Jadis Fidelity

Cwlondon, in looking at the cables I mentioned to you, I realized they're all kinda (some might say outrageously) expensive. I should note that Trelja has been using some affordable silver cables with his Jadis with which he is pleased, and that in the past I have used both Dunlavy and Sonoran speaker cables with the JA80s with good results. Gerrym5, I was interested by your post, I had gotten a separate inquiry about the IO and had relayed pretty much the same thoughts about it as you noted. Be careful before you get the JA500s--they are a different beast from the other Jadis older style amps. They run in ultralinear, rather than Class A (they can be factory adjusted to run class A, reducing the power to 225 watts), and as I recall are not auto biasing and only use the 6550 tubes (although I'm sure that Jadis could adjust the bias to take other types of tubes). Still sound excellent, but as I noted above with the Defy, I think they give away a little of the finesse and delicacy of the other Jadis mono amps. But there are times I'd like that extra power in reserve...

Rcprince, I am intreaged by what you say about the IO and very curious. I find you right on the dot again about what you say about the Defy and the Mono 80's. The Defy can be punchier, however the music is less finely woven, a touch less resolved, the width and depth of the soundstage a litttle more truncated in comparison to the Mono 80's, an effect which strangely enough seemed less, when I retubed the Defy with KT 90s. The main effect there was like moving 5 rows closer to the orchestra. Even more direct and forward, but still eminently musical. For cables I have found the XLO top gear to merge well with my front end, was however obliged to resolder all the connections, which I found noisy, because sloppily done by the factory. Someone in the threads above remarked, that Jadis gear does cut off the top end slightly. I thought so too for a long time until I was lucky enough to get a pair of those plasma tweeters which are generally only sold together with very complex and expensive hornspeaker systems. "A capella" has managed to solve the ozone problem, so you can listen safely now, without being slowly poisoned to death. Since there is no moving mass any more, just a "flame", the highs have breathy directness, sometimes a whispering sweetness, sometimes a clear sparkling presence which is hard to believe. So I am lead to believe now, that this slight lack of air "up top" is not to be attributed to the Jadis gear but must come from somewhere else in the chain.

Detlof, now you've GOT to let us know how the IO compares. I think Gerrym5's description of the differences is a good one, based off what I've heard. Still not convinced to give up the Jadis, though--the mods Andy Bouwman's made to mine have made it sound even better, the IO has an awful lot of tubes, and I too have a taste for NOS Telefunkens, it does take up more space and I'm low on funds for audio application. Hope you're right about the new plasma tweeters not poisoning you to death!

Reprince, e-mail your thoughts and questions on the I/O. I'll be glad to share what factual experiences and opinions I have had with the Aesthetix. (Another source) Albertporter is also an I/O fan and has a lot of experience with Aesthetix's products. I asked him a lot of questions after I found out he had an I/O also. He really helped me with NOS suggestions and tweaks to make my I/O even better (my opinion) than the already outstanding factory standard product.

Rcprince, OK I'll report as soon as the unit has arrived, which will be (hopefully) midst next week. Gerrym5: May I get in touch with you about the IO as well? About being killed by the "ATR -ION TW 1S", more about it on www.acapella.de, I would say, what a way to go...but seriously now, the ozone being formed by the burning of the air molecules in the plasma arc, is being oxydised through a catalyst and bound to the copper, the horn outlet is made off. Neat arrangement. Never any ozone in the air.