Vintage Conrad-Johnson
 

Let us what is your favorite Vintage CJ and for which reasons ?

You're going to have to describe the time-frame that defines "vintage" for us, Rafale...then we can post! C-J older than 10 years, 15 years, or >20 years?

;)

To me, vintage is anything before my ET5. Sorry :(

it is the CJ web site definition....
PV1......PV12
MV45....MV125
MF80.....MF5600
PREM1....PREM16
etc

I have a particular affection for the PV10A because it was my first CJ and because I bought it the year of birth of my first child, it was the model without balance and with phono stage. In the time I knew only the English SS integrated and I had never possessed tubed gear. PV10A had an incredible reputation in Great Britain, it was one of rare devices classified Excellent in the HI-FI Choice board. The first time when I listened to it, it was the shock: I remember it very well: the demonstration was made with TRACY CHAPMAN'S LP which I believed to know perfectly...front end was my first LP12 just serviced by the dealer and amp was MV55....i was hooked...I regret having sold it.....I kept it 10 years...

Very nice, touching story. I wish I had discovered C-J long ago.

BTW, I love Tracy Chapman. All of her albums are engineered very well and the acoustics are awesome.

So, I just want to be sure we're on the same page here, because the vintage Premier 1-16 category should also include the Premier 17 as well, as it was a lower-priced version of the Pr16...is that correct?

FWIW, the CT-5 is now listed in the Vintage section, but I don't think we should include it for consideration in this thread as it was just discontinued this year.

you are right Stephen in my mind CT5 is not vintage and Pr17 is borderline because it is up to the new CJ preamp generation
but after all it is in the free choice of each

As the Premier 17 is borderline, I won't include it here, but it's clear it's one of my faves as I've decide to keep it.

So, I'll go in another direction and really go vintage. One of my favorite vintage C-J system is my friend Rob's system: Premier 3 preamp and Premier 5 monoblocks. Both extensively modded by his EE friend, Paul, who really knows tubes. All the C-J caps have been replaced with high-quality paper and oil caps, believe it or not, and Paul has made mods to the power supply as well as other mods. Source are a Logitech Transporter, Mac music server, and a Linn-Sondek LP12 with Linn arm and Dynavector XV-1S cartridge (oh, yeaaahhh!) TT. Speakers are Quad ESL-63s with custom open baffle subs driven by a Bryston SS amp.

This is one the very best systems I've ever heard, bar none. The musicality, transparency, naturalness, detail, imaging and top to bottom coherence are truly remarkable. Music sounds like music on this system.

Stephen....that it is the system which I shall like listening to...