Classe CA-2300
 

Not having heard the CA-2300 yet I was wondering just how intrusive the ventilation fan is? I don't usually like fan noise but if the fan speed is dependant upon temperature that may be (just) acceptable for my power amplifier shortlist.

It's not silent but it's very quiet. I sit perhaps six feet away and can hear it during silence but don't notice during even quiet music or movies.

The fan speed is dependent on temperature as far as I can tell. It can get faster if the front fan filter gets dusty, but it's a 30 second job to clean it, perhaps once every six months or so.

No substitute for going and listening yourself though. Best to just treat it as part of your audition.

londoner... Welcome! :wave:

Thanks londoner, thats very helpful, Classe added now to my list & I'll be auditioning the shortlist in time.

londoner.......Welcome to Audio Aficionado. :wave:

londoner... Welcome to AA! :wave:

When I was at the dealer, I didn't like the new series - I could hear the fan noise, during quiet passages. It was soft, but once I knew it was there, it was there. I don't have fans in any other piece of my audio chain, so I'm not about to introduce a new one.
The older Classe amps that I have have a different problem - the metal heat sinks clank, similar to car radiators - from heat expansion. Also annoying, but not as much as constant on fan. Remember, the new series did away with big (i.e. expensive to manufacture) heat sinks, so without constant active cooling, they will overheat. So let's see, Classe saved costs by going with active cooling, moved production to China and charge same money. Yep, that makes sense to me.

I hate any noise however slight disturbing my listening experience. I live in a quiet countryside area with good home soundproofing so why introduce extra noise?
Larger exterior heatsinks are fine by me, I don't understand why forced cooling should be required for home use where signal to noise considerations are paramount.
I'm looking for a bass amplifier for my Infinity RS1b but the search is being restricted by fan cooling & modern fully balanced outputs (not referenced to ground) and adequate power circa 800W.My Steelhead & Neo-Classic 250 amplifiers are whisper quiet between tracks so I really don't want to introduce any exterior noise such as transformer mechanical hum or forced cooling. My quest continues then...

My CA5300 runs the fan when you turn it on, but other than that, can never be heard...

I sit 12 feet away from it, it is not enclosed. Not sure where your dealer had it or if you were sticking your ear a foot away or something, but it is quiet for my use.

You may want to try it out in a more real world scenario...I am more than happy with not only the quietness of the amp, but more importantly the overall performance.

I had the 2300 and the fan rarely ever turned on.

I now have the CT-M300's and you never hear the fans.

I don't think fan noise is any issue with these. Highly recommend them, especially the CT-M300's.