Lamm 2L Reference vs CJ GAT

So I finally heard the GAT. Frankly, it blew me away. The guys in the room said it was by far the best CJ they'd heard, and it certainly is the best CJ i've heard (i've owned two...PV14L and ACT 2). Here's my notes:

- transparent to invisible...i've not ever felt that a pre was invisible until this one...
- i think it has to do with extreme alacrity...its so fast, it does not feel like the component is taking in a signal, processing it, and then having to 'push' it back out thru a series of cones/speakers. music just seemed to fly/breathe effortlessly (with no resistance) thru the component if that makes any sense.
- it is also very even across the spectrum...super balanced
- it is also very, very quiet...which means you really do start to hear your music as if for the first time with all the new detail
- the extension of the unit is far greater than the ACT 2. it ain't close, and i like the ACT 2
- dynamically, you understand quite quickly the ACT 2 is very limited (which i already knew)
- finally, CJ left their DNA in the unit...it always manages to feel completely at ease and completely natural (which the ACT 2 does not in comparison)

Suteetat,

i have heard Ref 5 and liked it a good deal more than Ref 3 which i respected but could not love, possibly for reasons not dissmilar from your own.

GAT is a CJ, and its natural tonality is just that, natural and not strident/forced linearity. Pls let me know when you've heard it for yourself...just make its been playing for at least 400-500 hours before you do...Myles Astor uses it as his reference (over the ART 3), and is adamant about this. Others have said the same.

Is CJ shrinking? It's funny how limited the Conrad Johnson preamp lineup is. There is the GAT (just 250 units CJ says), the ET3 & ET5 (with just 1 tube in these?), and the Classic.
It looks like a company planning to shut down.
Preamps I thought were their mainstay and there's not much there.

Actually, there is also an ET2. So that's GAT, ET5, ET3, ET2...i think Classic is now replaced? Four preamps is a pretty good line up. though in this economy, hard to say anyone is unshrinkable.

I have not been able to demo the CJ GAT. I did audition the CJ Act 2 Series 2 and it is the best pre IMO.