If it sounds good to your ears, why replace it unless you just got to have a new toy? Why not recap it? The tubes and caps are really the only parts of real concern...
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10,000 hours on a tube preamp is nothing. I have much more than that on my ARC Ref5SE.
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I have been an active audiophile for about fifty years. Typically I upgrade my system about every seven to ten years with new equipment. I found for me every ten years represents a very significant improvement in performance, worthy of upgrading. I have stayed with some brands and experienced different brands.
This is me. But my reaction after ten years has always been, “wow, I didn’t think that big a difference was possible.”
‘Also, around fifteen years performance starts to be impacted by age… by twenty most things are not sounding that good compared to when new. It happens so slowly it is not obvious, and is easy to conflate with new equipment’s better performance.
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With tube (non-transistor) Pre & Amp components, change to modern designs is not always better imo. Maintenance for checking and ensuring tubes, caps, bias - is required, periodically. My current mono tube amps model a basic design from 50 years ago. Comparing sound between Old vs New designs can be telling too.
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I also have a Premier 17 ls in my system. It has performed flawlessly for over 20 years. I've re-tubed it 3-4 times. I have absolutely no intentions of replacing it. I also run a C-J amp, all tube. Wonderful equipment!
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If you still like the sound of your CJ Premier, Look for a good repair shop and have them give it a “tuneup”. They will clean what needs to be cleaned, replace the capacitors in the power supply and anywhere else they think should be replaced and treat yourself to a new set of tubes. Then you can enjoy the CJ for another 20 years.😁
All the best.
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I had an all Conrad Johnson system including Premier 15, 16 and 12’s for many years of trouble free service. After 20 yrs. the caps may begin to dry out but chances are nothing to worry about quite yet. As long as you like the CJ sound I’d look to replace the Quicksilver amps with newer CJ amps. Quite a few you could choose from depending upon whether you like the older CJ sound or want to “modernize” a bit with the newer more neutral CJ sound. One of the LP models of their amps would match up nicely with the Pr17. You could also consider upgrading your preamp with CJ’s Teflon caps, unless you have the Series II which already has them. They’re expensive but take that preamp up several notches. Also try the Conrad Johnson Owners Group website to maybe get some other recommendations for specific CJ amps that fit your budget. I was just on the site and see where Lew Johnson just posted he will be reviewing what in his opinion were the 10 most significant products during his tenure. Maybe get some ideas from one of the founders. Good luck.
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Having the caps checked is a good idea. I have thought about CJ Power Amps. Being that I have tried a variety of output tubes in the Quicksilvers ( 6550s, KT88, and EL 34s ) I have come to prefer the sonic signature of the EL34 tube over the others mentioned. So something like a CJ Classic 60 would be a consideration. Can't say it would be an improvement over the Quicksilvers. Anyone compared them?
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It does depend on the ones confidence around tasks usually undertaken by a EE.
I have experienced Valve Amplification where the foundation of the Amp' has been its very aged Output Transformers, that are repurposed using modern parts for the Schematic and Topology.
Any Amp' from a particular time frame can have a Circuit assessed for the measured accuracy of parts used.
Exchanging Parts for many is not too much of a chore or a concern.
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I recently tly purchased a 20 year old pair of Atma-Sphere MA-1s. They were purchased from a dealer and had been recapped and retubed. They sounded better than anything I'd had in my system or that I'd heard at a shop. My point is that some of that technology hasn't changed all that much. If you like your CJ then consider getting it recapped and after 10k hours maybe replace the tubes.
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well, the favorite conrand johnson preamps are PV5, premier 3 and PV8, which are...i dunno. late 80s and early 90s.
one of the consensus best is marantz 7, another is citation 1, another the audio research sp-3(A)-1.
serious tube people are still crazy about several oof the HH scott preamps, integrateds...maybe an eico also. i forget.
there are more to mention.
some of the best tube gear is vintage, some of it is a few years old, some of it is current production.
im not familiar with your conrad.
ive had old tube preamps and found it worthwhile to service, maintain and increase the performance but improving parts quality and whatever upgrades are most appropriate. basic service is a recap, and it goes from there.
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I agree. You really need to be asking this question on the Conrad Johnson Owners group. There, you will find a lot of very knowledgeable audiophiles who have experience with CJ equipment. The LS17 is a classic. At one time, it was highly regarded by many users. If you are interested in having it serviced, call CJ. For what it’s worth, I would only have CJ service the unit. I’m a longtime CJ owner - amp, preamp, and CD player.
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There is no simple answer to this question. if it sounds good, i would not do anything to it until it shows signs of needing work. I know of many amps and linestages that are decades older than yours that work perfectly well. A friend has a terrific sounding amp that is about 75 years old.
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I have a pair of Luxman MB3045s from 1974 that still sound spectacular. As mentioned, tubes and caps are really the only parts of concern. Have it tuned up and brought back in spec and it may out last you.
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IMO after 15 years capacitors especially start drying out ,they may still work
but you can loose well over 15-20% of its true fidelity
having been into modding for over 20 years i know 1st hand, and rebuild my own
Loudspeaker Xovers since the vast majority from the factory use at best average quality ,they are never-concerned about the Absolute best unless you are spending 3-4 x the average per component .8 owned a Audio store for a decade so speak through experience.
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I’ve never owned Quicksilver but have heard them many times. I think the CJ amps better them in both build and sound quality. If you like the EL34 power tube look for a Premier 11xs with Teflon caps. They’re very hard to find so you’ll have to be patient. They’re also only 30w so be sure they will work with your speakers. Premier 12xs is another more powerful option. I owned them. Also hard to find. Both will be an excellent match with your preamp. If you can find either amp with Teflon caps it will mean they’ve been updated, probably in the last 10yrs (or less), and will give you many more years of service. The Classic 60 that you mention would also be an excellent option and would begin to give you the more modern CJ sound.
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I've owned a CJ PV6 for 40 years. It has been in constant service. The CJ tech replaced/upgraded the caps to their new type in 2017. I played it 8-12 hours a day since it returned having been blessed by CJ. I just have had to replace the tubes. It sounds great and I would put it up against any modern unit that is comparable.
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I have tube amps from the 50s, 60s, 70s, and 90s, plus a Had Inspire KT88 just for fun, and tube preamps from the 50s, 60s, 70s, and 90s. They each have been restored to daily driver status, some with upgrades to the original intent, but I haven't heard anything in modern tube gear (within a budget of $4-5k) that compels me to replace them. I'm sure there's something marginally better out there, but probably not at a price I'm willing to pay.
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I think its prudent to check electrolytics after 20-30 years. Its easy to visually inspect them for swelling and leaking of the liquid. If there is a leak, definitely replace. The first caps after the rectifier have the most stress, so might need new ones even if other caps are ok. I had a dynakit from the 1950s, and its cap was ok. I looked at voltages, and I looked at the waveform of the B+ at the cap tabs and could see the caps smoothing out the signal. I have a capacitor checker as well. So I don’t think age of a device makes replacement necessary as long as you like how it performs.
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If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
Some of the best sound you'll ever hear in a preamp is a classic Mac C22.
I once heard a Fisher 400 CX-2 (The President) and was amazed at how good it sounded.
If you're worried about your C-J, take it to a good tech for a once over. Hi-end audio of the month club is for crazies.
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How old is too old... As long as it sounds good to you, have the cash to fix it when it does go haywire, and I think the most important, having the original manufacturer repair the component. Makers such as Audio research, Pass Labs, Lamm to name just a few, have goodies now 30+ years old, and they still service their equipment, so long as it hasn't been monkeyed with. These companies' service departments are well known, friendly, low drama, and easy to work with.
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I have a ~1964 HH Scott LK-150 tube amp that I rotate into my main system periodically… it sounds amazing. I bought, and subsequently sold, several “high profile” modern/current model amps because they didn’t sound better (overall) than the Scott. It has had a number of its old internal parts replaced, but it hasn’t been modified, so it’s essentially stock. My main speakers are Magnepan 3.7s used with a Speltz Zero to raise their impedance. The combination sounds beautiful.
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Todays' wry comment:
Tube equipment fans have an edge on SS equipment.
It's a nice 'back-up' source of heat; every BTU might count for those not normally faced with single-digit temps day and negative ones at night.
Play loud and long, y'all. ;) 👍
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