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Cary vs Jadis vs Quad tube amps

I'm deciding between a new Cary-805C anniversary edition (with WE300B), a used Jadis-845, and a new Quad II-forty five amp/preamp combination. The new Cary and used Jadis are the same price, while the new Quads are half the price. I heard these all in different rooms and systems, so hard for me to make a fair comparison.

Anywhere have experience with the amps to help me decide? is it risky to buy a used tube amp? (i live in a different country from where I will be buying the amp)

I loved the sound of the Jadis-845 (didn't want to leave the demo room), felt the Cary was very competent, and found the Quads to be very balanced and fun to listen to. Again, the matching components were of varying quality, so I'm not sure how much to trust my ears alone.

My system includes Mark Levinson 39s CD player and B&W804s.
no_slouch

Showing 1 response by semi

semi
649 posts
 
I heard the Jadis 845 once against the Nagra. Even though Nagra puts out twice as much power by using 2x 845 tubes, there was no comparison - Jadis has better everything except sheer volume. The SE magic was abundant to the point I thought Nagra sounded like a cheap tube amp. Jadis will be my choice if my speakers can be driven by the low output power.

I heard lots of good thing about Cary 805, but haven't heard it with my own ears.

But biggest question is will any of the amp you are considering be able to drive B&W?
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