Suggestion for Tube based Power amplifier

[bvdiman]

+4 4Jadis.

Used to run JA80 then JA200 driving Proac Response 4 at one time (late '90s), very nice synergy.
Their rich tonal saturation/density create images which were convincingly real ~ palpable, illuminated and 3D-like.
Good bass definition and extension, beautiful midrange, though not the last word in ultimate speed/high extension.
As reference : Pre-amp were JPL then JP80, digital Jadis+EAD then MarkLevinson 30.5, 31.5. Cabling Siltech, Magnan, NBS.
*JA80 was running flawless, had minor noise issue with JA200 (tube+resistor on one amp) which was quickly resolved.

 

[Gregadd]

Steve's Lamm MLIII.



IIRC ProAc is efficient.

 

[Btselect]

A couple of things regarding the amp, I see that it has a 20 amp receptacle, how are your amps hooked up? I never would buy an amp with its power tubes located inside the unit, due to heat, so do have additional fans running in and out of the amp, especially on the circuit side. As for amps I feel the Octave MRE 220 with the new KT 150 output tubes with the current Gold Lion 12AU7s and the current Tung Sol 6SN7, together with the additional bigger capacitor bank box should sound closer to your current amp. These amps are very user friendly, and should be more trouble free than your present amp. For me I prefer the BAT amps, but they are very power hungry and require a beefed up electrical setup, etc. definitely not a plug and play unit like the Octave.

 

[garylkoh]

+4 4Jadis.

Used to run JA80 then JA200 driving Proac Response 4 at one time (late '90s), very nice synergy.
Their rich tonal saturation/density create images which were convincingly real ~ palpable, illuminated and 3D-like.
Good bass definition and extension, beautiful midrange, though not the last word in ultimate speed/high extension.
As reference : Pre-amp were JPL then JP80, digital Jadis+EAD then MarkLevinson 30.5, 31.5. Cabling Siltech, Magnan, NBS.
*JA80 was running flawless, had minor noise issue with JA200 (tube+resistor on one amp) which was quickly resolved.

+1 with the palpable, illuminated and 3D-like images that you will get with the Jadis.

I have a customer who had the JA120's and I thought that it was quite exquisite.

 

[microstrip]

+1 with the palpable, illuminated and 3D-like images that you will get with the Jadis.

I have a customer who had the JA120's and I thought that it was quite exquisite.

Jadis can sound great - illuminated is a great word to describe them - however from my experience (DA7, JA80) if you have a Jadis amplifier you will want to have a Jadis preamplifier to get the best of it.
Curiously the preamplfiers match very well with other power amplifiers - the JP80 sounded exquisite in a DartZeel. Unhappily, double volume control and no remote ... .

 

[c1ferrari]

VAC, Atma-Sphere, BAT

 

[zztop7]

Mid range = 300B single ended = 8 watts, but very beautiful mid range with the proper speakers.

Need more power + bass = Lamm

zz.

 

[flez007]

+4 4Jadis.

Used to run JA80 then JA200 driving Proac Response 4 at one time (late '90s), very nice synergy.
Their rich tonal saturation/density create images which were convincingly real ~ palpable, illuminated and 3D-like.
Good bass definition and extension, beautiful midrange, though not the last word in ultimate speed/high extension.
As reference : Pre-amp were JPL then JP80, digital Jadis+EAD then MarkLevinson 30.5, 31.5. Cabling Siltech, Magnan, NBS.
*JA80 was running flawless, had minor noise issue with JA200 (tube+resistor on one amp) which was quickly resolved.

I had the same issued regarding speed and extension on top, .....blame the Siltechs! (I used them as well, great cable when I had the Gryphon setup, but not good for tubes IMHO) - I moved to AN and problem solved!

 

[elcorso]

I quit ARC since a lot of failures from CD player, pre and amps.

I'm in love with CJ, not a single failure from the ET-5 & ARTsa amplifier, the warm, 3D and beautiful midrange from tubes with the crystalline extension of an SS gear.

The ARTsa handles with easy the "heavy" load of ML CLX speakers (90 dB/2.83 volts/meter-Sensitivity) in a 15' X 24' listening room.

Roch

 

[LL21]

I quit ARC since a lot of failures from CD player, pre and amps.

I'm in love with CJ, not a single failure from the ET-5 & ARTsa amplifier, the warm, 3D and beautiful midrange from tubes with the crystalline extension of an SS gear.

The ARTsa handles with easy the "heavy" load of ML CLX speakers (90 dB/2.83 volts/meter-Sensitivity) in a 15' X 24' listening room.

Roch

Wow...great system! I love CJ and have owned it consecutively for over 14 years now. And I found your speakers captivating too. I am a bass freak...not necessarily at high volumes...in fact mostly at very low volumes where I still want to feel the punch. Do you use the ML Descent subs where they have a setting to blend with your CLXs?

 

[elcorso]

Wow...great system! I love CJ and have owned it consecutively for over 14 years now. And I found your speakers captivating too. I am a bass freak...not necessarily at high volumes...in fact mostly at very low volumes where I still want to feel the punch. Do you use the ML Descent subs where they have a setting to blend with your CLXs?

I'm also a bass freak, and I believe the CLX needs the Descent subs if you want not only "more" bass, but depth of soundstage, like to listen the music hall boundaries, where the recording was made. And yes, the subs has "CLX" setting and is what I use. Even the ML's dealer had doubts about the "blend" when I order the subs, now he is convinced that the blend is very nice, even if the music is coming from different speed drivers, ELS versus cones.

Roch

 

[LL21]

I'm also a bass freak, and I believe the CLX needs the Descent subs if you want not only "more" bass, but depth of soundstage, like to listen the music hall boundaries, where the recording was made. And yes, the subs has "CLX" setting and is what I use. Even the ML's dealer had doubts about the "blend" when I order the subs, now he is convinced that the blend is very nice, even if the music is coming from different speed drivers, ELS versus cones.

Roch

Fantastic to hear! I only had an afternoon with them...but I really enjoyed my time with them. I have spent a lot of time setting up my own sub and was curious about descents and CLX...very impressive. Congrats and thanks for the feedback. Agree by the way on your observations.

 

[microstrip]

I'm also a bass freak, and I believe the CLX needs the Descent subs if you want not only "more" bass, but depth of soundstage, like to listen the music hall boundaries, where the recording was made. And yes, the subs has "CLX" setting and is what I use. Even the ML's dealer had doubts about the "blend" when I order the subs, now he is convinced that the blend is very nice, even if the music is coming from different speed drivers, ELS versus cones.

Roch

Elcorso,

I can only agree with you on the Descent's effect. One of my great experiences with subs was playing a recording with little bass content in a very large room using the old ML's Odyssey - just a guitar and some similar acoustic instruments. The effect off connecting the sub was that the soundstage was no more close to the panels, but the whole room become a large stage, layering and depth were frightening. As soon as the sub was switched off everything shrinked and listeners complained ...

The Descent includes a nice two frequencies (25 and 50 Hz) equalizer - I have found it very useful, as they correspond to the modes a 22 feet room - exactly the length a my former listening room.

 

[tunes]

Joe,
Not sure if the proac sensitivity is a good match but the 845 based nagra vpa is superb at the elements you've listed as objectives.
Chris

 

[Suteetat]

Ayon Orthos XS is well worth auditioning. It has enough power to drive most speakers yet sound very delicate, powerful, well articulate bass that is there when it is needed but not so bass heavy, well extended top with rich tonal balance (but not quite as warm or lush like my old Jadis JA200 - older one from around late 1990's early 2000's, not sure how the current Jadis sounds like). Loads of detail but never sterile or analytical. CJ Art would also be high on the list if SE only connection is acceptable. The best bass I heard so far in my room which had ASR, Jadis JA200, Lamm M2.2 in the last few years.

 

[trh8654]

Don't over look the BAT amps. The REX amps are something special. If I didn't own the BATs, my second choice would be a pr. of the VAC 300.1s.