The CAT amps

DaveyF

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Jul 31, 2010
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How many 'philes have heard the CAT amps? I have heard the JL3 and JL2Sig Mk2 and I think they are some of the best amps I have ever heard, tube or ss. Unlike some other tube amps which seem to run out of steam a little when called on to go down deep, these amps seem to just loop along when asked to dig deep.For instance, I like the Lamm's very much, but they seem to run out of steam a little compared to the JL's when presented with a load they don't like.
Match the CAT amps and the mighty CAT preamp and i cannot think of a better tube based set up I would rather own.
So, has anyone else compared the CAT amps to the likes of Tenor, BAT, ARC, Lamm or other tube contenders?
 

MylesBAstor

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Apr 20, 2010
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How many 'philes have heard the CAT amps? I have heard the JL3 and JL2Sig Mk2 and I think they are some of the best amps I have ever heard, tube or ss. Unlike some other tube amps which seem to run out of steam a little when called on to go down deep, these amps seem to just loop along when asked to dig deep.For instance, I like the Lamm's very much, but they seem to run out of steam a little compared to the JL's when presented with a load they don't like.
Match the CAT amps and the mighty CAT preamp and i cannot think of a better tube based set up I would rather own.
So, has anyone else compared the CAT amps to the likes of Tenor, BAT, ARC, Lamm or other tube contenders?

I haven't heard the newest CAT amps. A friend and fellow reviewer had them driving Avalons and then MBL101as. They were really relaxing to listen to and if anything slightly tubey. He also had the Jadis JA-500s and they sounded a bit more dynamic and powerful but also thinner and brighter.
 

DaveyF

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Jul 31, 2010
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Myles, I haven't heard any Jadis amps sound thin or bright, I wander what tubes were in the amps you heard?
One of my 'phile friends owns a Defy 7 mk4 which he rolled in tubes that the amp clearly didn't like, the result was that
the stage shrunk and the highs were truncated but after some experimentation he finally got it right... One of the real
issues with tube rolling is if you get it wrong, the amp will typically sound worse than its potential.
Alternatively, if the tubes are on their last, the amp can also begin to sound worse. It is amazing to me how many 'philes are using
tubes that are way past their prime and are not realizing the detriment that this has to their sound.
 

MylesBAstor

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Apr 20, 2010
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Myles, I haven't heard any Jadis amps sound thin or bright, I wander what tubes were in the amps you heard?
One of my 'phile friends owns a Defy 7 mk4 which he rolled in tubes that the amp clearly didn't like, the result was that
the stage shrunk and the highs were truncated but after some experimentation he finally got it right... One of the real
issues with tube rolling is if you get it wrong, the amp will typically sound worse than its potential.
Alternatively, if the tubes are on their last, the amp can also begin to sound worse. It is amazing to me how many 'philes are using
tubes that are way past their prime and are not realizing the detriment that this has to their sound.

The JA60 used KT GL (real) output tubes and if I remember correctly, Tele 803S input.

The other, a JA-500 used the stock tubes that were sent. The tubes were new.
 

JackD201

WBF Founding Member
Apr 20, 2010
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I've heard JA-200s go full on with the tube glare when really pushed. I don't think these amps like that.
 

MylesBAstor

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Apr 20, 2010
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Ooops..the owner of the Jadis JA-60 used real GL KT-77s. And it was only driving the panels of RS-1bs, with Krells driving the bass tower.
 

FrantzM

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Apr 20, 2010
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I'll add to the chorus .. I had the Jadis Defy 7 and I was one those lucky guy for whom it simply worked without a hitch .. Heard the 200 and from what I remember from the Jadis line, their sound was the opposite of thin...
 

MylesBAstor

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Myles, did I miss it, because I don't see how the JA-60 owner is connected to the sound of Jadis 500's sounding thin? Please explain..

None. I was just correcting the output tube used with the JA-60. Both were reviewers at one time or another for TAS.
 

MylesBAstor

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Apr 20, 2010
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I'll add to the chorus .. I had the Jadis Defy 7 and I was one those lucky guy for whom it simply worked without a hitch .. Heard the 200 and from what I remember from the Jadis line, their sound was the opposite of thin...

I don't know Frantz :) It's just a familial relationship I found with the Jadis gear and not unlike any other brand of gear. And next to the CAT amps, the Jadis does have a little bit of an electronic signature. The older CAT amps were just effortless, lush and smooth. Not a trace of harshness or grain.

Each manufacturers amp, etc. has a sonic signature that I like to think relates to their personal stamp of what music sounds like (hell none of them sound like real music). Even the big Jadis preamp years ago with 100 dB of gain had a bit of hardness to it, along with a bad case of microphonics. Tap the caps and one would hear it through the speakers (and it wasn't the tubes).
 

DaveyF

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Jul 31, 2010
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Interesting comment ,Myles. My impression of the Jadis amps is similar to yours, in that they have a slight 'electronic signature' compared to the CAT amps. The Jadis amps also seem to have a little more 'haze' than the CAT amps.
One of the things that i thought might be interesting was to roll in tubes into a CAT amp... I have never done this and no one that i know who owns these amps has either. I wander if it would make as big a difference as in the preamps?
 

andromedaaudio

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Jan 23, 2011
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Yup i am a cat convert , i now have a secondhand ultimate mk2 which a swapped for a nagra , it made me even listen to cd s again , i would describe them as involving a thing that a lot of high res audio has lost along the line .
I might even swap my krell 400 s for a jl2 or jl3 some day.
 

DaveyF

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Jul 31, 2010
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La Jolla, Calif USA
Hj, that was a good swap:D
I actually like the Nagra a lot. IMHO it is one of the better ss preamps. However, as you are finding out, it really doesn't hold a candle to the CAT. My combo of CAT SL1 Sig with rolled in tubes and my Jeff Rowland model 8 with choke is also a wonderful combo. The CAT seems to work well with many amps, as an example, it is also a great match to my ARC D70Mk2 -- definitely bringing out the best in many tube amps:cool:
With the CAT amps and the CAT preamp, the synergy is of course superb. One of the best sounds I ever heard was at a fellow a'phile's system consisting of the Merlin VSM MXR's being driven by CAT JL3 Signatures and a CAT Renaissance. This system could put most other SOTA ss systems to shame.
 

cjfrbw

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Apr 20, 2010
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Hard to go wrong with CAT amps and preamps. Though I prefer single ended tubes in my own system, the JL3 that a member of BAAS (Grellman) has played for the group with Rockport speakers are really outstanding.
 

stargate

New Member
Apr 27, 2011
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convergent audio technology

Hard to go wrong with CAT amps and preamps. Though I prefer single ended tubes in my own system, the JL3 that a member of BAAS (Grellman) has played for the group with Rockport speakers are really outstanding.

getting a pair of the cat statements amps at the end of the month-will keep all informed -may the force be with me.........ken is using the new kt-120--
 

MylesBAstor

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Sweet! Ken's amplifiers are so musical and easy on the ears! Hope you have good AC for the summertime :)
 

c1ferrari

Member Sponsor & WBF Founding Member
May 15, 2010
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Absolutely concur, Davey

Alternatively, if the tubes are on their last, the amp can also begin to sound worse. It is amazing to me how many 'philes are using
tubes that are way past their prime and are not realizing the detriment that this has to their sound.

I began to notice valve deterioration vis-a-vis the auto-bias circuit on my BAT VK-150SE's.
After replacing tubes with matched sets...VOILA :D
 

stargate

New Member
Apr 27, 2011
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Yes Myles -and it's a good thing that I'm getting the statements at the end of september-it has to be cooler-Ken is bringing down his preamp to have a shoot out between the AR-anniversary-let the games begin...
 

MylesBAstor

Well-Known Member
Apr 20, 2010
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Yes Myles -and it's a good thing that I'm getting the statements at the end of september-it has to be cooler-Ken is bringing down his preamp to have a shoot out between the AR-anniversary-let the games begin...

Sounds like fun!
 

tdh888

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Nov 4, 2010
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I haven't heard the newest CAT amps. A friend and fellow reviewer had them driving Avalons and then MBL101as. They were really relaxing to listen to and if anything slightly tubey. He also had the Jadis JA-500s and they sounded a bit more dynamic and powerful but also thinner and brighter.

I used to remember a reviewer from the late Fi and TAS magazine who uses a CAT preamp w/ Jadis 500 driving the Avalon's .Then when he wrote for Fi magazine he replaced the Jadis w/ the CAT JL .Is this guy Dr. Michael Gindi. I used to enjoy reading his reviews. Does he still write/review audio for any publication?
 

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