Jadis musical value?


If you've heard or owned Jadis amplifiers, I would like your opinion on their performance value. When I see equipment this jewel-like, I tend to question just how much of the manufacturing/design budget was apportioned to performance and how much to aesthetics. Also and more specifically, I have some interest in the Jadis integrateds that come up for resale on Audiogon. Are they recommendable based on their performance alone? Thank you.
phaelon
>>If you can swallow hand manufactured quality (almost garage) of their cabinets, you receive the most musical, the most enjoyable sounding equipment in the market.
Milimetr<<

You forgot "IMO".
In answer to one post, I believe the preamps are as equally good as the amps, if not better(I own a JP200, and previously owned a JPL and a JP80), but they do soften macrodynamics just a bit, and are not as good as solid state units in the absolute deepest bass. Michael Fremer once said in his review that the JP80 was great for classical and jazz, but not for rock, and that assessment is fairly accurate in the sense that the Jadis are OK with rock, but you can get more drive and in-your-face dynamics for less money with other units. I'd add that you could make the same claim about the amps as well. As far as reliability goes, I've had mine in for servicing more than a few times (my JP80 had a few problems with caps going and some noisy resistors that took forever to diagnose; the JP200 had a power supply cap go after 12 years, so I'll say it's been reliable), but I've had similar problems with my Lamm amps and phono stage, so I can't say really how they stack up against most tubed equipment. Problem in the US is getting them serviced, as the service network in the states is not extensive--you really need to find a good tech to work on them over here.

I disagree a little on the build quality comment, I don't see them as garage manufacturing quality, I like the point to point wiring/copper bus bars and chassis they use. I do agree that the beautiful gold finish tends to tarnish too easily and is a pain to keep looking its best once it gets that way.
As with every piece of equipment I have auditioned and owned, it comes down to system synergy and individual leanings. I have owned a Defy 7 followed by a pair of JA 200's with JP-80MC driving a pair of, amongst others, Avalon Ascents (which my wife continues to feel was the most musical system I assembled) with much success. Still, I looked for greater delineation and frequency extension, so I bought and sold other amps and had the Jadis preamp heavily modified. Today the Jadis preamp remains a mainstay now powered by Joule OTL's. Very musical, yet more dynamic swing than with the all Jadis system. Important to emphasize, these Jadis components are mid 1990 generation. I have had very pleasing results in terms of reliability. Short of a transformer going during a thunder storm all has run free of down time.

You've got to try the equipment with your cables, room, speakers, etc. I have heard this stuff, that is many audio products, sound disappointing to nearly "live-like"