Conrad Johnson MV60SE vs. Audio Research VS55

The MV60SE does not have teflon caps. It is an amazing transformation. More detail. More music. More open. Quieter, smoother. It will sound like a new amp 10+ times better. But it takes 200 hours to burn in the new caps. A wait very much worth while. Call CJ and talk to them. Don't rely on us.

There was an indirect comparison (back to back reviews) about a year ago between the MV60 (not se version) and the ARC in HiFi+. Their conclusion was that the CJ, even then, was a better amp. From my personal experience, the MV60SE is a clear winner. Dynamic, specific, musical, wide and deep soundstage, defined bass. The ACR is not as detailed or specific. The bass is not as tight and overall comes off sounding dry, maybe even sterile.

You can now have the caps in the MV 60 upgraded to teflon and that will take you close to CJ premier level performance. If you have the MV 60 consider all the upgrades.