First CJ on the way - CAV45 S2

[retroactiv]

Been loving my Cayin A-50T with EL34's for a while, but have been trying to find the right deal on a used CJ CAV45 S2 for a while.
Found a demo unit direct from CJ with brand new tubes and 3 year warranty. It's on the way, can't wait.
My nearfield setup with NAD M51 Dac, JBL 4309 bookshelves, and soon to arrive CJ CAV45 S2.
Happy to finally be part of the CJ family.

[Big Dog RJ]

Ah, the Cayin A50T, had that one matched with the Cayin tube CD player! This was quite a while back when I first arrived in Aus and was starting all over again. That little Cayin was a remarkable integrated. Nothing extra special as such, pretty decent design, even had a Triode switch, which brought down the power by half. It was most suited for very high efficiency speakers with easy loads. Believe it or not, I had this little fella driving old Maggie's MGIIIA. Those were the days I'd listen for endless hours... plenty of time back then, life was more enjoyable. Now, with the absurd high cost of living, it's just work work work... need to find time to listen to tunes.

CAV45-S2, oh yeah! You'll really enjoy this one. This special integrated / control amplifier is a marvelous thing! Going from the Cayin to the CAV45-S2 is a different planet! Not even close, just no comparison whatsoever! You'll find yourself fully immersed in the soundstage and the level of musicality is superb!

After you've matched the CAV45-S2 with the right type of speakers, you really don't need anything else. It's also extremely quiet, you'll notice it straight away. Nice one mate! Well done & do let us know your thoughts.

Truly enjoy those fine tunes!
Woof! RJ

[admin]

Very nice. Congrats on the CAV45s2,... I think you are going to love it. Really this is going to be an outstanding upgrade. The Cayin is very nice as well, but I think you will find the audio quality really taken to the next level with the CAV45s2. Report back what you think after you have some hours on the tubes as if they are brand new you are going to want to give them a little time to burn in for maximum performance.

Again, congrats and enjoy the tunes!

[retroactiv]

Thanks for the feedback. Super excited!!

[tonye]

Congratulations... welcome to a more straightforward sound, brighter than the Cayin. Outstanding soundstaging.

The "integrated" form factor, ie: "control amplifier" is very optimized design with just the gain you need. Less overall gain that "standard" preamp/amp combos so they have less noise.

Now, as RJ pointed out, you might want to upgrade your speakers to something with at least 90db/w efficiency. You can find used Audio Notes AN K/LX for well under $2000 bucks ( I run a pair of those ) and they have the efficiency to go with your new toy.

Of course, once the bug really bites.... eh, eh, eh... you will want to upgrade to a CJ preamp with the teflon caps ( SE upgrade )... and keep working on lowering the system noise. It just keeps getting better and better and better....

Until the day comes when, it's as my wife once noted, "it sounds like music, not a stereo"...

My only advice is... as you move on, make sure to keep a CJ preamp (with the teflon caps) in the chain.

Have fun!