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Conrad Johnson CA200 opinions welcome

I'd love to welcome everybody who either owns or owned this integrated amp to chime in. There are several reviews available online, but very few impressions from actual owners. It's been implied that it has a lot of tube characteristics (warmer sound, great soundstaging), with the addition of a strong, tight bass - any truth to it? I'd love to hear some comparisons, since I know most of us go through a lot of different gears over the time. Thank you
branislav
stanwal's avatar
stanwal
3,147 posts
 
I have its big brother, the Premier 350, and it does like a tube with bass according to my tube using friends. They like it very much; I would expect the 200 to have a similar sound as the circuit is very similar.
tomcy6's avatar
tomcy6
2,597 posts
 
I have a CA200. It's a very nice integrated. I have trouble describing sound because I don't get the chance to listen to a lot of different gear.

The CA200 is definitely a first class integrated. It's smooth, clear and the word that comes to my mind is sweet. It amplifies high frequencies very well.

I can't say it sounds tubelike if that means that it has a warm or "old c-j" coloration.

I have had the chance to listen to it next to a Pass INT-30A, another integrated that is supposed to have a tubelike character, and they did sound very similar. The CA200 was in the same class.

Hope this helps.
branislav OP
405 posts
 
Positive Feedback made a comparison with the Pass Labs INT-150 and it seemed that they are pretty similar with the difference that CJ has a bit more distant presentation. Of course, INT-30a probably sounds a bit different than INT 150.
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