DE NETSPOREN (C)

Al "surfend" -zo heet dat nu eenmaal- over het internet, kom je soms stukjes tegen, waarvan je denkt dat ze wel de moeite waard zouden kunnen zijn voor de hifi-notes.com lezers. Daarom kwam ik op het idee om een rubriek "NETSPOREN" te maken en die te gebruiken voor stalling van die artikeltjes, nieuwtjes, testjes etc. Natuurlijk rust daar mogelijk op de een of andere manier allemaal Copyright op, maar een keertje zondigen heeft ook wel eens iets. Gaat het fout, dan gaat het fout. Dan maken we er wel net(ont)sporingen van. Overigens moet U ook de netsporen -net als alle andere recencies- met de nodige omzichtigheid beoordelen. Veelal nog minder als bij tijdschrift recensies is de persoonlijke en omringende sitiatie bekend! Een sterk punt blijft in de meeste gevallen wel, dat de schrijver het apparaat ook zelf aangeschaft heeft! De "netsporen" zijn overigens alfabetisch per merk gerangschikt en U kunt door klikken de sporen volgen. Als U wilt kunt U zelf ook een "netspoor" achterlaten

Cairn Aspen: "Cairn is a new name from France. They only have several model of Cd players, tuner, amplifiers and speakers. I bought the Aspen which is an integrated amplifier for half a year. It got 100 watts * 2 Ch. with a Pre-out for bi-amp, 5 line inputs, optical encoded volume and balance control, a remote control, finished in black Aluminium panel and with 20 Kg. If you think British sound is warm, rounded and American sound is open, dynamic, then Cairn is at the mid of them. It's details and punch give me a great impress. I got two CP players ( one Denon and one ES from Sony) and I can just hear the different after having Aspen."

Conrad-Johnson PFR: "I tried a number of preamplifers in the PFR's price range but none beat the PFR's sheer musicality. The first thing that struck me about this remote-controlled, solid state preamp was its soundstaging - wow! It was typical CJ. It also sounds very open and transparent, and detailed, but not too detailed as to sound etched. Moreoever, the dynamics of this product are nothing short of incredible. I have have yet to hear its equal in this department. With seven inputs, it is also highly flexible. In terms of sonics, I can find nothing to quibble about with this product."

Conrad-Johnson Premier 14: "Two steps short of heaven - the 16LS and the ART being the steps. Dynamic, rhythmic, huge, spacious and easy to listen to. Not a single part of the frequency out of proportion - marginally soft highs and bettered in every respect by its older brothers. Nothing else comes close."

Conrad-Johnson Premier 14: "Anyone who is looking for their final pre-amplifier need look no further than this model - unless their finances can stretch to the ART! My previous pre-amplifier - an Audio Synthesis Passion V (all Vishay resistor, dual-mono stepped attenuator, silver wired with WBT sockets) perhaps has the edge in leading edge definition in the upper bass, but has a much narrower soundstage. The Premier 14 opens up the image depth and width remarkably with no loss of focus. If you can live without the incredible 3-D sound which could be system, room or individual dependent, then the Audio Synthesis is still a remarkably truthful piece of equipment. It does need short, low capacitance interconnects and well-matched (impedacnce and level) sources and power amplification, but can sound stunning. It replaced a Conrad Johnson Motif MC-8 (all-FET pre-amp) some years back, and is still in use and sounding great with a Lectron JH-50 tube power amplifier and Dynaudio Aries loudspeakers. Do not buy a pre-amplifier until you have heard what either the Audio Synthesis or the C-J can do in your system."

Conrad-Johnson Premier Eleven-A: A gradual move up the ladder has allowed me to try many a combination, which I felt I could live with. The CJ Premier 11A is one such component which forms a synergistic combo with my chosen speakers, Sonus Faber Guarneri's. The only amp that has bettered it - and this too mainly in terms of immediacy and presence is the Cary 805. Everything else is a trade off. I run it with a PV10A, sources being a Denon DVD3000/X10d (you gotta hear 24/96-try Rebecca Pidgeon on the Chesky sampler) and a Michell Gyrodek/QC/SME4/BenzM09/ARC PH3. A superbly built, superb looking and sounding unit that gives you more than a glimpse of what the very best has to offer. In fact for its power and drive capability, it is one of the best.

Conrad-Johnson Premier Eleven-A: "The Premier 11A is the best vacuum tube amp in this price range, period. This amp is fully engaging, drawing your attention to the "music" being played. This is in contrast to other units that tend to stand out in some area that makes you notice it (say the bass for instance), well you tend to find yourself listening to the "great Bass" on most of your albums or CD's and forgoing the actual music being played. The premier 11A solves this problem by performing exceptionally in all areas "Top to Bottom" and presenting a musically balanced output that allows one to enjoy the music being presented by the albums/CD's. it allows one to become engaged in the songs for the exact reason you are listening to music for: the Music not the equipment playing the music. If you find yourself listening to your system and evaluating the hardware alot more then you should then hook up with some c-j equipment, it will make you forget the hardware aspect and allow you kick back and "enjoy the music" for the purpose that it was intended."

Conrad-Johnson Premier Eleven-A: "The 11-A when used in conjunction with the PV-12A or a Premier 14 is unbeatable by any other Amp/Preamp combination I have ever heard (although I have heard the Premier 8's hooked to the ART and I have to retract that last statement) but other then the 8's and Art, if you get the oppertunity - take a listen to this combination and get ready to write a check cause you will want to carry them home. As you can see I am a believer in the c-j equipment, and I highly recommend trying more then one piece in your system especially the amp/preamp combo, it is then you can truly realize the true musicallity of c-j equipment. And no, I do not work for c-j and am not affiliated with them in any way...."

Conrad-Johnson Premier Eleven-A: "I own a CJ Premier 11a and I agree with everybody's opinions about it - its one helluva musical amp for the price. Kelly Holsten is correct, it does not sound as lush as most tube amps that have EL34 tubes, but then it does not sound as wimpy and anemic in the bass as most of those tube amps either. It also fails to outdo SETs in terms of midrange magic but hey - I bet you can use the Prem 11a with more speakers than 99% of these diet-power amplifiers. I mean, with the Prem 11a - the speakers are practically your own choice but with SETs, you let the amp decide the speakers for you. (oh and I am a SET fan myself, and plan to have one of them accompany, NOT replace the C-J in the future hehehe)."

Conrad-Johnson Premier Eleven-A: "I have found NOTHING better than the Premier 11a in overall value and flexibility. It does not stand out in any area but it does not fall down face-first anywhere either. Its strengths are numerous, the weaknesses few and insignificant when the price is taken into account IMHO. There are many amplifiers that better the Prem 11a in some areas of performance but most of them have severe weaknesses. (example: better in the mids, but sucks in the bass blah blah blah, or has better bass but sounds out of sync with the music etc etc) Of course, THERE ARE amps that better the Prem 11a overall (like its bigger muscle-bound siblings: Premier 12 and 8a for instance, some of the Jadis, the mighty LAMMs, or the luxurious Cary CAD805) but these amps are bank-breakers and are significantly more expensive. Music is always greater than the sum of its parts, and little connie-j shines because it always serve the music as a whole, and not as chopped bits and pieces as presented by most of the competition."

Conrad-Johnson Premier Eleven-A: "The 11a is one hell of a fine amp..it has none of those negatives you hear people talk about when describing tube sound, such as the over-lush romantic behavior. This amp sounds very natural and is extremely musical and does not seem to roll off at either extreme."

Conrad-Johnson Premier Eleven-A: "I sat and listened to a demo at a dealer for over a hour enjoying every minute of it. Too bad you dont find them used too often... it's not hard to see why!"

Conrad-Johnson Premier Eleven-A: "I bought it. Doesn’t stand out in any one area. Doesn’t fall apart anywhere either, though. Just does everything well, with a sense of right-ness about the timing and tonalities that make music sing. Lots of resolution yet it’s very easy to listen to. Four stars 'cause I'm sure there's better things out there. Five stars for performance/price ratio."

Conrad-Johnson Premier Eleven-A: "I have heard this amp only once, but found its strengths simply beguiling. It produces an amazingly realistic soundstage, a well articulated, involving midrange, and solid bass. The character of this amp is typical CJ--- it has a euphonic golden "glow" that makes recordings sound ravishing. An absolute first-rate amp that, while having only 70 watts, must be considered a bargain for its sound quality."

Conrad-Johnson Premier Eleven-A: "The cj Premier 11A has been a wonderful addition to my system. The midrange is outstanding. Listening to Cassandra Wilson's New Moon Daughter her voice is wonderful. She sounds as if she is in the room. mouth sounds, a certain chestiness and no nasty sibilants. Holly Cole's cover of "Cry" on Don't Smoke in Bed is superb. Holly's slight nasal tone comes through with out being pinched or exaggerated. Her vocal presentation is whole and coherent, of one fabric. A certain chestiness and over riding nasal tone and slightly rounded mouth sound around each note, all added to her "bad girl" style so important for this song. Saxophone and piano also sound excellent with this amp, be it David Murray's for Aunt Louise on DIW or Keith Jarret's Live at the Blue Note Box set. The cj gets the soundstage, image and overall you are there aspect right. It does not accentuate the highs or make them sound steely as some solid state gear can do. As well, it does not soften the image or transients or add a foggy layer to the presentation as do some solid state amps, i.e McCormack, Krell or Mark Levinson. If you love acoustic jazz and classical music this amp is a real winner! Instrument timber and harmonic correctness is another of my priorities. A system should get the sound of the instruments right. An Alto should sound distinctly different than a Tenor sax. Also, multiple instrumentation should not confuse or cause a homogenized sound. The cj keeps the instrument's sound intact. For instance Duke Ellington's Jazz Party on Classic records has a wonderful sound. With the cj the xylophones and vibes on Maletaba Spank are easily distinguishable from one another. Other amps have had a tendency to reproduce these with a certain sameness."

Conrad-Johnson PV10AL: "The line-stage version is a simple but elegant looking pre-amp. Although this is an entry-level component who those just getting into tubes, this is one pre-amp you may hang onto for a very long time while the rest of your system goes through upgrades. Although it is no longer the pre-amp in my main system, I still have it in my bedroom system and it sounds as sweet and rich as when I first bought it. When people look at my system, they are so mesmirized by other pre-amps like my McIntosh C22 or the Audio Research LS8. They are often-times surprised when I say that the c-j is my choice above those other two for most types of music."

Conrad-Johnson PV10AL: "I find the simplicity of the controls (no balance, tone controls) to be a plus. The champagne finish makes it look a lot better than, say, a NAD component. The only negative I can think of is that the front-to-back soundstaging can be a bit congested in comparison to more transparent tube pre-amps, like ARC's. Nevertheless, at the price, you can't expect absolute perfection. All hail c-j. All hail the PV10AL!"

Conrad-Johnson PV10A: "As a previous owner of a C-J preamp, I think I can say that they have a musicality to them,which gets right down to the music,and as one who did modifications to mine,I see C-J is doing the same things in the new ones. The only problem is tube noise.Overall VERY GOOD!"

Conrad-Johnson PV10A: "I had my heart set on getting a Bryston BP25 or a Classe (I don't remember the model number) pre-amp for my system. Then, at Stereophile's Hi-Fi 96 show in NYC, I had the pleasure of meeting Lew Johnson. We spoke in length about equipment, and I said that I was about to purchase the Bryston Pre-Amp. He challenged me to compare the PV10A to the Bryston unit. When he spoke, he just showed so much sincerity and pride in his equipment, that I commited to check it out. The allure of getting a better sounding piece of equipment at a lower price was appealing too. Anyway, I immediately went out to compare the two. I was amazed at how good that tube unit sounded next to the solid state Bryston. Everything just sounded right (like the cj add says). Especially vocals! WOW! I was hooked. I have now owned that unit for over a year, and I just can't get enough of it. I highly recommend it. If you are into vinyl, you will really appreciate the phono pre-amp section."

Copland CDA-266: "This brilliant performer, the new slim-line Copland remote controllable CD player, is an excellent mate to the Copland CSA 28 remote amp and the Meadowlark Shearwaters that I reviewed a bit ago. Michael Jones's review was absolutely correct. The sound is marvelously detailed, and NO CD player under $1000 come anywhere close (I've listened to them all), and the $2,500-$3,000 models provide no better quality (I've listened to more than I care to remember)--in fact they are often not as good. The Copland sound is not analytical, just totally representative of the performance. Organ sound, for instance, reflects the character of the instrument, and the ambiance of the room. I could go on and on, but the point I really want to make is that more Americans should get a chance to try this equipment. It's a terrible shame that one bad review (undeserved in my opinion) in Stereophile of the 288 model has slowed the distribution network for this absolutely great equipment in the US. I am very glad that I took the time to search out and find this top quality equipment that is popular in Europe and elsewhere. USA you are missing out!!! Some reviewer regarding another product made a disparaging remark about customer service, well I've talked Tash Goka's ear off, he's the Copland man at Dirvergent Tech. in Canada, and I found him to be very helpful and intersting. Also, hat's off to Rob Doughty of Applause Audio in Toronto for the enthusiastic endorsement and support of Copland. I am looking forward to many happy years with this equipment."

Copland CDA-277: "CDA-277 is a very detailed player. I compare CDA-277 with 2 other system (CEC belt driver transport + Theta DAC, the other player I forget) and it is just right, in the middle, for me. The CEC and Theta sound to bright & Harsh for me and the other player sound to soft. Altough this is may due to the CDA-277 is a perfect match for the integrated Copland CSA-14, I recommend you to audition it. After all, we buy the equipment for our own ears and let them be the judge."

Copland CDA-288: "High Tech, no doubt, the CDA 288 uses a Teac CMK-4 transport, PD100 HDCD filter and a unique application for 2 PCM63's per channel - used not dual differential but staggerred - attaining something like a 16 times oversampling. Its also built - and I mean built. It's sound  is a wonderfully smooth an coherent one with a big bass. Not the last word in rhythm and timing but very boppy and flowing, a clear midrange and depth like hell."

Copland CSA-14: "Now, the highs are transparent without having any nastiness to them. Midrange, especially vocals, seems to sound very natural with this combination. Overall, it has given the system an extremely "listenable" sound without sacrificing detail to any great degree. That's not to say that it is overly warm, like some products which make you suspect that they're trying to cover something up or seduce you with warmth at the expense of information. The Copland still presents everything before you, but not aggressively so. A very minor reservation about the bass exists, and it may not be as tight as some fully solid state designs, but it's a nice and solid nonetheless. Again, it's a question of context and appropriate matching."

"This amplifier may not represent the last word in clinical detail, but if you buy one I bet you'll spend more time listening to your music than with some other competitors. The sound is just so "listenable" either soft or loud. You can assault yourself in sound at really high levels and not feel like you are getting a headache and need to turn it off!"

"In summary, match them with the right speakers and source and you will have a classy sound which will make you want to listen again and again."

Copland CSA-14: "I was very impressed by one characteristic of the Copland hybrid: it did a wonderful job of revealing the dynamics of individual instrument lines. For example, in the jazz CD I listened to, each note of the sax had its own distinct characters, and each organ shot sounded different."

Copland CSA-14: "The Copland sounded rich and sweet on my system comprising of Mission 753 speakers, partnered with my Cyrus CD/DAC source, running Audioquest Midnight 3 and Audioquest Quartz 3 interconnects. One thing about the Copland amp, it lacks a bit of punch, but hey.. it's a transistor valve design. The yanks like the transistor design, the english like the more sweet and subtle sounds.. The Copland fits right in the middle of the two likes.. That is why it should suit all music types.. Running Jazz, classical and even Top 40 music.. A true bargain, with a big dose of true high fidelity."

Copland CSA-8: "This is transistor version of csa 14. still very sweet sound with plenty of grunt and fast attack . really puts a bounce back in the music but not sharp or aggressive. rebecca pidgeons spanish harlem is sheer magic with this amp. Only problem is earlier model had only 3 line level inputs, be sure to get newer version with 5 line inputs."