2. amps-preamps
  3. 1191613946

Better than a CAT?

I own a CAT JL2. It is the best amp I have ever heard. I would like to know if someone who has owned a CAT, or is very familiar with their sound, has found an amp that they have found to be better in their opinion. I would like to hear from those that have auditioned other highly touted ampfliers and decided to stay with their CAT - the CAT withstood the challenge. I'm really only interested in comparisons to the CAT, not genralized comments like ,"amp xyz is the best amp I ever heard", "you should try amp xyz". I'm interested in comparative comments from those familiar with the CAT through ownership or frequent exposure to it. I personally find the amp tough to beat with its Krell-like bass and SET-like immediacy. Thank you.
pubul57
strapper211
118 posts
 
Hi Louis and glai,I have not had the amp in my system but I heard the Lamm and Cat in the same system.The Lamm is much more polite but the cat is more dynamic and with the sig. series has superb micro and macro dynamics and air and very natural timbre.In my opinion there is not much of battle,the cat wins hands down.I am refering to the cat jl3 sigs,but the jl2 sigs are very similar in sound.In my system I tried levinson 33 h,not my taste.Conrad Johnson and Mbl.If I had to pick one it would probably be the MBL.
Robert
logenn
91 posts
 
Robert,

How much sonic difference is ther between the JL2 and the JL3, other than power and possible seperation due to monoblocks?
pubul57 OP
3,712 posts
 
Given an easy load with reasonable sensitivity, I think the JL3 would be overkill, it certainly would be with the Merlins. My view is that less power is always better if it is enough power to drive your speakers, almost always. I think it takes a lot of design ingenuity to get more power from the same basic circuit not sound worse, and that task is progressively more complex and more expensive.
logenn
91 posts
 
Pubul57 has a good point, but in some cases the more powerful amps coast along so effortlessly that they sound more relaxed.

I owned VTL 750's and 450's and clearly the 750's were much better.
posbwp555
72 posts
 
Hi, I am one of the guys that Pubul57 maybe refering to regarding the Ming DA 2A3 preamp. It replaced my CAT Ultimate and was better by a wide margin. Like any tubed gear, to get the best performance, tube rolling is necessary. I EXTENSIVELY rolled the CAT Ult and took it as far as I could with rolling and PC's, IC's. The Ming DA is in a different league. Pacificvalve.com is the sole (to my knowledge) US distributor. They offer a thirty day in home audition. You pay for the shipping and a 3% restocking fee. I think it would come to $150 to try.
The stock 2A3 Chinese tubes are not bad but the others should be rolled 6SN7 (3), 6922 (3), EL34 (1). I think the preamp costs $1250. Truly a giant killer. I still use the JL2. I wanted to buy a pair of Ming DA monoblocks but the only ones that I felt would be powerful enough to drive my Avalon Osiris were discontinued.

Bart
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