Conrad-Johnson (CJ,C-J) CAV-50 Review by roy

The CAV-50 is a 45wpc integrated amplifier that uses a passive front end to select among five sources and a volume control. The power output stage of the unit uses two EL34's which operate in ultralinear mode. Optionally, the amp can be wired for triode operation, which cuts the power output rating to 22wpc. It is a visually striking component, with very simple lines, champagne color faceplate, and tubes arrayed neatly on top. A very nice tube cage comes as standard and is easily removed if one prefers. The CAV-50 is a sustantial piece of "tube iron" weighing in at 44 lbs. In essence, this integrated amp is a combination of a CJ MV-55 power amp and a passive version of the PV-10 preamp. It has an external processor (tape) loop and a single stage triode preamp output for use with an external amp or subwoofer. I purchased a new unit and it required 50 (+) hours of break in before it started to open up and begin to exhibit the kind of sonic quality one expects from a high-end unit. That's when the "good stuff" kicked in and the amp began to shine. It has a totally neutral and transparent midrange and smooth and unfatiguing highs. Its bass, while anemic at first, began to bloom and take on a very pleasing tuneful character, but one would not characterize it has having a stong low end. Perhaps that's one of the reasons for the preamp outputs so that one can drive a sub. My B&W (DM610s) speakers are somewhat bass shy to begin with, so I was pleased when the CAV-50 started to exhibit its low end capabilities. Stereo images were presented wide and layered, providing very convincing treatment of voice, instruments, and space(air). In addition, for a piece of tube gear, this is one QUIET amp. After many years with other tube gear, I was used to a somewhat higher noise floor and hum. The CAV-50 has only a very faint level of hum if listened to with the ear right next to the speaker. Certainly a tribute to its simple and elegant circuit design. In summary this is a very satisfying integrated amp for use in smaller to mid-size systems. From a price value perspective, it fares very well with the competing products of this caliber. I did have one small problem which is worth noting. After a few weeks, a low level hiss or rustling noise would some from the left speaker. It was intermittant and was only perceptible at low listening levels. After a little experimentation swapping input tubes from side to side, I narrowed down the problem to one 6SN7 tube. I called the factory and they (eventually) supplied a new tube at no cost. The unit now performs perfectly and has shown no more problems.

Product Weakness:	Somewhat limited on bass (speaker dependent). Passive volume control requires careful component matching.
Product Strengths:	Tonally neutral and transparent midrange. Faithful reproduction of the human voice and solo instruments. Unfatiguing highs. Build quality is first rate.