Jadis JA30 Mk2, how great???

Daveyf,  I recall walking into a room at the Chicago  AXPONA show  last year that was using Jadis components and immediately recognizing the realism and beauty of the sound.  If you're familiar with the sound of real instruments being played in your presence you'll tend to quickly notice this type of sounnd with certain audio components. Well, it works that way for me. 

Very high quality tube equipment (not every tube component is capable of this) such as Jadis and some others are sometimes criticized for not measuring as well as a typical  solid state amplifier.  This leads to the belief that they're not as accurate or just providing pleasing coloration. I see  (hear) it differently.   

What is being heard with the Jadis and certain othertube amplifiers of this caliber is an unmistakable realistic and organic presentation.  In other words it's a more natural sound character. Your  description of air from the trumpet and saxophone,  I completely understand what you mean. 

This is an example of a very real aspect of something that you can clearly hear and appreciate but would be unable to verify with some form of measurement. I'm just very glad there are exceptional components available that can convey this level of musical beauty and realism. No doubt so are you. 
Charles 

+1000 Charles.

I have never really considered measurements as any kind of arbiter regarding the SQ of audio gear. My ears are the arbiter, just like yours. The measurement crowd tends to shy away from this...which is fine, but i never understood how they correlated what they look for in the measurement and what some "expert" has determined that the measurement correlates to in the sounds that we hear. ( Remembering that what you hear, I hear- and they hear, are probably variations that we all interpret differently). 
Not to say that the new Jadis amps won't measure well, we have no idea about this ( and they very well could measure great)...but like you said, tube amps don't typically do this. 
BTW, I was looking at the graph showing the frequency and linearity result that was presented with my speakers....Jeez these guys are almost ruler flat from 45Hz to over 18Khz!! So somebody at SF did have great ears and the ability to design for flat response and measurement!  
Franco really is missed!!!

I know 2 people who have have the amp, preamp.   They've both had lots of issues with them.   When they work, they sound good...but.....

stringreen, what vintage are the friends gear? Are you referring to JA 30's or some other model in the line up? I would very much doubt that the amps you are referring to are the new mk 2 models. As to the preamp, I have no experience with Jadis models.... no need to, as my CAT is a perfect match for the Jadis amps. 

Davey:
I want to be clear the air about me raving about the JA 30ll and then selling them to Davey and now hearing his opinion.
I loved the Jadis elegant sound as well and I think you are finding my description as I posted accurate.
I sold the amps. with regret but they simply were not enough power for my Gamut RS7i speakers and the marriage broke up.....the mate was my fault but certainly the dealer as well. I now say what was I thinking and certainly was not the amps. fault.  These speakers really like a "bigger amp." and the JA 80ll would have been a better match but they were out of my range. I am thrilled Davey is "engaged" in the music. 
With a brief trial with a refined SS amplifier, I have landed a deal on a CAT JL5 amplifier and just got it home today. It is a way better mate for these speakers and CAT can pretty much do it all. 
Once again it is all about proper mates. I am one of those guys that believe you mate the amplifier to the speaker.....not the other way around. 
Gwalt