Conrad Johnson or PrimaLuna

@cellorover 

Thank you very, very much for your post. I’ve been interested in the CAV-45S2 for a long time. Your post confirms that it’s an awesome amp. 

Owned an original CAV for several years and loved everything about it. Also had a CJ CA200 which is an excellent unit and can be had for around $2500. I’d probably take the CA200 over the CAV45 just ‘cos it’s a little more neutral and more detailed.

 I can’t get past Kevin Deal and the fanboy style he uses to promote the PL gear. Go look at any used amp on his website and there’s a story about how someone traded it in for a Primaluna and the customer has died and gone to heaven (died in a fire caused by a faulty tube, probably).

CJ all day.

kevin deal on youtube gets pretty hard to stomach after a while, but he means well, knows his stuff, like anyone, what he believes and purports is a function of his experiences - and of course, when he is talking he is trying to sell you something

primaluna is very very good stuff
cj maybe half a cut above in terms of overall quality

can’t really go wrong with either - they stand behind their products and they work well sound very good indeed