CES 2008

The Jadis magic is hard to explain. But once you hear it, you can recognize it again and again. It has to do with the beauty of the midrange, the accuracy of timbres, and an inherent musicality that is less about detail than essence.

Not that the PA-88S 60Wpc, remote-control, class-A integrated amplifier with KT-88 tubes ($13,500) and JD-3 Evo CD player ($8000) being demmed at THE Show were without detail. On the contrary, they had just begun to open up after breaking in for less than 24 hours. They were already sounding clear, warm, and revealing. Paired with Pierre Gabriel's Presence II speakers (91dB into 4 ohms), PGI MLI interconnect ($1500) and PGS MLI speaker cables ($3500), this system was doing wonders with cellist Jean-Guihen Queyras and pianist Alexandre Tharaud's gorgeous recording of Schubert's Arpeggione Sonata (Harmonia Mundi). I was especially impressed with the harmonic decay of the piano, the overtones on the cello, the clarity of articulation, and the transparency.

North American Jadis distributor Pierre Gabriel reports that Jadis is using different KT-88s than before—Tungsols from Russia that are hand-selected and matched by Jadis—resulting in a more liquid sound than ever before. I can't wait to hear these tubes in my Jadis DA-7 Luxe. Even without Pierres upgraded internal wire, which is said to improve detail and transparency, the sound was reference quality. Once Pierre's power conditioner arrives, and he’s able to chuck the stock power cable and use his own, I expect the sound will be even better. Anyone reading this who is at the show would be wise to wait until Wednesday, when everything is far more settled in, to check out this system.