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RE: CJ do deserve partial credit, for bringing me in

Posted by AbeCollins (A) on January 4, 2025 at 14:51:08

In Reply to: CJ do deserve partial credit, for bringing me in posted by Luminator on January 4, 2025 at 12:44:37:

I began exploring 'high-end' audio in the early 1990's when a co-worker at SGI invited me to his place in S.F. He had tall Martin-Logan speakers and hefty Krell amplification, a Krell CDP, along with a Nakamichi Dragon cassette deck. I had no idea what this stuff was all about but it surely sounded better than my Sony receiver and JBL speakers. He then introduced me to another co-worker who had an older CJ amp (I want to say MV-50 but I'm not sure). The amp was driving a pair of weird looking square-ish speakers that were old and a bit tattered. I think they were Quads but the setup was very warm sounding which I also enjoyed.

The rest is history. My first audio show was a Stereophile sponsored event in S.F., also in the early to mid 1990's. Up and down the escalator looking at all the pretty high-end stuff. Wow, a whole different world compared to the department store stereo gear I was more familiar with.

My first 'high-end' setup consisted of a used Classe 10 amp (not DR-10), CP-40 preamp, Cal Icon MkII CDP, and Thiel CS1.5 speakers. I learned that even the smallish CS1.5 speakers were more 'effortless' sounding with more power so I upgraded to the Classe CA-200 which made a difference. The CJ Premier 11a came soon after. The thing that stood out the most with the CJ was the comparatively 3-dimensional soundstage vs the SS amps.

What was that thin publication with ads for used high-end Audio gear? It came in the mail. My co-worker subscribed to it and loaned them to me and that's how I discovered even more used gear before the internet exploded.

My CJ Premier 11a and Premier 18LS from a long long time ago:

I'm still using the short and stubby Salamander S20 audio rack today.

Edits: 01/04/25 01/04/25 01/04/25

This post is made possible by the generous support of people like you and our sponsors:

Kimber Kable

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