Now that there is a CJ ART II

Has CJ been known to do any upgrades to their gear at all
besides buying brand new an upgraded unit?

At least one case that I am aware of is the Premier 11. You can send the unit in and get it upgraded to the Premier 11a.

Nex_wave: Sonically, the 16LS and 17LS are very similar (that is, they both have the classic CJ family sound). The most distinguishing characteristic is the dimension of the soundstage, which is very different between the two. I own a 17LS and auditioned both of them for a while before I decided. While there's no question the 16 is the better preamp, the 17 seemed to be (for me) a much better value. Also, knowing the rather smallish room I was putting it into, there is little chance that I would realize the full potential of the 16.

Folks with the 16 almost universally love it, and I can certainly say that I love my 17. There's a big price difference between the two, so you have to let your ears and your wallet decide which you’d rather have. Really, you can't go wrong either way.

So...has anyone heard if there's going to be a 17LS II?

Cheers,
Ken

I sent my 16LS back to CJ and they did indeed upgrade it to Series II. The upgrade consisted of faster diodes in the power supply, a better grade of internal wire, and I believe a better grade of capacitor (outside of the signal path). They also included a brand new set of tubes as well as an improved power cord. I also had them change the output connectors and CD inputs to the WBTs used in the ART II. The series II upgrade cost $500.00, but I paid extra for the WBTs (about $750.00 total). Sonically, the unit is quieter, the soundstage is wider, and the bass is tighter and better defined. I am extremely pleased with the upgrade, and the attention and service I received from Knut and Tor was impeccable. The workmanship was first rate, and the turn around time was less than a week. I highly recommend this upgrade for 16LS owners. Happy Listening!

I have never auditioned a CJ Premier series preamp out of fear that I might *need* it. Are the 16LS and 17LS significantly better than the CJ PV-12 or more recent PV-14? I had both of these CJ units and found them to be a little rolled off on the high's and the lows. For now, I'm using an Audio Research LS16 tube preamp with my CJ Premier 11a.