Anyone have any experience with or heard the Conrad Johnson Classic Sixty Tube Amplifier? I don't have a dealer near me, but am looking for an amp to pair with a CJ Classic Preamp and B&W 805S speakers.
Aren't most tube amps a little light on the bass? I have never heard one that can go as low as solid state. Is that a fair criticism of CJ gear when most tube amps have same issue?
not in my auditions. I will say that if one prefers electric guitar/electric bass- driven music, a solid state power amp is the way to go. Faster attack to my ears.
The CJ Classic 60se has enough "juice" to drive B&W 801/802D floorstanding speakers.
I have the CJ Classic Sixty SE with an ET5 preamp, driving Devore Super 8s. A magical combination! In my setup, I find the Devores to be light on bass, so I supplement with a Rythmik F12G-SE subwoofer. The Rythmik blends seamlessly, so I find the whole setup to be the best of all worlds.
No most tube amps are not light on bass. In fact I find them to do bass much better than solid-state amps. It's true solid-state is tighter but does not sound natural to my ears.
I think tube amps and ss amps tend generally to have different bass quality. If you did a frequency response check, I doubt that a steady state frequency response check would show much difference.
But dynamically, there is a tremendous difference in each type's typical damping factor. Tubes are rather low and ss is rather high. A low damping factor can make the bass sound quite ripe and thus give the impression of a fuller bass. An ultra high damping factor can yield a very tight bass, which ironically can sound somewhat lean. But it really isn't. Synergy with the right speakers is key.
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