hi Alex -
I have a pair like this that I was thinking of selling. Maybe we can strike a deal? ;-) they are excellent amps, I just have too many and have more efficient speakers now so don't need the power they offer. They are IMHO the best amps ever made by CJ, the only thing that comes close is the PR. 8XS, at $17000/pr. The CJ 5 with the triode mod (XS) is about as close to nirvana as you can get. 100-125 watts of triode operated EL34s, which by themselves are probably the best higher-power pentode as far as audio tubes go. (Have listened to 6550/KT88/kt66/etc. and prefer the EL34, personally.) The stock amps are great but with a few mods (trioded) they get even better. Mine were done by Bill Thalmann, the original designer who worked for CJ for about 20 years and now has his own shop. mods included: Cardas RCA input jack, Cardas binding posts. IEC connector for removable powercords, replacement of some internal wiring with cardas wire, mod to remove the biasing LED from the audio circuit so there's no possible way for noise to get into the signal that way (this is a mod he developed for the later CJ amps while he was there, and in place on the 8 and 12 monos, stock), and the aforementioned triode operation of the EL34s instead of ultralinear.
Sorry this sounds so much like a blatant ad. ;-) With NOS front end tubes (I use Sylvania gold-brand gold-pin grey plate 5751 and RCA clear top 6FQ7/6cg7) it really takes on some sweet sonics. I've found Svetlana to be the best modern EL34. With 8 per amp, going the Mullard route would cost almost as much as the amps themselves! (assuming you could find 16 good similar mullards...)
anyway, touch base directly and I can fill you in on more info regarding these amps if you want.
-Ed Sawyer
sawyer-at-waterville.com
I have a pair like this that I was thinking of selling. Maybe we can strike a deal? ;-) they are excellent amps, I just have too many and have more efficient speakers now so don't need the power they offer. They are IMHO the best amps ever made by CJ, the only thing that comes close is the PR. 8XS, at $17000/pr. The CJ 5 with the triode mod (XS) is about as close to nirvana as you can get. 100-125 watts of triode operated EL34s, which by themselves are probably the best higher-power pentode as far as audio tubes go. (Have listened to 6550/KT88/kt66/etc. and prefer the EL34, personally.) The stock amps are great but with a few mods (trioded) they get even better. Mine were done by Bill Thalmann, the original designer who worked for CJ for about 20 years and now has his own shop. mods included: Cardas RCA input jack, Cardas binding posts. IEC connector for removable powercords, replacement of some internal wiring with cardas wire, mod to remove the biasing LED from the audio circuit so there's no possible way for noise to get into the signal that way (this is a mod he developed for the later CJ amps while he was there, and in place on the 8 and 12 monos, stock), and the aforementioned triode operation of the EL34s instead of ultralinear.
Sorry this sounds so much like a blatant ad. ;-) With NOS front end tubes (I use Sylvania gold-brand gold-pin grey plate 5751 and RCA clear top 6FQ7/6cg7) it really takes on some sweet sonics. I've found Svetlana to be the best modern EL34. With 8 per amp, going the Mullard route would cost almost as much as the amps themselves! (assuming you could find 16 good similar mullards...)
anyway, touch base directly and I can fill you in on more info regarding these amps if you want.
-Ed Sawyer
sawyer-at-waterville.com