The Canadian manufacturer's new Sigma series has been in the planning for some time and, according to rumors, should be available by the end of 2013. However, since it is a completely new development and the new series should ultimately do justice to the brand name, there were some delays. A market launch is now planned towards the end of the first half of the year, and the specifications have been largely determined: the brain and control center of the system will be the Sigma SSP, a modern surround processor with eight channels, seven HDMI inputs, USB sockets for iPod and computer as well as a network connection that can be used both for streaming from the media server and for controlling the SSP via app. The Classé developers paid special attention to the sound and functionality of stereo applications, so that the Sigma SSP should also be a real pleasure for hi-fi fans. Two power amplifiers are placed alongside this powerful processor. The Amp2 offers two channels with 200 watts each, while the Amp5 logically has five amplifier trains, each with the same output. If you combine the SSP with both amplifier models, you get a full 7.1 setup. We will of course keep you informed as soon as more information on prices and availability is available.