporting infrastructure of speakers and ancillary equipment to make up a 5.1 system.

The CP-500 and CA-2200 you have in mind will do the 803D proud and I think you would revel in their combination. However, whether the investment in the CDP-102 will yield the necessary sonic dividends or not will depend on three factors, how revealing your system is, how well you can hear and how you determine value. The pursuit of audio perfection is one of diminishing returns. Suggestions and opinions on value will vary from person to person.

The benefit of mating the CDP-102 with the CP-500 and CA-2200 is that everything was engineered to work together in perfect harmony. On the other hand, $4K is a lot of money to spend on an incremental sonic improvement over the Rotel RCD-1072. I previously owned the RCD-1072 but now currently have the CDP-300 which uses the same audio boards in the CDP-102 for two-channel.

While I find the RCD-1072 to have much better performance for the money than the CDP-102 the latter is the better investment in sound quality. As a discriminating listener I place a higher premium on sonic quality than I do on the value equation and therefore my choice (money) would be on the Classe’. However, I am no fool anxious to part with my hard earned money; I want a good deal especially if I am going to be making a hefty payment. If you factor in a reasonable and customary 15% discount the difference between the two CD players would amount to around $2800. Even with the discount it’s still a lot of money that might be better spent elsewhere in your case.

Since you seem inclined to pipe the majority of your music (now and/or later) from mp3 like sources, you may not reap the full benefits of an expensive CD player. Hence, I would advise that you look into server based media storage and streaming devices and a quality outboard DAC instead of a dedicated CD player.

BTW, I've climbed all of Colorado's 14,000 ft peaks.

So you have climbed all 53+5??? Impressive! Are you a Colorado native and how many years did it take you to reach them all?

[Climbfourteener]

So you have climbed all 53+5??? Impressive! Are you a Colorado native and how many years did it take you to reach them all?

Thanks, for all the beta.

I got a call yesterday from the salesman and we talked about exactly what I'm asking about here on the forum.

Designing a 5.1 with a high quality two channel front.

He suggested the following:

Classe 3200
Classe SSP300 Processor
Rotel B1070 to drive the rear speakers.
803D's
Center channel and rears, most probably B&W's, lower cost items.
Could play CD's on the Blu Ray or the 1072.
Subwoofer


I listened and then thought to myself.

Where's the preamp? Did we drop it because of price? We had it in the two channel system for high quality.

Why not the SSP600 for 'balanced' audio? Because the 600 is A LOT more money than the 300... and do I 'need' balanced?

I feel as if I'm getting bounced around.

I've climbed 59 of the 14ers, as we acknowledge the additional five in addition to the 'accepted' fifty four. I'm from a small town in Upstate NY, came out to Colorado in 1974, climbed my first one, Mt. of the Holy Cross in 1975 and finished in 2004.

In the interim, was a mountaineering guide, climbed the big walls in Yosemite, alpine routes in the Tetons and Wind Rivers, Rocky Mtn National Park, Eldorado Canyon, the high 12,000 ft peaks and 13ers.

I was in no rush to finish the 14ers as I've been keeping busy in all four seasons in the backcountry and high peaks.

[RebelMan]

I think we're both getting lost in the shuffle. First you mentioned a 5.1 setup using the 600's then you talked about a 2.0 setup using 800's. Now you are being advised to look at a combination of the two. That's why I asked the first question, what are you really looking for? It sounds like you want a high performance A/V system for a budget system price, which you probably know is unlikely. So now you are given compromising alternatives. I am beginning to see the frustration. LOL

Here's my take. Given that you spend 90% of your time with music and only 10% of your time with movies, make the former a priority and start with it first. Unless you know what you want now and are ready to pay for it, you can add to your system later on as you go. My advice would be to stick with the CP-500 and CA-2200 and a pair of 803D. (You can take more liberties with your selection of source equipment, be it a CD player or otherwise if the CDP-102 isn't worth the expense to you.)

Use the Blu-ray player and the subwoofer for 2.1 home theater with phantom center. Later you can add a CA-3200, the HTM2D center and a pair of SCMS or other 800 Series speakers for surrounds. If the BD player includes a built-in pre-amplifier you can prolong the expense of a dedicated processor until the time is ripe for you to invest in one. I think investing in a SSP-300, CA-3200 and mismatched speakers does not align well with your 90/10 preferences for stereo.

If you decide to compromise with your choice of front-end equipment, then I strongly urge that you DO NOT SKIMP on the center or surrounds. You are much better off without either then with compromises because of the tonal irregularities that you would incur. As high-definition media becomes more common place this becomes increasingly more important regarding choices for surround channels and a properly matched and positioned center channel is extremely critical for the best home theater experience.

As for the climbs, I think I just found a new role model! :B