Need advice on CJ preamps

I have owned a premier 14 for about 10 years and have thoroughly enjoyed it. I use mullard and hitachi NOS tubes - mix and match.

Don't know what amp you use unless I missed it above, CJ preamps typically have a high output impedance which might require careful matching with some amps.

Pops, all I can say is that you'd LOVE a 17LS2 :-)

The main reason I ditched mine is that it had no polarity switch and I have very
polarity-sensitive speakers. I just got tired of switching speaker cables all the
time. But then I came to realize that the Calypso had a lot more to offer than
polarity-switching.

EDIT: I went through the same tube-rolling as you did on the 14 and came to
the same conclusions. Still have a sackful of used 6GK5s if you want them.

Nice Dopogue, I remember our conversations about the premier 14. I would love a 17LS2! I know Asthetics make nice preamps, that would be my next logical move in my mind - I mean preamp. I don't change components that often and the CJ is my oldest component - so you know what that means!

My amps input impedance are 10K which has always moved my interest away from CJ since they typically have a higher output impedance.

Pops, you may already know this, but the Premier 14 uses a cathode-follower output, so its output impedance is 'low'.

1. When one can buy NOS Mullard 6GK5s for $15 per 5...
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vacuum-Tubes-6GK5-MULLARD-UK-5-NOS-NIB-/330602242584?pt=Vintage_Electronics_R2&hash=item4cf96de218
...why switch to another tube?

2. The Premier 14 uses only one coupling cap per channel in the signal path, a 2-times-2uF pair. I suspect they're c-j's 'styrenes.
3. Replacing these output couplers probably would be quite easy, and one wouldn't necessarily need 4uF, either, depending on the input impedance of the poweramp.
4. The PS regulator-output cap is a 2uF, and that too would be easy to upgrade.

I suspect anyone doing these upgrades would end up with a VERY-fine-sounding linestage preamp for not much money.
.

IMO, and apparently in CJ's opinion too, 6GK5s are not exactly world-beaters, Mullard or no. You'll note that no current model CJ uses them, unless I've missed something. My DIY audiobuddies keep trying to find a use for the ones I had left over, and keep giving them back to me!