Fix it or not, my CJ Premier 11a Amp?


I can't get rid of my old stuff, but I'm trying. So, one day years ago I have my system turned on and just warming up. I walk up to it and see my Conrad Johnson Premier 11a power amp turned off. I thought I turned it on, so l flip the switch a couple of times and nothing. The fuse is blown, I replace it, and then snap, crackle, pop. Crap, what did I do, many know the feeling...Now what?

I would wind up upgrading my system after that, so today I don't have speakers compatible with my old CJ. It sits on a shelf in a basement back room and shares its company with other relics like Sansui, BAT, SOTA, Anthem, Theta, Heathkit, etc.. It's a museum of old memories.

So, that's the story behind my indecision about what to do with the amp. All my other relics actually work, so I have better options with those. I have also seen in some recent threads, that the customer service at CJ may have slipped somewhat, but that's heresay. So, is my amp worth fixing or just a pretty door stop?
Kenny
kennythekey
I recently had my CJ amp repaired at their factory.  It took 2 days for UPS to deliver to CJ, a day for them to repair it and 2 days to get it back.  It works perfectly and cost me less than 150.00 for the repair.  I see no problems with their service, as a matter of fact it's one of the best around.
@stereo5 - That's awesome! Much better than the experience I had many years ago. Good to know.


You need to repair and keep this amp.  It is a very musical amp indeed!  I had the privilege to own one last decade.  Had to sell it during the melt down in 2009 due to a job loss.  (Feed family or listen to music type of choice.)
It’s definitely worth fixing. The amp should last another 30 years. At the moment the CJ repair department’s lag time is about one month. Repair probably will cost about $400 plus parts and shipping. You might ask CJ if they will do the C1 capacitor upgrade while the amp is in the shop. The upgrade is well worth doing. CJ should offer the upgrade at a discount, as the amp is being serviced anyway. Best time to do the upgrade.