It depends on how would you enjoy and/or listen to. If you spend most of the time for music listening I suggest you should get CJ 17LS because this preamp has a warm, sweet sound and a lot of details at midrange and dynamic. If you like a digital music or movie I think the Aragon Soundstage is the best fit for this category. I own a CJ 17LS, which I connect to either a MacIntosh MC2102 100watts vacuum tube or a SimAudio W5 amps. The CJ 17LS is pretty much matching with those two amps and producing a fantastic soundstage. In addition, you can read reviews in Audiorevolution.com or Stereophile in May 2001 (I think!) But the best way you should go ahead to visit any local highend store to listen of audition a CJ17LS then you can decide to invest in those non-affordable budget's stuff.
Tube Preamp Advice Needed
I do not have the opportunity to listen to any of these but, after reading posts in this forum and reviews on Audioreview I have narrowed my choices to these tube preamps and I need your opinions on which one would work best in my system. I am looking for a slightly warm to very warm sound due to my bare wall great room which is 32 x 24 with a vaulted 21 foot ceiling. My system is:
Classe 25 balanced two channel amp (250 watts) for midrange and tweeters
NHT SA-3 amp for woofers
Wadia 20 CD transport
Wadia 25 DAC
NHT 3.3s
Cardas Golden Cross XLR Interconnect (DAC to Classe amp)
Cardas Golden Cross bi-wire speaker cable
Aragon Soundstage on order which I will run through the surround processor loop of the tube preamp
If I can get the same quality of sound from my Wadia 20 hooked to the Aragon I will sell the Wadia 25. I am concerned that I may not because I am using the glass fiber optic connection from the Wadia 20 to Wadia 25 and I don't know about the difference in the DACs. The Wadia 25 is then connected via balanced interconnects to the Classe 25. The Aragon only has a Toslink fiber optic connection to hook the Wadia 20 to. The Wadia 20 does have a single balanced output which I might be able to connect directly to the new tube preamp. Too many variables for me.
My tube preamp choices are:
BAT VK50SE
Joule Electra LA-400
Conrad Johnson 17LS
Audio Research LS25MkIII
Thanks for your help and advice.
Classe 25 balanced two channel amp (250 watts) for midrange and tweeters
NHT SA-3 amp for woofers
Wadia 20 CD transport
Wadia 25 DAC
NHT 3.3s
Cardas Golden Cross XLR Interconnect (DAC to Classe amp)
Cardas Golden Cross bi-wire speaker cable
Aragon Soundstage on order which I will run through the surround processor loop of the tube preamp
If I can get the same quality of sound from my Wadia 20 hooked to the Aragon I will sell the Wadia 25. I am concerned that I may not because I am using the glass fiber optic connection from the Wadia 20 to Wadia 25 and I don't know about the difference in the DACs. The Wadia 25 is then connected via balanced interconnects to the Classe 25. The Aragon only has a Toslink fiber optic connection to hook the Wadia 20 to. The Wadia 20 does have a single balanced output which I might be able to connect directly to the new tube preamp. Too many variables for me.
My tube preamp choices are:
BAT VK50SE
Joule Electra LA-400
Conrad Johnson 17LS
Audio Research LS25MkIII
Thanks for your help and advice.