Cary Audio SA 200.2 SE power amp (latest version)

I bought the Cary SA-200.2 SE almost a year ago.  I had downsized my listening room and bought smaller speakers (Reference 3A Reflectors).  The smaller room made it unbearable for my tube amp and after much research I came across the Cary SA-200.2 SE.   I wanted to retain the tube-like sound character without all the heat, and the reviews (posted at Cary) said it runs cool.  I also read in the reviews that midrange and vocals were excellent, in particular female vocals.  The original version has been around a while and is a proven performer, so I figured the SE should be better.  (The professional reviews refer to the original).  I have it paired with a Sonic Frontiers Line 2 preamp to retain the tube character.  I had 30 days to try, but almost immediately I knew it was a keeper.  I call it analog with slam, dynamic, and non-fatiguing.  Like everyone else, I take professional reviews with a grain of salt.  But the reviews at Positive Feedback and 10 Audio were compelling enough for me to give it a try.  Also, it's manageable at 65 lbs.

@avanti1960 

I wonder if the previous version (non SE version) shared the same sonic attributes with the new SE version. What preamp and front end source component did you have the Cary amp paired with at the time? Or perhaps it wasn’t a good match with your Harbeth speakers? That’s why you had a very forward midrange and slightly unrefined top end? Or perhaps it was the preamp or the front end source component you had at the time? 

@yowser

So you’re implying that the Cary SA 200.2 SE sounded a bit like a tube amp? Or maybe because you have it paired with a tube pre. Did you ever have the amp paired with SS pre? I have a Classe Sigma SS preamp but am planning to get the PS Audio BHK preamp which is a hybrid design pre with vacuum tube input stage and SS output stage.

Does the amp run hot or warm to the touch? 

Yes, sounds a bit like a tube amp.  Cary has stated that they voiced their solid state amp to the "Cary sound".  I never paired with a solid state preamp as I've always been happy with the Sonic Frontiers Line 2 which is known to be very neutral.  The Cary amp definitely runs warm to the touch, not hot.

Some years ago, I owned the Cary CAD 500MB monoblock power amplifiers, which were the original amps said to have been designed and/or voiced by Dennis Had in his living room. Those amps were not perfect but I enjoyed them for their rich tone, full powerful bass, and solid build. I sold them and moved to a series of Class A amplifiers but then decided to go back to a pair of Cary monos and purchased the newer Cary SA-500.1 monos. While I found those newer amplifiers to be just as powerful, quieter, and possibly more detailed than the 500MBs I had previously owned, they seemed to be missing the same level of body and tone that made the older 500MB amps so enjoyable and engaging to me. Maybe the Sanken 50 ampere, high current, wide bandwidth bipolar output devices used in the 500MBs (and not in the newer amps) had something to do with the sound I heard - who knows. I sold the SA-500.1s and moved on, and I actually purchased another pair of the older 500MBs a couple of years ago that I currently use to power my outdoor system.

In short, I believe the older CAD 500MB and CAD 200 amplifiers were indeed designed by Dennis Had to display a touch of "tube body and warmth" while the newer SA-200.2/500.1 ES line of amplifiers were designed to be modular, with bigger power supplies and newer parts, which resulted in a somewhat more detailed yet still powerful sound. However, to my ears, the newer amplifiers did not retain the same level of body or warmth of the original amplifiers - they do not remind me of tubed amplifiers.

Below is what TAS had to say about the sound of the Cary SA-500.1 monos, which I suspect should mostly mirror the SA-200.2s. 

Even though part of the design goal was to retain some of Cary’s well-known tube sound in a solid-state amplifier, Cary did not ladle on the classic tube sauce heavily enough to dominate the amp’s sonic flavor. It does not have an overt upper-bass emphasis, a loose mid-to-lower bass region, or a soft top end. The 500.1 had just a pleasant hint of warmth and sweetness and most definitely had no signs of poor grip and definition in the bottom octaves. On the contrary, the 500.1 had better-than-expected bass control and clarity. The upper frequency range was well extended but with a lighter touch rather than a “ruthless truth” approach. The lower midrange was indeed a bit warm and inviting à la tubes, but only just enough to readily bring out music’s natural underlying appeal. Again, not an overt classic tube-sound dousing.