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Conrad-Johnson Premier 16LS preamplifier

I like stories with happy endings.

My Conrad-Johnson story began in the mid-'80s, by which time I had a demo PV-5 hitched to a used Conrad-Johnson MV-50. Made a nice combo. They powered a rewired pair of B&W Matrix 802s, a Well Tempered Record Player, and an early CD player.

The "old look" MV-50 was fitted with a beat old set of Mullard EL34 tubes. One night, while K-10 had the music cranked way high, one EL34 let go with a spectacular light show. It was just the tube, but I clucked fretfully over the amp, all the while muttering about "power requirements." And that'…

Conrad-Johnson Premier 16LS preamplifier Page 2

Very Philip Johnson...
The preamp is somewhat deco in overall styling, while still retaining a sense of the modern. The faceplate resembles the ART's and is made of thick extruded aluminum. Along the lower left front are an array of buttons: Source, EPL 1 and 2 (External Processor Loops), and Mute, as well as Volume up and down. To the right of the tubes and below are the Power button and its LED.

Above this row of buttons on the left are two red-tinted "portholes" showing the volume reading of each channel. A third porthole, somewhat more to the right, picks up the signals from the…

Conrad-Johnson Premier 16LS preamplifier Page 3

At the back of the chunky, wide, case you'll find only single-ended connectors, plus a standard 15A IEC mains in. The five line-level inputs are all electrically equivalent to each other. Next on the rear panel are the EPL 1 and 2 ins and outs, on RCAs. I never used 'em, but you can for tape recording. Or they can be pressed into service as two additional line-level inputs!

The preamp outputs are recommended for amplifiers with at least 20k ohms or higher input impedance: Krell FPB 350Mc, check; Cary V12, check; Forsell Statement, check; Linn Klimax (10k ohms), never mind.

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Conrad-Johnson Premier 16LS preamplifier Page 4

The fast'n'easy answer: Just terrific. Sort of like the Audio Research Reference Two Mk.I Michael Fremer reviewed last September, before the Minnesota company decided to "upgrade" to the Russian 6H30 SuperTubes. I have no idea how the Mk.II sounds, as I haven't heard it, but I hope it's as sweet a li'l number as the Mk.I was.

The Premier 16LS represented for me the sonic melding of the long-promoted but rarely heard "best of both worlds." Don't get me wrong—it's still a Conrad-Johnson, which should be a relief to the many fans C-J has garnered over the years. And it bodes well for the…

Conrad-Johnson Premier 16LS preamplifier Page 5

The 16LS's overall voice is important to note. I found it a hell of a lot more preamp than the rather more primitive PV-5—or the PV9, for that matter. The 16LS had much more extension and detail, its imaging was way better, its air was off the meter, and it was a touch—perhaps a hair—more restrained dynamically than the Lamm L2, the Mark Levinson Reference No.32, or the BAT VK-50SE. But not more than the Krell KCT, which shares that same let's-not-beat-up-on-anyone quality that makes listening to music such fun.

Setting up the 16LS to play SACDs, I dropped in Boulez Conducts Ravel (Sony…

Conrad-Johnson Premier 16LS preamplifier Specifications

Sidebar 1: Specifications

Description: Single-chassis, remote-controlled, tubed line-stage preamplifier. Tube complement: six 6922 dual-triodes. Inputs: five unbalanced (RCA), two processor loops. Outputs: two unbalanced (RCA) plus processor loops (RCA). Frequency response: 2Hz->100kHz. Gain: 26dB. Maximum output: 15V. Distortion (THD or IMD): <0.25% at 1.0V output. S/N ratio: hum and noise, 96dB below 1.0V. Output impedance: 700 ohms. Polarity: inverts phase of all inputs at main outputs.
Dimensions: 19" W by 3.5" H by 15.75" D. Weight: 25 lbs.
Serial number of unit reviewed…

Conrad-Johnson Premier 16LS preamplifier Associated Equipment

Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment

Analog source: Forsell Air Force One turntable and tonearm, vdH Grasshopper IV GLA cartridge.
Digital source: Linn Sondek CD12 CD player, Accuphase DP-100 SACD/CD transport and DC-101 DAC, dCS 972 and Purcell D/D converters, dCS Elgar Plus D/A processor.
Preamplification: Lamm L2, BAT VK-50SE, Krell KCT preamplifiers; Conrad-Johnson Premier Fifteen phono preamplifier.
Power amplifiers: Cary CAD-280SA V12, Forsell Statement, Krell FPB 350mc monoblocks.
Loudspeakers: JMlab Utopia.
Cables: Interconnect: Synergistic Research Designer's Reference…

Conrad-Johnson Premier 16LS preamplifier Measurements

Sidebar 3: Measurements

Measurement-wise, Conrad-Johnson's Premier 16LS was very similar to C-J's Premier 17LS, which Brian Damkroger reviewed for Stereophile in May, in that many of its "static" parameters varied with the setting of the volume control. Fortunately, because of the very high voltage gain—a maximum of 26.6dB, due to the lack of loop negative feedback—the volume control will be used in a position where things are basically okay. Fig.1, for example, shows how the high-frequency rolloff changes from when the volume is set to its maximum, "99" (lower traces), and to the unity-…

Conrad-Johnson Premier 16LS preamplifier Series 2 Premier 16LS

Jonathan Scull wrote about the Series 2 Premier 16LS in April 2002 (Vol.25 No.4):

Conrad-Johnson's Premier 16LS preamplifier and Premier 15 phono stage were recently upgraded to Series status. Like the Series 2 Premier 15 that I reviewed in our March 2002 issue, the changes to the 16LS include the use of faster diodes in the main power-supply rectifier and the main regulators are replaced with higher-current jobbies with a quarter of the "on" impedance, according to C-J's Lew Johnson. In addition, resistors that C-J had felt to be "noncritical" with respect to sound quality were found to…

The 2003 Products of the Year

Since 1992, Stereophile has recognized components that have proved capable of giving musical pleasure beyond the formal review period by naming its "Products of the Year." These are the components that can be recommended without any ifs or buts, that will grace any system in which they used.

There are five individual categories: Loudspeakers (including subwoofers), Amplification Components (preamplifiers, power amplifiers, etc.), Digital Sources (CD players, transports, processors), Analog Sources (phono cartridges, turntables, tonearms, FM tuners, etc.), and Accessories (everything else…