Hi Bill,
Classe and Mac are on the same level build quality wise and performance wise, they prob sound different depending on your speakers and personal preferences.
The SSP 800 excels in stereo for music as well as surrounds for movies. The SSP 800 is equipped with HDMI v1.4 (latter version which passes through 3D video content) and it decodes DTS-HD Master Audio & Dolby True-HD but not the latest 3D object surround sound formats such as Dolby Atmos & DTS-X. If you don't care about Atmos/DTS-X, which will require additional height in-ceiling Atmos speakers thus requiring additional amplification channels, the SSP 800 would do just fine. As you said earlier, you can pass 4K video from your Sony X800 4K bluray player directly to your 4K TV through one of the HDMI out of your Sony X800, and use the other HDMI out to the AV pre pro (SSP 800 or other pre pro) for audio only.
In regards to 4K HDR video contents vs regular bluray (1080p), the 4K with latest HDR should look better than regular bluray (1080p) contents but it all depends on the movie contents and how they were made and calibrated.
In regards to Classe multi-channel amps, I highly recommend the Classe Delta CA-5300 five-channel amp (discontinued model). The original retail price of the CA-5300 was $9500 but today it can be had for around $5k to $6k in used markets.
Or any great multi-channel amps would do just fine. Or alternatively, you could use a pair of monoblock amps or a stereo amp to power your front LR speakers and find a five-channel amp to power your surrounds in 7.1/7.2 setup, or find a stereo amp to power your surrounds in 5.1/5.2 setup.
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