Conrad Johnson Premier 12 Monoblocks for Sale - SOLD

[WGS57]

Thank you for viewing! I live in Nova Scotia, Canada located on the east coast, and I am the current owner of these very fine sounding Premier 12 monoblocks. I am willing to meet up with you part way (depending on distance) and I will consider shipping but that will depend on what I can find for boxing here in Nova Scotia. Shipping could be expensive as they are heavy and I don't have the original boxes.

I have a pair of Conrad Johnson Premier Twelve Vacuum Tube Amplifier Monoblocks, rated at 140 glorious tube watts per channel, that should drive most speakers and are rated a 7-8 out of 10...in good condition. The speaker taps I believe are set for 4 ohms but can be changed internally. The cages are also in good contain as well with no dents or chipping. There a small scratch on the side on one of the units but doesn't affect the aesthetics as you can see in the photos...it never troubled me but I would feel more comfortable saying the condition rating should be set between 7-8 out of 10, because of its age. The right channel mono block has a small scuff on the front panel and a slight nick. If you like I can supply you with more pictures.

These amplifiers were purchased from a private dealer in North Virginia, USA and I don't know the age of these amps but likely originally sold in the 1990's. The serial numbers are consecutive. These amps have been very stable with no issues since I have owned them. These are built to last and they are held in high regard and provide the CJ house sound that owners covet. These amps do not have the C1 Teflon upgrade.

The 5751 tubes and 6FQ7 driver tubes are NOS with about 150 hours, and the 8-6550's have 400-500 hundred hours on them. I also have 8-KT120's that I am currently using and have about 150 hours on these tubes. The 8-KT120's came from Upscale Audio in California and the 8-6550's came with the amp when I purchased them in late summer 2022.

If you buy the monoblocks with the 8-KT120's and 8-6550's the price will be $4,600 USD + shipping cost from Nova Scotia. The price with just the 8-6550 tubes will be $3,700 USD + shipping cost. Shipping to be paid by buyer.

All the reviews are extremely favourable, please see the links below.

https://www.stereophile.com/tubepoweram ... index.html
https://www.audioasylum.com/reviews/Amp ... 74747.html
https://forum.audiogon.com/search/index ... premier+12


THE BELOW IS TAKEN FROM THE CONRAD JOHNSON WEBSITE:

The Premier Twelve is a mono-block tube power amplifier.
It used two pairs of 6550s to produce 140 watts for each mono-block.

The Premier Twelve used only the finest component parts in all stages including the power supply. The power supply used only polypropylene and “cjd” polystyrene capacitors as opposed to the traditional deployment of electrolytics. The main storage reservoir used polypropylene capacitors with polystyrene shunts.

Features:
- One pair of binding posts using the default 4-ohm tap
- One pair of inputs
- Two plate fuses
- Power switch

Premier Twelve | Valve 1: 5751 | Valves 2 & 3: 6FQ7/6CG7 | Valves 4-7 6550 or KT120's

Specifications:
Power Output: Ultralinear Operation: 140 watts per channel RMS at 4, 8, or16 ohms both channels driven from 30Hz to 15kHz with no more than 1% THD or IMD.
Power Output: Triode Operation: 60 watts per channel RMS at 4, 8, or16 ohms both channels driven from 30Hz to 15kHz with no more than 1.5% THD or IMD.
Input Sensitivity: 0.90 volts to full power
Hum & Noise: 98dB below full power
Input Impedance: 100K ohms

Dimensions: 17.5W | 7.25H | 15D inches

Weight: 48 lbs less packaging.

Payment by Interac or cash only please.

Cages have been extended using gold coloured speaker feet to accommodate the additional height of the KT120's. Easily returned back to their original placement but I think the cages look very cool as they are, and cages are easily removed when you just wish to look at the tubes without cages.

[zermatt]

What type of 5751 are in those amps?

[WGS57]

Hello Zermatt, they are Sylvania GB with gold printing, JHS 5751, triple mica, black plate. Very nice sound.

Bill

[SMAC66S]

New to the CJO and looking for the Premier 12’s. Quite some time has passed but wondering if you still have these available.
SMAC66S

[WGS57]

Hi SMAC66S they have sold this past spring. I tried to remove the original post but I don't know how to. I couldn't figure it out. Perhaps if the moderator sees this reply they can help?

[admin]

I changed the title to indicate that it was SOLD.

I like to keep the listings on as this can sometimes be helpful information for future buyers or sellers. Someone may inquire about typical selling price, or maybe contact the owners about what they thought of the sound of a particular model.

In the past, when a unit does sell, the seller often comes back and just makes another post saying "sold". Either way is sufficient as any future potential buyers are going to read the entire thread anyway.

[WGS57]

Thank you for the advice you are right...I could've come back stating they had sold. I did buy another Conrad Johnson power amp, the Classic Sixty SE, which is a newer model with KT120's...which I am loving as well.

[admin]

Thank you for the advice you are right...I could've come back stating they had sold. I did buy another Conrad Johnson power amp, the Classic Sixty SE, which is a newer model with KT120's...which I am loving as well.

Very nice. I love the sound of KT120's. I have them in my ART amps. Only downside is they are so darn expensive now!

[WGS57]

I really love the KT120's. I have two additional quad sets when it comes time to change...with the quad that are already in the amp...that should last a very long time. Tubes are crazy expensive. For example, 4 NOS preamp tubes cost be $600+ CAD. Luckily preamp tubes last longer than power tubes.

I was sorry to see the Premier 12's go but I thought about them needing two quad sets of power tubes when its time and the units were 30+ years old. One tube socket needed replacement as the socket was starting to deteriorate. Sending them to CJ for servicing from Canada would be so expensive.

I just feel better with the Classic 60 SE, knowing it's younger and it's still a wonderful sound and gorgeous to look at.

[admin]

Makes perfect sense. The classic 60 is going to be near a decade younger and that also means an expected extra decade of life (all things being equal). It's also a great sounding amp so no regrets.

[Big Dog RJ]

Nice one Bill! The Classic 60SE will be a new dimension, especially driving Klipsch LaScala's, easy load and effortless sound.

Those Prem12's were legendary indeed, and top line gear of those glory days of CJ. I started out with the Prem11A, Prem12 and onto the Prem8A's, driving various types of speakers from Maggies to Apogee's. Those were the days... Beautiful presentation. However, like you said, these are vintage gear and would really require a fair bit of maintenance to retain in full spec. Not an easy task considering the way life's expenses are going...

Noticed on your pics, that you're using the PV12 preamp, another fantastic preamp of its time. One of CJ's best VFM units, surpassed many other top tier brands costing far more. Do you still use the PV12?
During my ownership of the Classic 60 series, I used a few preamps: PV15, ET3SE, ET7, and the ACT2S2. The ACT2 combination with the Classic 60SE was really tops. Goes to show how well designed these Classic amplifiers are, partner them with higher grade preamps and they will perform! Nothing short of stunning. The only reason why I chose the ACT2S2, which is a much older unit compared to the ET series preamps, is because I prefer the 6N30P tubes in preamplifier circuits compared to the 6922's. They have a touch more color and warmth that CJ was known for, personal preference that's all.

Which preamp are you using now and do you still have the Klipsch L's?
Cheers, RJ

[WGS57]

Hello Big Dog RJ yes I still have the CJ PV-12 and I enjoy the sound tremendously...I would be hard pressed to give up this preamp. I haven't had the opportunity to enjoy and listen to as much CJ gear as you have though. I honestly stumbled onto CJ gear from a gentleman from Virginia in the USA who vacations near where I live in the countryside off the Atlantic Coast of Nova Scotia in Canada.

He had the CJ Premier 12's for sale and I made the mistake of asking him if the Belle Klipsch's were for sale. Well I paid a premium for them but because they were vintage I had to have them and they have an interesting provenance (but no proof, just his word). I am soon starting the re-veneering job and I will keep it simple using a lovely walnut veneer. The Bell Klipsch's aren't high end audiophile grade but they are very lovely to listen to and how it looks is important to me as well. They are a pretty big piece of furniture... I also have a pair of Yamaha's NS-1000M's which were my very first new speaker I ever bought in the later 1970's. I am so glad to have a pair of those to switch out to from time to time.

Conrad Johnson gear is an end game product for me and I also enjoy a solid state Klyne SK-5 preamp with phono stage. It just gives me the opportunity to switch out gear for a change.

I hope you are having an easy winter? Our summer here has been hot and muggy but the drier, cooler days are coming.

[admin]

I loved my PV-12. It was a simple no frills preamp that I think really performed about it's price class (both within the CJ line and vs other manufacturers). Really one of the jewels in the PV series.

I was able to get a very good price on one (actually sold it for more after a decade of use!) but it was the black front plate. I always wished it was the champagne front plate version.

[WGS57]

The champagne faceplates just look right with the CJ line. I have seen the black faces before and it just doesn't seem to work with CJ. Like the Klyne SK-5 preamp I enjoy as well...I have a friend who has the black faceplate and it kind of gets lost. I have the champagne colour and it looks right. Might be my cheery age of 67 talking. Lol.