The "impedance mismatch" you refer to has to do with the ratio of the preamp's output impedance to an amp's input impedance. Basically, the higher the preamp's output impedance is, the higher the amp's input impedance should be. The C-J's design means it will have a somewhat higher output impedance than a lot of other pre's, so don't pair it with an amplifier that has an especially low input impedance. I believe that anything upwards of about 20k ohm for the amp will be OK, and this means most amps will work alright (50 - 100k ohm is typical for many amps). The other possible effects that a highish preamp output impedance could produce are capacitve high-frequency losses if very long cable runs to the amps are required, and there also may be some issues involved with splitting the outputs to feed multiple amps when biamping. I wouldn't hesitate to contact C-J with any questions related to your choice, even if only to double-check what your dealer may tell you.
BAT VK50SE or CJ Premier 16LS Series ll
I have been auditioning preamps for quite some time. I’m basically interested in bi-amping my SS amps with tube preamps, looking to do this right the first time (yeah right! :) I’ve finally narrowed it down to these two fine tube preamps.
Balanced Audio TechnologyVK50SE
Conrad Johnson Premier16LS Series ll
Would anyone be so kind as to share any experiences they may have had with either of these preamps? Would anyone be able to provide a comparison of the two? Any info is appreciated.