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new CJ sound compared to old CJ sound

I am considering going back to a CJ linestage. Having owned the ART, the 16LS series 1 , and the premier 14 , I am familiar with the great dynamics, dimensionality, and that draw you in to the music quality those units had while in front of my old premier 8a amps. I was wondering if any of you have had any experience w/ the CT-5 or ACT2, and how the new CJ house sound may compare w/ the previous units I have owned. It would not be much of a surprise to hear the newer models are quieter, more dynamic, and have greater detail, but do they still retain all the qualities of the older units while doing so?
fjn04
cellorover
417 posts
 
I have heard the CT-5/LP 70 and CA 200 and have to say that my immediate reaction, aside from Wow, was how quiet and pure the sound was. I think neutral is a new reality and companies are finally learning how to get there. The new CJ sound is neutral and musical. They have not deviated from their roots, just improved upon them, maybe even come closer to perfecting them. It is not lean at all. I hear live music daily and know the difference between lean and electronically interferred with. CJ is accurate and musical. As we reach neutral we will see that many speaker companies are far from there, as are cables and digital. But, back to CJ. IMO they are on the right track and the new equipment is worth a serious listen. I for one will go with one of the new amps and keep it for a long time. CJ has allowed me to get off the amplifier merry-go-round. Cheers to Lew and Bill!
downunder
1,329 posts
 
this is the great thing about hifi. everyone's taste is different. One person's neutrality is another's brightness and visa versa.

My tastes are firmly in the slightly euphonic warm personality with midrange clarity and musical drive which enables me to enjoy ALL of my music, not just audiophile recordings .
always a balancing act thou to go too fare in either direction.

Cary seems to do that more than the current cj range of neutrality.
flg2001's avatar
flg2001
543 posts
 
Interesting thread - have you noticed that CJ users/owners place musicality on top of their evaluation parameters?

I am currently using no-preamp (yes - I said I had a Hovland with the Premier 8s earlier in this thread, but now it is gone) and placed an Axiom Passive (I am again in the passive preamp route) and acheiving great results in terms of transparency, speed, resoution and.. musicality.

Cheers

Fernando
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