Conrad Johnson’s headquaters are in Virginia and they are a name synonomous with high quality audio. CJ was the brainchild of Doctors’ Lewis Johnson and William Conrad and was incorporated in 1977. The first amplifier that they produced was a vacuum tube preamplifier named the PV-1.
Conrad Johnson is synonymous with quality with price tags that certainly reflect that, although many audio enthusiasts feel the money is very well spent indeed. One of their flagship amplifiers is the Twelve Tube monoblock power amplifier, so listening in stereo will set you back close to 7 grand.
The Conrad Johnson Twelve tube has a refined sleek look with a brushed brass finish. It has some relatively straight forward circuitry and a large output transformer. This allows a wide bandwidth and high phase linearity. It’s nothing too spectacular, but it doesn’t need to be. This amplifier has earnt its followers through its performance rather than style.
The Conrad Johnson Twelve Tube transitions beautifully through the upper and mid ranges as well as at frequency extremes. It has a very rich overall sound, with amazing tranparency. It really seems a cut above, even with amplifiers in similar price brackets.
Now a lot of tube amplifiers have been seen to have problems with transients more normally with rock and pop tunes. The Twelve Tube produces consistent sounds right the way through, and in my years of audio intrest it is one of the finest I have heard.
Tube amplifiers are also often known for reliability problems, but the reliability of the Conrad Johnson is also something that sets it apart. It is very rugged and is very unlikely to give you any problems down the years which is the peace of mind you need when making a purchase at this level.
So the Twelve Tube really does deliver, and the internet is an excellent place to start a search for these amplifiers. Just spend a bit of time and have a look around.
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