Secrets Q & A

Integrating High-End Two-Channel Audio into Home Theater without Compromise

Conclusions

When I first tested the Classé CP-800, I knew it would be ideal for integrating with a surround sound system, but in a way that would let me bypass the SSP without having to use a pass-through connection. The system sounds terrific, and I have my choice of stereo listening as if there were no other components in the system at all, or surround sound music, and of course, movies.  See the Classe' CP-800 Review.  If you have a home theater system that you also use for stereo music listening, and you used to have a dedicated high-end stereo audio system, now you can have both, with just the addition of a component like the Classé CP-800 that seems to have been designed with such use in mind.

I have since reviewed the Classé SSP-800 surround sound processor, and it is so good, I replace my current SSP with the SSP-800. In keeping with the purist ideal, I also kept the CP-800, driving the front two channels as before, because the CP-800 had a bit lower distortion and noise than the SSP-800 (0.001% vs. 0.003%). So, the CP-800 and SSP-800 work together to provide the ultimate in two-channel audio, integrated with home theater. A photo of the current rack setup is shown below.