Forty years later, Classé is still at the forefront of the audio industry. The iconoclastic and talented team at Classé Design in Montreal now has a global reach and is larger and more diverse than ever. Precision manufacturing at the legendary Shirakawa Audio Factory in northern Japan allows today`s classifier to deliver the performance and reliability Mike Viglas has always demanded. We think he would be proud of what we have accomplished. When it came to hearing the new B&W 800 series speakers, I was glad that Sound United showed them the electronics of the Delta Classified series, but even happier because the speakers would be properly bi-amplified with a stereo pair. Something we don`t often encounter at hi-fi shows. I don`t know if it`s just companies that want to show off their best monoblocks, or just think that consumers aren`t interested in assembling systems with vertical bi-amplification. The first step is to carefully build an exclusive distribution network. We have made a good start, but there is still much to be done. Then it`s about expanding the core product offering to go beyond stereo into theater components, where we`ve had huge success in the past. However, we live with a global pandemic, so many of our launch plans, which included dealer shows and events, have disappeared from the calendar. We launched a new website and got things done on social media.
Product reviews like yours are starting to appear, and we`ll rely on them as a key part of informing people about these new models. And finally, we are restoring adequate distribution, which was a challenge because we were not able to be face-to-face with dealers who are the main channel for our customers. Here, too, we benefit from being a Sound United company. We are impatient but can afford to be patient. We want a relatively small and exclusive distribution network to represent Classé. We`re not going to rush the process, so we hold virtual meetings and trainings and hold demonstrations where possible. It`s a slow process, but it`s key to Classé`s long-term positioning and performance. When Strata-gee announced that Sound United had finalized the acquisition of Classé, there was little information about the next steps. Unfortunately, Sound United wasn`t able to close the deal while the company still existed – and that led to their first major challenge of restarting the business. While this may be considered Big Freaking News in the high-end audio world, it has attracted virtually no attention in consumer electronics coverage. For those of us trying to keep up with the changes in our small island world, it`s both frustrating and business as usual. It was in January 2018 that I announced that Sound United had completed the acquisition of Classé, an acquisition first announced in December 2017.
In the weeks leading up to December, former owner Bowers & Wilkins considered exiting the electronics business. Maybe. After months of confusion, as Classé executives oscillated daily between survival and misfortune, it now seemed that Sound United had thrown them a lifeline. A chance to live, to fight for another day. Nauber went on to explain that there is still a lot of work to be done after building a proprietary distribution network. An integral part of this work will be the expansion of the core product line to offer both stereo and home theater components, as the latter have become a lucrative sector for the brand. However, new products are not launched overnight. In fact, Nauber predicts that it will take years for Classé to fully launch what is currently on the drawing board. The models that will appear first are still in the air, but for my part, I am excited about all the new products that await us. Right now, I can tell you that treatment and reinforcement are the heart and soul of Classé`s future plans, and the company remains committed to the high-end, constantly pushing itself to the limits of its capabilities.
Make no mistake: Classified is back. It`s here at SoundStage too! Watch my review of Delta Monos Audio Rated on SoundStage! Ultra this winter. For the general public, the future of Classé is uncertain. The company remained in limbo for what seemed like an eternity until Sound United, parent company of global brands such as Denon, Marantz, Polk, Definitive Technology and Boston Acoustics, struck a deal to buy the once-impressive high-end audio maker in January 2018. Soon after, Dave Nauber, former president and only remaining employee of Classé Audio, became director of the Classé brand, and Sound United gave Nauber the green light to begin restoring Classé`s operations and product development. “Companies are constantly outsourcing their activities,” says Dave Nauber, president of Classé Audio. “I have enjoyed working with Bowers & Wilkins for years and look forward to the new challenge of growing the business under Sound United ownership. There are doors that Sound United can open for Classé that have never been opened before, and there`s no doubt it`s exciting for our team, our consumers and our retailers. At the same time, I hope Classé will continue to be part of Bowers & Wilkins` wonderful heritage, whether at Abbey Road Studios, B&W design facilities and many dealerships. Classé is a Canadian audio brand known for its powerful music and theatre components such as amplifiers, preamps and surround sound processors.
The company was founded in Montreal in 1980. [1] Classé joined Bowers & Wilkins in 2001 and was acquired by Sound United, the parent company of Denon, Marantz, Bowers & Wilkins, Polk, Definitive Technology, HEOS and Boston Acoustics, in 2018. Classé components are designed in Montreal and manufactured in Shirakawa, Japan. Current Classé customers don`t have much to worry about. The previous owner handled all outstanding warranty claims and will continue to do so during the transition. Sound United will take into account all of Classé Audio`s needs in 2018. Anyone needing help should call Classé or email through their website at classeaudio.com. Classé Audio had three products ready to replace Delta`s existing audiophile products, including a $10,000 Delta mono amplifier, a $12,000 Delta stereo amplifier and a $9,000 Delta DAC-PRE. These products will go into production under the leadership of Sound United and are expected to launch later in 2018. Older Sigma products such as the AV preamplifier and two- and five-channel amplifiers will continue to be sold. Future Classé products will be designed to coexist with Marantz products on the market. One might expect a 2019 high-end AV preamp from Classé that has an audiophile pedigree, but also technologies like digital room correction and object-based surround sound support, AirPlay, etc.
– a true flagship, which is more within the range of a Trinnov or Datasat processor. One of the positive aspects associated with the time it takes to align processes and go into production is that our engineers have done what engineers do. In my experience, sound engineers are never finished. They`re never entirely satisfied, so they have ideas they want to try – a drop here and a fallback there, just to see if they can get a little more out of the design.