I think many people purchased the 140 not giving too much thought to its size or the need for a truly superb front end. There is no question that it is a big amp, 18x18 and 95 pounds. There may even be some perceptions that because it is not a "typical CJ mono block" that it is not as good as it could be. Well, this is a wrong assumption. It is CJ's best tube amp to date and only the Premier 350 is better. It is liquid, specific, and musical. I cannot emphasize enough that specificity and musicality are its true signature. You are in the room with the musicans. As mentioned, the real issue, is that to get the most out of this amp, you need a very, very good front end. If people bought the amp hoping for the moon and did not quite reach it. I doubt if it was the amp.
Any Problems with Conrad Johnson Premier 140?
I see a surprising number of Premier 140's available on the used market. Is this indicative of problems with this fairly recent offering from C-J? The amp sounds very interesting to me for running my Totem Mani-2's, but I don't need to court trouble. (Been down that road with ARC Classic 120's!)