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Model: CA-200 Category: Amplifier (SS) Suggested Retail Price: $6,500.00 Description: Amplifier with passive linestage Manufacturer URL: Conrad-Johnson (CJ,C-J)
Review by Awe-d-o-file on September 28, 2019 at 08:10:52
IP Address: 50.110.209.66Add Your Review
for the CA-200Sorry no linkable pic at CJ's site. You have to look it up under vintage products.
Well, it's been many years coming. Other than a 2003 DAC what my system needed was an HF Amp for my passive biamp. Yes I've been using a 1994 MF 2100 as my HF amp since 2002. I got that for really good deal used and it has been perfect in the 16 + years I've had it. But it's been time for an upgrade for quite some time. It was paired with MF 2500A.
Since the CA200 came out somewhere before 2010, 2007 I think. I'd always wanted one in my biamp system as the HF amplifier.
Let me step back a minute I've been a CJ dealer or working at a CJ dealer since 1999 till about 2004. I've always loved their products and as I'm in the DC area they are a local manufacturer. I knew Gatt since I sold him parts when he worked for district sound in the late 70s. My first CJ product was a PV 1 preamplifier that had been upgraded to a PV2 AR.
I've always enjoyed the company's warm leaning sound. Someday I hope to get a premier CJ tube amplifier setup. They're solid State gear leans warm as well.
There were two reasons I really wanted to get a CA 200 first as Lew at CJ said it's half a premier 350 which is definitely there best solid-state amp ever. And second it has a passive line stage! It was so nice to take the 10-minute drive from either my house or our Falls Church shop to the CJ building in Merrifield Virginia. Being able to talk to Lew or Tor, Gatt or anyone there was a real treat. So you may think I'm unable to give an objective review. Let me assure you I could definitely do so you all know how outspoken I am.
Okay enough blabber. So as an HF amplifier in a passive biamp it's really great to have the integrated resistor ladder volume control. It allows you to really have a tone control. The MF 2500A and the MF 2100 we're a perfect passive biamp match because not only did they have the same input sensitivity for full output and the same input impedance but the two circuits had the same gain. But replacing the MF 2100 with the CA200 allowed me to use the CA200's 1 DB step volume control as a tone control for high frequencies. My one concern was if the CA200 is turned all the way up will its output at least match that of the 2500A. I'm happy to report that the 200's 0 to 100 1 DB step volume control is perfectly balanced with the 2500A somewhere between 70 + 75.
So what does it sound like? It sounds great. It's everything the MF 2100 was and more. It's almost twice the power which was never an issue even on the MF 2100. Okay I did rarely light up the 2100 peak lights on a loud snare drum hit or a loud guitar twang. So having the extra power is great one of my rules of thumb is there's no substitute for headroom.
When I first connected it last week I listened to the MF 2100 for half an hour. It took about 10 to 15 minutes to take it out and put it in the 200. I remember the first track I put in and I immediately said to myself the very top end is crisper and more present and smoother as it should be. That should be no surprise it's a much more expensive amplifier that's about 10 years old versus $1,000 25 year old amplifier. So the parts in the 200 are not only newer much newer but they're much better too.
As I started to listen to different recordings everyone brought pleasant and audible results. I then began to purposefully grab recordings that had sort of rough sounding HF. You know some of that weird stuff I listen to like Adrian Sherwood, African Head Charge and plenty of more weird stuff. The 200 proved to be a cost-effective and welcome improvement when playing back these recordings
I think it's one of the best investments in my system I've ever made. This improvement has been a long time coming and I couldn't be happier.
Product Weakness: I'd like the +/- speaker terminals farther apart Product Strengths: Power, clarity, no unneeded preamplifier gain stage, flexibility, tone of inputs , EPL etc. Uses Premier 350 style circuit. It just sounds rWight! : ) Associated Equipment for this Review:
Amplifier: S Preamplifier (or None if Integrated): E Sources (CDP/Turntable): E Speakers: Inmate Cables/Interconnects: Systems Music Used (Genre/Selections): Replaces Room Comments/Treatments: The Time Period/Length of Audition: MF Other (Power Conditioner etc.): It Type of Audition/Review: Product Owner Your System (if other than home audition): 2100
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Topic - REVIEW: Conrad-Johnson (CJ,C-J) CA-200 Amplifier (SS) - Awe-d-o-file 08:10:52 09/28/19 (10)
- RE: REVIEW: Conrad-Johnson (CJ,C-J) CA-200 Amplifier (SS) - Joe Appierto 00:31:26 09/29/19 (3)
- RE: REVIEW: Conrad-Johnson (CJ,C-J) CA-200 Amplifier (SS) - Awe-d-o-file 07:21:32 09/29/19 (2)
- RE: REVIEW: Conrad-Johnson (CJ,C-J) CA-200 Amplifier (SS) - Joe Appierto 07:30:16 09/29/19 (1)
- RE: REVIEW: Conrad-Johnson (CJ,C-J) CA-200 Amplifier (SS) - Awe-d-o-file 11:14:47 09/30/19 (0)
- Half of a Premier 350 - Luminator 22:06:58 09/28/19 (1)
- RE: Half of a Premier 350 - Awe-d-o-file 07:25:09 09/29/19 (0)
- And upon further review.... - Awe-d-o-file 08:41:53 09/28/19 (0)
- Nice write up - airtime 08:30:17 09/28/19 (1)
- RE: Nice write up - Awe-d-o-file 08:48:07 09/28/19 (0)
- Sorry - Awe-d-o-file 08:15:59 09/28/19 (0)
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