My A-700 sounds better than my CA-2010!

belgianbrain

Super Member
Just spent a few hours switching back and forth between these two amps using my homemade DAC connected to a classical music Bluray source (LPCM). Speakers are my NS-1000Ms.

Both amps have been completely recapped and refurbished.

I always used the CA-2010 as my main AMP expecting that it *should* smoke the A-700.

To my horror, both my wife and I agreed that the A-700 wins. My wife, who is not really an audiophile by any means, described the CA-2010 as edgy and lacking detail compared to the A-700.

The results have me somewhat perplexed.

I have a theory that the DAC may be overdriving the CA-2010 with a 3V input signal.

I used the CA-2010 in class A mode with all tone adjustments centred. A-700 was used in class AB mode with DIRECT function enabled (bypass preamp).

Is is possible that the A700 sounds better than the CA-2010?! These results are causing me some angst after all the work I put into that 2010...
 
Does your A-700 use the ZDR?? (Zero Distortion Rule)

I re-capped an A-1020 and was astonished at the detail it played.
 
Yes, it's the little brother of the A-1000 (ZDR).

The A700 puts out 105W, but can sure hold its own (seemingly with slightly better sound quality) against my CA-2010.

So, maybe there is nothing "wrong" with the 2010?
 
I'd say probably nothing wrong - just the ZDR at work! Nice!

Though you might want to look into the input signal level, perhaps get some attenuating cables... let the 2010 do the amplification without running such a hot signal into it. I'd be curious to learn the results...
 
I have some attenuators on the way.

The 2010 weighs 50 lbs.

The 700 weighs 25 lbs.

The 700 *CANNOT* sound better. :nono: It simply can't...
 
Well, lack of details is the signal amp path of the circuit. Are you sure the 2010 had a complete recap?
 
Well, lack of details is the signal amp path of the circuit. Are you sure the 2010 had a complete recap?

Yes, every single electrolytic in that unit was changed by me - including the 22,000uF power supply caps. I did both the A700 and the CA2010.

Don't get me wrong, the CA2010 sounds great too. But when I carefully compare them, the A700 sounds better! I did not expect that.
 
Don't get me wrong, the CA2010 sounds great too. But when I carefully compare them, the A700 sounds better! I did not expect that.
I think there is a term for this...cognitive dissonance?

How do they compare using other sources, without the DAC?
 
I think there is a term for this...cognitive dissonance?

How do they compare using other sources, without the DAC?

Don't know. The sound quality of my DAC kills my other sources, so I never compare with any other source!

What I do know is that my wife carries no bias, which is why I brought her in for a "blind" test. She agreed the A700 sounds better! (and I didn't suggest it in advance - just asked her to listen and tell me which unit sounded better to her).
 
Just spent a few hours switching back and forth between these two amps using my homemade DAC connected to a classical music Bluray source (LPCM). Speakers are my NS-1000Ms.

Both amps have been completely recapped and refurbished.

I always used the CA-2010 as my main AMP expecting that it *should* smoke the A-700.

To my horror, both my wife and I agreed that the A-700 wins. My wife, who is not really an audiophile by any means, described the CA-2010 as edgy and lacking detail compared to the A-700.

The results have me somewhat perplexed.

I have a theory that the DAC may be overdriving the CA-2010 with a 3V input signal.

I used the CA-2010 in class A mode with all tone adjustments centred. A-700 was used in class AB mode with DIRECT function enabled (bypass preamp).

Is is possible that the A700 sounds better than the CA-2010?! These results are causing me some angst after all the work I put into that 2010...

I'm not surprised. I've owned two CA-2010's, a CA-1010, and a CA-1000. I thought they sounded like the CR-2020, which is not my favorite to begin with. This being said, the CA's look fabulous.
 
Don't know. The sound quality of my DAC kills my other sources, so I never compare with any other source!

What I do know is that my wife carries no bias, which is why I brought her in for a "blind" test. She agreed the A700 sounds better! (and I didn't suggest it in advance - just asked her to listen and tell me which unit sounded better to her).

How "hot" is the DAC output? Maybe overdriving the front ends of your flatamps in the 2010.
 
I'm not surprised. I've owned two CA-2010's, a CA-1010, and a CA-1000. I thought they sounded like the CR-2020, which is not my favorite to begin with. This being said, the CA's look fabulous.

Indeed, this is what causes me the most grief about the thought of demoting the CA-2010 to my home gym. I love looking at it perched on my rack in the family room.
 
Indeed, this is what causes me the most grief about the thought of demoting the CA-2010 to my home gym. I love looking at it perched on my rack in the family room.

The NS-1000M has a way of exposing the CR receivers. I also used to have a CR-3020 and it sounded dull when paired with them. I should have kept it because CR-3020 values are on the up. CA values are on the up but that is not the point. Compare any of these pieces to the M-2 or the PC2002M. IMO!
 
Got the attenuators today. They did not improve the sound of the CA-2010 with my DAC. If anything, they just killed the bass.

So, my CA-2010 got demoted to my gym room with my NS-690s. My A700 comes upstairs and gets the NS-1000s.

Rather unexpected.

Too bad. My heart is breaking.

May have to put on some blues tonight and have a few shots. :thmbsp:
 
Suggestions:

1. Create a cardboard cut-out of your 2010 and stick it in front of the A-700
2. Put a paper bag over the A-700
3. Keep the lights real dim, or only use candles in the room.
 
Got the attenuators today. They did not improve the sound of the CA-2010 with my DAC. If anything, they just killed the bass.

So, my CA-2010 got demoted to my gym room with my NS-690s. My A700 comes upstairs and gets the NS-1000s.

Rather unexpected.

Too bad. My heart is breaking.

May have to put on some blues tonight and have a few shots. :thmbsp:

Huh. I never would have expected that. Goes to show there were technology improvements after 1980... before it all went to BPC.
 
I have some attenuators on the way.

The 2010 weighs 50 lbs.

The 700 weighs 25 lbs.

The 700 *CANNOT* sound better. :nono: It simply can't...

You might want to check out Nelson Pass's ideas. I am not surprised at all. It happens all the time. Some less expensive, simple design sounds better with a certain set of speakers against a big expensive amp. Its in the matching. The good news is you trust your ears! And you now have a choice you did not have before. :yes:

Ken
 
Well, you know, I do be believe in the "less components in the sound path the better" philosophy.

The CA-2010 has a preamp section that is never bypassed, as I understand it. The A-700 has a "direct" mode that bypassed the preamp. I suspect this may be the difference.

My best sounding DAC, the Lampizator, takes the output of a 32 bit DAC chip, fires it into a vacuum tube, and right out the output, with only one or two capacitors in the signal path. The sound of this DAC smokes anything else I've heard.

Are you suggesting that I buy an Adcom GFA-555 instead?? :)
 
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