CJ sound

I owned a cj 17ls and liked it very much it certainly was not dark and laid back at least not im my system. If anything it is very detailed with lots of timbre around the instruments and exhibited very good sound staging. I sold it to my friend and moved up to the 16lsII which is simply more of the 17ls. I used EH 6922 gold pin tubes in both units and found them to be a very well rounded tube. Good Luck

I picked up a used Premier 17LS last spring and love it. I would say it is not dark sounding at all with Maggie 3.6's and a Bryston 4BSST. Lots of shimmer, detail, wide soundstage with good depth. I think that room size, and speaker placement constraints have the most effects on soundstage parameters. Also, I would define a laid back sound as a sound quality being relaxed, warm and less detailed. Probably not synonymous with a deep soundstage. All in all a very nice preamp.

I compared the 17LS to my new CT6. The 17LS was definitely more distant sounding, and not in the same league sonically to the CT6, which was much better. I can't speak to the 17LS MkII, which some here claim is superior to the original 17LS.

Read my review on the CT6. It does not have a recessed sound at all, yet it has a deep soundstage, deeper than any of other preamps I tried or owned. One of CJ's biggest strengths is how it recreates a 3-D image of each instrument, where you can hear the air and space around each instrument. This paints a wide and deep soundstage that separates images in a clearly-defined and natural way that sounds correct and easy-going. This results in a much less electronic, constricted, flattened presentation of other preamps.

The CT6 is not dark or lacking sparkle. There is detail, but not achieved by overetching or brightness. The midrange has some weight and body, which is a hallmark of the CJ sound. I find this combination closer to reality than other brands, and is bringing me much musical enjoyment.

I've got a CJ16LS2 and it does not sound "dark". I find it will very much show the character of any components you mix with it. I think Zear's analyis is right on.

I owned the 17LS and I thought it was a very good preamp. The volume control is wonderful and the minimal gain stages provide a transparent sound. You can change its coloration to match your bias/preference by using different types of tubes. I don't think it expands the sound stage beyound what is on the recording.

My main complaints were that it took at least an hour to warm up and sound good. The second was that it really took the leading edge off transients. This sounded to me like compressed dynamics.

Give it a listen if possible and see if it works in your specific system.

Rick