What happened to CAT?

geddyen, do you remember which CAT you heard? Even though the basic design has not changed that much over the years, the newer versions, and those that have been modded or tube rolled, can sound very different to the oldest models.

Thank goodness Ken is still in business. He has always flown beneath the radar ( somewhat intentionally I am sure) but his gear is absolutely SOTA...IMHO. Thank you gwalt for the update.

Ok Erik_squires...I will have a shot at this answer....Basically, and strongly IMHO, comparing a CAT to the CJ or modern AR is going to come down to one basic aspect...Dynamics! The CAT is almost unbeatable in this regard...why, I believe due to the immense power supply the CAT enjoys. The CJ's and modern ARC's that I have heard don't quite match it....
Otherwise all are good preamps, but for me, the CAT is king. I could live with any of them, but so long as Ken Stevens is still 'sharpening' his design, it will be #1 on my list.

Test pilot, unfortunately what you state applies to most high end manufacturers these days...
I actually think that CAT has held their pricing structure better than most...have you looked at the price of some of the new ss gear!
Soulution, Boulder and a few others make CAT seem like it’s given away....some of the other tube gear...Lamm and Ypsilon come to mind, same thing. 
I believe that the main reason you don’t hear too much about CAT these days is that the people that own them...a) are too busy enjoying them and b) see no need to upgrade them...after all, what would they replace them with...

Actually gwalt, the current Linn LP12 in full dress easily beats most other analog devices...IMHO...:0)

Same with the CAT vs. most other preamps.