Jadis DA 60 Integrated

Trelja, with a 89db speaker with a very smooth impedance curve and only a 6 1/2" woofer, do you think the DA30 might be a better sounding amp the DA60 simply on the basis of simplicity with 1/2 the tubes?

Hope things are well, Pubul57. I presume the speakers your speakers are still Merlins?

Presuming the speakers are Merlins, either of the two amplifiers will be fine, though they will sound different. The DA30 will be a touch sweeter, with subtly better midrange. Aside from your having ever used a solid state muscle amp, the DA60 will likely produce the best low end you've heard with them, though quite different than that of an OTL design, and still retain that beautiful midrange and overall sound you buy a tube amplifier for.

It's really a question of where your tastes lie. As for me, I ALWAYS prefer to hear two components next to each other myself. I don't care who they are, no other person can really provide If you're within driving distance, feel free to get together for the purpose of evaluating which amp you prefer with your loudspeakers.

Yup. Still (will always be?) using the Merlins. I currently have Atma M60s and the Music Reference RM9SE becuase I like them both. I've wanting to have an integrated amp and I have been thinking of the Jadis for a while, since I tried the Ars Sonum. I'm looking for the best mid-powered (30-40 watts) 4 power tube amps I can find. For some reason (maybe some of you older threads)it sounded like Jadis was the direction to go in. I live in Baltimore - is that driving distance?

Yes, it's driving distance. I'm in the Philadelphia area, if you're up for it, we'd just have to hammer out the details.

I also have a pair of Atma M60s, and for what it's worth, am comfortable in laying out all the differences between them and the two Jadis integrateds for you. At a high level, it comes down to the classic differences between OTL and transformer coupled tube amps, kind of a vanilla versus chocolate thing, and my mantra is, "That's why they make both of them."

That sounds like an excellent idea, great that you have the OTLs to compare with. And then there is also the Jadis da-50src and one wonders what that might bring to the table - a move to KT88 I guess. I could also bring the Music Referenc RM9 Special Edition which I think is one of the better "high-powered" (162 watts) P/P ultralinear tube amps. I'll contact you via e-mail.