Conrad Johnson CA-200 Control Amp; Well Reviewed Stereophile Integrated Amp Premier 350 at 185 watts, integrated

buyer pays the Paypal fee of 2.9%

NOTE: You can not get the quality amp, and pre for this price. Think Premier 350 because that what the power is based on and think Premier 18LS because that is what the control is based on. Two Premiers that today would sell for much more than this. 

Most CJ Buffs Keep this amp and it does not come up often. Built Like the Premier Products were. A Premier 350 at half power 185watts and Premier 18LS; Conrad Johnson's words not my own. This All in One unit is rock solid and powerful, detailed, with a big sound stage and holographic. The CA200 has more punch and power than its little brother the CA150. 

For Reviews, Google: CA200 Control Amplifier as reviewed by John Acton

FROM: POSITIVE FEEDBACK As solid-state integrated amps go, conrad-johnson has a hands-down winner with its CA200 control amplifier. Elegant and graceful, with one of the best midrange presentations I've experienced, the conrad-johnson CA200 succeeds on so many levels at drawing the listener in to the heart of the musical performance. With enough inputs and outputs to fully support any reasonable music lover's source needs, and with enough power to drive most speakers in most rooms, the CA200 represents a true high-performance one-box solution for those not interested in compromising performance for convenience. Highly recommended. John Acton

FROM: Absolute Sound -The audio circuit comprises a single voltage gainstage, followed by a high-current buffer/output stage. “It’s exactly the same circuit found in the Premier 350, scaled down to roughly one-half scale (185 watts per channel), as dictated by the compact chassis size,” Johnson said. “This circuit uses our autolinear gain circuit that is designed for zero distortion (theoretical) with zero feedback—and in fact, as is the case with the Premier 350 amp, there is no loop feedback in the CA200.” Finally, the bipolar transistor output stage achieves a high damping factor without loop feedback.

The conrad-johnson CA200 control amplifier combines a scaled-down version of the company's Premier 350 solid-state power amplifier with the input/output user interface and volume attenuator of the Premier 18LS solid-state line stage preamplifier. The CA200's power amplifier employs the exact same circuit found in the larger Premier 350, the only differences being in the increased input sensitivity and lower output power. The CA200 utilizes a single voltage gain stage followed by a high-current buffer / output stage. The voltage gain stage makes use of MOSFETs as amplification devices, taking advantage of their tube-like transfer signature, whereas the output stage employs bi-polar output devices, chosen for their intrinsically high damping factor. The CA200 eschews global feedback.

The "control" portion of the CA200 control amplifier leverages the discrete input selector and resistor-based volume attenuator found in the Premier 18LS line stage. Volume is adjustable in 100 steps of approximate .7dB resolution. The CA200 provides for a multitude of inputs and outputs. There are five line-level inputs and two tape/external processor loops, one of which can be configured as a unity-gain pass-through for home theater use. While the CA200's line stage is passive in nature, one pair of unbuffered preamplifier outputs is included. All connections are single-ended, as the single voltage gain stage precludes balanced operation. The CA200 inverts absolute phase, so care must be taken to reverse the speaker connections to compensate.

Like all conrad-johnson products, the CA200 is assembled entirely by hand, and is thoroughly bench tested prior to leaving the factory. Parts quality is exceptional, with precision Vishay low-inductance laser-trimmed metal foil resistors utilized in the power supply and volume attenuator, and special proprietary conrad-johnson CJ-D polystyrene and polypropylene capacitors employed throughout.

HOW DO I THINK IT SOUNDS: 

As the owner, I think this has a truly great sound, It is powerful and commanding when mated with my Klipsch Forte (version 1's), or Revel Performa3 F208's, in fact a match made in heaven with control at Bass level, beautiful Mids and detailed highs w/ the smallest amount of roll at some levels.  It does have a typical click  sound when moving slowly on volume from 9-10, 19-20, 29-30, and never when moving the remote fast through the spectrum.This is no trouble for the unit, just noticeable so I want to be clear to those who are not familiar. If you have a CA150 and think it too thin on command and power, this is an upgrade

Cosmetically, it is very nice and 8 if not more but you only have 1 un-noticeable nick in front left bottom of face. See if you can find it. It comes with CJ box, remote and CJ manuals are all on line for this. 

Who am I?  You can see my feedback here and on other auction bay sites. I'm a CJ fan, a collector and refurbish what needs done with Factory CJ support. My equipment is tested by me or used as part of my daily. I look for quality equipment with great reviews and sound that will sell and for your benefit RE-SELL it when you are ready to swap or keep.