Defy7 or Premier 140?

Does the 140 sounds as luse and warm as the older models?

In a word, no. While the Premier 140 is not out of character with the CJ 'house sound', it is more toward the neutral when compared with the Premier 12s or 8. And, tt is the most resolving CJ tube amp I've heard. With regard to 'loose' - the 140's low end is not the last word in tube amp bass definition though it is very good - best yet from CJ. Read more at: Soundstage review.

Imo, at $7k usd, the 140 is an excellent amp for the money. You can spend more, but the law of diminishing returns sets in very quickly. It should work well with the Thiels which tend toward the 'assertive'.

I agree with Jtimothya's evaluation of the Premier 140. His review was a deciding factor in my going from the Premier 11A to the Premier 140. Haven't looked back since although the 11A is still a mighty fine amp IMHO. Also, I recently upgraded my preamp from the CJ 17LS to a CJ 16LS2 and you just know that the amp kept up. Like most good pieces of equipment, they continue to "improve" as the rest of the system does. It doesn't hold you back.

Good luck,
Joe

Thanks a lot guys for your excellent advice.