The Canadian audio company founded in 1980 and lauded by enthusiasts for decades found itself orphaned and without ownership when Silicon Valley's EVA Automation acquired parent company B&W Group in 2017.

Announcing its imminent closure in July 2017, and despite reported interest and unsuccessful acquisition of the brand from other companies, CE powerhouse Sound United eventually emerged as Classé's lifeline.

Following the buyout of D+M Group earlier in 2017, Sound United now also owns brands including Denon, HEOS, Marantz, Boston Acoustics, as well as Definitive Technology and Polk Audio.

The upshot of all this wheeling and dealing is that Classé has regrouped, and will launch three new products at the High End show in Munich, Germany in May following the prototype preview at CES earlier this year.

The new Delta series includes the Delta MONO, Delta STEREO and Delta PRE, all manufactured in Sound United's renowned Shirakawa Audio Works factory in Japan.

Classé Delta PRE

Classé Delta PRE ($9,999) is a one-box stereo pre-amplifier/DAC featuring USB A/B inputs, Ethernet, AES/EBU, Coax, Optical, Balanced and Single-ended analogue, plus a built-in MM/MC Phono stage.

It also features subwoofer output(s) w/gain and phase control, a 5-band parametric EQ per channel, and Tone Controls with Tilt and adj. Freq.

There's also a 4 x 1 HDMI switching module available to accommodate systems with AV sources.

The Delta PRE uses touchscreen control that enables a high degree of customization which according to the company, remains intuitive and straightforward for everyday use. Control apps for iOS and Android devices and IP control also provide ease and flexibility of operation from the listening chair.

Classé Delta STEREO

Classé Delta STEREO ($12,500), as the name suggests, is a 2-channel power amplifier offering 250 watts per channel (Class A/B) and 12 watts per channel (Class A).

Classé Delta MONO

Classé Delta MONO ($10,000) takes amplification to the next level by offering 300 watts into one channel (Class A/B) and 30 watts into one channel (Class A).

Both amplifiers feature a new linear supply and audio circuitry using Lateral MOSFET outputs, and according to the company "are designed to take control of even the most difficult loudspeaker, effortlessly making it sound exactly as it should."

A company spokesperson added:

Amplifiers don’t make small signals grow large, they make large copies of small signals. Carefully handling the delicate input signal and using it to control successive amplification stages, Delta series amplifiers preserve the subtle nuance of a recording without adding their own character to the sound. If you want to know how it sounds, you could say it sounds like music.

Both amplifiers feature Furutech Rhodium-plated RCA and Torque Guard speaker binding posts, and will remain surefooted thanks to Navcom isolation feet that, "absorb vibration[s] while supporting this amplifier’s weight".

Optional rack mount kits are available for pro and commercial applications.

Looks are important to Classé, and we agree. The Delta series has received a facelift and sports an Architectural Grey and black finish, large air intake and front panel VU meters. The look is stealthy yet bold and stylish.

If this new release is just a preview of what's to come from a reinvigorated Japanese built Classé, then we're just as keen to see what else is on the brand's roadmap.

Pricing and availability in the UK have yet to be confirmed. We can't wait to hear them at High End Munich 2019 where Classé can be found in Atrium 4.1, Room F112.

For more information visit Classé Audio.