Conrad Johnson CA200 opinions welcome

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.

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.

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.

Yes, most people think that the XA.5 and INT-30A are the better sounding, more tube like amps from Pass.

You're pretty well into the diminishing returns area here so I don't think you'll find big differences between the amps, unless you have developed your critical listening skills.

The Pass is class A. if that is important to you, and it is to some people, that's the way to go. The CA200 is class A/B. It sounds very similar to the Pass to me, it uses less juice, it runs cooler and so can be left on with less concern about heat, which is the enemy of amps.