VTL 5.5 VS CJ Premier 17

Cytocycle,

I'm glad you could answer my question. The Premier 14 is highly recommended to me by older buddies who live by the "old" CJ sound. I never heard one. Are you saying the VTL 5.5 would be of the same type of sonic signature with a little more focus ?

And Dopogue, I am in fact looking at the Premier 17 LS2 as an alternative but knowing it would be more expensive on the used market.I have to admit you have posted a lot on that unit and contaminated me with your conviction !

Well,you have to know the old geezers really miss the old tube sound. And you will probably admit CJ has gone neutral for the last few years to a lot of people's dismay.

As for me, I'm back to audio and I'm actually into the CJ sound. But I'm still exploring to find if another type of sound could satisfy me. I've tried an Aesthetix Calypso in my system but found it too detailed in the highs for my taste although it is a superb machine. The VTL 5.5 is close to what I'm accustomed to and it gave in my system what I'm looking for : more dynamics and more air between instruments than my actual CJ preamp. But at the price it is for a new unit, I wonder if it is superior to the CT6 or even the Premier 17 LS knowing very well the LS2 is better.

HAHA Dopogue,

Well my old geezer buddies are both over sixty and miss their Premier 14s. I'll have them look at this thread and ask them to finally evolve !

Regards !

Told you Dopogue. Your conviction is awfully contaminating. Can't argue with you. From what I understand, from you and my buddies, Premier 14 is the last preamp of the old CJ sound. Long time adepts of this brand consider it as the last affordable (on the used market) bloomy, syrupy CJ preamp. For them,everything after that one became too detailed, focused, in brief too neutral and SS sounding.

I'm kind of stuck in the middle. My buddies have been of CJ for more than 20 years and they are the ones that introduced me to tube sound, their own tube sound. But it doesn't mean I am a pure CJ adept and I'm exploring. For the time beeing, I've discovered the VTL 5.5 is the closest thing to the old CJ sound with a little less roll off in the highs. It's dynamics and airness is probably close to a CT6 or 17 LS1. But how far is it from those, sonically considering the MSRP is lower than the CJ's. I know, mainly from your comments, that the 17LS2 is going to bring everything further. It is a classic and a long term investment but will it chase out my good buddies from my listening room ? HAHA that could be a break ! I know it is going to be more neutral, more neutral than the 17 LS1 but I don't know by how much.

The thing that confuses me is the fact you changed from your praised 17 LS2 to a Calypso. Now that one I've tried in my system and I got fatigued in 10 minutes. Much too detailed in the highs for me. I couldn't hear the richness of the midrange anymore, totally eclipsed by the incredible dynamics in the high and lower frequencies.I'd probably appreciated it more with some tube rolling or cable changes but still. If you tell me the 17 LS2 represents the rest area between a syrupy Premier 14 and a Calypso, well I know at least on which road I will keep rolling.

Thanks for all comments until now !

Thanks for all your answers.