VTL 5.5 VS CJ Premier 17

Geez, sorry :-)

Don't listen to the guys promoting the Premier 14. I had one for years while my audiobuddies bit their tongues (as they told me after I got the 17LS2).

Well,you have to know the old geezers really miss the old tube sound. And you will probably admit CJ has gone neutral for the last few years to a lot of people's dismay.

As for me, I'm back to audio and I'm actually into the CJ sound. But I'm still exploring to find if another type of sound could satisfy me. I've tried an Aesthetix Calypso in my system but found it too detailed in the highs for my taste although it is a superb machine. The VTL 5.5 is close to what I'm accustomed to and it gave in my system what I'm looking for : more dynamics and more air between instruments than my actual CJ preamp. But at the price it is for a new unit, I wonder if it is superior to the CT6 or even the Premier 17 LS knowing very well the LS2 is better.

Really? "The old geezers really miss the old tube sound." I'm 78. Where does that put me? Oh, and I love my Calypso.

:-)

Yeah the CJ Premier 14 is a very warm preamp with the traditional CJ Premier 11/12 sound of the EL34's... The Resister volume control is physically really loud and it doesn't provide a wide range of increments. The newer CJ gear is more transparent and more neutral. Since you have compared it, the VTL 5.5 is also the more romantic of the VTL preamps in sound (it's not warm) but when you hear the VTL 6.5 (you realise what it does wrong(only if you have 20hz speakers the bass is a little flabby but it could have been my input tubes..)) The VTL 6.5 is a STUNNER!!! But it better be for the price it commands, the VTL 5.5 with a phono preamp is a bargain!

HAHA Dopogue,

Well my old geezer buddies are both over sixty and miss their Premier 14s. I'll have them look at this thread and ask them to finally evolve !

Regards !