Jadis Fidelity

I recently sold my Jadis JPL. It was perfectly reliable for 7 years and sounded just fine. Can anyone please comment on the Defy 7 vs. ARC tube amps? Also, a very minor point, but I found the silver and gold finish on my preamp a bit dated over time and the gold surfaces became very smudged and cloudy. Maybe there is a secret to restoring it to its like new lustre but warm water, isopropyl alcohol, a little soap etc did nothing.

Cwlondon, try silverpolish, but very carefully and sparingly, that worked with me. You can use it freely on the chrome parts, but must be careful on the gold.

Detlof, have you noticed any damage to the gold finish with the silver polish? My dealer used Maas(supposedly excellent) cleaner on my amp(said Jadis recommended it), and there is some wearing of the gold. I have been searching for a good way to clean my amp. The factory recommends just a cloth(perhaps damp), which is a joke. And for heavy cleaning, they told me to use methylated spirits(95% ethanol, denatured w/methanol). They specifically told me to NEVER use a cleaner made for brass(maybe that's where the problems with the Maas cleaner arose), as it will damage the gold plating. And told me that they have never recommended Maas to anyone(my dealer in a little white lie...) I have found isopropyl alcohol of practically no use. As a chemist, I fail to see how methylated spirits will do anything if isopropanol doesn't. Not that they are identical, but as close as you get in terms of alcohols(functionality would be virtually identical). It is certainly a beautiful piece. One of the most beautiful amplifiers I have ever seen. That is always the first thing people comment on, before I fire it up(then they're really captivated). But keeping it pristine has been a problem for me. Regarding tubes Odiomuse, I would be surprised if the amplifier you were interested in did not accept EL34/E34L/6CA7. Most Jadis amps will run on these, in addition to 6550/KT88/KT90. The more expensive amps are also usually autobiasing. Mine is not, unfortunately. I have heard many a person say that Jadis amplifiers are even better with the EL34 family of tubes. I know that when I retube I will probably move to KT88 or E34L. Currently, I am using the factory supplied Ei KT90. I think the Czech JJ E34L to be the best of the EL34 type.

I used Craig ProGold G5 on the gold finnish and it keeps it shinny and looks like new,there is no wearing of the gold but I need to apply it about once a month to maintain the golden lustre.

Trelja, strangely enough meth works, especially for those nasty fingerprints, which sometimes are so hard to remove. Your caveat about brass polish is dead to the point. It will ruin the gold. Silver polish-don't know what's in it - does so less, but has to applied with extreme caution, tiny portions and not too much rubbing. I am pretty sure, that if not done carefully, the gold will suffer as well. (Been lucky so far)