I own a CJ Premier 11a and I agree with everybody's opinions about it - its one helluva musical amp for the price. Kelly Holsten is correct, it does not sound as lush as most tube amps that have EL34 tubes, but then it does not sound as wimpy and anemic in the bass as most of those tube amps either. It also fails to outdo SETs in terms of midrange magic but hey - I bet you can use the Prem 11a with more speakers than 99% of these diet-power amplifiers. I mean, with the Prem 11a - the speakers are practically your own choice but with SETs, you let the amp decide the speakers for you. (oh and I am a SET fan myself, and plan to have one of them accompany, NOT replace the C-J in the future hehehe)
For $3495 (and I bet most of use got it at a much lower price than this!), I have found NOTHING better than the Premier 11a in overall value and flexibility. It does not stand out in any area but it does not fall down face-first anywhere either. Its strengths are numerous, the weaknesses few and insignificant when the price is taken into account IMHO. There are many amplifiers that better the Prem 11a in some areas of performance but most of them have severe weaknesses. (example: better in the mids, but sucks in the bass blah blah blah, or has better bass but sounds out of sync with the music etc etc) Of course, THERE ARE amps that better the Prem 11a overall (like its bigger muscle-bound siblings: Premier 12 and 8a for instance, some of the Jadis, the mighty LAMMs, or the luxurious Cary CAD805) but these amps are bank-breakers and are significantly more expensive.

Music is always greater than the sum of its parts, and little connie-j shines because it always serve the music as a whole, and not as chopped bits and pieces as presented by most of the competition.

The Premier 11A is the best vacuum tube amp in the sub $5,000 price range, period. This amp is fully engaging, drawing your attention to the "music" being played. This is in contrast to other units that tend to stand out in some area that makes you notice it (say the bass for instance), well you tend to find yourself listening to the "great Bass" on most of your albums or CD's and forgoing the actual music being played. The premier 11A solves this problem by performing exceptionally in all areas "Top to Bottom" and presenting a musically balanced output that allows one to enjoy the music being presented by the albums/CD's. it allows one to become engaged in the songs for the exact reason you are listening to music for: the Music not the equipment playing the music. If you find yourself listening to your system and evaluating the hardware alot more then you should then hook up with some c-j equipment, it will make you forget the hardware aspect and allow you kick back and "enjoy the music" for the purpose that it was intended.
The 11A, when used in conjunction with the PV-12A or a Premier 14 is unbeatable by any other Amp/Preamp combination I have ever heard (although I have heard the Premier 8's hooked to the ART and I have to retract that last statement) but other then the 8's and Art if you get the oppertunity - take a listen to this combination and get ready to write a check cause you will want to carry them home.

Associated equipment:

c-j PV-12A (phono option) vacuum tube
c-j DV-2b vacuum tube CD player
Kimber 8TC shotgun to all 4 speakers
c-j Synthesis Reference Speakers
Sota/Sumiko Gem turntable, with Sumiko Blue Point cartridge
19x14 dedicated listening room, Bass towers 1 foot out from wall, 2.5 feet in from side walls. Monitors 12 feet out from wall, 7 feet from wall behind listening chair, 4 feet from side walls. Listening chair 1.5 feet from wall.

As you can see I am a believer in the c-j equipment, and I highly recommend trying more then one piece in your system especially the amp/preamp combo, it is then you can truly realize the true musicallity of c-j equipment.

And no, I do not work for c-j and am not affiliated with them in any way....

Everything of the Premier 11a just as what the reviews stated. Easy to bias, warm and big soundstage are another advantages of this amp. 70W is what the setpoint for tube amp, more than this power rating usually cost a lot more (Law of Diminishing Return). I prefer the Svetlana or Sovtek 6550 over the factory GE 6550 though.

After much deliberation and sound shopping, I decide to purchase the CJ Premier 11a. I have not been disappointed. I am using the 11a with the CJ PV 12a preamplifier, Classe' CDP.3 CD player, and Klipsch Klipschorns. It is a joy to hear. I am listening to CD's that I thought I knew and hearing them again for the first time. It just sounds right! I would buy each of these items again! CJ Premier 11a is a five!

Everything. This is a true top amp.

none

Enough is written here. Anything less tha 5 star for this amp , is but cute nitpicking. I use it with Dynaudio Contour 1.3, known to love power, yet they have never sung like this before, it is a wonderfull match. Grand is the word. For the intimate stuff I still go to the MV 55 playing a pair of Sonus Farber Concertinoes. Do I feel spoiled rotten? There may be "better" amps in the world, but you'll never care.

Similar Products Used:

CJ MV 55

I have heard this amp not in the best of circumstances, but can point out that it soundstages great i.e. it melts away
the wall boundaries and there is a realness to the timbre
of instruments like cymbals. I want to ask c-j owners
whether they think the 11A sounds a bit dark (sort of like
a caramel colour to it) and a little lacking in pace and
rythmn.

A gradual move up the ladder has allowed me to try many a combination, which I felt I could live with. The CJ Premier 11A is one such component which forms a synergistic combo with my chosen speakers. Sonus Faber Guarneri's. The only amp that has bettered it - and this too mainly in terms of immediacy and presence is the Cary 805. Everything else is a trade off. I run it with a PV10A, sources being a Denon DVD3000/X10d (you gotta hear 24/96-try Rebecca Pidgeon on the Chesky sampler) and a Michell Gyrodek/QC/SME4/BenzM09/ARC PH3.
A superbly built, superb looking and sounding unit that gives you more than a glimpse of what the very best has to offer. In fact for its pwoer and drive capability, it is one of the best.

Complex orchestra seems "jumbled"

Recently shopped for a new amp. I auditioned the Premier 11 in my home for about 4 days, then switched to the CJ MF2500 which I preferred (and bought). The preamp was the PV12, a tube preamp. I have a Sony CD player & Klipsch Chorus II speakers.

The Premier 11 reproduced songs with a strong vocal better than anything I've ever heard. On modern recordings that were technically good recordings, the result was mesmerizing. I played some songs over & over again - just to listen to it.

But (at least with my system), other songs weren't so magical & on rock and complex orchestra pieces I found it a little fatigueing. Too much detail in the sound - as if it were all competing for attention. It could be that my CD player wasn't up to the same standard as the amp. I also found that I didn't enjoy my favorite rock songs at loud volumes - which for me is a sign that not all is right. Some musical transitions seemed to have too much "bite" and it wore on me.

Build quality is first class. I almost bought it for the vocals alone, but ended up buying the MF2500 - not as magical on vocals, but easy to listen to.

Similar Products Used:

CJ MF2500