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Which Conrad Johnson pre is a step-up from PFR?

Hi
Recently for some unknown reason i sold my beloved PFR preamp and after numerous preamp changes realized that i cannot recapture the magic i once had in my system when it was in it.My question is:which other CJ preamp has the same kind of sound (golden glow sound,big presence in the midrange,wide soundstage)?To be precise i am looking at the Premier line but not with the "new school"ultra transparent sound that CJ switched to around 2000-2001.I know that Premier 15 is very good but i already own CJ EV-1 phono stage so it kinda defeats the purpose.Would Premier 14 or 16 be a substantial step-up from PFR?Thank You all for your advices.
overhang
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uru975
684 posts
 
I own a premier 16 LS2 and I can find no other preamp that is even close. I listened to the new B&W 802's with a MacIntosh CD player, preamp and their 400 W amp. Sounded dead then i took my premier 16 in, replaced the McIntosh preamp and pure gold, music instead of merely wondrous sound. I cannot say to much good about it. My previous preamp was C-J's PV 11 with phono, so I hold on to my equipment for about a decade before upgrading. Hope this helps Michael
russellrcncom
308 posts
 
I suspect that the PFR was probably the best value product ever offered by CJ. I have no doubt that the Overhang has experienced a superior product with the 16LS2 but for what price - $8000 new and $5k to $6K used on the open market? I consider myself to be one of the more jaded audiophiles and can only tell you that the PFR is one of a very few products that made a difference in my system (I picked mine up at ebay for $900!). What saddens me is that no-one to my knowledge has ever offered an upgrade to this venable product. why is that? There has to be quite a few of these units still being used...

I have not heard the Lamm's but I suspect that reading some of the reviews on this site that this would be a good starting point for you (other than the 16LS2).
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czbbcl
1,752 posts
 
Well I started my journey with the PV10al and did not stop until I arrived at the premier 16lsII. It is simply an amazing pre-amp and yes I have heard a few through the years. As for your situation I would recommend the premier 14 (old school) and depending on your funds the 17lsI or if you can find one and it is within your budget the 16lsII.Good luck and enjoy the music.

Chuck
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