Is CA5200 a flexible solution for 2ch/5ch audio/HT?

[zele]

I’m thinking about how to enter the high-end world of 2ch with an investment that is flexible towards 5ch audio and HT too. As far as the speaker is concerned I’m hesitating between 803D and 802D and I will decide based on their sound when I get both of them delivered for a demo to my house. It’s the amplifier where I’m lost a little.

Should I buy the CA5200 as future proof (at least for the next 10 years) amp applying the following logic:
1. I can use it for bi-amping the 2ch speakers (only 1 channel would be left unused)
2. They provide 5 equal (and high) quality channels for 5 channel audio materials
3. I can also use it for HT if my interest moves closer to HT

I have recently got involved in high-end audio sound, I like all the above listed 3 applications but I’m not sure which one I will finally settle with, it will depend on the experience I will collect with the 3 modes.

[wettou]

I’m thinking about how to enter the high-end world of 2ch with an investment that is flexible towards 5ch audio and HT too. As far as the speaker is concerned I’m hesitating between 803D and 802D and I will decide based on their sound when I get both of them delivered for a demo to my house. It’s the amplifier where I’m lost a little.

Should I buy the CA5200 as future proof (at least for the next 10 years) amp applying the following logic:
1. I can use it for bi-amping the 2ch speakers (only 1 channel would be left unused)
2. They provide 5 equal (and high) quality channels for 5 channel audio materials
3. I can also use it for HT if my interest moves closer to HT

I have recently got involved in high-end audio sound, I like all the above listed 3 applications but I’m not sure which one I will finally settle with, it will depend on the experience I will collect with the 3 modes.

I would go to the 800D if your budget allows and CAM-400

Otherwise the 802D work very well with CA-5200 that is what I have and I love it. (I also like the ten year time frame)

The CA-5200 drives 3 802D and 2 802S, I will buy another CA-5200 at a later stage to biamp

[Classe4me]

CA-5200; am amazing amp

Zele, I will not, or cannot claim to be an expert on this subject matter because I am fairly new to the higher-end audio and HT equipment. I can vouch for the fact that I have had Denon, Rotel, Lexicon (awesome sound quality), and when I went quite a bit farther upscale and committed to all Classe, I have never regretted it or turned back. As good an amp as the CA-5100 is and was, it just did not have quite enough guts to do everything I needed it to do with my Wilson Audio speakers that are 4 ohm speakers. They allow the amp to deliver nearly twice the power but they are less efficient than 8 ohm speakers. I thought I was satisfied until I experienced clipping on the Master and Commander DVD on DTS soundtrack and the 100 watt amp went into protection mode. I had the opportunity to trade up with Classe's and the dealer's trade-up policy and go to the CA-5200. It's the best thing I have done so far, other than going from phantom center channel mode to the Wilson WATCH center. I am beyond amazed at how incredible this amp is and what a difference it made. I am have not earned the right to be recognized as an audiophile, I just know what I enjoy and why. I won't use the buzz words, and adjectives that you will see and read in an audiophile magazine write up. I will tell you however, that the bass response, the articulation, and the millisecond responsiveness of this amp, whether it be with two channel or surround sound is nothing short of phenomenal. My listening mix is probably 20% music and 80% DVD and concert DVDs. I am crazy over anything with a DTS soundtrack.

I do not state this to step on any toes or offend any of the people on this post that I have the utmost respect for, but depending on where you live, if it's possible to take a test listen to the B & Ws and anything in the Wilson Audio lineup I would urge you to do so. I think the B & Ws are awesome speakers and there is not a speaker in my book that is any more attractive to look at than the 800 series. I think the 800D is the most gorgeous, artistic and sexy speaker I have ever laid eyes on. The 802Ds are a close second. Any of the people on here will attest to the fact that the B & Ws NEED a lot of power to bring them to life even though they are 8 ohm speakers. I feel that it takes at least 200 watts to wake them up and that 400 is really a good place to be.

If you are going to start out with a pair of speakers and go with 2 channel in the beginning and then add more speakers and multichannel later then I might suggest you get the speakers you want, buy a pair of Classe CA-M400 monoblocks and then add the CA-5200 later to power your center, surrounds, and rears if you choose to go with 7.1. There is no doubt that the CA-5200 will thrill you with the 803s and 802s, but to REALLY make them sing the monos would be most impressive and fulfilling.

For the record, I started out thinking that I was going to be buying B & W 800 series. I didn't know which ones but that is what I thought I would have in my home. After driving about 2 hours to Nashville and spending the day auditioning the speakers with MY music I was in major trouble. After hearing the B & Ws being driven by a nice Krell amp and then hearing the Wilsons with a fairly inexpensive Marantz receiver it was all over for me.

I will state the disclaimer that everybody hears things differently and one man's pleasure is another man's pain. Some like steak, and some like seafood. They are both good so it's up to you what you enjoy. Unfortunately the Wilsons were my pleasure and pain when I had to ante up more than I thought I would. The downside to the Wilsons are how limited you are with center channel and surround speakers, while B & W has the lineup to give you any configuration your heart desires and gives you major latitude when it comes to desired price range, time to upgrade, or make change.

I find the B & Ws to be a work of art, beautiful speakers, and much more attractive than the Wilsons but sound had to come in there somewhere. Find a dealer that sells both and take a test listen. Call and ask some of their longer term employees what they think. Wilson makes gorgeous speakers that are finished in an automotive type of finish that will put 6 figure car's paint jobs to shame. They are beautiful speakers but more unconventional in appearance and no wood to be seen anywhere.

The bottom line, whatever speakers you choose, if you choose Classe to power them and do your processing and preamp duties then you will be thrilled to death I am certain.

Classe has been working on arguably the best surround processor that money can buy at any price that is a fraction of what you COULD spend. It is the SSP-800. There is a major thread dedicated to it and can tell you anything you want to know about it. I bought the SSP-600 before the SSP-800 was announced and it has far exceeded my needs and/or expectations. It gives you fully balanced outputs and also a bypass mode for your 2 channel listening that they say rivals that of the dedicated 2 channel pre-amp, the CP-500. Due to the impending release (any time now) of the SSP-800 there are some amazing deals to be had on the SSP-600 that would suffice as your preamp and then be there when you are ready to go for your home theater.

My words are mere opinions and not designed or intended to step on toes, offend anyone, or appear to be biased. When I heard my favorite music on earth, Alison Krauss on those Wilsons it was love at first listen.

Wilson Audio loudspeakers have long played a vital role in the Motion Picture industry, serving as reference monitors in recording studios such as LucasFilm's Skywalker Ranch, Walt Disney Imagineering, Pixar Studios, MGM and many others. This has to say something about their extraordinary speakers.

For the record though, I have on several occasions thought of selling my Wilsons and going to 800Ds to have that "synergy" between B & W and Classe that exists because of being under the same group that also includes Rotel. I know that Abbey Road Studios runs all Classe and B & W 800Ds.

Once again, I have written a novel rather than a post. To answer your question, the CA-5200 will do anything you ask of it, will thrill you, and will never make you think you made the wrong decision.

I thought that I needed to upgrade my subwoofer, which is a Definitive Technology SuperCube II. After upgrading my amp from the CA-5100 to the CA-5200 I no longer think that is an expense that will be necessary for some time to come.....if ever. It has to be attributable to the bass response of my Wilsons. I can't imagine it can have any impact on the sub since it is self powered and running on an LFE channel.

I hope all of this jibberish helps to answer your question. You are more than welcome to call me by phone or email me if you want more information or would like to talk.

Tom

[zele]

Wettou: for me 802D is already pretty much stretching the (finanical) limit, so I guess I won't go further than that price point. I also recognised the CAM's are more appropriate partners for the 802Ds. Though pricewise there's not too much difference between 2xCAM or 1xCA-5200, however, the 5200 allows to choose between high quality stereo(in biamp mode) or somewhat lower quality 5ch sound (by lower quality I mean from a 802D point of view). In this logic the 5200 seems a better choice, unless someone contradicts this theoretical thinking with some real life experience. So the question is, does the CA-5200 in biamp mode approach the CAMs performance ? (at least in proportion of their price difference)

Classe4me: Thanks for the lenghty response, I enjoyed reading it (so much enthusiasm radiating ouf of it). Unfortunately no dealer is selling Wilson Audio and B&W in the same shop anywhere near where I live. But purely from a price point of view Wilson Audio is out of my range anyway. But I will take a closer look at the SSP-800. If I go in the CA-5200 direction the SSP-800 seems like the most logical decision.
I like your comments on the subwoofer, I had a similar feeling when listening to the 802D connected to a CA-2200 at the dealer, there was so much deep bass in those spakers it sounded like they almost did not need a subwoofer in HT mode ( I will have one just for the sake of getting the lowest frequencies anyway).
Thanks for your offer for the phone conversation, I will keep collecting info on my options but I might take you up on that offer later.

[wettou]

Wettou: for me 802D is already pretty much stretching the (finanical) limit, so I guess I won't go further than that price point. I also recognised the CAM's are more appropriate partners for the 802Ds. Though pricewise there's not too much difference between 2xCAM or 1xCA-5200, however, the 5200 allows to choose between high quality stereo(in biamp mode) or somewhat lower quality 5ch sound (by lower quality I mean from a 802D point of view). In this logic the 5200 seems a better choice, unless someone contradicts this theoretical thinking with some real life experience.

Go for the CA-5200 as you said when you want to do HT it will work wonders, also when finance allows then you can always get an other one
later

So the question is, does the CA-5200 in biamp mode approach the CAMs performance ? (at least in proportion of their price difference)

Yes from my perspective it works beautifully.

[zele]

Will the CA-5200 give me noticable improvement in biamped 2ch mode (2x2 channels used out of the 5 channels) compared to the CA-2200? Will it provide the (price)proportionate improvement, somewhere in between the CA-2200 and the CAM-400?