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Fig.5 Conrad-Johnson ART, distortion (%) vs output voltage into 600 ohms (top) and 100k ohms (bottom).
Fig.6 Conrad-Johnson ART, dynamic distortion (%) vs output voltage into 100k ohms (black), 10k ohms (red), and 1k ohm (blue).
Description: Dual-chassis, remote-controlled, tube line stage.
Tube complement: ten 6922 dual triodes.
Inputs: five single-ended on RCAs; two processor loops.
Outputs: two single-ended on RCAs; two processor loops.
Frequency range: 2Hz-100kHz (no limits given).
Polarity: inverts phase. Maximum voltage gain: 26dB. Maximum output: 15V.
Hum and noise: 100dB below 2.5V output.
Distortion at 1V output: 0.25% THD or IMD.
Output impedance: 500 ohms.
Dimensions: 19" W by 3.75" H by 15.25" D, each chassis.
Weight: 50 lbs, total…
LP playback: Linn LP12/Lingo/Cirkus with Naim Armageddon Power Supply, Naim ARO tonearm, van den Hul Frog cartridge; Ekos tonearm, Arkiv phono cartridge.
CD playback: Audio Research CD2, Mark Levinson No.39, Meridian 508-24.
Phono preamplifiers: Conrad-Johnson Premier Fifteen, Linn Linto, Naim Prefix.
Power amplifiers: Conrad-Johnson Premier Eleven A, Krell FPB 600, Mark Levinson No.33H.
Loudspeakers: B&W Silver Signature, Dynaudio Contour 3.3, EgglestonWorks Andra, ProAc Response One SC; REL Studio II subwoofer.
Cables: Kimber KCAG and WireWorld GEI…
Jonathan Scull wrote about the Conrad-Johnson ART Series 2 in June 2002 (Vol.25 No.6):
Conrad-Johnson Design (footnote 1) The name rings quite a bell, doesn't it? I began my audiophile doings with a sweet demo PV-5 preamp and a used MV-50 power amp. When Kathleen blew up one of the MV50's old Mullard tubes in a shower of sparks, I informed her with a sad, sad look that the amp was toast.
I'd always wanted to listen to C-J's ART (for Anniversary Reference Triode) preamplifier, and got my chance recently, when Lew Johnson and Tor Sivertsen showed up at our door with one, before we…
High-end audio has always been a tricky business, and in recent years it's become more so. Home theater is pulling in one direction, and MP3, iPods, and the Internet are pulling in another. And customer expectations—not just of sound quality, but also of usability and integration into their space and lives—are spiraling upward. The companies that are thriving amid these pressures seem to have adopted one of two strategies: either they focus more narrowly and try to convince the world to accept their vision, or they evolve their products in an attempt to anticipate the market.
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Like the players from GamuT (the $2999 CD 1), Wadia (the $3250 830 and $7950 861), and Cary (the $3000 CD-303/200) that I've auditioned, the $2250 D30.2 sounded excellent. However, it lacked the sort of single, distinguishing characteristic that each of those other players has. What the Primare had was a natural ease, and a beguiling sweetness across the midrange. On Patricia Barber's Nightclub (CD, Premonition/Blue Note 27290 2), this was most noticeable as a lovely, clear ring in piano notes, and the lush richness of the cymbals' bell-like low-frequency component. I was also struck by the…
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: CD player with 8x-oversampling, Burr-Brown DF1704 digital filter and 4 Burr-Brown PCM1704 DACs. Analog outputs: 1 pair unbalanced (RCA), 1 pair balanced (XLR). Digital outputs: 1 S/PDIF (RCA). Output level: fixed, 2.2V unbalanced, 4.4V balanced. Frequency response: 20Hz-20kHz, +0/-0.2dB. Output impedance: 100 ohms. THD+noise: 0.01%, 20Hz-20kHz (no reference level stated). Signal/noise: 100dB (A-weighted, no reference level stated). Power consumption: <7.5W standby, <13.5W standby with Fixed Power on, <23.5W playing.
Dimensions: 17" (…
Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment
Analog source: VPI HR-X turntable & JMR tonearm, Grado Statement Reference cartridge.
Digital source: Burmester 001, Cary Audio Design CD-303/200, Wadia 830 and 861 CD players.
Preamplifier: VAC CPA1 Mk.III, Placette Remote Volume Control.
Power amplifiers: VTL Ichiban, Mark Levinson No.20.6 monoblocks.
Loudspeakers: Thiel CS6.
Cables: Nirvana S-X Ltd., Audience Au24 & PowerChords, Kimber Kable AGTC.
Accessories: Merrill equipment rack; Bright Star, SSC, Finite Elemente Cera-ball, AudioQuest isolation products; Nordost ECO3, Disc…
Sidebar 3: Measurements
The Primare D30.2 had excellent error-correction, the intentional gaps in the data spiral on the Pierre Verany Test CD not leading to audible glitches until they were 2.4mm in length—way better than is required by the CD Standard. The maximum output level from the unbalanced output jacks was 1.35dB higher than the CD standard's 2V RMS, at 2.34V. As expected, this exactly doubled from the balanced jacks, and neither output inverted signal polarity. (The XLRs are wired with pin 2 "hot.") The output impedance was to specification across the audioband, at 98 ohms…