Classe’ being acquired by Sound United
 

Sound United has acquired Classe’. Sound United owns Denon, Marantz, Polk Audio, Definitive Technology, and Boston Acoustics.

Read more at https://www.soundandvision.com/conte...MRTIpxzVHqF.99

Well if they revive the product line hope it works better than my Denon $3000 AVR that the upsampler keeps breaking on.

George

The fact that your Denon isn't working as designed is not Sound United's fault is it? I am guessing you aren't the only owner suffering with that issue? Classe is of course a different product than Denon. My SSP-800 went faulty and I had to ship it back to Canada and it was fixed! Since then I haven't had an issue since then. I hope you get your Denon squared away eventually. I use the AC Infinity fan on my Marantz as the newer units run hot because of the HDMI boards installed.

Who is Sound United?

From Sound United's web site:
"Sound United is a division of DEI Holdings, a portfolio company of Boston-based private equity firm Charlesbank Capital Partners, LLC. Charlesbank acquired DEI Holdings in 2011. "

From Charlesbank Capital Partner's website:
"Charlesbank Capital Partners is an experienced middle-market private equity firm with offices in Boston and New York City. We invest across a range of industries, supporting skilled management teams in building strong businesses, primarily in the United States.

Charlesbank’s senior team has worked together for many years, establishing a consistent record of strong returns over multiple business cycles. We bring a flexible approach to the structure of each portfolio company investment, and we are comfortable working in situations that are complex or difficult to underwrite."

It's just more consolidation of wealth, control, and power in the hands of the wealthy. Lots of that going around, especially in the last 20 years. Though it has always gone on where humans are involved.

As for Classe', if it's managed well (D+M Group seems to be), I see no reason why their customers won't continue to be delighted. But, change always brings potential for degradation.

Same management it seems.

You paid more attention than I did, I’ve been experiencing that more since I retired last summer. Are they retaining Classe’ management, or same management as D+M?

Link does not work?? [emoji848]

works fine for me ........

I just clicked on it in my post and in your reply: Both worked.

Go to the stereophile web page. About 1-2 notices from the top.

Too bad they could not retain production in Canada and move Marantz & Denon to Montreal rather than Classe' to Japan. At least production hasn't moved to China (yet). My experience with modern Marantz, an SA-8004, has been very good.

Glenn - I'm wondering where you got this info? Reason I ask is I haven't seen any public statements to this effect. Looks like Sound United is hiring back Classe' staff.

I don't think Sound United (ex D&M Holdings) are the bad guys here. They have a long history of doing a good job managing consumer brands.

I think this is great news for Classe' and their customers.

Let's not forget that B&W kicked Classe' to the curb in October 2017 without an exit strategy, actually without any reasonable plan at all, leaving current customers holding the bag. That I'll remember for sure.

Tom

As a prior Classé 25 owner and an expat Canadian I have always had a spot for their products on my short list.
Their most recent amplification offerings have left me rather cold however. I found they lacked the overbuilt quality I have come to expect from them in the past.
I am not saying they don’t sound good or that they are unreliable or any other negative attributions. They just don’t move me like they used to.
Given their abandonment by Bowers and Wilkins etc. I get the he feeling I am not the only one.
I hope Classé resets and finds those qualities which made them as desirable as ML and Krell were in their heyday.

That might appeal to you but it would be suicide for D+M.

Japan has a great reputation for build quality with brands like accuphase and esoteric. I wouldn't dismiss the move as one where quality suffers. Maybe it will improve!

Not just Accuphase & Esoteric. Shindo, Air-Tight, Lyra, TAD and any number of other boutique & main-stream brands are made in Japan. Have even heard that the Chinese owners of Luxman have moved their production back to Japan. The 'good stuff' from Japan is as good as the 'good stuff' from anywhere in the world. Very high quality gear.

While I "wish" that North American brands would/could remain in NA, in many instances the 'new world order' of manufacturing will not allow for same for any number of reasons. Japan is much like us. The high volume suppliers (Sony, etc.) have moved out. Globalization is a problem that future generations will have to deal with. In the mean time, we'll enjoy our gear regardless of the country of origin.

It was what was in the link above.
Am guessing the staff that gets hired back is only the sales & marketing staff and perhaps some of the office & inventory/shipping folks.

No doubt. To look on the bright side, change also brings potential for improvement.

Agreed Mike. It would be nice to see Classe’ do well.

I am optimistic.

Glad to see the brand kept alive. If Nauber is able to keep the team together, they should continue to contend in the high value part of the segment. I hope in the future they ascend a bit higher like they did when they offered the Omega series. I'm also glad to see they're moving production to Japan, whose attitude toward quality control is among the best in the world.

It will be interesting to see if the Delta and Sigma lines are kept intact and they finish the design work on the next-gen Delta series.

I had to send my CDP-300 in for service to the B&W Group and so far they are still handling service issues. Not sure about service from Sound United but I hope they can properly service past Classe product. I still have a SSP-600 and CA-5200 that I plan on keeping for as long as possible!

Hi,

yeaph! Classe is sold.

now B&W speakers & Marantz/Denon electronics......Money for nothing...

???? I don't get your point.

Nothing shocking!

In EU B&W & Classe+ Rotel are together.

Now B&W Group will go to sell the great B&W speakers and Marantz/Denon.

Is all a $$$$$ question.

nothing more 'nothing less.

I still don’t get what you are saying raidho?

Agree. What are you trying to say?

LA2019... Welcome to AA! :wave:

Thanks, it's great to be here!

?!?! the brand "classé" (in europa) is sold from B&W speakers group. now (in 3-6 month) B&W speakers group dont have no more the electronics "Classé"

Classé company has be sold ! - B&W go away with Denon-Marantz... in place from Classé

Just tried the link. Seems to work.
Ed

FWIW they were represented at RMAF a few weeks ago. The were in one of the 8th floor rooms.

So are they still going to come out with these new items that they were working on?

Did they have any new products at RMAF?

https://www.soundandvision.com/conte...-and-rotel-too

TAS report from RMAF:

Were my eyes deceiving me or was that Dave Nauber, of Classé Audio fame? Yes, it was, and evidently rumors of Classé Audio’s demise (following the Bowers&Wilkins purchase) have clearly been overstated. Now under the patronage of Sound United (Marantz, among others) Classé is back in a big way and Nauber has been handed the reins once more and tasked to update the venerable Delta series which includes the Delta Pre ($9995), the Delta Stereo ($12,000), and the Delta Mono ($10,500/each). They’ve been heavily refurbished with new output devices, reconfigured power supplies, a massive increase in storage, Mundorf capacitors. It’s certainly reassuring that this well-regarded brand will be strengthening in the future.

Classe’ being acquired by Sound United
 

This is good news - let’s hope that Classe’ comes back stronger than ever!

That is a breathtaking price increase: from $5000 for the original CP-800, or $6000 for the Mk II, to a cool $10k. If the sound quality and features correspond, the Delta Pre will be a heck of a preamp.

Thank you for the information, it'll be great to see some new products.

Probably won’t happen, but I’d love to see Classe revert back to their more classic design period....always loved their CA series from the late 90’s.

https://www.hifiengine.com/images/mo..._amplifier.jpg

I had a Model 15 from that era. Sounded really good!