Conrad Johnson CAV 45 suggestions

[creed]

Hi, I’m new hear and thought this may be best place to ask for help. I was considering buying a the CAV and asking if there is a huge difference between the original CAV and the version 2. I can buy a original NOS never used from a dealer still in box for $1500 or a brand new with a nice discount for $3200 shipped from dealer. Is the power a huge difference between the 2? I would be using it in second system and rotating speakers in and out.

The most efficient would be Reference 3a MM De campo BE at 92db 8 ohm. they claim 92db but may be less. Joseph Audio Pulsar which is a little power hungary and Harbeth 30.1. This will be used in a very small room 12x13. Anyone use this amp with 88 ish db speakers in a small room with good results?

Does anyone know what Teflon caps are used in the CAV version 2. Thank you very much in advance for any insight and help, Paul

[admin]

Welcome to CJO, great to have you with us.

The Teflon caps CJ uses are proprietary so I don't think you can buy them from a distributor. As for the difference between the two, it's rather significant. The biggest difference is the power output of the s2 is 60 watts vs 45 for the original. It's also a generation newer so you would expect it to last longer with the need for refurbishment. The s2 also has higher quality parts. The original version had plastic binding posts which are Cardas on the s2. I'm sure the internal circuit is different although I don't have schematics to confirm that. But how else would you explain that the s2 is 10 db quieter than the original?

Now whether these are worth twice the price,... I can't tell you. If money is not a significant factor, then definitely go with the s2, no question about that.

[Big Dog RJ]

Yes, the version 2 is definitely a step up...
Teflons, a few metal foil resistors and gold plated outputs, contributes to much lower noise floor, extremely quiet.

The version 2 also has beefed up trannys and power supplies, delivering more power. The price tag is just about right. Version 1 is just as good, with a beautiful sound from those lovely EL34's. The main difference is version 2 has that bit of extra muscle...

Cheers, RJ

[creed]

Thank you guys for your input, nice to know the version 1 is a nice amp also. I have some Mullard xf2’s and some 80’s winged c’s and white label amprex 6922’s, SQ’s and others do the 6922’s have any bearing in sound? Anyone open up the version 1 and put better caps?

[Big Dog RJ]

Yes, the 6922's do vary in sound, that is variants between Genalex, EH, Siemans, JJ, Amperex, and so on... however CJ doesn't generally like when we tube roll, simply because we alter the original sound based on how CJ designed the amplifier and intended it to sound a certain way. Nonetheless, we are a curious breed and must venture towards this tube roll nonsense, mostly resulting in negative results.

The only benefit I have come across tube rolling in my 30 yrs of this audio journey, is beneficial when modifying the amplifiers towards a custom sound, yet keeping the CJ signature glow as much as possible, which is what I've done with all my CJ gear. However, in this case you really have to know what you're doing and seek the right person with in-depth knowledge and skill required for the mods... otherwise disaster!

No, I have not opened up the CAV45 for a recap, nor do I know of anyone who has ever done this simply because this is a new product. Therefore, it does not require recapping. Why on earth would you want to recap a CAV45...? Not sure what you're trying to achieve by recapping a CAV45.

A MV55, MV50 or MV75 yes, they're all outdated... Not the CAV45 and not even the previous CAV50, which is over 20yrs old but still holds strong.

All the best, RJ

[AnotherJohnson]

I had a friend who had decent hearing, and an obsession with modifying his gear. He’d buy something new as cheap as he could, and then pour money into modifications.

Great guy. Sometimes he’d luck up on improvements. But more often he just destroyed the resale value of the unit.

Of course if something is already trading at a significant discount, it may be harmless to play around. If I wanted to do mods on a CAV45, I’d definitely rather mod a V1 rather than a V2.

An alternative would be to ask CJ if they could replace selected caps with Teflon. But by the time you pay them for this, you might as well have gone for the V2 at the start.

And then, caps can take literally hundreds of hours to break in, so then patience is required again.