conrad johnson CT6 with solid state amp

The Premier 3 had all the fabled tube richness anyone would want. Don't get me wrong -- the newer CJs are plenty musical, but I associate "tube richness" with a degree of coloration I no longer admire. Yes, I had a Premier 14, and the Premier 17LS2 was a giant step ahead. Lost my CJ allegiance, though, having gone to an Aesthetix Calypso. Everything the Prem 17 did, the Calypso does better, IMHO, but the main reason I bought it was its polarity switch, on the front panel AND on the remote.

Thanks for the replies everyone. I understand that newer cj gear is not as colored as the older gear, but there is a richness or palbability or depth or whatever term you choose in tube gear that most solid state doesn't have. That's why you use tube gear, right Dopogue? I also understand that some people prefer the older gear to the newer, more neutral gear.

So I understand that you prefer the 17LS2 to the CT6 and the Aesthetix Calypso to the 17LS2, but does the CT6 have any of this tube richness without the coloration or is it just a tube preamp that sounds like solid state?

Does anyone else have a tube preamp paired with a ss amp that they feel outperforms the CT6 in this price range? Thanks. Tom

Tom, I would never own a solid state preamp OR amp, so I guess I'm into this "tube richness" thing, like it or not. We're obviously talking semantics here -- your "richness" becoming my "coloration," when we probably mean much the same thing about why we like listening to tube gear. Well, some tube gear in my case -- maybe midway between the older tube stuff and SS.

Bottom line: I had the CT6 in my system for a day and was monumentally underwhelmed, compared to my then-preamp, the Prem 17LS2. The CT6 listed for exactly the same amount -- $4500 -- as the original Premier 17LS, while the Premier 17LS2 upped the ante to $6000, the difference being mostly the teflon caps. Sonically, as the reviews indicated, they were in different leagues.

I have the CT6 paired with the Nuforce 9.02 ssamp and the combo works great. Everytime I think about upgrading I put a CD on and wonder how my system could sound better without spending a small fortune. I have not compared the CT6 to other CJ pre amps but in my system it is a good performer. At its price point it is very competitive.

I can’t comment on the CT6 paired with SS. Mine is paired with tube amps. But the CT6 is very much a TUBE preamp albeit a little dry with the stock tubes. Try using vintage tubes which are a big improvement over the stock. Both Amperex and Siemans will give you what you appear to be looking for.