Jadis JA-200 Mk. II Amplifiers

[Ron Resnick]

Yes, I mean the 85 watt Absolare 85 Push-Pull amplifier.

Why was the Absolare SET model not your cup of tea?

 

[DaveyF]

To my ears, it seemed like it truncated the highs and lacked in dynamics...along with sounding a little 'phasey". As always it could have been a mismatch with the ancillary gear, although I did get the same impression on two different occasions.
This amp was not on my radar recently when I was amp shopping.
Have you heard any of the Absolare offerings? If so, thoughts..

 

[Ron Resnick]

I have heard Absolare twice on Rockport speakers at shows and, from what I could tell, I liked very much the combination.

 

[bonzo75]

I have heard Absolare twice on Rockport speakers at shows and, from what I could tell, I liked very much the combination.

I thought the Rockport were under driven. Nothing against the amps, just the matching of the amps to the speakers, plus it is a show so can't say much.

 

[DaveyF]

I thought the Rockport were under driven. Nothing against the amps, just the matching of the amps to the speakers, plus it is a show so can't say much.

+1

I did not hear the amps with Rockports, but my impression was also that the amps didn't work well with the partnering speakers. I heard them with Kaiser's on one occasion and cannot remember what the speakers were the other time.

 

[Ron Resnick]

a year ago I was hot on getting tube amplification and briefly looked closely at Jadis, likely the JA80 Mk2. . . .

Your Honor, I am recalling this witness -- Mike Lavigne please return to the stand!

You have testified previously, Mr. Lavigne, that you like the crystalline transparency of OTL amplifiers. So, Mr. Lavigne, is it your testimony before this court that after years with the transparent darTZeel 458 mono amps, when you had a hankering for tubes you considered the transformer-coupled JA80, but not the incredibly transparent Atma-Sphere OTL? May I remind you, sir, that you are under oath!

Please explain this to the jury . . .

 

[DaveyF]

Your Honor, I am recalling this witness -- Mike Lavigne please return to the stand!

You have testified previously, Mr. Lavigne, that you like the crystalline transparency of OTL amplifiers. So, Mr. Lavigne, is it your testimony before this court that after years with the transparent darTZeel 458 mono amps, when you had a hankering 5for tubes you considered the transformer-coupled JA80, but not the incredibly transparent Atma-Sphere OTL? May I remind you, sir, that you are under oath!



Please explain this to the jury . . .

LOL,
I cannot wait to hear what the witness has to tell the court!

 

[bonzo75]

Your Honor, I am recalling this witness -- Mike Lavigne please return to the stand!

You have testified previously, Mr. Lavigne, that you like the crystalline transparency of OTL amplifiers. So, Mr. Lavigne, is it your testimony before this court that after years with the transparent darTZeel 458 mono amps, when you had a hankering for tubes you considered the transformer-coupled JA80, but not the incredibly transparent Atma-Sphere OTL? May I remind you, sir, that you are under oath!

Please explain this to the jury . . .

Lol

 

[Milimetr]

Hello,

I own a Jadis JA200 MKII for about a year now in full Jadis system.
Before this amp I had JA80 Anniversary version and DA88. I have an experience in few other amplifiers from Jadis offer.

My JA200 MKII has some modification make in the factory at my request. The most important is SCR FEP Supersound Teflon linking capacitors. This is a technology from Jadis 25th Anniversary set and has a great contribution to fast and dynamic sound of their new amplifiers.

I can highly recommend a JA200MKII version. This amp is a huge improvement in sound compared to older JA200 on KT120 tubes.

If you have any questions please ask.

 

[Ron Resnick]

This is very interesting. Thank you for posting!

What other options or component upgrades are available?

 

[Jazzhead]

Hello,

I own a Jadis JA200 MKII for about a year now in full Jadis system.
Before this amp I had JA80 Anniversary version and DA88. I have an experience in few other amplifiers from Jadis offer.

My JA200 MKII has some modification make in the factory at my request. The most important is SCR FEP Supersound Teflon linking capacitors. This is a technology from Jadis 25th Anniversary set and has a great contribution to fast and dynamic sound of their new amplifiers.

I can highly recommend a JA200MKII version. This amp is a huge improvement in sound compared to older JA200 on KT120 tubes.

If you have any questions please ask.

Hi Milimetr , welcome to WBF . What speakers are you driving with your Jadis JA200 ?

 

[Milimetr]

This is very interesting. Thank you for posting!

What other options or component upgrades are available?

Other upgrades are minor. I have my favourite RCA male connectors Vampire CM2F/CB and always ask Jadis to mount them.
Other are cosmetic upgrades like Jadis logo printed on the cage or knurled nuts for mounting cages.

As for the speakers it is always an issue to get proper match with Jadis gear.
One of the company that always matches great with Jadis is Sonus Faber.
Currently I use Franco Serblin Ktema loudspeaker - the best achievement IMO of Franco Serblin - the Sounus Faber founder.

 

[microstrip]

Hello,

I own a Jadis JA200 MKII for about a year now in full Jadis system.
Before this amp I had JA80 Anniversary version and DA88. I have an experience in few other amplifiers from Jadis offer.

My JA200 MKII has some modification make in the factory at my request. The most important is SCR FEP Supersound Teflon linking capacitors. This is a technology from Jadis 25th Anniversary set and has a great contribution to fast and dynamic sound of their new amplifiers.

I can highly recommend a JA200MKII version. This amp is a huge improvement in sound compared to older JA200 on KT120 tubes.

If you have any questions please ask.

Wellcome to WBF - it is great to have the owner of a current Jadis MKII wanting to share technical details. The best part of the news is that these capacitors are available for owners of MK I versions.

Are you using them with KT150's? I a am currently burning-in 16 KT150's in a pair of conrad johnson LP275s and they seem now much more agile and with more bass slam and definition.

 

[Milimetr]

Wellcome to WBF - it is great to have the owner of a current Jadis MKII wanting to share technical details. The best part of the news is that these capacitors are available for owners of MK I versions.

Are you using them with KT150's? I a am currently burning-in 16 KT150's in a pair of conrad johnson LP275s and they seem now much more agile and with more bass slam and definition.

Teflon capacitors were used first time in JA80 25th Anniversary model. I went from these amps so I ordered these caps as a modification. In standard amps Teflon caps are not used.
In my opinion Teflon linking caps helps the Jadis amplifiers to get even better transparency and dynamics. My version of JA200MKII is rocket fast. I like orchestral music and believe me that Mahler or Wagner music truly comes to life and can be earth shaking now.

Yes, I use JA200 with KT150 that were standard tubes supplied with my amplifiers.
These tubes are fast, detailed and dynamics far from Jadis old rounded and overly sweet school but still extremely musical and involving.

MKII models have new power supply transformers as well as new output transformers. For JA80 models layout of the tubes is changed to ensure better air flow around KT150 tubes that runs very hot. I am not sure if upgrade from JA80 to JA80MKII is possible or advised as in standard tube layout the amps may run too hot.

I do not know C-J gear well but have heard their Art preamp and Premier 8 mono blocks some time ago and these were one of the best gear I have ever heard these time.

 

[KeithR]

Jason Serinus reviewed the JA200s in this month's Stereophile...funny, his Pass XA amps ran hotter that 10-tube monoblocks.

 

[LL21]

Teflon capacitors were used first time in JA80 25th Anniversary model. I went from these amps so I ordered these caps as a modification. In standard amps Teflon caps are not used.
In my opinion Teflon linking caps helps the Jadis amplifiers to get even better transparency and dynamics. My version of JA200MKII is rocket fast. I like orchestral music and believe me that Mahler or Wagner music truly comes to life and can be earth shaking now.

Yes, I use JA200 with KT150 that were standard tubes supplied with my amplifiers.
These tubes are fast, detailed and dynamics far from Jadis old rounded and overly sweet school but still extremely musical and involving.

MKII models have new power supply transformers as well as new output transformers. For JA80 models layout of the tubes is changed to ensure better air flow around KT150 tubes that runs very hot. I am not sure if upgrade from JA80 to JA80MKII is possible or advised as in standard tube layout the amps may run too hot.

I do not know C-J gear well but have heard their Art preamp and Premier 8 mono blocks some time ago and these were one of the best gear I have ever heard these time.

Interesting on CJ gear, as I have never heard Jadis before...so be interesting to understand any comparison you might be able to make. Meanwhile, newer CJ gear uses Teflon a lot...and I think it seems to have done some very good things in the same way you describe Teflon and Jadis.

Any thoughts on what you hear with CJ and Jadis...and (if possible) any comparison?

 

[Mike Lavigne]

Jason Serinus reviewed the JA200s in this month's Stereophile...funny, his Pass XA amps ran hotter that 10-tube monoblocks.

was not too kind to them either. liked the tonal and textural beauty of some of what they did, but found them wanting in top end openness and sparkle and that the bass was lightweight and lacked definition. one guy's opinion.

in some ways classic tube sound (although there are a few tube amps which can touch most of the bases better than apparently these did) verses better solid state and certainly preferences were involved.

 

[KeithR]

was not too kind to them either. liked the tonal and textural beauty of some of what they did, but found them wanting in top end openness and sparkle and that the bass was lightweight and lacked definition. one guy's opinion.

in some ways classic tube sound (although there are a few tube amps which can touch most of the bases better than apparently these did) verses better solid state and certainly preferences were involved.

I couldn't help to think by reading that he's running them on the wrong speaker...especially after reading the measurements. I also think as a reviewer he needs to use a proper preamp.

His Jadis comments at Axpona with Vivid speakers had no issues with bass and said the highs were "glorious." Go figure.

 

[Diapason]

was not too kind to them either. liked the tonal and textural beauty of some of what they did, but found them wanting in top end openness and sparkle and that the bass was lightweight and lacked definition. one guy's opinion.

I haven't read the review, but that would tally exactly with my sense of the previous version of JA200. Don't get me wrong, I like them, but those are the criticisms I would level.

 

[DaveyF]

I couldn't help to think by reading that he's running them on the wrong speaker...especially after reading the measurements. I also think as a reviewer he needs to use a proper preamp.

His Jadis comments at Axpona with Vivid speakers had no issues with bass and said the highs were "glorious." Go figure.

I haven't read the review by JVS yet, but my gut feeling is that what you said makes perfect sense. Too many of the reviewer's completely fail to realize that the 'marriage', as one of my a'phile buddies puts it, is extremely important when you are talking of gear in this class. Get it wrong, and you will come away with an impression that is probably wrong. So many of these guys think that they can just plop the new piece of gear into their existing system ( which is usually highly colored due to their 'taste' ) and get great results....when in fact that is exactly the opposite of what is going to happen. This, at least IMHO, boils down to the experience level of the reviewer...and again IMHO, JVS just isn't that experienced!!!