Conrad Johnson SoundLab Electrostatics

[bobbyleelamp]

In the last year, I changed a 5 channel tube preamp (CJ Met 1) and a class D amp (Spectron Musician III) for a CJ ET7-S2 and a CJ Premiere 350 amp. I also got a pair of SoundLab electrostatics (replaced Gallo Ref 3.5). After 20 years of messing with audio hardware I have a system that sounds absolutely real. The music sounds like the vocalist is at the far end of my living room. Instruments have realism and purity I have never heard before except at a live performance. I finally have no desire to change anything; now I just listen to music. Never knew how much difference there was in preamp and amp performance. Thank you Conrad Johnson!

[admin]

Wow, how cool is that. Those are bigger than my 20.1 maggies! Very nice choice on the ET7s2 and Premiere 350 combo.

It looks really great. As a fellow planar speaker user, do you have any issue with the asymmetry of the walls behind the speaker? Due to it's bipole nature I find that I have to be careful of the back wall in my setup and on one side it looks like a glass windows and the other is a open walkway.

[Joe Appierto]

Impressive -- must sound first-rate.

[Big Dog RJ]

Oh yeah! There we go... those big Sound Lab stats, look out!
They are generally this big simply because the panels are full range. So LF is generally taken care of and well delivered. Although subs may help, in the majority of Sound Lab set ups, they don't use subs.

Marvellous to see the big Premier 350 in action, that will be a perfect match for these massive stats.
Nice one matey, cheers
RJ

[roberto]

Hola bobbyleelamp,

I had the opportunity to have a serious listening session with them. Not only they are huge, the sound is very nice and well defined. Big presentation comes along with them. Congratulations!

Conrad Johnson quality sound shines with them. To my ears, electrostatic speakers are the way to go.

Happy listening!

[bobbyleelamp]

Thank you for the responses. When listening to the system at the sweet spot, the speakers seem to disappear; very clear vocals that seem to originate from the front window! Easy to hear other vocalists and instruments at different locations. The Conrad Johnson front end makes these transducers sing-an absolute treat is hearing a cymbal that is so delicate and exactingly clear. I feel lucky that I got my hands on a used Premiere 350; dead quiet but rocks the house with ease. Had a Spectron musician with outrageous power (600 watts rms/channel) but as soon as I replaced it with the 350 I could hear much better resolution (accuracy) in subtle percussion like a cymbal or a brushed cymbal. Also noticed much tighter and controlled bass response.
As to the asymmetry behind the speakers, the opening on the right is actually a door that I sometimes open. I can't say that I hear a difference with it opened or closed. The speakers are 6 feet from the front wall so perhaps that distance minimizes the effect of dipole (rear) reflected sound.

[roberto]

There are general rules, and for me, the most important is: do you like what you hear? It's your system. Just enjoy those fine tunes as my friend RJ always says. You are describing exactly what CJ quality sound is. Also, your speakers and system is not a penny cost system. The reason why you are experimenting that fantastic sound is because you have chosen the right components for making those huge, massive, speakers to sing as they are doing now. You are in the right track. Better components, the electrostatic speakers always shows the quality...and also the non quality. My CLXs are very picky too, same as yours.

Happy listening!