Speaker match or source upgrade for Conrad-Johnson amps: advice?
peeweenl -- Mon, 06/07/2010 - 12:42
I have a Conrad-Johnson Premier 17LS pre hooked to a cj MF2250 power amp. The speakers I currently use are Dynaudio's Contour 1.8 mkll. The sources for the set are an old Pioneer PDS cd-player and a sonos system both connected to a (very decent) locally made (Holland) Pink Faun DAC.
Although I am really happy with what I have right now, the upgrade itch is still there. I have the feeling that this combination is somewhat missing in transparancy and soundstaging. The famous 'feel of the real' is not entirely there. Anyone have any experience with a similar combination or have any suggestions for improvement?
More info: the room I listen in is 10' * 30'. Speakers are located about 2'5" from the side walls and 3' from the rear. I usually sit at the other end of the room, slightly off center. A local dealer suggested Martin Logans because they are not sensitive to positioning since my listening position is not optimal.
Any input is welcome.
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A reply to my own post. Got rid of the pioneer cd-player and bought a Marantz SA15S1 (it was a bargain). Great improvement.
If you can, get your hand on the CJ Premier 350 amp as your next upgrade. It is one of the best SS amps ever made.
Thanks for the suggestion. I'll keep an eye out for this amp. That said, don't you think the source and speakers are the weakest links in the chain?
Thanks for the suggestion. I'll keep an eye out for this amp. That said, don't you think the source and speakers are the weakest links in the chain?
Sure. I am biased to electrostats, but if you can get Martin Logans and Soundlabs driven by the CJ 350, you will not be disappointed.