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Sonus Faber Extremas

Heading to the CES and have high hopes for the Duetta by Wilson. Seems like the inverted titanim tweeter has been replaced, the only drawback I heard in the 7's and Sophias otherwise I would buy those speaker. Question is I enjoy tube amps and would appreciate any input on ayone who has owned Extremas. Demos are unlikely, they are hard enough to find let alone get a demo out here in South Fla. Could the Extremas be properly driven by amps or integrateds by Jadis or VAC? Sifting thru the threads Im reading 400 watts not being enough, and some even bridging to 800watts! Would a 60 watts Jadis class A or say the 130 watt VAC phi beta have enough current to make the extremas sing. Will throw in room size which I beleive is the key to this setup..20 wide 30 deep. Speakers maybe 6 feet away from wall. Listen only to Jazz and standards with a little classical on occasion. Thanks!
velo62
velo62 OP
255 posts
 
Thanks guys, I always respect and enjoy both your posts and follow your threads. I remeber the CAT thread on driving the MBL101e's and was interested in the watts vs current issue. I am opening an Audio shop in South Florida and have already secured the Jadis line. Was looking to add a nice retro section to the shop and was hoping the DA88 would be able to pull it off with the Extremas...I will still try however ad could always switch rigs around. After years of trying different solid state amps they just dont do anything for me anymore, had a Plinius SB300 here a few months ago hooked up to my Focus Audios sigs and man did that setup stink. Lean and harsh, everything I had acomplished before with a 75 watt tube intergrated just collapsed with the addition of the Plinius. Worst case scenario if the tubes and Jadis fails is I'll try a pass 600 or maybe even a Gryphon Antileon.
rcprince
3,070 posts
 
You could always try the Jadis JA800s (the six-chassis version for the full power) or JA 500s if your floor financing line of credit is high enough! I have heard JA 500s drive mbl 101s, so they might have enough power to do the Extrmas. The problem is that the higher up the Jadis line you go in power, you lose a little bit of that midrange magic for which Jadis is justifiably famous (especially if you use 6550s or KT-90s). Raquel's suggestion of the CAT amps is a good one; otherwise, the Antileon is a good choice if the Jadis won't drive it.
brunogolf
35 posts
 
I have owned Extrema for about 4 years now and currently run them with CAT JL-1 Monoblocks, i know these speakers very well, you can e-mail me if you have any questions.
newintown_75287
3 posts
 
I have ML20.5 monoblocks with the Extremas and they are definitely underpowered. Has anyone actually tried the Pass X600 or X600.5 with the Extrema? Please chime in with your experience. How about other high current offerings from Levinson, Rowland, or Classe Omega? Extrema is a fine speaker but it is extremely picky about the amplification.
thf
54 posts
 
Velo62,
I have owned the Extremas for a number of years and the best I've heard them driven is with the Antileon Signature (which I'm using now). I'd tried them with VAC (tube), BAT, Pass Labs XA160 (a close second), Premier 8A and believe it or not, the BEL 1001 MK V. Preamps used are the ARC Ref 2 II and CJ ART II. If the music is not too demanding, all of these equipment can drive the Extremas to satisfactory levels beautifully. At the end of the day, it comes down to one's musical taste.
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