Do i get the old or new Classe amps?

I'm a fan of the original Classe amps, designed by Dave Reich. They are the DR series...DR8, DR9, etc. You can pick these up used at a VERY reasonable price; pick up a pair and really have some fun. Careful, there's a ton of current flowing from these, if you get carried away you can easily fry crossovers.

I have owned Classe DR10, CA-100, CA-200, CA-300. The CA-100 was truly an improvement over the DR10 especially in low-end bass detail. It separated the instruments better and was slightly more transparent over all.

I have listened to the CA-201 and didn't notice any difference between it and the CA-200. As for hum, I haven't experienced any hum problems with any of my Classe amps. However, some amps can be more sensitive to ground loop induced hum which is not necessarily the fault of the amp but of the setup. One way around hum (in many cases) is to run balanced interconnects.

In my system, the CA-200 was the "sweet spot". No noticable improvement going to the larger CA-300. My speakers are modest Thiel CS 1.5's. I have since sold off all my Classe gear only because I'm experimenting with tubes these days. If I go back to solid-state, it will likely be Classe again.

One additional note. There are TWO styles of CA-200. One with the heat sink fins on the back and the newer style with the heat sinks on the sides. The version with the fins on the sides is the model most identical to the CA-201 electrically. It is the style just before Classe went to the "less pretty" (in my opinion) CA-X01 series.

The newer classe amps are much more musical than the older ones. The older series was pretty good. They have always been known for having a very warm presentation which is good because it makes vocals and instruments more realalistic sounding. best of luck

Thanks for all the help.

I've yet to do a comparision between the new and old amps but there are a lot of sweet deals on the CA 200, CA 150 and CA 400 out there. Prices, naturally, are about 40 to 50% cheaper than the newer models. If I buy the older amps, I am particularly keen on pairing a CP-50 with either the CA 200 or CA 400 power. My speakers are Sonus Faber GPs. The Classe dealers of course recommend the new amps, claiming as some of you have said, that they offer better air, dynamics and power in the new design.

I was trying to determine if the difference in sound quality was substantial enough to pay premium. Based on the feedback, maybe not. Preference is to get a used amp. Will keep you updated on my decision once I do a couple of auditions.