Amplifiers:A Keeper for Life. Do you know of one ?

Russ, I guess I forgot to tell you when we got together last week that those JA80s were supposed to be kept until I was of the age where I could afford them...

Yeah, I know, sorry about that, Joe, I should have waited for you, but with all the remodeling jobs I've done and am doing to my house I needed the money, and my wife felt that the art deco look of those amps was nice but not suitable on her living room floor. Hey, I saw in another post that your Orchestra Reference's tubes were 6 years old, maybe you'd like one of my EI KT90 mk III quads, a lot cheaper than those 80's and certain to breathe new life into that amp!!

Thanks for the offer, Russ!

Yes, possibly. If I ever sell the amp, and I have only thought about it once, another set of tubes might be something that would protect the buyer farther into the future. Even though the amp can use most tubes, Jadis seems to think the KT90 is the best tube for their amps.

I do have a quad of KT90s in reserve, which I was kind of thinking that I would save for posterity. My tubes are getting to the point where I have been looking around for replacements. After about 4 hours or so of playing, I sometimes notice a bit of distortion coming from the right channel at times. I just chalked it up that I am probably getting close to needing tubes.

Actually, I know you will understand when I say this after we found out that we are kindred spirits sonically, and both go for a rich, lush sound, I was thinking the next tubes I should give a go in the JOR would be the JJ EL34. I have a pair of more powerful amps upstairs - my "consolation" for not getting your JA80s(Granites, and they are much better than I could have even dreamed), with JJ KT88, and the sound is great, so I was wondering if I should take the Jadis is a different direction.

My only worry with the EL34 is their ability to drive the speakers, but I will probably end up with a big pair of Frieds down in that system, and they are surprisingly EASY to drive, but you never know.

I have aways had a dozen or so amplifiers kicking around. Mostly tube amps...from vintage to modern. I have collected,bought,sold, traded,built,rebuilt and repaired both tube amps as well as solid state amps for more than 35 years. Funny as it may sound...My geniune keeper [for more than 20 years now] is a little 25 watt/channel class A solid state amplifier.With the right speaker, and in the right room,this classic little solid scraper is as good as anything this guy has ever heard.Sounds as sweet as the best tube amps, always engaging to listen to, and with zero ear fatigue. Recently found another one by advertising right here in the Gon's wanted adds. THE BEDINI 25/25. It's truly a honey of an amp. Many years ago, I ran a pair of these babies into 2 pair of stacked quad 57's ala the famous Mark Levinson HQD system but minus the big Hartley subs. One amp channel per quad panel, I actually preferred the little bedini's to the legendary 25 watt Mark Levinson ML 2 monos [another superbly musical solid scraper].

The Bedini is a honey of an amp, Ecclectique. I auditioned one in the late 80s, and while the sound was a lot better than the NAD 2600A, I chose the latter because I was young and stupid. Now, I am just stupid. I was overly concerned with the wattage ratings(though the Bedini runs Class A, which you pointed out), the NAD didn't need a preamp, and the fact that the Bedini was used, and the NAD was new.

I am forever haunted by how good the Bedini sounded that day.

You are lucky to have one. In the spirit of this thread, it is truly a keeper for life.