CES 2007

"Basically, we're just having too much fun," Conrad-Johnson's Lew Johnson told me. "We're introducing three new state-of-the-art products. Well, the ART Series 3 is more new and improved.

"As you know, we introduced the ART preamp in a limited edition of 250. When we upgraded it to the Art Series 2, we stayed within that number. We recently discovered we still had the metal work for the last 30 unfulfilled ARTs. Not only that, but Bill Conrad and I had I had a few ideas about improving it. As it turned out, we replaced almost everything except the metal work, which makes it a lot more expensive than the original ART at $25,000."

So there's no possibility for upgrading the older ARTs?

"We can do it—and we will do it for our customers, but it's not an inexpensive upgrade since it is so extensive."

Is it worth it?

Lew just grinned widely and nodded his head.