JADIS DIAPHASON LUXE AND JADIS I-70 INTEGRATED VALVE AMPLIFIERS RELEASED

This September, French valve-based audio brand Jadis releases two new integrated valve amps.

The Jadis Diapason Luxe is a new version of Jadis’ entry-level model, while the Jadis I-70 is a reference-class integrated amplifier, one of the first in the world to be built around the new KT170 valve.  Both feature Jadis’ trademark polished stainless steel and gold design.

The new Jadis I-70

JADIS & ABSOLUTE SOUNDS

Jadis made its name in the valve-based audio world in the 1980s with the JA80 pure Class A valve monoblock. The MkII version is still available today, with KT150 valves.

As well as a collection of valve-based integrated amps, preamps and power amps, the present-day Jadis range includes turntables, DACs, CD players and transports. The brand is distributed in the UK by Absolute Sounds.

JADIS DIAPASON LUXE INTEGRATED VALVE AMPLIFIER

Designed from the ground up to be Jadis’ most affordable integrated valve amp, the new Luxe version adds premium features including Jadis’ trademark non-magnetic stainless steel frame with 24-carat cold plating on the front panel.

Jadis Diaphason Luxe

The amp 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.

Jadis Diaphason Luxe rear view

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.

PRICE

Jadis Diapason Luxe – UK RRP: £3,498 (six line-level analogue inputs); £3,598 (five line-level analogue inputs and USB).

The Jadis Diaphason Luxe is just under £3,500

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 has been proclaimed as “the finest-ever output valve for high-end audio amplification”. The Jadis I-70 is one of the first commercially available valve amplifiers built around it.

The Jadis I-70 amp features the new KT170 valve

There is a full complement of nine valves – three ECC82s, two ECC83s and four KT170s, the latter delivering 60W of Class A power per channel. The amp 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. Other details include point-to-point wiring and hand-made transformers.

The newly designed power transformer enables the amp to work in a single push-pull, ultra-linear with triple-load configuration, with two KT170 output valves per channel. There is the trademark Jadis external design incorporating polished, non-magnetic stainless steel and 24-carat gold plated front panel.

PRICE

Jadis I-70 – UK RRP: £11,498

Rear view of the Jdis I-70 integrated amplifier

HiFi Pig Says: Jadis once again shows that French style is always in fashion with both the highly aspirational and high end but affordable new amplifier releases.

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