Classe’ SSP-25
Dear Gary: I recently purchased a Classe’ SSP-25, after considerable discussions and compaisons, for my combined home theatre/music system. For the budget ($3,000), it was the best one for my 50/50 vinyl/CD listening requirements. A slight glitch, however, and I wonder if you have experienced this, before. When my Pioneer DV-05 DVD-Video player switches layers, taking a second or less, the SSP-25 will, at the end of the layer change, display “No Signal” for two seconds after it changes. I understand the bit stream is interrupted for the change duration, but the two-second loss will sometimes cut off a bit of dialogue, which can be annoying, but not all discs show this, due to the placement of dialogue at the change. I have had the unit replaced once, and Classe’ assures me it has the “fastest” software, but the second one does this as well. Any comments? Have you seen this in any other controllers? The SSP-25, in all other respects, is one fine sounding unit, and is very well-made, and is operationally what I want in my system.
Mike Colwell
Audio Equipment Review Editor Richard Hardesty Comments:
A second doesn’t seem like a long time to us humans, but to a digital controller it’s an eternity. One second of DVD-Video output should contain 48,000 or more digital audio samples for your controller to interpret and decode. When the audio data stream is interrupted for any reason, one of two things must occur: the controller will mute the signal, thus, there will be no audio output, or the audio output will continue, and you will hear a sharp spitting noise. If the signal is muted (or even if it isn’t) there will be a brief pause as the re-established data stream is identified and locked. Different DVD players and digital controller combinations respond in slightly different ways but if the data stream is interrupted during dialogue you are likely to miss some words. The disc manufacturer should choose an appropriate spot to switch layers to prevent loss of dialogue.
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