Усилители мощности стерео — Cary Audio SA-200.2 ES

The SA-200.2 ES is a two-channel solid-state power amplifier from Cary Audio, released in April 2018 at USD 4,495 and made in North Carolina. It follows the original SA-200.2 as a new generation, which Cary developed from a blank sheet as a modular design, easy to build consistently and to service. The same platform in bridged form becomes the SA-500.1 ES monoblock, and the stereo version shares its case and weight.

Key specs that matter

Power is 200 W per channel into 8 ohm and 350 W per channel into 4 ohm, rated from 20 Hz to 20 kHz, with a Class AB output stage. The specified bandwidth is 10 Hz to 50 kHz ±0.1 dB. Gain is 28 dB, and each input presents 22 kOhm whether balanced or unbalanced. Noise is more than 100 dB below output (A-weighted), distortion is under 0.05% at rated power and damping factor is greater than 400 between 10 Hz and 400 Hz. There are two RCA and two XLR inputs, two pairs of heavy gold-plated binding posts and a remote trigger that responds to 3.3 to 24 V DC. The amplifier runs from 117 or 234 VAC and measures 450 mm wide, 197 mm high and 495 mm deep, weighing 29.5 kg. The chassis is matte black powder coat, and the front plate comes in silver or black aluminium.

Engineering and use context

Cary fits a custom 850 VA toroid with dedicated windings for the regulated front-end board and more than 57,000 uF of capacitance per channel. Rather than a remote bank of big capacitors, many smaller ones are mounted on the amplifier boards close to the circuitry, and bypass parts are added at the output devices. Each chassis holds sixteen 150 W bipolar transistors, and a new heat sink with a bigger fin area raises heat dissipation by as much as 50% over the previous design. The front end is built around a monolithic device, mounted on a custom heat sink, with very short board traces and a ground plane around sensitive parts. Metal film resistors are used across almost all circuits, and the electronics sit on four replaceable fibreglass boards that a technician can swap without disturbing the rest. A relay disconnects the speakers on overheating or DC offset, and no voltage or current limiting is used. Headroom is 3 dB and break-in takes about 100 hours.

Pairing

Stability into low impedances and high current output suit demanding loudspeakers, and the amplifier is intended for stereo or home cinema use. Any preamplifier with XLR or RCA outputs will drive it.

Alternatives

The Cary Audio CAD-120S MkII is the brand's stereo valve power amplifier, giving 60 W per channel in triode mode or 120 W in ultra-linear mode.