Conrad Johnson Premier 3A = Dry sound?? Opinions please


Hi,

I recently bought a second hand CJ 3a tube pre-amp that brings a welcome improvement in my system (Bryston 7B ST and KEF reference 4) but...... There seems to be somtheing missing.

The sound is leaning on the dry side and I don't have that bloomy, palpable yet transparant sound that I was looking for. The fat/syruppy bass could also be a bit more controlled (ehh. dry??).. Oh yes, and through my 92 db sensitivity KEF's I hear a lot of 'pink noise' !!

I wonder if the tubes are worn or something (GE).

Anyone with experience with this oldie?? I'am now thinking of buying a dedicated Btyston pre-amp to get that transparant, controlled sound.

Any ideas??

Thanks,

Nanning
nanning

Showing 1 response by rogerroger

There is definitely something wrong with your unit. I would start with a good cleaning and a retube. The 3 is emphatically not a dry sounding preamp when working properly. Having said that, it is also not the most transparent preamp available today.