Premier 16 LS II

About the Premier 16 LS II

The Conrad Johnson Premier 16 LS Mk II is a refined stereo tube line stage preamplifier that builds on the original Premier 16 LS design with upgrades completed in 2017. It features six 6922 tubes and is praised for its clear and transparent sound reproduction, allowing the characteristics of upstream source components and tube types to be distinctly heard. The preamplifier delivers a tuneful and articulate bass, shimmering treble, and a palpable midrange, especially realistic female vocals. It creates an immersive, three-dimensional soundstage with openness and ease, making it highly recommended by audiophiles. Dynamics are well handled in soft to average sound levels, though some users note a slight limitation in macrodynamics at very loud levels, which may also depend on the rest of the audio system. The unit is a single chassis design with dimensions approximately 19" wide, 3.75" high, and 15.25" deep, weighing about 25 lbs. It offers a gain of 25 dB, maximum output of 15 Vrms, output impedance under 700 ohms, distortion less than 0.1% THD, frequency response from 2 Hz to over 100 kHz, and hum and noise at 96 dB below 1.0 V. The Premier 16 LS Mk II is regarded as a paragon of combining solid-state and tube sound qualities into a musical whole.