thinking of switching from conrad johnson......

I would go with a pass amp and preamp and most definitely use balanced cables as previously mentioned.You would have matching synergy that would be hard to beat.I had the xp-10 with the xa30.8 for about a year and loved it.I replaced them with bel canto pre3 and ref600m's which I love even more.

It's all about system synergy matching and the individuals sonic presentation priorities in my opinion.

Kenny.

CJ's solid state products are very underrated. I would get the 350. I have the matching preamp (Premiere 18). It still sounds great.

I have CJ ET5 a great sounding preamp better than many i have had.Good luck.

CJ’s solid state products are very underrated. I would get the 350. I have the matching preamp (Premiere 18). It still sounds great.

The Premier 350 is a little old at this point. If you want something more modern, that sounds better and has similar DNA, consider the PS Audio BHK 300 monos or even the BHK 250 stereo. I’ve owned the Premier 350 and felt the gain was too high for that amp. Bascom King had his hand in the development of all these products and you can hear the similarities but perfected in the PS Audio BHK amps. They are truly under-rated and are hybrids with tube inputs. They are wonderful amps.

What speakers will you be driving? And what amp are you using now?