General Asylum: REVIEW: Conrad-Johnson (CJ,C-J) Sonographe SA250 Amplifier (SS) by Peter Gunn General audio topics that don't fit into specific categories.

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I purchased this as an interim item until I could wip up the cash for a bigger outlay, but the performance of this unit has thrown all plans askew. I have always been fond of the sound of CJ gear, Sonographe stuff no exception. In fact their original CD player was the first digital unit I ever actually liked.

This thing's a little bulldog. It doesn't look overly impressive, but just trying to pick it up starts giving it away. It is very heavy for it's size, surprisingly so.

It's greatest suit is it's musicality. While it is somewhat rounded on the high end, the mids are the stuff of CJ legend and it has a very deep end and I think more actual "slam" to it's bass than my friends Classe CA-200. The Classe has more authority, but I think it's a little less musical. The Sono seperates the musical events well, and places them about in a surprisingly large soundstage. Like the ad, it just sounds "right".

Mated with my tube preamp, the two combine to make a very liquid yet lively presentation it's easy to get lost in. It really does just about everything right. The only flaws are possibly the warmed high end (which I'm not even sure is a flaw) and a habit toward a slight dry feel. But even that is more like an implied thing, a signature of the amp's presence, and I can't say it bothers my listening to it.

To top it off I got it for $500 used. You just CAN'T beat that. A very solid piece of equipment that can hold it's head with anything.

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