2. amps-preamps
  3. 1226527379

Cat JL2 with blown board. Advice needed

This is an older non signature model. A tube went out and the resistors protecting the output transformers combusted taking out one of the boards.

Now the good news: an upgrade to a signature model won't cost anymore with the damage. The bad news: this is my only stereo. Ken Stevens himself advised that it's really not the intent of the amp to use it for amplifying football and CNN. His point is that he doesn't do that and he can get tubes a lot cheaper than I can.

I really liked the amp even in it's non signature form. I have a symphonic line tube pre amp and Eggleston Andra speakers. I have been told that the Symphonic Line Kraft 250 is even better than the JL2 however no one has told me definitively against the JL2 signature.

Given the speakers and how I am going to use the amp, do I get it fixed and keep it or move on?

What would the amp be worth as is? You can buy the amp, pay $5000 to upgrade it and have a factory certified JL2 signature. It should have value.

Or is the signature even better than the Kraft 250 or any other SS amp in the $8k used range? If the signature is the cat's meow in it's range I am leaning towards keeping it and dealing with buying a lot of tubes frequently. I probably use the amp 750 hours a year.
defender1844
klinerm
80 posts
 
I have had a pair of JL-3 Mk II sig's for 3 years, and I have just blown my second resistor in 2 months. That said, I have in the past gone over a year without blowing one. The resistors are fairly straightforward to fix with a solder gun (and a good light and a pair of loupes, unless your eyes are better than mine), and I've sort of resolved that there is perhaps a human price to be paid for the sound quality these amps are capable of providing, beyond their purchase price. Be prepared to also replace a trace on the circuit board with a short piece of resistor wire, if you had a really bad blowout. Whether it is worth all this is an individual decision. If you sell it and miss it, you can always buy another. As for me, I'm replacing the resistor and keeping mine, at least for now.
pubul57
3,712 posts
 
The CAT is great, but the problems you describe and I experienced are easy to fix if you know what you are doing, but I would not have a clue, and those that by the amp need to know this can be an issue for those of us with two thumbs. But, like you say, undoubtedly one of the finest amps on the market.
klinerm
80 posts
 
I would recommend one tip to all CAT owners when replacing resistors which I have found very useful. You cannot lay the amp directly on its back end on the floor because of concerns about damaging the on/off switch and fuse holder. I have found a beanbag chair to make an excellent stand, however, because you can rotate the amp backwards about 45° on the chair on the back end and top of the transformers, affording excellent access to the bottom without worrying about hurting anything sticking out the back.
posbwp555
72 posts
 
I have spoke with you about this problem in the past.
I sold my CAT JL2 and use a SL Kraft 250. What I never realized before hearing the SL was how sloppy the bass from the CAT is! You never know what you are missing until you hear it! That is only one point, the truth is, the SL beats the CAT in ALL parameters. Better transparency, detail, articulation and extension on both ends of the spectrum. You already have the SL pre (the same one I am using). The SL Kraft is not your typical SS sound. It is the best SS I have heard and doesn't have the sonic drawbacks typically associated with SS sound. The SL pre is the right one for the SL amp (tried the CAT Ult MK2 on it). All this in a RELIABLE no nonsense product. An easy conclusion from someone that has used both. By the way, I have used all tubed systems for most of my life. The SL is the only SS I could live with long term (with the possible exception of Spectral) and I have no desire to return to tubed amps and likely never will.

Bart
pubul57
3,712 posts
 
Ken did tell me that if I did not buy his amp, he would suggest Symphonic Line. I've never heard an SS amp I preferred to tubes (the best I have owned personally was the Pass XA30.5), but I suspect this is just a matter of taste of what tubes do and what SS does and the reality being they can never really sound like each other. We all look for different things that satisfy us, so I don't think there can be any defintive claims for which is better for all listeners. If you can't be happy with the sound of either, you are unlikely to ever be satisfied. If I could find an SS that I preferred to my tube amps (Atma-Sphere, Music Reference RM-9SE, or my Ars-Sonum integrate) I would defintiely prefer the convenience of SS.
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