Oldnslow: I bought a C-J PV-11 here on Audiogon about 4 years ago. Not sure when they started, but I have had some issues with it. First, like yourself, I get an intermittent high-pitched whine or whistle out of one channel. After two re-tubes (one done by myself, one done by C-J), I still have this issue. I think it is tube related, since moving positions on the tubes moves the whine. Second, I have a fairly pronounced channel imbalance. It is big enough that the PV-11's balance control is not always able to compensate. This is also variable, and seems to deteriorate as the PV-11 warms up.
A year ago, I sent the unit into C-J for a retube, repair of the channel balance issue, and check-up. Although C-J is pleasent to deal with, they could not reproduce the channel imbalance in their lab. The unit got a clean bill of health from C-J, but the two issues persisted after the check up and retube.
Although I found the PV-11 to be very musical and detailed, I was not willing to make any more attempts to repair it. I decided to go in another direction, which so far seems to be a success. However, I did stay with a tubed pre. This is the only tubed component in my rig, and I feel tubes provide a certain musicality that a 100% SS system cannot. YMMV, but before you commit, try to audition whatever $2K SS preamp you have in mind in your system, and judge for yourself. If the PV-11 did not have these two issues, I could have lived with it for many more years. It is quiet (for a tube pre), dynamic, detailed, natural sounding and fairly extended. That said, my replacement preamp offers even more detail, a better soundstage and more bottom-end extension.
If you are willing to spend the money to use RHB Design's services, perhaps they can do a better job than C-J itself. I considered it, but the idea of taking a big, non-reversable chance that RHB could fix everything and improve the PV-11 appealed less to me than just getting something a bit better, with none of the issues of my PV-11, and add some long-desired features as well.
Let us know how you make out!
A year ago, I sent the unit into C-J for a retube, repair of the channel balance issue, and check-up. Although C-J is pleasent to deal with, they could not reproduce the channel imbalance in their lab. The unit got a clean bill of health from C-J, but the two issues persisted after the check up and retube.
Although I found the PV-11 to be very musical and detailed, I was not willing to make any more attempts to repair it. I decided to go in another direction, which so far seems to be a success. However, I did stay with a tubed pre. This is the only tubed component in my rig, and I feel tubes provide a certain musicality that a 100% SS system cannot. YMMV, but before you commit, try to audition whatever $2K SS preamp you have in mind in your system, and judge for yourself. If the PV-11 did not have these two issues, I could have lived with it for many more years. It is quiet (for a tube pre), dynamic, detailed, natural sounding and fairly extended. That said, my replacement preamp offers even more detail, a better soundstage and more bottom-end extension.
If you are willing to spend the money to use RHB Design's services, perhaps they can do a better job than C-J itself. I considered it, but the idea of taking a big, non-reversable chance that RHB could fix everything and improve the PV-11 appealed less to me than just getting something a bit better, with none of the issues of my PV-11, and add some long-desired features as well.
Let us know how you make out!