Which is REALLY the best Conrad Johnson Preamp

If you ask CJ the only sensible answer is the most expensive currently produced model. I don't know a lot about them but give them credit for using 5751s in a commercial product and personally like the warmth nay virtual glow from the old PV 10. When people ask me for a warm sounding pre I send them to listen to CJ products.

I bought a Premier 10 locally which apparently is the same preamp as the Premier 14 without the remote. I also have a VTL Ultimate which I have used for some time. The VTL is much more neutral but the CJ is more engaging to listen to. It is quite interesting to go back and forth listening to them. The VTL seems more transparent but the CJ has that midrange bloom with better soundstaging. The VTL has better definition and dynamics but the music seems more alive with the CJ. Maybe the CJ is a guilty pleasure. Wondering if these later CJ preamps would be more like the VTL. Seems that the later CJ 16 had better definition than the Premier 14/10 from what I read. With the Premier 10 it is more fun to listen to Classical music . It sure makes CD more listenable!

I started with a pv10a which seemed glorious as long as I didn't push too hard. After leaving c-j for a number of other brands, I eventually came back as follows:

Pr 17 nice
Pr 17s2 big improvement and easily the best buy
Pr 16 nice, but not really an improvement over the 17s2 to me
Pr 16s2. again, nice but for $$ the 17s2 was a better buy
CT-5 big step up in transparancy but still tonally wonderful. My favorite preamp that I have heard.

I have not heard the current line up of ET-3, ET-5 or GAT. My only temptation would be to consider an ET-3SE with phono and down size the CT-5 and pr 15 to save some money/space, but only a thought at this time.

I also have not heard the CT-6 or the Pr 14 and 18's, but I assume they all have similar sonic signatures. I personally prefer the c-j sound to any solid state I have heard or to the Audio Research pieces I have tried. Of course, everyone's taste is different.

Regards,
Paul

I would say the first ART and Premier 16 were the best CJ pres. Because they were built in the transition between the older "CJ sound", lush anf warm with blooming midrange and the neutrality of the newer lines.

Best of both world !

I loved my pv10 for same reasons as Mechans above.