Affordable Processor with Fabulous 2 Channel ?

@Erik_squires 

If you will be interested at the end of the year let me know or anyone who will be interested. 

Just wanted to throw in my $.02 worth...  I have an original Classe Sigma SSP with optional phono stage/Linn LP12, a BAT VK 500, Nordost cabling, Sigma Amp 5 for surround, B&W surround speakers (7.1), Proac CC2 center, Proac ER-1 sub (only used for home theater), Oppo Blu Ray and most importantly... Aurender N100.  Primary speakers are ProAc Response 5.  I prioritize 2 channel quality over HT but I spend more time with HT.  I find that the Sigma really captures a great balance point between the 2... Really excellent music quality with USB input (huge difference between feeding from my dedicated Mac Mini music system vs. Aurender) and very good HT experience.  I preferred the manual setup of the channel levels/distance/EQ.  I find I need to vary from strictly what the dB meter says different channel levels should be but feel the overall is a very immersive experience.  I appreciate the value proposition choice that Classe made of fully balanced operation for L/R and single ended for all other surround.  As the SSP is a fully functional Pre/Pro system plus DAC for $5K new plus a $500 phono.  An original SSP can be purchased for around $2500 and with it's functionality, I would suggest you are looking at far more money to significantly beat the quality...  Some day I will but it will likely be a minimum of $10-20K more, although my next jump may very well be to upgrade Aurender N100 to A10 and then use passthrough on Classe.  A couple notes of caution...  while the Amp 5 is a very nice, efficient surround amp, I absolutely would not recommend it for primary front left/right even in the balanced configuration.  Going from Amp 5 to BAT was absolutely revelatory for music!  Secondly, the Sigma remote is absolute crap, plan on figuring in cost of Logitec Harmony (around $100) or other universal remote control.  iphone/ipad control app. is solid, but I prefer to have more immediate feed back from Harmony for normal operations.  I hope this helps in your quest!

@psnyder149

Yup. For stereo music playbacks the Classe Sigma SSP sounded the best using its USB DAC input port. It’s magical and it is only $5k brand new for the first original version and $6k brand new for the Mk2 version. And it is also an AV pre pro as well. It does both stereo and surrounds (HT) very well especially for stereo music playbacks using its USB DAC input port. The Sigma SSP’s USB DAC input stage architecture and implementation was pretty much copied and pasted directly from Classe CP 800 stereo preamp/DAC. The CP 800 design was optimized for use with its USB DAC input ports. It was designed by Alan Clark, the Scotchman who was responsible in designing great Linn CD12 player as well as other great Linn Klimax DS products and legendary Mark Levinson preamps. You can read more online under Classe CP 800 reviews and everything about its USB input design stages was explained.

For HT surrounds (when using HDMI) I think there are better choices out there such as the ones with very good room corrections eg the Anthem AVM60 ($3k brand new), Lyngdorf MP-50 ($10k retail price). Even Classe’s own SSP 800 performs better in surrounds for HT than the Sigma SSP perhaps due to all fully balanced designs for all channels on the SSP 800 vs only reserved for front LR channels on the Sigma SSP, better power supplies on the SSP 800 as well as maybe better DSP surround processing power on the SSP 800 and possibly better multi-channel DACs implementation and configuration on the SSP 800. Not sure. But the fact is the Classe SSP 800 performs and sounded better than the Sigma SSP in surrounds or when used for HT or movies.

The Lyngdorf MP-50 is an excellent surround processor with phenomenal Room Perfect room correction or calibration and will outperform both Classe SSP 800 & Sigma SSP or many other av processors when used for surround movies.

Back to the USB input implementation on the Classe Sigma SSP, one time we had a chance to compare the Sigma SSP to the much more expensive McIntosh MX 160 processor using both processors’ USB DAC input port for stereo music playbacks with room EQ turned off. No comparison, The Classe Sigma SSP sounded better than the much more expensive McIntosh MX 160. The MX160 currently retails for $14k brand new. However, when used for surrounds for HT or movie playbacks with Room Perfect engaged on the McIntosh MX 160 and manual PEQ activated on the Sigma SSP, the McIntosh MX 160 performed better than the Classe Sigma SSP. No doubt.

So it all depends on what you are going to use the pre pro for.

I also have the Classé Signa SSP and am real happy with it.  You mentioned it is geared more for 2 channel as opposed to HT.
i have the B&W HTM2 D3 center speaker.  At times when watching movies, it is hard to understand some of the diologue.  Is this due to the limitations of the Sigma?  Would going to the larger center make much of a difference?  Or do I just need to increase the volume of the center channel even more.  I currently have it at 7.5 DB above the mains.  The center and surrounds are powered with the Classé 5300 Delta amp.

@bwguy

I do not have the Sigma SSP at home. I’m currently using the SSP 800 with all Classe Delta series amps. I’m using the Classe CAM-600 monoblock amps driving my front B&W 800 D3 speakers, CAM-300 monoblock amp (single) driving my B&W HTML1 D3 center speaker, and CA-5300 five-channel amp driving my surrounds. The movie dialogue is excellent have no problem understanding dialogues. The SSP 800 is indeed superior to the Sigma SSP for surrounds (HT).

I have heard the Sigma SSP multiple times at the dealer paired with the Classe Sigma Amp5 driving B&W 803 D3 front, B&W HTML2 D3 center and B&W 805 D3 surrounds. I mostly listened to the Sigma SSP in stereo for music playbacks fed via its USB DAC input with PEQ turned off. But I also did try the Sigma SSP for surrounds (HT) but the movie dialogues seemed clear and precise. I had no problem hearing movie dialogues.

I think yours probably weren’t set up right? Did you activate the manual PEQ cause the manual PEQ isn’t plug n play. You will have to know what you’re doing otherwise the results will be a disaster.
I would suggest that you hire a pro or acoustician or a certified Classe dealer to perform manual calibration using its manual PEQ.
You will have to download XTZ software and conduct measurements based off it. Something might have been off with the way yours was set up.

Indeed the Classe Sigma SSP is optimized for its stereo performance for music playbacks but IMO its multi-channel performance is still very good if it’s set up correctly or properly.