New Conrad Johnson gear coming to Axpona 2015? .....

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joeinid
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New Conrad Johnson gear coming to Axpona 2015? .....

Post by joeinid »

Any rumors on new gear? Maybe some KT-150 based amps?

I love my CJ gear but I have to admit, they are getting a little long in the tooth relative to other companies. I pray they are healthy and coming out with some new updates. Any thoughts?
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Re: New Conrad Johnson gear coming to Axpona 2015? .....

Post by admin »

I sure hope so. I wonder if some of the development at CJ slowed due to their recent factory relocation? I would love to see them expand their line a little. Maybe a more versatile DAC? I don't mind a company that only brings out a new model every few years but I would be excited to see some new products.
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Re: New Conrad Johnson gear coming to Axpona 2015? .....

Post by joeinid »

Fingers crossed for some new gear.
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Re: New Conrad Johnson gear coming to Axpona 2015? .....

Post by jasper »

Hi Joe, I just arrived in Chicago for the Axpona show and will check it out, ask around, and report back next week. I'll be heading over to the show shortly and feel like a kid about to go to his favorite candy store!
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Re: New Conrad Johnson gear coming to Axpona 2015? .....

Post by joeinid »

Thank you Jasper.

A friend took this ... Image

Not sure what the update is all about.
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Re: New Conrad Johnson gear coming to Axpona 2015? .....

Post by jasper »

The show is going great and there are some really good sounding systems. The picture above was the only gear from CJ and it was not playing when I stopped by that exhibit. I found 2 amps using 150's; the Dochi 3.0 mono blocks and a pair of Jolida mono blocks. I talked to Mr. Dochi who designed and built the amps and he claimed the 150's were a huge improvement over the 120's; more dynamic , more detail, no down side. That whole system sounded great with the new Wilson Sabrina speakers and a Brinkman ($30K) flagship turntable. One of the most transparent and revealing dynamic speaker systems was the Tidal room that was meticulously set up, but for a huge soundstage that seemed about 30 feet deep and even wider than that I'd vote for the Thrax electronics with Polymer Audio speakers. One of the most stunning systems was the Classic Audio Loudspeakers driven by Atma-Sphere electronics. These speakers combine horn and driver components they are super efficient and seemed to match perfectly with the Atma-Sphere gear. But when I just wanted to relax and enjoy the music, I'd end up sitting in front of a pair of Magnepan 20.7's driven by Pass Labs amps. But I'd bet those Maggies would sound even better with my 300 watt CJ Premier 8's and GAT preamp! Has anybody tried high powered CJ gear with the newer Magnepans?
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Re: New Conrad Johnson gear coming to Axpona 2015? .....

Post by admin »

jasper,
Thanks for the update on the show. Sounds amazing, I wish I was there.

I haven't heard the Magnepan 20.7's but use the previous 20.1 version with my CJ Evolution 2000 amp and it sounds great. Glad you are enjoying the show, have a great time!
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Re: New Conrad Johnson gear coming to Axpona 2015? .....

Post by joeinid »

Jasper,

Thank you so much for the report.

A few weeks after I bought my ART monos, a friend could not take it anymore and bought a pair of ART monos as well. We both have GATs and ART monos. He has a pair of Magnepan 20.7's and loves them. So yes, it sounds amazing.
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Re: New Conrad Johnson gear coming to Axpona 2015? .....

Post by jasper »

Thanks to you both for the feedback on Maggies. One of my Quad 2907's bit the dust and its really expensive to fix plus the packing, crating, hassle and expense of shipping.... Then there's the questionable dependability factor where the other speaker in the pair could go the day after I got them set up again! When all is just right with the Quads the sound is so natural, easy to listen to, but the detail and speed to grab all the little nuances is still there. I heard the same thing with those 20.7's plus maybe a tiny sparkle that was like a wink and a smile. I've had 4 pair of Quads and 2 of them have turned to burnt toast at a relatively young age. And Magnepan seems to have fixed some of their quirky features of the past like banana plug only connectors, external crossover, and those Blade Runner feet are gone and now replaced with a substantial looking oval base. Anyway I'm glad I went to the show and might not have heard those Maggies set up that well if I didn't go. I'll let you know if I take the plunge but red trim with black panels looks pretty hot. Also, I met the REL rep and we talked about subwoofer placement. After showing him pictures of my room, when I got back I reversed the angle my subs were facing and the system immediately locked in. Some underlying resonances were gone and once that boomy haze disappeared, the music started shining through. It really made me appreciate my GAT and the more I can neutralize issues in other parts of my system, the better that preamp sounds. Its truly an amazing preamp. Take care.
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Re: New Conrad Johnson gear coming to Axpona 2015? .....

Post by Joe Appierto »

Same thing happened to one of my 989's but it took 14 years to happen. Went through the same thought process as you and was really bummed because I loved those speakers. They did so many things right. Purchased a pair of "blemished" Martin-Logan ElectroMotion ESLs from Audio Advisor at a sizable discount and have been quite pleased, overall.
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Re: New Conrad Johnson gear coming to Axpona 2015? .....

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I used Martin Logan Vantages in the past and can confirm that their elctrostats sound great. They are not without their issues as well. If you read the forums on www.martinloganowners.com, you'll see a lot of issues with them as well. Not to say they are bad quality, quite the opposite. I think planar speakers just tend to have more issues in general.
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Re: New Conrad Johnson gear coming to Axpona 2015? .....

Post by Joe Appierto »

I have a soft spot for Martin-Logan having owned a pair of their (original) Aerius speakers back over 20 years ago. The ElectroMotion ESL is very reminiscent of the Aerius but, in my opinion, an improvement sonically if not visually. I've heard although not lived with their ReQuest and SL3 and have been impressed by their sound. Many years ago I also heard the Magnepan 2.7 and thought they were in some ways superior to the Aerius. We're lucky in how many varieties of speakers we had and especially now have that are musical and help in our enjoyment.
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Re: New Conrad Johnson gear coming to Axpona 2015? .....

Post by jasper »

Had a pair of Aerius's but lost them in my divorce then saw them for sale on eBay! I don't think I ever had them set up right and in that room they sounded kind a thin. But I just ordered a pair of 3.7i's that should be here in about 3 or 4 weeks. In fact I saw in a review of the Axpona show that the pair of Maggies at Axpona was in fact the 3.7i's and the guy I asked sitting next to me in the demo room must have been wrong when he said they were 20.7's. Anyway, the 3.7i's ought to be plenty of speaker for the room I'll put them in plus they're half the price without apparently giving up very much. Can't wait. Thanks again for the feedback.
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Re: New Conrad Johnson gear coming to Axpona 2015? .....

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Congrats on the new Magnepan purchase. You will have to give us a review of how they sound!
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Re: New Conrad Johnson gear coming to Axpona 2015? .....

Post by jasper »

Will do! It could be several weeks; 3 to 4 weeks delivery and then a break in period. I ordered a pair of Mye Stands that should arrive about the same time. Can't wait.
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Re: New Conrad Johnson gear coming to Axpona 2015? .....

Post by jasper »

Hooked up the Maggie 3.7i's yesterday and set them in the exact location where I had the Quads. Everything in the system was the same; including the GAT, the Premier 8's, and a pair of REL G2 subs set at 39z and relatively low volume. I let things warm up for an hour and then sat down for a listen. Six spellbound hours later my wife had to come get me for dinner! Unbelievable...... imo; all the accolades about these speakers with the right amps, room location, and true subs set at a low crossover, are true. They smoked my 2905's, Utopias, Acoustic Zen Crescendos, and anything else I've ever heard, as my speaker graveyard now sadly contains all of these very fine speakers. Apparently, several reviewers who were at Axpona had the same opinion about how the Maggies stole the show and Magnepan quickly posted some of these comments on their website. http://www.magnepan.com/model_MG_37.

One more comment before I run downstairs for another day of music. I had a set of the Shunyata 1st generation cable elevators under my speaker cables (and power cords to the subs) with great results, but needed another set for my second system so i ordered several of the new DF-SS cable elevators. After a couple of hours listening to the Maggies with the original elevators, I remembered I had the DF-SS's and put them in the Maggie system. The improvement was more than subtle and in as I hesitate to not over react with gushing adjectives; it was f-----g incredible! Everything opened up to another level.These things are for real.
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