Thoughts about Jadis and Harbeth

I would second the recommendation by your dealer for the Jadis Orchestra.

I wouldn’t. At this price point, there are better amps. The Jadis is a hybrid with transistors in the driver circuit. The bias pots do not look robust, fuses are inside and not serviceable. I think you should buy a US made amplifier like the Quicksilver preamp with HT pass through http://quicksilveraudio.com/products/line-stage-preamp/and the V4 monoblocs. http://quicksilveraudio.com/products/v4/Not US made but well built to a high standard, If you’d like an integrated only, look at the PrimaLuna https://www.primaluna-usa.com/primaluna-evo-400-tube-integrated

Have to agree with noromance. the Jadis stuff looks great sounds ok until you get into the much more expensive gear and the fit and finish was never their standpoint.

For your price range we would recommend a remarkable solid state intergrated which has a fantastic built in dac, the Micromega M100.

This compact intergratrated has a very tube like sound, and has an unmatched feature set:

100 watt class A/B amplifier
Built in dac that does PCMP 768 and DSD 512
Spotify, Tidal, Obuzz built in
Apple Airplay
Phono stage
Headphone stage
Optional room correction.
slim and compact.

The Micromega M100 has a very warm punchy sound and has excellent bass control. It would mate beautifully with the Harbeths.

In our shop this is our favorite integrated for the money and we sell the Naim, and Anthem and NAD M32 intergrateds as well.

This review sums it up:

It wasn’t just the richness and depth of the bass, but the incredible level of detail—such as hearing the sound of the pick hitting the strings just before I heard the note of the string itself, not to mention the lovely high-frequency response: sweet, airy, extended… and more gorgeous than I’ve ever heard it sound on CD. After seriously surprising myself that I was so happy with the M-100’s performance with black vinyl, I then slowly worked through listening to all its digital inputs, a process which necessarily including evaluating everything from various streaming services right up to the latest high-res formats, and found that the longer I listened to the M-100, and the more inputs I evaluated, the more impressed I became by its performance: This is one seriously cool component! (Well not totally cool, the case could become warm despite the fan… which I could hear up close when no music was playing, but not from my listening position, and never when the music was playing.) And speaking of streaming, that process seemed to continue even when I switched to listen to a different input, so make sure you stop it when you’re not listening if you don’t want to consume bandwidth.

Listening to Takatukas’ ‘Red Blood’, which seemed appropriate given the M-100’s heritage, the M-100 delivered the wild roller-coaster-ride of sound for which the band is famous, from the trademark machine-gun drumming of Bruno Mellier to the screaming, almost ear-piercing lead guitar shredding of Gerald Ozga. It kicks in from the opener Paranoiaque/hypochondriaque and keeps the excitement through all 15 tracks to Ras Kouyon. The slam and tone of Nicolas Vitry’s bass is a constant delight as well.

I was able to confirm that the M-100’s performance was totally consistent across all the inputs using my library of cuts that are identical except for format, many of which are sourced from Soundkeeper Recordings. The M-100 delivered consistently silent backgrounds, extraordinary dynamics and excelled at maintaining ruthlessly accurate tonality irrespective of music genre.

Conclusion

As ‘all in one’ components become increasingly common, manufacturers are pulling out all the stops to make sure their products stand out. Micromega has pulled out so many stops building the M-100 that you have to peer upwards to see it (literally, if you wall-mount it). Brilliantly designed, lovely-sounding, able to be optioned-up and/or upgraded and, thanks to the MCF customisation on offer, it can be as beautiful as your heart’s desire. Magnifique! # Jules Larkin

https://www.avhub.com.au/product-reviews/hi-fi/micromega-m-100-amplifier-review-test-512349


Dave and Troy
Audio Doctor NJ Micromega Dealers

I am not a fan of any tube amplifier with Harbeth’s though many use tubes and like what they hear. In my opinion you will never hear what the Harbeth’s are capable of with any tube amp that I’ve heard. Alan Shaw uses Quad amps to voice his speakers so you might want to start there. They make separates as well as an all-in-one called the Artera Solus which sounds great with Harbeth speakers. I use an Aesthetix Mimas with my Super HL5+ and previously used an Ayre AX-7e with great success. I have owned Quicksilver V4’s and Silver 88’s and though they were great with my Vandersteen speakers they just sounded dull and boring with my SHL5+. Btw, that is not indicative of the wonderful Quicksilver sound.

i have read a review of the new Parasound Halo integrated amp and from what I read might be a good fit for your needs as well. If you can find a Quad dealer you should go and listen to their stuff though. The match with Harbeth is well known.

I used a Luxman 505ux with great success with my Harbeth SHL5s. I tried other amps including a Primaluma HP and Ayre but the Luxman shined. 

I have heard a used Jadis Orchestra before.  I think it was around 40wpc?  Would that be enough to truly power your Harbeths?  The amp really does sound pretty special although I couldn't comment on their reliability.

I think a Rogue Spinx might be a good match with those Harbeths! SS/Tubed hybrid...Fremer visited a show where thay were drving the M30.1’s via the sphinx. He said they switched out some higher priced gear and drove them temporarily with the rogue sphinx. His reaction was that he would never have guessed it if he was not told. Alan Shaw of Harbeth has made mention that he feels a higher powered amp is a good thing when it comes to the reserve power on hand for when the music demands it. The Sphinx puts out 100 watts/8 ohm, but 200 watts into a 4 ohm load! There is a stereophile review on it, although the review covers the v1 version. The V2 has less noise and some minor improvements overall. 

Hi- I have a pair of Harbeth SHL5+ And am very happily driving them with an Accuphase E-470 integrated.   This combo is very warm, dynamic and resolving.  I just switched to this Accuphase after 20+ years of tune amps and am extremely happy.  I would also highly recommend an LFD amp to drive the Harbeths.  I have one I found used for $1700 and it is a perfect amp for the Harbeths.   Check with Gene Rubin Audio- Gene often has used LFDs.  You won’t be disappointed. 

Joey we are also a Parasound dealer, the Micromega is far superior sounding to the Parasound in every way. 

The new Hint was better than the older version but they are a far cry from the Micromega also the Hint 6 does not stream so you must factor in a streamer and a digital cable so now you are close to the price range of the Micromega M100.

The Rogue is still a Class D amplifier and is a good performer for the price point, you can get a very similar sound with more meat on the bone with a Unison Reserach Primo which is a bit more expensive than the Sphinx but is a pure class A/B amplifier.

When you factor in the fact that the Micromega gives you an outstanding streamer, dac, phono stage, headphone amp, preamp, 100 watt class A/B amplfier for such a reasonable price you can see why we endorse it. 

The LFD gear is quirky and does sound very good, when you factor in a good digital front end and cabling you may still prefer the Micromega. 

Every time we fire our demo up it puts a big smile on our clients faces.
It is really that good. 

Dave and Troy
Audio Doctor NJ Micromega dealers

I have a Jadis DA30 and it does sound great but the sound is influenced massively by the valves being used.  I would never vouch for its reliability as I have had to replace an output transformer (Ouch) and power supply has also produced "big smoke".  On that occasion I returned to Jadis for repair and they said that one of my kt90s was gone.   They charged me 120euro each for new ones (extortionate price) and said if I didn't buy from them they wouldn't warranty their repairs.  I'm thinking of selling my Jadis,  I don't suppose you'd like to buy it? 😁.
I know the Orchestra Ref is a different model and sounds great with more oomph than the basic Orchestra and an old friend had one at one time. But the company is IMHO not great. 

Thank you all for your responses, they are very helpful. Perhaps its a good idea to begin with something else. I like the idea of tube amps and being able to tube roll, the Jadis doesn't really afford me that option easily. This is about learning and the experiences of finding out the best for me. Starting with the Jadis seems like a static approach. 

Perhaps having both and switching back and forth sounds kinda fun to me. I still welcome your thoughts and ideas. This has been very insightful so thank you for that.  

vato, if you are hellbent on tubes with the Harbeth, you should consider the MastersounD BoX.  It does a great job even with the harder-to-drive SHL5+ and even though it is Single Ended Pentode, it is 35 watts and has incredible punch and drive to the music.

I am a Harbeth dealer and also the MastersounD distributor.  I used to keep another tube brand in my portfolio but when MastersounD released the BoX, it completely trounced those push-pull designs in every aspect. 

Interesting I saw a review of this on youtube a few weeks back. I'm not exactly bent on Tubes, they have a certain appeal to me. I'm nostalgic perhaps, and like things that glow lol. I would say they have a spacious sound that drew me in. I also like the SS and I'm best acquainted with that type of setup.

So many decisions to make, at least its fun..

Generally, the Harbeth will sound more open and illuminating with certain tube amps. I have only listened to the Leben CS300 driving some Harbeth. In comparison most solid-state amps sound slightly darker/warmer.

However, if you listen to rock at moderate to high levels a solid state amp would be more suitable in my view. The bass slam and dynamics of the Harbeth are usually better if you feed the speakers with more current or power, and it is usually from solid-state designs.

I am the dealer who sold the speakers and recommended Jadis. I have a rhetorical question: (doesn’t apply to daveyf since he has an extensive experience with Jadis. Neither does it apply to dealers since they have vested interest to trash it and promote their product). 

Here is the question: how many of you heard Jadis with  Harbeth?

It’s funny because when vatoman was buying the speakers, he heard them with i50 and absolutely loved it. That’s what sold the speakers in the  first place. 

I have the Harbeth HL5 plus and running them with the Jadis Orchestra reference and it is magic.  Take it home and listen to it. I have Conrad Johnson Act 2 preamp and CJ 350  SS amplifier  and also VTL 450 monoblocks  to play my Gershman Black Swan and  Quad 2905
I have used these combinations with my Harbeth and they are slightly better, but the Jadis and Harbeth and Quad midrange are tops.
Habve the dealer send you home with a loaner Jadis and listen .
All the advice is helpful but your ears will tell . Jose Crespo 

Consider the Yamaha A-S1100. I much prefer it to the original Halo Integrated and many others in that price class. It produces a slightly lush, 3-dimensional sound, not unlike like a decent tube amp, but has all the strengths associated with good SS - low noise floor, great channel separation, deep bass, flat response. Like most Yamaha integrateds, it exceeds the claimed power spec, even measured at full bandwidth. It has a real linear power supply (unlike another mentioned in this thread), with 72,000 microfarads capacitance - 80% more than typically found in integrateds under $4K. The heatsinks are way oversized so it never gets hot. Its built in phono stage is the quietest I've encountered anywhere - even more so than my Parasound JC3 Jr. I've owned C7s and I think this amp is higher caliber than you'd ever need with them, so you'd be good for future upgrades as well.

I just have to LMAO at EVERY reply that states how whatever SS amp "sounds like tubes" "stages or images like tubes","does what tubes do" blah blah blah!
 I demo'd Jadis years ago & IMO build quality was a JOKE,thin,flimsy top plate,cheap tube sockets,uneven finish on casework,bias pots deep inside the amp & MASSIVELY overpriced!Look at Raven Audio,Prima Luna or Rogue Audio..I have Monitor 30.1 speakers driven by a Cayin tube amp & it is sublime sounding!

The Harbeth C7s are made for tube amplification. Easy to drive (6ohm minimum impedance) and the drivers are so well integrated and coherent that the sound stage becomes enormous when using a tube amplifier.
I used a Rogue Cronus Magnum II with the C7s and the sound was awesome and magical.
The Jadis amplifiers I have seen and heard have an extreme level of build quality as well as sound quality. They are robust and deliver a huge amount of power for their ratings. I would not hesitate to try one.
Good luck!

@freediver I don’t know what Jadis products you were looking at, but I can tell you IME everything you stated about them is false! The amps are built like tanks and are anything BUT flimsy!!! Same goes for their preamps.( Plus their parts quality is beyond repproach...particularly their tube sockets!) BTW, you do know that there are a few amateurs in the Far East that are attempting to make ’knockoff’s’ of these amps....I suspect you may have been using one of those, LOL!! --if you heard one at all??

If possible hear the Jadis with the Harbeths and compare to others! I think the Orchestra will beat most similar tube amps simply because Jadis make their own very high quality output transformers. The only problem with Jadis is that you can't bias the output tubes without removing the bottom plate. 

^^^ 1.Demo'd Orchestra in 2012 & I stand by my assessment of build quality!Thin top plate flexed with minimal pressure,tube sockets were crooked & don't get me started about having to take the amp,turn it upside down & remove back plate,then power the amp & try to bias using a meter & screwdriver!
 2.a.ANY thoughts on amps made in Far East without a FULL deconstruction to check components & build quality as I have done is NOTHING but speculation & anecdotal evidence spewed out by Dealers & Mans.in a vain effort to discredit the FACT that most all but the absolute cheapest versions use NOTHING but the highest quality components & construction available so they can justify the MASSIVELY overpriced products based on outdated voodoo word of mouth & subjective listening by someone trying to make a profit off end users who either can not or do not do their due diligence & discover the TRUTH about brick & mortar dealers & mans.trying to keep so called "HEA" alive based on price=quality mentality!
2b.I challenge ANY HEA dealer to set up a double blind listening session,anchored by ONLY end users,between your overpriced amp & the top models from Rogue,Raven,Prima Luna,Cayin & Yaqin & broadcast LIVE to the audio listening world in order to put to death the outdated Price=Quality garbage that continues to drive so called HEA & end users who drink that coolaid.
 3.Just because Jadis makes their own transformers means nothing.MOST of the available Tube Amps/Integrateds today use superior Japanese Hashimoto or Tamura transformers special built for the circuits being driven so that argument is a wash!Do they also make their own Caps,Diodes,Resistors or Volume Pots?NO they do not,they use IDENTICAL components that every other manufacturer has available to them.OP it is your $,do you want to just throw it at some B&M dealer trying to keep his doors open for business or do you want the absolute best amp for the $?

 @freediver  So, you are annoyed that you had to go through a biasing procedure with the ‘supposed’ Jadis amp that you auditioned. 
While I agree with you that biasing a tube amp is usually not much fun, Jadis utilize several auto biasing schemes in their more recent amps. Unfortunately, most all tube amps either need to be self biased, or have a self biasing feature.
Having said all that, I think it is best that you enjoy your Cayin...
The Jadis gear clearly isn’t for you.
Oh, and just keep on bashing B&M stores too...:0(

I had Harbeth Compact 7 and this very good speaker loves tubes

Hi.  This is a bit off topic, but I would like some feedback around anyone with Harbeth Class D amp experience?  I have the NAD M2 $6K single box and the Harbeth importer is a couple hours from me in New Hampshire.  For a few years now, I've been contemplating bringing the NAD and a thumb drive of my music to the store to investigate how they might compare up to my modded sealed Salk Veracity HT1's.  A friend who's ears I trust loved the smaller Harbeths however found them lacking when he still wants to rock out.  At 73, I'm rocking less and large classical is also being selected less and less as well.  Would appreciate any thoughts.

VATOMAN, this question might be of value to your search, hopefully.  Best of luck!...more peace, Pinthrift

Anyone comparing Jadis to Prima Luna or Cayin simply has no clue,I guess if your pockets are in the Cayin or Yaqin price point, I could see why you refer to Jadis as MASSIVELY overprised(we have a tendency to slam things we cant afford)....granted we are now in an age that alternative truth will fool some of the public but sorry Charlie in this case facts do matter and truth is truth.You simply have no clue on what your talking about.

 @missioncoonery   +1000

Yeah I'd agree Davey, jadis is pricey but certainly not to be compared.

I've certainly made my mind up for the most part, it'll take longer but patience got me this far. 

My ears will decide, I still like the idea of both ss/tube. It'll be fun to move between them. 

As for the class d question. I'll say give it a shot, I heard it attached to a Peachtree nova 300/30.1 and it sounded pretty good. Best of luck to you too.