Stupidgood: Ars Sonum

Would smartbad mean a piece of equipment the thing makes technolgical sense, "looks" well made, it is expensive, well reviewed, should sound good, but for some reason it stinks and you wonder what all the fuss is about? I won't name names, but I have also had that type of equipment.

I too am curious about the Jadis, which I was considering, but I tend to take Bobby's advice when it comes to his speakers.

There is something I really like about the idea of integrateds; when they are top flight, uncompromised (within reason). Of course, that does not mean I'm getting rid of the Joule/CAT combo any time soon.

Cwlondon, love the tape deck.

I cant conceive of an integrated amp driving my Merlins better than the Jadis, which is why I asked Trelja. 6 month wait for the Ars Sonum? I'm a bad waiter.......

I think the wait would be longer than that. I've not heard the Jadis with the Merlins, I'm sure they are superb (they sounded great at the NYC audio show with Proac, I think), but what might (speculation) make the Ars and even better match is the fact that on a parts and wiring level it is designed with the Merlins in mind, matching what you would find in the the Merlin's x-overs. I'm not sure what the impact of that might be, but the SE version of the ARS was definitely influenced by Bobby's input with ARS to optimize performance with the Merlins. I'm not sure there is a way around the wait though, the designer makes'em, no assembly line here; but there is some charm to the idea of that - as long as you have something to listen to while you wait.

Denis, I think the ARS Sonum has a lot of the things that make the Jadis so likable to us.

My ears tell me that the amp slots between the Jadis Orchestra Reference and the DA30. I would probably choose it over a JOR, but a DA30 against it. The DA50S being another step up. Of course, the DA30/DA50S cost a lot more. None of them can compete with the DA60 and DA88S, where you gain the ability to really get things going because of their extra power.

In my opinion, the ARS Sonum is running a better tube complement, with a lot more thought and care going into the choices than any of the Jadis models. But like just about everything in the market, missing out on the trump card of the better Jadis products - those transformers, and that almost impossible to find dancing on the rose colored glasses side of reality. A very sweet sound, though more warm and lush than the Jadis offerings. For me, it certainly represents an alternative product to consider. All in all, highly recommended!

DISCLAIMER - I am the US/Canada distributor for Opera Audio/Consonance products. Factor that into the above opinion, if applicable.