My local classe retailer Sigma Mono 's

[grandsvaux]

Just called me to say he has just received a brand new in the box pair of sigma mono's and do I want to be the first to audition them
Hell Yeh just un packing them now can't wait to huck these bad boys up. I will let you know what I think of them in a few days after a few days to brake them in :P

[wkhanna]

nice!
photos are mandatory, btw.

[grandsvaux]

Yeh nop prob !

AHHHH can some one guide me through that how do I upload pics to the site ???

[Kal Rubinson]

Review in press: Stereophile November issue.

[wkhanna]

thanks, as always, for the reference, Kal.

[grandsvaux]

thanks for your ref however all the reviews on the mono's read the same as if every one who is righting the review is reading from the same page or the information released from classe. I have been searching months for more hans on references I.E from regular people who own or have home auditioned the mono blocks at home you no people like us . and I have not as yet found any on line?? if you can point me in the direction of some it would save me thinking of fellow members who might like to hear what I might have to say in regards to the sigma mono's I don't profess or have any links with any retailers
to be a expert but I do own in my opinion a reasonable set up that I have put together with the advice from like minded hands on enthusiast.

was sent my question how to post pic's !

[grandsvaux]

[.......................

[wkhanna]

interesting thoughts, grandsvaux.

there are a few ways to look at it from my experiences:

first off, while the impressions of real owners are certainly worthwhile, i do not see them as infallible or necessarily void of bias.
after all, when someone spends a significant amount of money on audio equipment, they are not likely to want to hear they did not spend wisely.
nor are they likely to want to admit that it may not be up the standards they expected.
it is just human nature, pure & simple.

as for reviews from the press…..well, in my humble opinion, there are good, sound & trustworthy reviewers & others maybe, not so much.
the key is to read as many as you can, then find the ones who seem to share your audio philosophies, values & personal priorities for listening & what makes a good sounding system.

as for advertisers influencing or controlling the reviews……well i cannot vouch for all or many of the journalists out there, but i have spent a fair amount of time on more than a few occasions talking with Herb Reichert & Art Dudley from Stereophile & can state quite surely, based on years of reading the magazine & experience with many of the products it has reported on, that the reviews in that magazine truly are honest, un-biased & most importantly, accurate.

Much the same can also be said for Scot Hull, editor of The Part Time Audiophile.
I see Scot every year at the Capital Audiofest in Washington DC & we always spend a lot time talking 'after hours'.

lastly, it does not surprise me in the slightest that many of the reviews are similar in their assessment.
Classe is some high-end gear with respected brand legacy.
it would seem quite unlikely they would risk that reputation by releasing sub-standard product in a market which suffers such mistakes with little tolerance.

As always, just my humble opinion, your experiences may differ from mine.

[wkhanna]

was sent my question how to post pic's !

LINK

[grandsvaux]

Thanks for the link !

I can for see that we are going to have some interesting conversations

[grandsvaux]

My local classe retailer Sigma Mono 's

As requested the pic's of the Classe Mono"s on loan from my local retailer
when they go back they will be replaced with my CA M-600 the rest of the gear in the pic is my set up I also use the cm1 for the rear HT
the speakers to the rear are Artcoustic in wall speakers a large 6X 10 inch sub in the centre and the Artcoustic super star that I use for my centre
I did have the HTM2D but that thing is huge man but what a great centre i listen more to music and been a little tight for space sold it to a mate thought wish i had not but hey ho!

speaker cable used Atlas Mavros and all interconnects are Atlas mavros XLR and mavros RCA with chord mains power leads the turn table is a good old fashion Heybrook TT2 with sure V15 cart-stylus and a sme series 3 phono stage is a primare R20 mm-mc classe ssp and classe 5 amp furutech 2 usb connecting the MAC via Audio quest jitter bug.

[wkhanna]

you are quite welcome.
let us know if you need any other help.

regarding a statement i made about the reviews in Stereophile being accurate........i will point out that i do, on occasion, not agree with every review.
for example, the review of the Bricasti mono amps written by Mikey Fremer was a bit off the mark. I believe it came down to synergy issues (impedance) between the Bricasti & Michael's components. But i had heard the Bricasti on more than a few occasions & my ears told me something was amiss with Michael's audition.

[wkhanna]

wow!
V nice
thanks for the pics
:T

[TomScrut]

Just out of interest, why are you demoing the Sigma Monos if you already have CA-M600s? Are you hoping they are better or do you want more compact/efficient amps?

Sent from my HTC One M9 using Tapatalk

[wkhanna]

.......the turn table is a good old fashion Heybrook TT2 with Sure V15 cart-stylus; and a SME series 3 [tone arm]; phono stage is a Primare R20 mm-mc

not many Heybrook TT2's around these days.
never had the chance to hear one, but general consensus is that they are easily on par with the Linn Sondek LP12.
i am sure it sounds wonderful in your system.

[grandsvaux]

I bought the sigma 5 amp for my HT set up ! as its a D class amp having setting it up for stereo to see what it was like with music I actually liked the sound from it this intrigued me to want to hear the mono's as the 5 amp is only 200w per ch and although it was great I needed more power to really drive my 802D and the tech in the mono's is far superior to the 5amp and giving 350w . Having done a back to back the mono's sound amazing as you would expect as they are designed for music reproduction and were every thing I suspected them to be. This is not to say the 5 dose not it also one heck of a amp . with the ever advancing tech in the audiophile arena most amps of this level is probably worth a audition its nice to be able to try with out the buy! as you can imagine I have a great relationship with my local supplier. (although I am sure he's just trying to get me to part with my hard urned cash LOL ) god loves a trier !!

[TomScrut]

I bought the sigma 5 amp for my HT set up ! as its a D class amp having setting it up for stereo to see what it was like with music I actually liked the sound from it this intrigued me to want to hear the mono's as the 5 amp is only 200w per ch and although it was great I needed more power to really drive my 802D and the tech in the mono's is far superior to the 5amp and giving 350w . Having done a back to back the mono's sound amazing as you would expect as they are designed for music reproduction and were every thing I suspected them to be. This is not to say the 5 dose not it also one heck of a amp . with the ever advancing tech in the audiophile arena most amps of this level is probably worth a audition its nice to be able to try with out the buy! as you can imagine I have a great relationship with my local supplier. (although I am sure he's just trying to get me to part with my hard urned cash LOL ) god loves a trier !!

How do they compare to your CA-M600s?

Sent from my HTC One M9 using Tapatalk

[grandsvaux]

They are No M-600 but do give them a run for the money given the price difference between the two the m- 600 have a more played back natural sound than the sigma I would say due to it's D-class tech. the sigma mono's do sound great and if the budget won't stretch to the delta series the sigma will certainly put a smile on your face. Credit to classe for the sigma range it puts quality build and a great sound in the grasps of thoughts of us on the more normal incomes.

[grandsvaux]

Yeh not to many around came across the heybrook on our local classified section picked it up with a hafler 110 stereo pre and a hafler DH-200 amp and a marantz CD 74 about 5yr ago for £90.00 GBP the lot a bit of a bargain I fitted the SME.

Funny I still have them in the attic as you do !

[wkhanna]

picked it up with a hafler 110 stereo pre and a hafler DH-200 amp ..... for £90.00

a bargain for the ages, that one!

Funny I still have them in the attic as you do !

??????

i wish i had them in my attic.

actually, i sometimes wish i even had an attic :W

[wkhanna]

Kal,

read your review last night as i found the mail man had been kind enough to deliver my copy of Stereophile yesterday.

these digital amps seem to have hit your sweet spot.
did you end up keeping them?

[Kal Rubinson]

Kal,

read your review last night as i found the mail man had been kind enough to deliver my copy of Stereophile yesterday.

these digital amps seem to have hit your sweet spot.
did you end up keeping them?

So far. :W