I'll second all that Hindemith says about the 17LS vs 16LS. I ended up buying a 17LS after auditioning both together and while I could hear the difference between them, it didn't seem to be enough to justify the additional cost. For me, the 17 represented the real sweet spot of price/performance in the CJ preamp line. However, a year ago I participated in this same thread on RAHE and several folks felt very strongly that the difference between the two was quite noticable and that the 16 well worth the addition money. Different ears, different tastes. For what its worth, I can say that I've been very happy with the 17 for the past year and a half, although I'm certain I'd also say that if I ended up buying the 16.
Unfortuntely, I've also not heard the Pass Labs preamp, so I can't provide any insights on it.
-- Ken
Unfortuntely, I've also not heard the Pass Labs preamp, so I can't provide any insights on it.
-- Ken