2. amps-preamps
  3. 1012246922

Help needed.

OK - I was originally going to purchase a C.J. Premier 18 Pre-Amp based on the suggestions of a local high end audio dealer. This Sunday - I brought back my test disks to listen and my purchase decision had changed drastically.

The Premier 18 sounded fabulous on the mids - warm and sweet. However, the highs were a little bright for my taste - almost harsh of Reference Recordings "Pomp and Pipes" The bass also seemed lacking quite a bit on Reference Recordings "Tutti" disk - Stravinski Fire Bird.

Next we moved on to a Krell KRC-3 - while the Bass was more present, it still didn't feel right. The highs were strident and ringy - especially on "Pomp and Pipes" and Wynton Marsalis - "Music for Baroque Trumpet" (a 24 bit recording).

However...we then hooked up a C.J. PV-14L and the magic started happening. The mids were warm and sweet - just the way I like them. But now the bass (esp. the Bass Drum slams in the Fire Bird) - felt penetrating (how the Tube CJ did this better than the Krell I don't know). The highs were also very nice - in fact this pre made me want to listen to more and more.

So my questions - what have you all heard about the CJ PV-14L? Am I making a mistake? Should I listen to other pre's before making the plunge into tubes? What should I know about tubes before making the plunge - as I have no 'tube' experience at all.

Any help from the group will be appreciated!

Erik
ndmaitre

Showing 1 response by sean

sean
6,231 posts
 
If you find a tubed unit that you like the sound of, buy THAT specific one. Tell the dealer that you want THAT one and tell him to take into account that it is a demo. If he wants to make the sale, he'll work with you. He might not have a demo unit until he can get another one in, but it is better to have an empty spot in the rack than to miss a sale.

Keep in mind that tubes don't last forever and you may have to replace them sometime down the road. As such, the sound of the unit WILL change. Luckily, tubes in pre's can last a LONG time, so this isn't something that you should worry about for some time to come. Sean
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