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RE: Quads and Cat

Posted by tedtag on December 28, 2016 at 05:28:00:
Thanks AJ and I really appreciate your feedback! It was so amazing how natural it was to have the CAT JL7's matched with the Quads. This has changed my whole perspective on speaker / amp matching and how important it is to get right. Lots of amps can drive lots of speakers but a good (perfect!!!) match like the Quads and CATs just sounds so effortless and like I've said; like having no system at all. I've mixed and matched my Quads and Maggie's with CJ Prem 8's, Carver 305's, NuPrime R20's, CJ Classic 60, and the CAT JL7's. Nothing even comes close to the Quads and Cats.

Not to mention the CAT Legend preamp. Before I bought that wonderful piece, I had a CJ GAT2 in the system with great results. Phono preamp was a CJ Premier 15 that had been back to the factory for all CJ's latest phono preamp upgrades and I was told by their Tech that its about as good a phono preamp as they can make.

But IMHO the Legend clearly beat the GAT2 in lots of ways that really matter. These are both companies that have spent the better part of the last 30+ years fine tuning their preamps. Please don't take this the wrong way because the GAT2 sounds great, with excellent tonality, detail, dynamics, imaging, etc. If it wasn't for the CAT, I would be pretty happy with the GAT2 for a long time. But, where the CAT Legend really shines is in its overall presentation. There is a continuity to the soundstage that sounds like real life. Its rare to hear sounds from a recording through the Legend that seem like they are coming from one of the speakers. The CAT presents a 3D wall of sound where even the space between notes has musical meaning. The music is suspended in a silent, but energized background, where the notes are distinct from the background but also part of a natural whole. The CJ preamp just doesn't get this in the same way.

Anyway, with things sounding good, its probably about time to mess it up, but this round I'll just be toying with cartridges. Right now I've got a Koetsu Blue Lace that sounds fantastic. But next week I'm supposed to take delivery of a TechDas cartridge supposedly made by the same folks who build the Air Tight Opus1. This cart is earmarked for the TechDas table that is not set up yet, but it will be interesting to put it up against the Blue Lace even installed in my VPI Signature/ 3D arm. I talked to Bob Graham yesterday and he thinks the TechDas cart will be a good match for the VPI/ 3D so can't wait to try that out! And it should give that Blue Lace a little anxiety......Vinyl purists please stand by for that report.