2. amps-preamps
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CAT Preamps vs Amps

I'm a proud owner of a CAT JL2 amplifier. Most of the threads on Audigon say great things about CAT's amps JL 1-3. People laud over the musicality, transparency and dynamics of these amps. However, when it comes to the preamps (Signature and Ultimate versions), it seems like the reviews are a mixed bag. In many cases, some CAT amp owners use other preamps.

Therefore, are the current CAT preamps (Ultimate) as good as their amps in terms of musicality, transparency and
dynamics? Are they on par? If not where do they fall short compared to the amps? What are better matches?
aoliviero

Showing 2 responses by aoliviero

aoliviero OP
271 posts
 
Gvatchna, Robertje and Strapper211,

Thanks for your responses. Since I am a very new owner of their Ultimate preamp, it is good to hear that based on your long-term experiences the CAT preamp is on par with their amps and that they are the best match. It seems that those who would disagree maybe having a mismatch elsewhere in their systems. Strapper's opinion is very informative since it is based on the evaluation of some very high-end brands/models and felt the CAT pre was still the best.

Thanks again. Let's see if we get some opposing views :)
aoliviero OP
271 posts
 
Jafox,

Good answer. I agree that by experimenting with different brands of preamps you can attain an overall balance preferable to your tastes. In terms of a "better-match", I think Strapper211 means that their preamp is probably designed with the same technical objectives and results of their amplifiers in mind and ultimately voiced together. I think this creates a singularity in that the preamp becomes transparent to the amp and thereby requiring careful selection of the source's musical characteristics to create the preferrential match. However, the choice of a preamp would add another degree of control. But at that point, it will be a compromise of strengths and weaknesses.

At the core of this comparison is the incredibly neutral and musical ability of the CAT Amps to characterize the preamps vs. source components matches. I'm extremely happy with my JL2-II. I think the ratio of resolution/transparency to musical experience is close to 1.

Cheers,

AO
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