If you're one of the lucky few who can afford Classe gear, chances are you've been waiting for its SSP-800 preamp/processor combo for a while now. We don't know what it is about Canada, but it certainly has its share of high end deliciousness. Part of Classe's Delta series of components, the 10-channel SSP-800 is slated to show up this month at $8000 MSRP, and features a good-looking touchpanel control up front. Looks don't tell the whole story, though -- there's also some serious silicon brains inside the tank-like chassis. Processing is handled by a 64-bit TI DSP that is replaceable for "future proofing," and the video circuitry can handle 36-bit Deep Color. In our world of rapidly evolving changing standards, we tend to take the term "future-proof" with a dash of salt and can't justify purchase of this kind of gear for our own rigs. But if you've got the coin and want to invite us over, we'd be happy to oblige.