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Amp/Preamp Asylum: REVIEW: Conrad-Johnson (CJ,C-J) Premier 18LS Preamplifier (SS) by Luminator

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REVIEW: Conrad-Johnson (CJ,C-J) Premier 18LS Preamplifier (SS)

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Model: Premier 18LS
Category: Preamplifier (SS)
Suggested Retail Price: $4000.00
Description: solid state remote-controlled preamplifier
Manufacturer URL: Conrad-Johnson (CJ,C-J)
Model Picture: View

Review by Luminator on June 26, 2008 at 11:48:10
IP Address: 66.47.253.226
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for the Premier 18LS


Several print reviews of the Conrad-Johnson Premier 18LS exist. As is typical of these kinds of reviews, they do not give you hands-on, real-world, first-person journalism. But that is why we on Audio Asylum are here.

Before you investigate any further, the first thing you need to check out is if the 18LS has enough volume control steps/range. Bring it home. Hook it up. By pressing and holding the "mute" button, get the 18LS out of standby. At "00," the 18LS is in full mute. Now increase the volume by one step. If the sound is already too loud at "01," then the 18LS, no matter what it does, is simply not usable in your system/room. Disconnect it, pack it up, and return it.

If you do not have this volume control problem, or if you are simply curious, you may read on.

As always, you can find a treasure trove of audio information on my blog. And that is where you'll find the following information about the Premier 18LS:

Part 1 - history
Part 2 - volume control range, innards, dimensions
Part 3 - IEC jack, outputs, polarity, inputs
Part 4 - buttons, remote
Part 5 - sound
Part 6 - cables

I know several audiophiles who, to this day, still have not forgiven Conrad-Johnson for "selling out" by producing solid state gear. And by extension, these same audiophiles are mad at me for evaluating the "sacrilegious" Premier 18LS. To which I say, "Ignore at your own peril."

These guys (why aren't there any gals?) would be missing out on a preamp that could match some of their gear. I found the 18LS to be a very nice match for CJ's own MV-55 [see my review here ] vacuum tube amp. And if the MV-55 doesn't offer the grip or oomph for your particular speakers/room, CJ's ET250S* (with the right 6DJ8s) is a hold-your-hands-together excellent match.

Nor should 18LS owners limit themselves to CJ's amps. I'll let you in on a little secret. For smaller rooms, a way to overcome the 18LS' lack of volume control range is to get a low-gain amp. The Wright Sound WPA-3.5 is a sensational match for the 18LS. The WPA3.5's vibrant, spooky presence nicely compliments the 18LS' depth, balance, speed, power, and warm yellow light.

The 18LS was a killer match with the Mark Levinson No. 431. The No. 431 likes to give depth to the soundstage, but this can make the music seem "distant" or spatially "laid back." The 18LS preserves this layered, organized sense of depth, but at the same time, maintains a killer sense of PRAT, and casts a yellow light over and onto the music.

"Yellow light." That's a good description of the 18LS' sound. It's very much like using a yellow bulb or yellow flashlight, instead of white light. The 18LS does not have that slight warm-up of harmonics, as found in the Simaudio P-8. When you listen for things like "bass," "mids," and "treble," you should find them in equal measure. But you may find that, despite the soundstage dimensions, you can't "see" through the stage as clearly. This is due to that "yellow light." Any doubts are cleared up, when you compare the 18LS to a preamp that is free from the yellow light. One such example is the Mark Levinson No. 326S.

Assuming your sources are capable, the 18LS does not let you down in the PRAT category. It's got the speed, energy, and punch to keep up with any music, be it slow, fast, or varied. The 18LS can make other preamps sound lazy, tired, boring, incompetent, tangled, and stuck in the mud. The 18LS is rhythmically organized and compelling. Many of you are thinking, "Ah, there goes Lummy and his dance party music." No. It goes beyond that. Many listeners assume that "lite rock" tunes are stuffy and sleepy. The 18LS proves them wrong, and reveals Gino Vannelli's "I Just Wanna Stop" to have soul and emotion. The 18LS has the ability to pick you off the couch, and make you skip into the next room, while singing Neil Sedaka's "Laughter In The Rain." And while you're off in another room, the 18LS drags you into the kitchen, so you can bust out the chips. And you've never had so much fun dicing the onions and peppers, as when you're high on Air Supply's "Even The Nights Are Better." The lite rock is so compelling, you hop back into the listening room, grab the remote, and turn up Rita Coolidge's "All Time High." It makes you feel as though your room were filled to the ceiling with water, as you swim in glory.

It's musical moments like these that underscore for me how special, despite all the obvious flaws, hi-fi can be. And the Premier 18LS, given the right opportunity, does have the ability to let us in on the music.

You could say that the 18LS shrugs off some of its sonic faults. Somewhat surprisingly, I found that that same character also meant that the 18LS was comfortable with components which were, themselves, not top-of-the-line. For example, the 18LS did allow us to hear the Simaudio's sonic superiority over the Supernova. However, the 18LS accepted the Supernova's shortcomings in refinement and subtlety, and just got on with the music. Feel like putting your foot on the table, and raising your fist to Shannon's "Give Me Tonight?" The 18LS/Supernova enthusiastically plops you on that table. Wanna stick out your booty and wiggle it, as if your hips can't hold it? Put on the SOS Band's "Take Your Time (Do It Right)," and the 18LS/Supernova shakes off the audiophile nonsense, and returns you to your dance-floor glory. And while you're hanging on to that glory, the 18LS/Supernova will also have you hanging onto every note of Nina Gordon's "Tonight And The Rest Of My Life."

I had $$$$ interconnects at my disposal. The 18LS loved the XLO Signature 1.1 more than XLO's much more expensive Unlimited and Limited Editions. And in some ways, the 18LS performed better with Nordost's Red Dawn, than the pricier Valhalla. I can also imagine that Kimber's KCAG, on the 18LS, would slay the slower-sounding Select series interconnects.

But alas, there are those audiophiles still seething mad at Conrad-Johnson. And nothing about the Premier 18LS will change their minds...

-Lummy The Seahorse

* I may have the opportunity to live with the CJ ET250S for a while longer. If so, I'll be able to do a thorough write-up on it, too.


Product Weakness: too much gain/not enough volume control range; some people lament the lack of balanced inputs and outputs; front panel buttons don't work very well
Product Strengths: lightweight; good-looking; cool-running; remote works from a variety of angles and has direct input selection; has IEC jack


Associated Equipment for this Review:

Amplifier: Conrad-Johnson ET250S and MV-55; Mark Levinson No. 431; Rotel RB-1092; Simaudio W-7; Wright Sound WPA3.5
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated): Mark Levinson No. 326S; Simaudio P-8; Sonographe SC26
Sources (CDP/Turntable): EAR Acute; Esoteric DV-60; Mark Levinson No. 390S; Simaudio Andromdea and Supernova
Speakers: Diapason Karis; ProAc Response One SC; Sonus Faber Grand Piano Home; Totem The One; Wilson Benesch ARC
Cables/Interconnects: Nordost Odin; Stereovox SEI-600ii; XLO Signature
Music Used (Genre/Selections): rock, pop, oldies, broadway, Hawaiian, metal
Time Period/Length of Audition: 4 years
Other (Power Conditioner etc.): Nordost Thor; Power Wing
Type of Audition/Review: Product Owner




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Topic - REVIEW: Conrad-Johnson (CJ,C-J) Premier 18LS Preamplifier (SS) - Luminator 11:48:10 06/26/08 ( 7)