The CJ5 is about as "classic" a tube sound as you could find. It is sweet and rich and warm. I think you would find the AR gear from the same era as much more detailed and open, but perhaps not as "enjoyable". I used to have Ar SP8 and it was pretty decent, but the old cj stuff is just plain nice to listen to.
Vintage tube preamps: CJ or ARC?
Leaning towards a tube preamp...any thoughts on the Conrad JOhnson pv-5,10,etc,,,vs Audio research sp-7(?)? Looking for classic tube 3-d sound with decent highs...