Would Jadis Orchestra work for Dunlavy IV?

Pierre Gabriel, the US distributor suggested that the Jadis DA-30 would do a better job on Dunlavy IVs due to its all of 30 Watts Class -A power. It would perform twice the power as compared to ORC. I am really tempted. I am going to audition these amps at the local dealer. Too bad I can't take my IVs with me. I would try to bring the amps home for audition if they let me.

I wouldn't be surprised since, of all the Jadis amps up to the JA-200, the JA-30 had, in my opinion, the best bass performance. And I do like the DA integrateds even better than the Orchestra. They should let you take it home if you agree to buy it if it works in your application. Let us know how it turns out.

Having owned the JOR previously, and now the DA30, I can say that the DA30 has NOT done a better job in driving the two pairs of loudspeakers I own.

The JOR's "40 wpc rating" is really taken from the Orchestra, which uses EL34s, with smaller transformers. I am unsure of the actual power of the JOR, which used KT90 in my former amp, and currently sold with KT88. I have read 53 wpc, but never anything official. But, it quite possibly could be more. Yes, the JOR operates in Class A/B, and the DA30 in Class A, so there is a lot of apple sauce and orange juice here in trying to compare them on paper.

Like you, I was also told the DA30 was the stronger of the two amplifiers. But, in my case, the JOR easily offers more ultimate power. I will say that before the DA30 runs out of steam, and becomes very wooly sounding, it sounds far more authoritative than the JOR.

They are quite different sounding animals actually, to my very great surprise. The JOR's midrange, once I retubed with JJ Blue Glass E34L has yet to be eclipsed by any stereo system I have encountered. With my Coincident speakers, it was simply perfect. The DA30 has not presented that with me yet, but the sound it produces through the bass and lower midrange is incredible. Not like almost anything being produced today, which tends to highlight the presence region. No, the DA30 offers tremendous liquidity, richness, and weight.

I need to include that my DA30 is of 1990 - 1991 vintage, and the current iteration has some differences. Also, one would think Pierre Gabriel would know best, as he has both readily at his disposal. Still, I must relay my own personal experiences, for what they are worth. And, as my friend Rcprince alluded to, a Jadis is something that most people these days just cannot truly appreciate due to their lack of exposure. Most unfortunate. If you have the chance to own one in the right circumstances, which is the crux of your question (and I cannot help in that regard), I highly doubt you will be disappointed.

Thanks Rcprince and Trelja. Trelja the current JOR and JOE (Evolution) uses 2 ECC83/121X7/7025 AND 4X KT88's, No mention of EL34s. From what I read from your experiences, I can't go wrong with either JOR ro JOE ( the new model Orchestra Evolution with black face plates and wood sides that I prefere. I can't tell any difference in specs) or DA-30. Although there is rather big price difference ($2000 on list price) between JOR and DA-30. While I CAN afford DA-30, If DA-60 (stop me now:)) is not that much money over DA-30, would that be overall better choice? Or JOR would be good enough for my this 'small' system. DA-60 would surely be safe from power point of view it sounds like. I will make my final call when I audition JOR (Or DA-30/60, if they have one on hand). Okay now what kind of interconnects will work with these amps. BTW I may get JADIS JA-3 or Symphonia CD player with this. What do you think? I personally believe in the same brand of electronics.

Thx.

Nilthepill, the interconnects really are something that is difficult to recommend. You should have the rest of your system completed, and use them to dial the sound that last nth degree in the direction you would like to take it. I will say that if you can get your hands on a silver power cord, that definitely made a difference. The various copper cods I tried didn't do all that much.

Yes, the JOR/JOE have used KT90/KT88, but you are also able to run EL34, 6CA7, and 6550. I found the midrange sounded the way I described with the EL34. This tube did result in me having to go up two notches on the control to achieve the same volume, and did not produce the same level of bass extension, impact, or quality. Still, the positives definitely outweighed the negative. The KT88 offered a nice balance between what the larger tubes did well, along with improved midrange. The KT90 was a colder sound that left me much less satisfied after hearing the others. I didn't give the KT88s enough of an audition, but it felt like the JJ Blue Glass E34L produced the finest overall sound.

The DA30 was about $2300 more when I bought my JOR ($5800 vs $3500). The difference has possibly changed along with the exchange rate. I have read the prices on the DA60 and new DA88 are now significantly higher than when I was looking for them (about $8500, now $11K), due to the exchange rate.

I think the active preamp section of the DA30 is a big part of why the sound is so different between it and my old JOR. The 3 12AU7 tubes really have a big influence on the sonics. So far, I have tried Ei, National, and Mullard Blackburn, with the Mullards being clearly the best. Though for new production tubes and at extremely low cost, the Ei are most highly recommended. Again, the sonics of the JOR and DA30 amps that I have owned could not be more different in my two systems. Perhaps the current products are more similar? I do know that my DA30 is a VERRRRRRRRY early version, and the design has since changed in the direction of increased thermal stability, etc. (supposedly at the expense of sonics, but I cannot confirm that as I don't have a new one here for comparison). High end in general has clearly moved from the lush to the lean sound in the past decade plus, and maybe Jadis has this trend as well? If so, then maybe the DA30 and JOR of today are more close than I have seen.

I think at this point, we need to turn things around, and ask you what your likes and dislikes are in terms of sonics, music, and the room size, etc. In all honesty, I am thinking that the DA30 is possibly not the amp for you. Again, my DA30 runs out of steam before my JOR ever did. However, depending on things such as your tastes and ability to drive those Dunlavys, perhaps the JOR, DA60, or DA88 would fit the bill. And, I do recommend the JOR over the JOE, as I really enjoyed having the tone controls, despite their being taboo in audiophilia.

And, definitely follow the advice of Russ (Rcprince). Not only is he a wonderful person and friend, there are few who know more about Jadis.

GOOD LUCK!