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
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.
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.
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.
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.