Looking to purchase CONRAD JOHNSON MF-2250 or new MF2275

From tubes to solid state.
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brettMc
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Looking to purchase CONRAD JOHNSON MF-2250 or new MF2275

Post by brettMc »

Hello,

First post here.

My name is Brett, I'm a Visual FX professional and clumsy budding audiophile who lives and works in Burbank.

I love music. It is the only thing in my life where I routinely experience something 'transcendent', 'spiritual'...holy. It can be truly magical, meditative and often an erasure of 'self'. When everything is working properly ones critical mind drops away and a merging of you and the sound occurs, wonder ensues appreciating all the incredible minute decisions made and perfect performances captured, resulting in a cohesive flowing moment whose parts fuse into a much greater whole--a boundless experience. I love it. And I wish I could convince more people to invest the time and money to bring so much beautiful music into their lives.

My room is 14x20. My goal is a system that never produces listening fatigue, has an expansive and detailed soundstage where the speakers vanish, a system that will work well with recordings from all eras and genre--from 40' and 50's big band, to 60's jazz. But my wheelhouse is progressive rock and 60's and 70's rock in general. I NEED A SYSTEM THAT MAKES PETER GABRIEL'S MUSIC LESS SIBILANT and THE BEATLES MUSIC LESS HARSH/FLAT.

I am considering a new CJ MF2275 or used MF-2250. What do you all think?

My current gear list is as follows (please no laughing):
-ModWright Oppo BDP-105 (an excellent and very versatile primary source, spatially superb, maybe a bit too syrupy, maybe a bit too slow and yes, maybe too analog for my tastes)
-Audio Technica AT-PL120 Turntable with AT440MLa cart and stylus (gotta start somewhere...ouch)
-Music Hall dac 25.3 (hardly used now that I have the Oppo)
-Integra DPC-8.5 (only changer in the world that can shuffle discs of multiple mixed hi-res formats DVD-A, HDCD, SACD)
-Emotiva USP-1 Preamp (seems to work well enough)
-Emotiva UPA-2 Amp (a bit 'choked' or heady sounding)
-JBL 4312a Control Monitors (almost perfect for 60's and 70's rock, but freakin unforgiving, tiny head-width-wide sweet spot, a midrange that is too forward, waffley but hitting bass)
-JBL 4408's and 4406's (the 4406's are a fun little speaker!)
-Yamaha YST-SW215 sub (sloppy)

To give you and idea of what I tend to listen to, my go-to digital 'test' recordings are (probably no surprises here to you guys, actually probably too 'low-brow') Jeff Buckleys Grace, Flamming Lips Soft Bulletin, Supertramps Crime of The Century MFSL Gold (amazing production!), Miles Davis Kind of Blue, Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon, an early Japanese pressing of Jimi Hendrix's Axis: Bold As Love, Genesis Duke and The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway, Led Zeppelin's Physical Graffiti (second disc) and Johann David Heinichen's Dresden Concerti.

Please be in touch and thank you so much for your time.

Be well.

Best,
Brett
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antaresbluespirit
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Location: BLOIS (Center of France)

Re: Looking to purchase CONRAD JOHNSON MF-2250 or new MF2275

Post by antaresbluespirit »

hi from France

So, i have been listening CJ gears for more than 30 years and had the opportunity to own a separate PV8 PRE+ MF2250 SOLID STATE AMP;

This amp gives its best linked with a good tube preamplifier...( music matters,rythm,soundstage,aeration,dynamics)

I practise vocal jazz as entertainment in acapella group and I understand why you appreciate natural music...

Regards

Raymond (Blois France)
goeddy
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Re: Looking to purchase CONRAD JOHNSON MF-2250 or new MF2275

Post by goeddy »

I have the MF 2275 and a Classic 2SE preamp. This paring is as close as I have come after 40 years of search and destroy or giving away of inferior products' attempts to replicate "music" close to live as possible. I play guitar. And drums. I pay attention to those especially closely because I know what to "listen" for in terms of "reality" of re-projection of original content now digitized, quantized, comp-actualized, intonated, speed corrected and tonally tweaked for maximum recorded "accuracy" FOR reasonable reproduction. We as listeners, fight interminable variables beginning with the density and humidity of the studio "air" and the performance put into the final recording. By the time we listen to it, it isn't necessarily as intended in the live presentation under highly controlled conditions. None of which exist at the listeners post. So, having said THAT, my personal happy spot is "hey that sounds pretty damn close to real" as in "live". The CJ rig I have does two things others (to me) have not done as well. First, it
separates the tonal palette into recognizable parts. Sax, trumpets, guitars, etc sound perfectly natural although different from recording to recording as conditions warrant in that process (how up front they are in the mix, etc). Second, as I increase volume all of #1. "holds together" and is enhanced thus listening loudness for accurate appreciation of the content is reduced, making wives, dogs and neighbors very happy too! There is a number 3 as well. Voices are so real they are IN the room. Not speakers, voices. Dynamics intact with every nuance of the performer's unique interpretive powers (why we listen at all). Nora Jones is just beyond belief! Ahhhhhh. Perfect. It just sounds right! Good Luck, Eddy
brettMc
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Re: Looking to purchase CONRAD JOHNSON MF-2250 or new MF2275

Post by brettMc »

What speakers do you use?
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