From what I can glean from the CJ forum, the Art 88 is considerably better than the GAT S2. What is a little disconcerting though is that lately I’ve seen quite a few for sale and when you consider that the run was limited to 250 units it gives reason to pause.
Which is REALLY the best Conrad Johnson Preamp
I would like to start a discussion about what you think is the best sounding CJ Preamp. Just because the manufacturer needs to change to sell more boxes and Magazines need advertising dollars doesn't always mean that the sonics have improved. For example some audiophiles like the older art series over the new GAT Preamps and it's lesser siblings. Would like the informed opinions of those lucky audiophiles who have heard both. I like the old CJ sound but haven't heard the new offerings.
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I haven't heard the ACT 2. I had a Premier 17LS2 for a short time (about a month). The ACT 2 is better than it, I believe. I was happy with the 17LS2. I had upgraded from a PV-14L. But, the 17LS2 had an issue (static), so after trying numerous different tubes, I returned it. A forum member from the c-j forum on Facebook recommended the Linear Tube Audio MicroZotl preamp with level 2 upgrades. I bought one. I much prefer the LTA to the c-j. |
yes i agree that would be nice but at this point doubtful is my guess since jeff f took over the company i feel the pace of innovation has slowed significantly perhaps it was the covid period but my sense is that they have good business exporting to asian and european markets, raised prices and cut off marginal products to stay fully solvent, minimizing new product work, at least for the time being especially with the war and tube supplies being a mess, especially power tubes, a new tube integrated would be most unwise to launch |
@jjss49, nope. The next reply is in 2023. I have had an ET3SE and the ET5. Bought both used; $1,800 for the ET3SE and $4,200 (new/demo) for the ET5. I did an A/B comparison and I think the ET5 is the best bang for the buck. It's hard to make something so subjective a linear equation, but the ET5 costs 2-3 times as much as the ET3SE on the used market, but it sounds between 5 and 10 times better; clearer, more defined soundstage, etc. Now, if I didn't have 2 kids going to college I would be looking at a now-discontinued GAT2... |
Can’t believe no one mentioned the Premier Ten. The Ten is the one to get IMHO. Its similar circuit as the Premier 14 but with a hand made ladder network stepped attenuator (Only one CJ ever made). I also believe there is one less resistor in the circuit in the Ten over the 14. I also prefer the good old fashion Vol Knob rather then the newer button relay setups. Blech... The Premier Ten is the best, then the Premier 3, PV-12 w/phono, and finally the PV-10b w/phono. Don’t bother with anything else. |
Hi everyone, I will be getting soon my very first preamp ever since I ventured in this hobby. The preamp is a pre-owned Premier 17 LS2 which I will be purchasing for about 1,650 USD. It will be paired with a Bryston 4B SST2 which will drive a Dynaudio Contour 20. I decided to choose this over a bnew Prima Luna Prologue Premium (2,250 USD) due to cost difference and I personally prefer buying used over bnew. Moreover, the seller allowed me to pay in installment. So my question to you is did I make the right decision choosing CJ over PL? What should I be expecting in terms of sound and tonal quality with this pairing? Has anybody here tried this set-up? Thank you for sharing!! |
zenblaster,, hamad did my pv 12, sounds like the new classic. he also did my wifes 2300a amp and will be sending him my 2500a after the holidays. well worth the money. will also fix other things he finds as well. as for the pv 10, was a great pre amp in its day and still is. it was what is was at the time, other models just came out, that were better. |
I certainly yield to the more experienced voices here, but I enjoyed the Classic 2, which has been replaced by the Premier 3; both into Premier 11a. This is my first tube system after years of quality SS/MOSFET. For my ears the tubes are a better match, and I think this is ideal within my budget. BTW Mark, thanks for passing on the Premier 3. I love it. |
I thought for sure the Premier 3 would be listed here. I have had the PV6 and 8 and 10 and now the Premier 3 with all original tubes and unmodified it bows away the other CJ preamp I have had. and mostly for the Phono section I mainly use the Phono section so I would only be talking about full function CJ preamps |
I have been enjoying my PV8 since I bought it used in 1991. Although I have never had a chance to directly compare it with more modern preamps in my system, my feeling is that it gives up some detail for a warmer presentation; there is very little fatigue in long listening sessions. It has pretty good dynamic slam when called upon. The phono stage (low gain) seems pretty good. I just noticed last night gentle popping sounds coming from both channels only in the phono stage when I turn up volume. Also, while CDs are sounding quite nice, phono no longer sounds that good, which is a switch from normal order of preference (current tubes have been in at least 5 years). Question: the preamp has two AX7, two 5751 and two 5965. Can I replace just the AX7 to try to fix the phono stage? Also, what do I need to do to properly clean the unit inside and out? What products do you guys recommend for cleaning /maintenance? Thanks. |
I have to say this about the Classic 2 SE, it was the single most noticeable upgrade ever in any of my systems over the years. I've had a number of very good preamplifiers over the years and this unit walks all over them in terms of sound quality . Zero listening fatigue with this pre, I can and often do listen for hours on end. This unit gets looked down upon due to lack of remote, but it is all about the sound with this pre. It's a complete 180 compared to some of my previous preamplifiers. No balance control or tone controls, just a power switch, a source selector, and a volume knob....that's it. It's a sleeper that will probably get passed over due to its lack of remote which is too bad.... |
I find the sound of my CJ PV 10 to be on the warm side of the 50 yard line. It still seems nimble, almost fast to react to changes in the music. Never rolled, it seems to be a pretty clean window to whatever front end you are using. I realize you get a different level of dynamics and refinement with the more expensive CJ pre's but would you say that CJ has a sonic signature that is consistant in their various preamps? |
I was lucky to snag a barely used GAT on Agon a while back and it's a big leap from the CJ CT 5. With tube rolling EH 6922 > Seimens ECC 88s >Seimens CCa, this is an incredible preamp in terms of texture with absolutely no grain, silly smooth highs, tight bass and an awesome soundstage. IME the best CJ pre by a long way. |
I have owned the prem 16,ART series 1 and 3 and now the GAT. All these preamps sound absolutely glorious and all are very special. The GAT is the best sounding of them all, it is more transparent than the previous models but it still retains the cj warmth and musicality. As far as cost for performance, the prem16 with the cj Teflon cap upgrades would be sensational and beat most preamps out there. |
i have an act 2.2 which to me was a marked improvement over the ct5 and much more so the ls17. every improvement i make in getting synergies correct yields results. my point is that at a certain price point it is not only personal taste but synergies. point number 2 it is easy, very easy to lose synergies thru an incorrect move. i could not believe how the wrong (expensive) power cord on the act alone could cause so much loss in the tonal balance i had achieved with a cheap shunyata. i have had great synergy with cj and shunyata. |
@Zenblaster How much does CJ charge for it? The other thing you may consider is selling it and buying a "new" PV10 as they go for not much more than it would cost to repair yours. You may also want to crack the lid and do some cleaning. Not much chance that you would do damage from just cleaning it, and it doesn't cost you more than $10 in cleaning products vs $500 of having somebody else do it for you. |
I ran the ACT2.2 for a couple of years. I enjoyed it immensely but it was always a little too cold/neutral for my tastes and a wee bit hot in the treble. Still a fabulous amp though and one you could live with for good if forced to. That said I have heard the wondeful majestic ART3 before and would have that in preference. More emotion, more music. I now have the GAT though and would take that over both of the above. It was quite a large step up from the Act series 2, a step that I wasn't expecting tbh. In fact, I would say its a very different amplifier ... more of everything in the way you'd expect but a lot more natural sounding and with more warmth and lower mid/upper bass fullness but not in a manner that subtracts from dynamics, speed or accuracy. The coherence and unravelling ability it brought to the table was also pretty spellbinding, so much so that it made the ACT2.2 sound a bit muddled with certain allbums. |
Sickophant, Enjoyed reading your post (all the while listening to my ART 2). Good description of them. Sorry for your bad luck. I would be real disappointed if that had happened to me on such an expensive unit and I would have nowhere near the distance to ship that you did. In case you ever think about getting another, my ART 2 has had zero problems in its circa 10 yrs. It is about 40 numbers beyond yours but I don't think that makes any difference. My ART 3 was one of the last 10 made and it too has not given me a single problem. Things don't last forever and seeing as these are not under any warranty anymore, CJ was nice enough to send me a schematic so that a local tech (I have a very good one) could repair it if anything were to go "bump in the night". Hopefully you could do the same if you ever desire one again. |
I love my vintage PV-10a but, the last several months it has developed a problem where at times the left channel wiil start to distort and fade to almost 0 volume. I've found that if I give the balance control defeat pushbutton a little wiggle it will crakle to life again for another day or 2. The unit must be 25 years old so I suppose it needs to be thoroughly re-fitted to bring it back to glory. I found Hamid Sheikh to re-do the pre for about $500-. He is going to dismantle and clean the switches, etc. or should I send back to CJ? Sorry for the hi-jack. |
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I had a CT5 for a few years and never really got on with it. I found it too neutral and I sold it for what I paid for it. I just figured that I am not a big fan of the 6h30 valve. Went down the Shindo road for a year. A month ago I had a chance to take home the ET3SE and I must say I have enjoyed my last month with this preamp more than any other preamp over the last few years. Maybe it's a synergy thing but I am looking to buy the high gain phono version of this pre. |
I love my Conrad Johnson PV-12. It has a nice smooth response. I used to use a Conrad Johnson PF-2 but I slowly fell in love with the "tube sound." The great thing is that you can pick up a used PV-12 for under a $1k which is a great bargain. |
