Conrad Johnson ART27A Stereo Triode Tube Amp

Ritmo said:
In the tradition of CJ, I would expect this to be a great sounding amp. I do agree that the brand label may be a bit too large.
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Agreed its not as classy as the original logo, but, putting things into a broader perspective....these are first world problems. ;)

Hi Mike! :D

Best,
Stephen

PS And, oh, I'd love to have one...
 
Has anyone purchased or heard the CJ ART27A amp?
 
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We're pleased to note that in their 2020 awards, HiFi+ has named the conrad-johnson ART27A "Power Amplifier of the Year" (HiFi+ issue #190). The commendation write up will be posted to our web site soon.


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I’d love to know as well. This is one amp I’m definitely interested in hearing. I’m a big CJ fan from way back, despite the lack of exposure and visibility of their gear on the forums.
 
I just replaced my beloved c-j ART150s with an ART27A. First impression. Magnificent. A whole new experience in listening quality. And, to my surprise, plenty of power for the Wilson Yvettes in a big room.

As per Jeff Fischel, Conrad-Johnson President... "The ART27A is all about finesse! The goal was to design a power amp without compromise. The ART27A's beauty is apparent even at low to moderate listening levels".

Get a listen if you can. More detail, definition, clarity, and much improved transients. And, an even better midrange.
 
XV-1 said:
is that GIANT CONRAD JOHNSON nameplate some sort of April fools joke??

seriously, get rid of it and back to the classy understated conrad-johnson.

personally, I will never buy another conrad johnson piece if that pig ugly in capitals name stays.
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Personally, I never cared for the all lower-case lettering on the name, but to each his own.
 
Awesome news Coppy. :D Got any pics of it in your system?


Anyone else got a one of these beauties?
 
Mike said:
I’m biting my tongue on this thread. Not a fan of the new owner. He goes back on his word.

I miss Bill and Lou. Men of integrity and vision.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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Mike,

Lew stopped by here today. He comes down to family in this area a couple of times a year. Let me know you'd like to meet him.

Bob
 
Coppy said:
Mike,

Lew stopped by here today. He comes down to family in this area a couple of times a year. Let me know you'd like to meet him.

Bob
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I’ve met him before at CES a few times, but would love to have him stop by the store.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
 
As we know, Conrad-Johnson amplifiers take a bit longer to break in due to all the proprietary caps. Well the ART27 just continues to improve. Coming from an ART150S, surprisingly, the lower power has been absolutely no issue at all. For everyday listening streaming from the dCS Bartok at 2 volts, the GAT volume setting of 28 is loud enough to annoy my wife's TV two rooms away. In a 20x30x12 room. Somehow we are driving more bass to the Yvettes than the 150 did with similar music. For phono out of the C-J TEA1bc, the GAT needs about five more clicks, easily done. That said, the sound is magnificent. Rich and detailed. Noticeably more dynamic, better transients. Don't know how you convince folks that 36WPC is this much better than 150 but it's immediately obvious to any savy listener. I guess that's it. Will it be enough in my room, for my speakers. with my music? An easy decision in my case.

Oh yes... I owe this post some pictures as soon as I figure out how to post them.
 
Coppy said:
As we know, Conrad-Johnson amplifiers take a bit longer to break in due to all the proprietary caps. Well the ART27 just continues to improve. Coming from an ART150S, surprisingly, the lower power has been absolutely no issue at all. For everyday listening streaming from the dCS Bartok at 2 volts, the GAT volume setting of 28 is loud enough to annoy my wife's TV two rooms away. In a 20x30x12 room. Somehow we are driving more bass to the Yvettes than the 150 did with similar music. For phono out of the C-J TEA1bc, the GAT needs about five more clicks, easily done. That said, the sound is magnificent. Rich and detailed. Noticeably more dynamic, better transients. Don't know how you convince folks that 36WPC is this much better than 150 but it's immediately obvious to any savy listener. I guess that's it. Will it be enough in my room, for my speakers. with my music? An easy decision in my case.

Oh yes... I owe this post some pictures as soon as I figure out how to post them.
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HI, i recently acquired ART27A amp and now looking for a preamp to set a system, ET7S2 vs GAT S2, i have not heard either.
is there any major sonic deference between two, when price is taken in consideration.
I know both are single ended as is ART7A amp.
I had issues connecting amp to AR ref6 preamp due to balanced outputs.
Thank you for your input.
Sami
 
Hey Sami,

I have a GAT I and it's terrific. So would recommend GAT. But, didn't you say Jeff was using the ET7s2 in his system to demo the ART27A for you? That surprised me a bit but he may not have had a GAT on hand to use but it still says a lot for the ET7. You now know him so call and ask about the sound differences. He'll be absolutely truthful with you. The GAT may have some additional capabilities like extra inputs that the ET7 doesn't. And then it comes down to a budget decision. Good luck and have fun.

Best,
Bob
 
Thank you, Bob,
I would call him ,decision is really about cost and sonic improvement as price is 13k VS 26.5K.
I am gravitating to idea of purchasing ET7A as i have listened to it with Aurrender N1 and it sounded almost Vinyl.No regrets here.ET7A is new model compared to GAT. it has single 6922 vs duo for Gat( double capacitors, resistors and other parts);some how,I thought you might have compared the two.
Thanks,
Sami
 
Hey Sami,
I suspect if you get the ET7A you will never look back. My GAT I is an early model so consideration to send it in for an upgrade has been on my mind for years. Some say that after the upgrade, they actually liked the sound of the I better than the II. I think we are splitting hairs now as they say. As a retired guy, for twice the price, the decision would be easy.

Enjoy,
Bob
 
sam5 said:
Thank you, Bob,
I would call him ,decision is really about cost and sonic improvement as price is 13k VS 26.5K.
I am gravitating to idea of purchasing ET7A as i have listened to it with Aurrender N1 and it sounded almost Vinyl.No regrets here.ET7A is new model compared to GAT. it has single 6922 vs duo for Gat( double capacitors, resistors and other parts);some how,I thought you might have compared the two.
Thanks,
Sami
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If you're shopping for preamp, I would get a First Sound Presence Deluxe III-Si 4.0 rather than a ET7-S2. The First Sound is a better preamp, and for considerably less than $12K for an ET7-S2. As someone who has owned three C-J preamps over the last 12 years, yes, they're great, but the First Sound is completely on another level altogether. I used a CT-5 for 10 years and while's a very good sounding preamp, my First Sound pre makes it sound thin and 2-dimensional by comparison.
 
Puma Cat said:
If you're shopping for preamp, I would get a First Sound Presence Deluxe III-Si 4.0 rather than a ET7-S2. The First Sound is a better preamp, and for considerably less than $12K for an ET7-S2. As someone who has owned three C-J preamps over the last 12 years, yes, they're great, but the First Sound is completely on another level altogether. I used a CT-5 for 10 years and while's a very good sounding preamp, my First Sound pre makes it sound thin and 2-dimensional by comparison.
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Hi PC,
I see a preamp on horizon soon (in few months).first I have to pay my CC, burn ART27 tubes and use Ref 6 preamp. I'll definitely give a listen to first sound preamp before making final decision.
Thanks.
Sami
 
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