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It says something for the state of technology that, after a quarter of a century, there still is no authoritative explanation for why so many high-end audiophiles prefer tubes. Tubes not only refuse to die, they seem to be Coming back. The number of US and British firms making high-end tube equipment is growing steadily, and an increasing number of comparatively low-priced units are becoming available. There is a large market in renovated or used tube equipment—I must confess to owning a converted McIntosh MR-71 tuner—and there are even some indications that tube manufacturers are improving…
It is tempting to focus on short-term differences, and to ignore the fact that you're looking for equipment that gets the best out of a broad collection of records, tapes, CDs, and FM broadcasts, and on which you can listen for hours without reminders that your equipment is introducing unpleasant or constantly detectable colorations. By comparison, transistor equipment always has a distinctly less musical sonic fingerprint than does tubed equipment—either in the form of dryness or harshness in the upper octaves or a distinct loss of detail.
The end result was that both the Conrad-…
J. Gordon Holt reviewed the Conrad-Johnson Premier Three in May 1985 (Vol.8 No.2):
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…
Overall Conclusion
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…
J. Gordon Holt returned to the Premier Three in August 1985 (Vol.8 No.4):
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…
Sidebar: Specifications
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: $…
Okay, here you are: You're a Real World music lover trying to sling together a Real World hi-fi rig. You gotcha budget-king NAD/Rotel/JVC/Pioneer CD player, your SOTA Comet/Sumiko Blue Point analog rig, and your cool-man NHT/PSB/Definitive Technology entry-level speakers. Hell, you've even gone out and bought a few pairs of Kimber PBJ interconnects to hook it all up. This ain't no dog and pony show—you want that High-End High, not just some cheap'n'cheerful, low-rez rig to stick in the rumpus room so the kids can listen to that weak-ass, faux-grunge, watered-down Hendrix-howl that modern-…
I should put this into perspective, though. If you're more accustomed to the higher-end gear in Stereophile's "Recommended Components," you'll be far more sensitive to what both the Adcom and Rotel amps "do" to the sound of a hi-fi rig than most entry-level audiophiles. But you also probably won't be shoppin' for no $350 amplifier, neither!
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…
Sidebar 1: Specifications
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…
Sidebar 2: Systems
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…