Michael: thanks your update. My update is that I am still somewhat obsessed about the Conrad-Johnson CAV 150; and despite its being discontinued I have found an owner who has one for sale. I may buy it, as everything I have read about this CJ vintage piece is a great amp and has a refined sound, which is what I want. I am somewhat hesitant to buy second hand from a private owner, but may make a leap of faith.

I haven't listened to Simaudio in a long time . I may take your suggestion and check out their integrated. I did hear their mid-priced CD player/DAC combination and thought it was very good. Or, I am just go to tubes and get the Raven Osprey or the upcoming 6550 tube Eagle to get true richness in sound. Thanks for your thoughts. BTW, Michael, while i thought the B 135 was cold and analytical, the old Bryston B 60 was a very nice integated amp, and sounded fine to me if 60 watts are enough.

Thanks for the additional information, much appreciated. I also wondered why the CA150 was discontinued after such a short time on the market as were the MF2550 and MF2275 solid state power amplifiers, despite all three products receiving rave reviews. As for my MF2275, I will keep my fingers crossed. I agree with you about Bryston. Their house sound is not for me. Regarding McIntosh: I owned a brand new MC275 tube power amp and it had to go to the hospital for a repair after just six months. Then I sold it. I owned a brand new MCD201 disc player and it had to go to Binghamton twice(!) in three years due to problems with the transport. Then I sold it. I will never buy McIntosh again even though their house sound is lovely, in my opinion. If you like the voicing of C-J and McIntosh may I recommend Simaudio Moon. I have a 280D DAC and it's wonderful. The build quality is superb and all their products have a ten year warranty. You should have no problem finding a dealer if you want to hear a Moon integrated. Good luck with your search.

I don't fundamentally disagree with you; and I had thought C-J was top notch in reliability and quality. That is why when I heard about the new control amp, I went looking to demo it. I had been trying to find a convenient dealer, and the two within 60 miles of me (that had listed C-J on their websites) told me they had dropped the line; similarly there is NO dealer in NYC NONE.I asked a dealer why it is so hard to find C-J which I had thought was as good as Mcintosh; maybe in someways better. It was he who told me that the QC issues are an open secret. He had had a number of customer returns on different amps. My statement was as much an effort to get an some sort of opinion like yours that C-J might have turned a corner, and is back. That would be great news. One has to wonder, though, why they had a very new control amplifier out and discontinued it so quickly. Why is that? Believe me a SS control amp/integrated amp that has the coherence and refinement of tube gear would be exactly what I would want, and I would prefer to buy from an established brand with a "stellar" track record for reliability. Bryston has the reputation, but I don't like the way their B 135 integrated sounds.

I don't doubt your word but it would be helpful to have more information. Unsubstantiated rumours can be damaging to a small business. When did the issues begin? What models are involved? C-J uses only very high quality parts in their products and this is why they have a stellar reputation for reliability. If C-J is having a bad period it would be all over the internet but I can't find anything. The company is under new ownership but the individual has been with the company for many years. I'm a new C-J owner and for what it's worth my impression is that the fit and finish is superb. There are not enough words to describe how good the amplifier sounds. I've had no problems and will never sell it.
http://www.theaudiobeat.com/news/conrad_johnson_ownership.htm

Micheal, you are right, it's been discontinued already. Too bad, this is a nice amp.