Price Paid:  $4200.00 from Audiogon

Summary:
Blew away everything I ever tried. Makes my pair of Premier 11s sound...well, old, slow and tired. Imagine a more lush yet sparkling presentation...but retaining the CJ signature sound, golden warm, analog....you've got the 12s. Build quality is outstanding. These are far more rugged and robust than my Sonic Frontiers and Audio Research mono amps. In fact, instead of using them as my second system and backup amps, I'll sell them and buy another set or 12w. Perhaps I should note that I'm a bit of an insane audiophile...I have owned everything from McIntosh to, well, amps I can't even recall. I've been buying and selling tube amps for about 25 years and owned the first tube gear CJ ever made, but regretably sold them to my best friend 20 years ago. For at least a decade, I was Frank (at Audio Outlet, especially when he was first starting and giving me straight 40 percent discounts) Huang's best customer. I go through equipment (understanding wife!) like some people go through candy. So, I'm sitting on nearly $10 of AR amps. no desire to change, but happened to visit my friend with his (my) 20 plus year old CJs to watch a Patriots game...halftime music break. He puts on Pet Sounds, with my old (very old) Acoustats....boom...I'm blown away with the sound. Amazing! With a 15 year old 16 bit Rotel (which I modded with better op amps for him.) Whatsup with this sound? It's literally spectacular. I've got a Marantz SACD 1, a Meridian 208.24 and a new Naim loaner CD player with power supply...plus my own Hovland preamp...with a Joule Electra loaner (I wanted to try a remote preamp) Speakers are Guarneris with dual SFaber subs...but his system sounds as good as mine. What's with that? So I borrow his (my) CJ amp (forget his pre...it's my old CJ2 which I regrettably update to 12AT7s at the company's insistence...the 12AX7 version sounded better.) Insert the CJ, again MAGIC. I have to buy CJ again, after a twenty plus year hiatus. So off to Audiogon, a week later, Premier 12s. With the Joule (I bought the dealer's loaner....is this a beatiful sounding preamp or what? Makes my (sorry Fremer...I bought it at your recommendation but it's clearly a step behind the Joule.)
The 12s are absolutely amazing. This is the audio bargain of the century. Period. I don't like a couple quirky things about them...a turn-on thump plus a humungous hum...cured by inverting the offend

Strengths:
Great bottom, airy higths and a bery solid golden sound.

Weaknesses:
captive power cord, turnon thump, jum unless one reverese AC polarity on one amp.

Similar Products Used:
dozens of fube amps

Summary:
i recently jumped up to the 12's from cj's mv55 (which is a great value by the way). i use the 12's with wadia's 850 and jm lab's mezzo utopias.

in short these amps are magical. art may have a point about their power in relation to more inefficient speakers. however, they bring the absolute best out of my mezzos.

i'm currently using the 12's with kt90's rather than the stock 6550's. in short, highs are crisp and remarkably fast for a tube amp; the mids are incredible in their warmth and richness and the bottom end is really tight. the 12's image and layer very well and they've nicely handeled all the music i've thrown at them--classic and hard rock, acoustic and plugged in, old jazz, female vocals and even a bit of acid jazz/lounge music just for fun.

the 12's are expensive out of the box. but a great value if you can find them used & are careful.

Strengths:
sweet, life-like mids; well controlled low end; overall sharp, tight and concise

Weaknesses:
cost

Summary:
I love the CJ 12 monoblocks amps. Previous amps include Forte 4a, Bryston 2B, CJ 11a. Also I have heard many amps at stores and shows which cost much more. If you want the presense and delicacy that tubes offer along with good power, this is a great way to go. I currently own these amps driving Thiel 2.3's.

Strengths:
powerful, sweet, delicate detail, lovely midrange, tight clean bass

Weaknesses:
Not powerful enough for the most inefficient speakers.