Classe DR-3 Clean Classic!

Back in the 1980's and 90's, a few High End audio manufacturers strived to produce equipment that not only remained true to the source input but were built to withstand the test of time. Parts were tested and retested, high voltage or current carrying parts of the circuit were point to point hard-wired, chassis were constructed to withstand lots of abuse, and circuits were capable of delivering power to a wide range of speaker loads without signs of distress.

There are many pretenders, but the list of products that are built to last and offer superb sound is pretty short. The term "milspec" is tossed around quite a bit, but lots of products just aren't built that way anymore (unless you want to spend WAY into 5 figures).

David Reich wanted to build "milspec" products. Classe Audio was the result of his effort. The DR series of products, from the DR-2 to the DR-9 had great sounding circuits executed to the highest quality standards. He even "signed" the circuit boards. Power, distortion, and load handling ratings of the power amps were very conservative. Preamps had a novel phono circuit that applied the correct loading to the cartridge automatically.

The DR-3 featured in this ad is a pure class A design. This circuit type has long been considered the "Holy Grail" of ampilfier types due to its pure sonic signature. This amp is a true dual mono design: 2 power transformers, 2 capacitor banks, 2 rectifier and input boards. Due to the conservative design and overpsec power supply, this amp is perfect for those speakers that are "power hungry" (a term that implies a low impedence and/or combined with an adverse phase angle). In stereo, the amp will deliver 25 watts into 8 ohms and continue to increase until the power supply limits are reached (50watts into 4 ohms, 100 into 2, and 200 into 1). The heat sinking checks in at about 1500 sq. in. so the amp runs fairly warm. I can put my hand on the sinks after 4 to 5 hours of operation and keep them there for about 5 secs. Users who are used to Class "D" amps may think to keep a fire extinguisher nearby while tube amp users wouldn't think anything of the heat produced.

The only review I've seen of this amp was in Audio magazine (July '89). I was surprised to see the power output of this amp was significantly greater than the manufacturer spec. (Audio tested at 40 watts into 8 ohms, 80 into 4, etc.) If you really need some juice, this amp has a discrete bridging circuit. A pair of these amps will output 200 watts into 4 ohms bridged.

This amp was used in a bi-amped configuration driving the mid- and treble range and also as a monoblock with another DR-3. I tried it full range as a stereo amp and it did great until really loud "head banging" levels were reached (for me, that's about 100db) . Even then, the result was a "dullness" to the sound, not like the blare and harshness I've encountered in other amps. If you have speakers that are rated at 90db with 1 watt or higher, this amp will play even louder.

The cosmetics are average given the amp's age. The front faceplate has nicks on the edges and a few scratches that have been touched up. The gold-toned handles have a few scrapes also. Sitting in a rack with normal room lighting, the amp looks fine. Heat sink fins are straight with no dents, and the back panel lettering is all intact. It has performed without issues in my system. I have a copy of the owner's manual and bridging bar, but not the the shipping box. I will double box this myself to be sure it arrives safely. The amp weighs in at 75 lbs.

If you have any questions, please let me know. Thanks!