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Conrad-Johnson's top-of-the-line preamp the Premier Three ($2895), is equipped with tubes that C-J claims have been chosen for the best possible sonic qualities. The manufacturer specifically advises against trying other brands (a popular pastime among tube enthusiasts) lest they degrade the sound.

The control lineup on the Premier Three is identical to that on most high-end preamplifiers except for the tape monitor provisions, which are more flexible than most. There are two tape loops and a front…

Which would I buy, the Klyne or the C-J? That could be a tough decision to make, but I think I've made up my mind!

As long-time Stereophile readers may have noticed, I harbor strong ambivalences with regard to the "tubes versus transistors" debate/ Twenty years after transistors were introduced, I have still not really decided which I prefer: ihe clarity, detail, and control of good solid-state equipment, or the euphonic distortions of good tubed components. Tubes have always had a remarkable ability to render front-to-back perspectives and a you-are-there…

The more I listen to this tubed preamplifier, the more I'm convinced that it's a worldbeater, I liked C-J's PV-5 a great deal (particularly with solid-state power amps), but the Premier Three is simply in another class. At this point, it becomes almost mandatory that I audition Audio Research's legendary SP-10 preamp. Until I do, I am prepared to opine that the Premier Three is the best-sounding preamplifier money can buy if you know what live music sounds like.

I still believe the Klyne preamps to be more…

Premier Three: Tubed stereo preamplifier with inputs for phono, tuner, aux, 2 tape loops. Full switching amongst right, left, stereo reverse, and mono. Mute switch. Tube complment: two 12AX7, five 5751, two 5965. RIAA equalization: 20Hz–20kHz, ±0.25dB. Line-stage range: 2Hz–>100kHz. Phono-stage gain: 40dB. THD: <0.05%. IMD: <0.05%. Phono-stage overload level: 500mV at 1kHz. S/N Ratio: 72dB ref. 10mV input (phono stage); 84dB ref. 2.5V output (line stage).
Serial Number: 1501046.
Dimensions: 19" W by 5.5" H by 12.5" D. Weight: 21 lbs.
Price: $…

On the other hand, if you're movin' on up from a cheap mid-fi Japanese receiver, you'll probably find that either of these amps sounds vastly better than what you've been listening to music with. Of course, then you'll be off'n'running down that long…

Description: stereo solid-state amplifier. Output power: 60W into 8 ohms (17.8dBW). Bridged mono output: 180W into 8 ohms (22.6dBW). Peak current: 30A into 0.1 ohm, 10µs. Input sensitivity: 1V RMS. Input impedance: 27k ohms. Frequency response: 15Hz–100kHz, –1dB. S/N ratio: 116dB. Power consumption: 300W.
Dimensions: 17 3/8" W by 3 5/8" H by 13 3/16" D. Weight: 20.2 lbs.
Price: $369.90. Approximate number of dealers: 125.
Manufacturer: Rotel of America, P.O. Box 8, 54 Concord Street, North Reading, MA 01864-0008. Tel: (800) 370-3741. Fax: (508) 664-4109…

As with all the Real World gear I review, I listened to both amps in my Real World system, which is affordable, and my He-Man rig, which is not. The He-Man rig tells me exactly what the gear under review is doing, while the Real World system tells me how much of that info is transportable to a system that's more like the one the gear is likely to be mated with.

My Real World system featured, at one time or another: Sumiko Project One turntable and Oyster cartridge (reviews comin' up); JVC XL-Z1050 CD player; Rotel RCD-955AX CD player; NAD 502 CD player (also…

The Rotel RB-960BX was also hot to the touch after preconditioning at 1/3 power. Its input impedance measured 28k ohms, its 8-ohm gain 27.4dB. The output impedance was below 0.04 ohm from 20Hz to 1kHz, and rose just slightly to under 0.55 ohm at 20kHz. DC offset measured 2mV in the left channel, 1mV in the right. Signal/noise (unweighted at 1W into 8 ohms) measured 90.3dB. The Rotel is noninverting, a positive-going signal at its inputs remaining positive at the outputs.

Fig.1 shows RB-960BX's frequency response at 1W into 8 ohms—virtually flat above 100Hz…

Although I found this quite funny, his reaction exemplifies the quandary of trying to keep pace with the rapidly changing technology of the late 20th century. As the field of audio recording and reproduction becomes more and more sophisticated,…