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bart42
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Hello

Post by bart42 »

My local hi-fi dealer - guru - Spearit Sound has retired. For 20 years, I relied on them with excellent results. They are sorely missed.


I have a C-J GAT preamp and C-J Premier 140 amplifier driving a pair B&W 802's through SilTech silver interconnects (DAC to pre-amp to amp to speakers) IA few years ago I replaced an earlier CJ amp with the GAT and noticed a great improvement.
Currently, at least one tube (blue light) blew the fuses in the amp. It is time to retube and with Spearit Sound no longer in business, does CJ service seem the best bet for buying new tubes?
Also, does anyone have an opinion about factory upgrades for the Premier 140?

Thank you for your attention,
Bart
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Re: Hello

Post by admin »

Hi Bart,
Welcome to CJO. I live relatively nearby and when I heard Spirit Sound was closing I was also saddened to hear the news. I had actually never gone there as I had moved into the area only a few years before they closed and just never made it around to all the major audiophile shops in driving distance (Spearit was a few hours away). I know they were one of the few official CJ dealers in the area.

As to your question, CJ does sell tubes and I've bought from them before. They are a little more expensive compared to what you can buy "on the street" but it's kind of like going with OEM parts for your car. It will cost more but you know it's good. There are other reputable tubes stores (I've bought from tube depot before), and if you search our site a little there have been multiple conversations about tube replacements and recommendations of online tube suppliers.

If you want to do local business, I highly recommend Audio Video Therapy in Nashua, which should be within driving distance for you (don't know exactly where you are located). They have great customer service. Very nice people, helpful, and not pushy with sales at all. They (unfortunately) don't sell CJ directly, but they do general repair services and should be able to help you if needed.

Again, welcome to the site!
-admin
Home Theater in Member Gallery
Main stereo: ART Amplifier and ET7s2. 2nd stereo: PV-14L and MV-55. Previously Owned: PF2 preamp, Evolution 2000 Amp, PV-12AL preamp, D/A-2b Vacuum-Tube Digital Processor.
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roberto
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Re: Hello

Post by roberto »

Hola Bart and welcome,


Admin is right!. I can assure you that, if you buy the tubes from CJ, there is a minimum of a chance that they are bad. You do know how the tubes are. At CJ, they test every tube, so you have a kind of warranty that they do perform OK.

Address your questions to service@conradjohnson.com and you will receive their quotation and the best recommendation of how to perform your repair (if needed) to the amp. You can't go wrong with them. Explain to them your exact problem.

www.thetubestore.com is another trusty store where you can find different tube options and a little description of the behaviour of the brand of the tubes that you can buy from them.

Usually a blown tube is easy to change. Your Premier 140 is built to last! Only quality parts are in there. A reason why the quality sound that you get.

Happy listening!
ML CLX BF-210 Stage X Motion 4. CJ 120SE amp ET7V2 pre, Holo May Kte Dac. Mac Pro. Power Cond. BPT Signature+ 3.5, Gaia II Feet. USB Lush^V3. Nordost SPM IC and Spk. Shun Mook, BCanto CD2 CD3. Linn LP-12/Unitrack tonearm/Denon DL103R MC.
paulCJ
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Re: Hello

Post by paulCJ »

Welcome Bart!!
I buy tubes ONLY from Conrad Johnson directly.
I have never, and I mean never, had a bad tube from them. Jeff at Conrad Johnson recently upgraded my 20-year old amp with new teflon capacitors and the amp sounds better than ever, (talk about standing behind their products). Their pricing on tubes used to be higher than other sources, but that has recently changed and their pricing is now competitive. I would buy tubes directly from Conrad Johnson without hesitation.
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