2. amps-preamps
  3. 130301-2227

VAC vs Conrad Johnson Amps?

I have had my Conrad Johnson Premier 12 140w/side tube monoblocks for many years and loved them.  Essentially they sound to me like Michael Fremer had described them in his long-ago review:  the CJ tube magic, with zest, power and control.  They've been able to drive pretty much every pair of speakers I've had, large or small.

At the same time I've always had some lust for the VAC amplifiers.  It started long ago when I heard VAC amps make Thiels sound like I'd never heard them before - liquid, astonishingly transparent and musical.  I managed to get much of this with my CJ amps paired with my Thiel 3.7s (and other speakers), but given that transcendent moment with VAC, and knowing how many of the highest end speaker manufacturers choose to use VAC and display their speakers with VAC amps, I'm left wondering "What If..."

I see people happy with amps like the phi 200 but I sometimes see the Phi 300.1 become available second hand (the only way I could afford that one).  It's 150W per side vs my CJ 140W, and I've read the VAC has good reputation for bass performance (I like good bass control) and driving many big speakers.  I wonder if any of the possible quality of the VAC would be off-set by the purportedly better separation you get with monoblocks - e.g. my CJs.

As I mentioned, I'm currently using Thiel 3.7s, with some 2.7s arriving soon, but I also own MBL 121s and like to keep my options open.  I'm also interested in the Joseph Audio Perspective speakers so would want an amp that has good grip on ported speakers as well.  I wonder what I may gain, and/or what I might lose, going for a VAC phi 200 or especially the 300.1, vs my CJ Premier 12s.

Anyone who has helpful experience to contribute, please do so!  Thanks!


prof
prof OP
3,479 posts
 
pdreher,

Wow, that's the first time  I've ever heard someone refer to a CJ tube amp as sounding like solid state (especially an older CJ amp).

Thanks for the insight into the sonics of the VAC amps.

Some day...
pdreher's avatar
pdreher
1,216 posts
 
It's quite likely that the CJ Premier 140 was a departure from the typical CJ house sound, so take my experience with the Premier 140 as an outlier.    
lissnr
365 posts
 
CJ Premier 140 was most definitely NOT anything close to a Premier 12. As a former Premier 12 owner I can tell you [when equipped with SED Winged C 6550's ] it is one of the finest amplifiers ever made. Natural, realistic, and very capable of effortlessly bringing the best out of my 3.8 ohm Apogee Duetta Signatures in a moderate sized room. The Premier 140 was likely more extended in the bass and probably more technically adept in certain areas but imho never managed to express the fluid continuousness and pure magic of the Premier 12's. 
prof OP
3,479 posts
 
lissnr,

I certainly agree about the attributes of the CJ Premier 12s.
"Balance" is the key description, and the one that Michael Fremer used as well.  When I tried various contender amps (at the time) there always seemed to be a sort sculpting (deliberate or not) of the sound - full but rolled off, extended but thinner, emphasis here, detraction there.  But with the CJs everything just seemed in perfect balance - they are almost like coherence-machines in terms of helping achieve that in any speakers I've used.  They somehow do the tube magic thing, while also disappearing because nothing wrong or obvious sticks out either. No fat bottom bass, rolled off highs or whatever.

I just figured that VAC may provide a step up from the CJs, perhaps in terms of further transparency or other goodies.
safebelayer
66 posts
 
VAC, inseparable from Kevin Hayes and that's a great thing.  Kevin's passion and expertise brings value beyond what you hear from your speakers.  For instance, Kevin doesn't voice his equipment to anyone one speaker model, brand or type.  He's been known to half the distribution of an app because it didn't sound quite right with one speaker out of many.  That's dedication and customer service before there's even one customer.

I own the Standard 160 Musicblocs and my brother owns the Phi 300.1. I have Nola Contenders speakers, which the VAC 160s have more than enough power, but have great dynamics across the full range. My brother runs 86db sealed speakers that the Phi 300.1 handles better than his previous Lamm mono amps.

Beautiful amps made with passion, to last for decades with excellent sound quality.


More to discover