1. Home
  2. amps-preamps
  3. 198362-188029

Went to buy Vandersteen 2C speakers and came home with a conrad-johnson Premier 11A.

I found a great deal on a pair of Vandersteen 2C speakers with Sound Anchor stands.  I didn’t need them, but they are identical to a pair that I had back in the 90s.  While I was there, the seller mentioned that he had an amp that he wanted to sell.  It was on a shelf in a basement collecting dust.  The price was right, so I bought it.  He said there are about 40 hours on the tubes.  Hopefully, the caps are ok.  I’m thinking I’ll try a Wiim Ultra streamer with volume control just to see if everything works.  I have old preamps by NAD and Rotel, but they aren't good ones.

Is there anything special that I should do before firing up the old girl?  This is my first tube amplifier. 

sls883
sls883 OP
1,055 posts
 

@knotscott cool.  I ordered the better model of variac.  I figure it might have more uses should I ever need it for something else.

At what voltage should I start?  How slowly do I increase voltage? 

emergingsoul
1,526 posts
 

Send it to CJ. I have a CJ preamp and I really like talking to the guy who owns the place and unfortunately I can't remember his name. I have had no problems with the preamp I purchased three or four years ago. Construct

At least you'll be assured someone who knows what they're doing is taking a look.

 

sls883 OP
1,055 posts
 

I'll see if it works properly before I send it to c-j.  I've spoken to Jeff at c-j.  A few years ago, I had purchased a Premier 17LS2 preamp that had an issue.  I opted to return it to the seller for a full refund instead of messing with repairs.  On the way back to the seller, FedEx dropped it and all of the large capacitors came loose.

I sold a PV-14L when I bought the 17LS2. I should have kept it. I could use it now. 

knotscott's avatar
knotscott
1,384 posts
 

@sls883 

At what voltage should I start?  How slowly do I increase voltage? 

 

Probably best to Google to voltage and times with the variac, or better yet check with CJ.  

seikosha
220 posts
 

Make sure you have that amp connected to a load before you turn it on.  Many tube amps can be damaged if you turn them on without being connected to speakers.

More to discover