French valve-based audio specialist Jadis releases two wonderful new integrated valve amps – brought to UK exclusively by Absolute Sounds. The Diapason Luxe is a new version of Jadis’ entry-level model, while the I-70 is a reference-class integrated amplifier, one of the first in the world to be built around the exceptional new KT170 valve. Both amps embody the liberté sonique, or sonic freedom, that top-quality valve amplification delivers – sound that is seamless, fluid and free-breathing – wrapped up in Jadis’ trademark polished stainless steel and gold design.
Jadis Diapason Luxe integrated valve amplifier
Designed from the ground up to be Jadis’ most affordable integrated valve amp, the Diapason distils the essential Jadis ingredients into an elegantly simple yet eminently capable design. The new Luxe version adds premium features including Jadis’ trademark non-magnetic stainless steel frame with 24-carat cold plating on the front panel.
Incorporates seven valves, specially selected by Jadis for the Diapason – one Electro Harmonix ECC82 and two Tung-Sol EC83s for the input/preamp stage, plus four Tung-Sol 6L6s (two per channel) in push-pull configuration for the output stage. The 6L6s are mounted on a vibration-damping ceramic support and deliver 15W per channel.
The three hand-wound transformers, while simplified compared to Jadis’ top-end designs, maintain the same fundamental attributes, right down to the vibration-damping resin, and are still made in Jadis’ factory in Villedubert.
The amp has six line-level RCA analogue inputs, one of which can be optionally converted to a USB digital input.
Jadis Diapason Luxe – UK RRP: £3,498 (six line-level analogue inputs); £3,598 (five line-level analogue inputs and USB).
Jadis I-70 integrated valve amplifier
The arrival of the new KT170 valve type heralded the perfect time to create a new Jadis reference-class integrated amplifier. Capable of an exceptional combination of high power and low distortion, the KT170 is arguably the finest-ever output valve for high-end audio amplification. And the Jadis I-70 is one of the first commercially available valve amplifiers built around it.
Full complement of nine valves – three ECC82s, two ECC83s and four KT170s, the latter delivering 60W of Class A power per channel. Although it is possible to configure four KT170s to deliver even greater power, Jadis’ implementation prioritises extremely low distortion to maximise fidelity and make the most of the amp’s spellbinding sonic ability.
Incorporates features usually reserved for the company’s top-end monoblock power amps and preamps. For example, the power supplies for the driver stage and power stage are entirely independent, ensuring dedicated, uncompromised power for each critical circuit. Other details include point-to-point wiring and hand-made transformers.
Huge, newly designed power transformer delivers prodigious dynamic and pulse power. This enables the amp to work in a single push-pull, ultra-linear with triple-load configuration, with two KT170 output valves per channel.
Beautiful external design incorporating polished, non-magnetic stainless steel and a 24-carat gold plated front panel – unmistakably Jadis. As for the sound, it’s a perfect representation of the best of valve amplification – deep, broad and detailed, rich in sensation and full of emotion.
Jadis I-70 – UK RRP: £11,498
