Conrad Johnson ART27A and ART108A Class A Triode Amplifiers

HI-FI+ WINNER 2022 - Valve Power Amplifier

The ART27A and ART108A are very special amplifiers designed for reference quality use by a limited number of discerning audiophiles - no more than 250 of the stereo ART27A and 125 pairs of the mono-block ART108A will be produced.

Speaker systems vary in sensitivity with some highly regarded speakers measuring an output of 86 dB or less from one Watt at one meter to other high-efficiency systems producing as much as 104 dB. Further, room dimensions, speaker placement, and listening placement vary widely – also significantly impacting power demands. Accordingly, the power demands of different high-end audio installations vary widely. To address a range of these needs, we offer these two amplifiers utilizing the same basic circuits and built to identical standards, differing only in the number of output tubes, size of the output and power supply transformers, and scale of the power supply required to achieve their different output power levels.

The circuit for these amplifiers is designed for Class A operation of KT88 output tubes configured as triode devices – a single pair for each channel achieves 36 Watts per channel in the stereo ART27A suitable for highly efficient systems, while the mono ART108A employs four pair to produce 160 Watts – ample power for the vast majority of applications.

"The conrad-johnson ART108A is more than the brand’s latest statement piece amplifier. It’s like the subtle and delicate ART27A meeting the power and detail of some of the brand’s classic Premier series flagship power amps. That’s a combination that really gets under your skin"

HI-Fi+ Magazine Aug 22 Review here

The amplifiers boast independent discrete regulated power supplies for the output stage in addition to separate regulated supplies for both input and inverter stages (with separate regulators for each channel in the ART27A).
Our design team has long appreciated the critical importance of parts quality in achieving top performance.

Our commitment to executing our reference level products with only the highest quality parts is unmatched in the industry. Precision laser-trimmed bulk metal foil Vishay resistors are used throughout the voltage gain stages and related power supplies. CJD Teflon dielectric capacitors are used for coupling the inverter stage to the output stage, and to bypass the large value polypropylene capacitors in the regulated power supplies for the voltage gain and inverter stages. Amplifier output is coupled to speakers through proprietary wide-bandwidth Translinear output transformers optimized for Class A operation of triode connected KT88s. Even the machined OFC connectors and the internal wiring have been carefully selected for optimal sonic performance. Attention to every detail enable us to extract the full potential from our circuit designs and ensures that our products will perform to this potential for years to come. The ART27A andART108A amplifiers are built without compromise to achieve a new standard in musical performance, and they are built to last.

HI-FI+ REVIEW 2022 - Valve Power Amplifier

Read the full review here

ART108A Specifications
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Power: 160 Watts rms both channels driven into 4 ohms from 30 to 15KHz at no more than 1.5% total harmonic distortion
Sensitivity: 1.0V rms to rated power
Small Signal Distortion: less than .25% at mid-band
Frequency Response: 20 Hz to 20 kHz, +/- .25 dB
Hum and Noise: less than 200 microVolts
Phase: phase correct
Input Impedance: 100 kOhms
Tube Complement: 3 x 6922, 8 x KT88

    Important Note: output tubes must be replaced with matched quads selected for use in this amplifier.

Dimensions: 21.0″D x 19″W x 8.625″H
Weight: 89 lb net


Every conrad-johnson ART108A amplifier is patiently and carefully hand assembled, then individually inspected and its performance verified by an experienced audio technician.