Jadis Orchestra Reference SE and DA-50 Integrateds

Trejla
I'm just now taking a closer look at your post.
Highly interesting and spot on.
My Jadis Orch does produce quite a bit of sound volume. That is drives these 4 ohm Thors more than enough to fill this large size cathdreal ceiling room. More than sufficient. I usually listen in fact at 1/3 the volume.
But I want that bottom heavy beefy sound as you call it. Rich/liquid.
I've been told the DA30 does just that. But would love to hear your comparison on the DA30 and your DA60.
Look forward to your follow ups.
Once again I'd like to confirm Trejla's comment that the Orch Refer delivers big enough sound to satisfy most any audiophile. With matching speakers of course.
Notice one thing on Audiogon, very few Jadis up for sale. When folks buy them, they stay in the family for a very long time.
IOW if I upgrade to a Cayin, I doubt if I'll sell the Orch, and keep it as a second bedroom system.
One kinda falls in love with a Jadis.
However if I did it all over again and had known about the Cayin 3 yrs ago, I'd bought a Cayin 788 or something else. For $3K+ I can get the Cayin 500 shipped from france. Jadis can't touch that in terms of price nor sound even close to that price.
IOW comparing the DA60 @ $6K vs the cayin 500 @ $3500, I'm quite sure I'd walk with the Cayin.
A french Cayin dealer over the phone confirmed my hunch.
However its a experiment neither of us will do..
Cayin IMHO is the much better deal. At least in terms of better power and maybe only a slight sacrifice in quality/fatigue level.
Or am I wrong here?
Thoughts?

Bartokfan, are you in France?

I'm not nearly as well versed as you when it comes to Cayin gear, but a friend of mine has the KT88 based integrated. It sure is a nice amplifier, but it doesn't appeal to me in the way that the Jadis integrateds do.

By the way, which output tubes are you running in your JOR? I presume the JJ KT88? If so, I think that is probably the best overall tube. Especially in light of you driving a moderately demanding speaker load. But, if you are using the Ei KT90, I think you would be quite happy once you move to another output tube. Again, if you are ever interested enough to give the JJ Blue Glass E34L tubes a try, the midrange is out of this world.

In terms of the DA60 update, tonight I have placed it in the system it was meant for - my wife's. My only caveat is that currently I am runing the horrific Sovtek 6550. All I can say is this, the DA60 is surely a lifetime purchase for us. With the Coincident speakers, the match is very, very good. Unlike the DA30, there is absolutely no shortage of power. We are getting high volumes without issue. Then again, you really have to see how much larger the beast is than the JOR and DA30. The transformers are breathtaking. The DA30's transformers are one size up from the JOR, and I figured the DA60 used the same units. Boy, was I wrong, they are probably twice as large.

As I wrote above, the clear, open sound put me back toward what I described the JOR possessing. Still, there is some real weight in the low frequencies. Not the rich, luxurious, relaxed sound of my older DA30, but still full bodied and powerful. Personally, I find the amp strikes quite a nice balance between being forward and relaxed, sort of the Goldilocks "just right" kind of thing. It seems to have the attributes you and I liked regarding the JOR, along with what we felt could be improved upon - more power, more rich and powerful low frequencies, no hint of leanness. With the dead cold amp playing for maybe 5 seconds, my wife confidently announced the DA60 was the best amp I've ever provided her.

On Saturday evening, just for fun, we went back and forth with a quad of JJ Blue Glass EL34 tubes I had against the Sovtek. No question, the JJ were day and night better. So, the next move is to pick up 8 new output tubes, and I am having an extremely difficult time deciding between the EL34 or the KT88. It's more or less a question of bass versus midrange. Factoring in price, perhaps I'll give the EL34 the nod. Once I make this move, and the tubes burn in, I'll be ready to complete the picture here. If I get any improvement akin to what retubing did for my JOR, this amp is literally going to be so good it will be scary.

I can now relate to what I relayed above, when you move up in the Jadis line, you still have a Jadis, you just get more of it. The DA60 provides the "mores" that one would ask for over the JOR. Though, in the end, I feel totally sure in saying again that if value factors into this equation whatsoever, the JOR is the definite play here - what a special high end audio product!!! I think the world really needs to give this special little amp a listen - many, many eyes would be opened.

"Jadis products are best enjoyed by folks who get the emotional end of music, and are less concerned about the way things look on paper or measure."

Rereading your post once again, I see you've answered this question already. Thanks.

In France, the Cayin 500 received many rave reviews but I don't think it was ever sold in the US. I have never heard one.

I auditioned both the JOR and 50S side by side and loved both. It was a classic comparison of EL34 to KT88 and so I would pick whichever tube I prefer. Personally, I like EL34 better.