CJ custs – please help me get rid of my headache

As the series get newer, the old CJ sound gets less and less. The MV-45,50,52...midrange and seductive EL-34 magic will not be present anywhere near the degree you had. I too had EL-34 based power amps and when I finally switched to my current CJ Premier 12's (6550's which I started with and then to KT-88's which I'm currently using)the sound became more extended/somewhat faster and articulate...you might even say more "accurate" but the EL-34 mid-magic wasn't there. My solution was a lot of work and expense but I ended up buying another amp (EL-34 based) and bi=amped my speakers with the EL-34's on the midrange/tweeter and the CJ KT-88's on the woofers. After MUCH work with crossovers and the like, I finally managed to get that sound back.

..just for the halibut.....try PURIST cables. Borrow a pair, but although these cables to me in MY system are not true to life, they bring out that "midrange magic" you're missing.

I had an MV-52 for years with a PV-11 that was very nice. Eventually upgraded to the Premier 16LSII and the Premier 11a. That was a very nice and easy to identify upgrade even for friends who are not audiophiles. So I would try the Premier 11a. they tend to go for around $1500-1950.

You might want to invest in a set of 12's wired for triode EL 34's. This would give you a nice cj look with some headroom with the monoblocks.

You have a lot of options in the EL34 tube amp area if you leave cj but with your system (which I would love to hear) staying with cj makes sense.

I own a set of 12's with backert mods and enjoy them immensely but know where your coming from as I have friends with 300B SET's (Glorious) and Cary V12 monoblocks (EL 34's although running 6550's now) and that EL 34/triode sound is certainly appealing.

Have Fun!

Greetings,

Thanks all for your thoughts.

Coming to the forefront would be the Premier 11 or 12’s.

Did not know the 11 or 12’s could be bought that are wired for triode EL 34's - so, onto CJ's website.

From CJ’s website: “The Eleven-XS is an Eleven-A with the output stage configured to use a pair of EL34s operated as triodes”. The same is put forth for the 12's. Very interesting, but I’ve never seen an 11-XS or a set of 12-XS's for sale - are these extremely rare?

Steelhead - Saying you would like to hear my system is quite a nice compliment – thank you. I do like the articulation that is without edge and there is a great soundstage. The all CJ pieces look pretty cool together as well.

Randy

It sounds like you've almost decided so I hope that this doesn't muddy the water for you. As Lissnr stated, as you move forward in time the c-j amps in my limited experience change somewhat in character. I own both the Premier 11A and the Premier 140 (although it's currently out of commission). Both are excellent amps IMHO and share the c-j house sound (for their 6550 based amps) but there are significant differences. I find the 140 to be more neutral, extended at the frequency extremes and it throws a larger, more well-defined sound stage. The 11A is no slouch, however, in any of these areas and it's only in comparison to the 140 that it pales a little bit. On the plus side, the 11A can be had for about half the 140's price, is cheaper to re-tube at least when it comes to output tubes and is the slightly sweeter of the two. This last point is most likely due to the 6922 and 6H30 tubes in the 140 versus the 5751 and 6CG7 in the 11A.

Push came to shove, I'd go for the 140 but that's only my opinion. The only common pieces we have are the 16 LS preamp (actually, I have the 16 LS2) so we may be talking a totally different frame of reference but I think generally speaking, you'd hear the differences I'm describing.