Strong Built.
Very rich overall sound.
Clean and Dimentional sound.
Excellent alternative for a tube amp.
Neutral, smooth, sweet and warm sound stage
Strogest point in SA-400 is in the Mids and highs
If you have the right components hooked up, SA-400 will sing!
Excellent customer service by Conrad Johnson, very dependable.

This is not a weakness but it would have been nice to have changable power cords. Power Switch is a Black dot on gold face plate, looks like Robert De Nero's face. I found that the Sonographe SA-400 and the SA-120 both married Conrad Johnson or Sonographe Pre-Amps ONLY!! So becareful. I really wish if they manufactured Mono Blocks, bummer!

This Review is for Sonographe SA-400. Sri Lanka, Colombo. USA, California.
Everyone has their own taste in sound the main two types are: Warm sound and Trasparent sound. I am more into the Warm Sound, I dig tube sound. And there are people who likes recievers, some like Intergrated amps and there are those who like Power amps. I am the guy who likes power amps. And there are those who like Solid state and those who like Tube amps and I like Solid State, I prefer tube amps but too much hassel. Having defined my taste in sound I have narrowed down the review for those who are interested, so before you research the component research your listening, kapeesh!
When you plug this amp the first thing your gonna notice VERY RICH SOUND, extremely smooth and sweet, clean round bass, just beautiful.
I have listened and owned numerous amps, my last amp failed on me and I got a really good deal on a Sonographe SA-120, I bought it just for the hell of it, I was litterally held by my neck by the sound of it, I COULD NOT MOVE AWAY FROM MY SYSTEM it was very unfair compared to how much I paid for it, this is when I thought, if this baby can sing this good how about SA-400? and they weren't easily available. I started auditioning Conrad Johnson Power amps just to get a feel, OK HEAR THIS, NOTHING SOUNDS LIKE THE SONOGRAPHE PERIOD if there is anyone who disagrees with me check your system or go see a Doctor. I tried the MF2500A built in 2004 and a MF2300A built in 200? and here is the difference Sonographe has very open, grainfree, smooth Mids and highs, I would say equal to 6550's or better, not EL34's, EL34's rock. Very nice bass, it immitates tube bass but has a stronger punch. The Conrad Johnson MF series has Monster Bass but highs and mids are not open, they are grainy its too dark, but they are both very clean sound, you will appreciate that with an external DAC. Sonographe SA-400 is by far the most nuetral sounding Amp I have heard. It can be warm, sweet and transparent at the same time. By far Sonographe SA-400 is my last amp, I spent some money in some heavy upgrades recently and it sounds INCREDIBLE. I am very happy with the performance, at the selling price YOU ARE NEVER GONNA FIND A BETTER AMP, dont even try it coz I already did! Here is the catch the SA-400 loves the Conrad Johnson PV10B, matter of fact it needs that pre-amp. It hated my Audio Research LS7. Sonographe is a low end manufactured component by Conrad Johnson, this does not mean it has compromised in sound, they have their unique charactoristics, like I mentioned above its the taste in sound that counts not the price. With all honesty this is an Amazing Power amp, you wont go wrong. My next choice would be MF2300A.

Similar Products Used:

McCormack DNA
Conrad Johnson MF Series
Threshold