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Well, they're fun, they sound great, but they ain't exactly neutral, see? They aren't particularly [sniff] refined, my good man. Especially in Tetrode mode, where the sound is a bit grainy and where they possess more power, slam, and headroom than should be legal. Let's put it this way: the customer for a pair of Jadis JA 200s is most emphatically not the same person who'll want these rock'em, sock'em, kick-yer-butt-into-next-Tuesday amps. But so what? Aren't we supposed to be enjoying ourselves? Isn't it about the music? Believe me, then: enjoying music through these things was a piece of…
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: All-tube monoblock power amplifier with class-AB1, push-pull output stage, user-adjustable bias. Output power: 540Wpc at 1.5% THD, 5 ohm load in Tetrode mode (25.3dBW); 168Wpc at 1.5% THD, 5 ohm load in Triode mode (20.2dBW). Power consumption: 1329W full power at 1.5% THD, 30W in Standby. Input impedance: 100k ohms. Load impedance: Factory-set for 5 ohms. RCA and XLR inputs.
Dimensions: 19" W by 13" D by 11" H. Weight: 82 lbs shipping.
Serial numbers of units tested: MANR440889/90.
Price: $10,000/pair. Approximate number of dealers:…
Sidebar 2: In the mix
The front-end was basically the same kit I'd listened to with the Symphonic Line Kraft 400s. Digits were handled by the Forsell Air Reference D/A converter and its companion Mk.II CD transport (air in the transport, none in the D/A, thank you, footnote 1). Digital datalinks were mostly Kimber AGDL, the new Illuminati Studio Dataflex, XLO, and the Marigo Apparition Reference (everything Cable-Jacketed), plus a Shakti Stone on the transport roof during play.
I also auditioned the 440s with an updated Jadis JS1 Symmetrical Converter driven by the elegant and…
Sidebar 3: Measurements
With any tube amplifier having varied setup capabilities, the decision must be made whether to present all possible measurement combinations or a selected cross-section. The latter is the only practical alternative. I did a complete set of measurements of the Manley 440 in the Triode configuration, unbalanced mode, at the standard (intermediate) feedback setting with a minimum response slope. Unless otherwise noted, the measurements below indicate those conditions.
Following its one-hour, 1/3-power preconditioning test, the Manley 440 was very hot to the…
A compact horn loudspeaker. Isn't that an oxymoron, like jumbo shrimp, or military intelligence? From such venerable speakers as the half century-old Altec Voice of the Theater and the Klipschorn, as well as more modern examples like the Avantgarde Acoustic Trio, horns have always been big. The original Avantgarde Uno was the smallest speaker in Avantgarde's line, but it was still visually imposing, with a big horn midrange on top, a horn tweeter below that, and a powered sealed-box subwoofer at the bottom. (I reviewed the Uno 2.0 in Stereophile in August 2000, Vol.23 No.8, and the Uno 3.0…
The Uno Nanos, while they didn't quite succeed in matching this type of sound, came closer than any other speakers I've had in my listening room. There is no commercial recording of the Stratford fanfares; the nearest thing I have is the overture to Man of La Mancha, which begins with a trumpet fanfare. Played at the right level on the Nanos, it has much the same startling effect as the Stratford fanfares heard live. As I turned up the volume, the sound just got louder, without the compression of dynamics or distortion that you'd get at these levels with conventional speakers. I'm sure…
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: Three-way, floorstanding loudspeaker with treble and midrange horns, integral powered sealed-box woofer. Drive-units: inverted-dome tweeter loaded with 5.1"-diameter (130mm) horn, dome midrange driver loaded with 19.7"-diameter (500mm) horn, two 10" (250mm) cone woofers. Crossover frequencies: 300Hz, 3kHz. Frequency range: 300Hz–20kHz (midrange/treble), 18–300Hz (woofer). Sensitivity: >104dB. Nominal impedance: 8 ohms. Recommended power: >10W. Power handling: 50W. Subwoofer amplifier power: 250W.
Dimensions: (including subwoofer) 50" (…
Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment
Digital Source: Ayre CX-7e.
Analog Source: Linn LP12 turntable with Lingo power supply, Ittok tonearm, AudioQuest AQ7000nsx cartridge.
Preamplifiers: Convergent Audio Technology SL-1 Ultimate, PrimaLuna ProLogue Three.
Power Amplifiers: Audiopax Eighty-Eight Mk.II monoblocks, PrimaLuna ProLogue Seven, PS Audio C-100.
Integrated Amplifier: PS Audio GCC-100.
Cables: Interconnect: Nordost Quattro Fils (single-ended, balanced). Speaker: Nordost Valhalla. AC: PS Audio xStream Power, TARA Labs Decade.
Accessories: Arcici Suspense Rack,…
Sidebar 3: Measurements
Like its predecessor, the Avantgarde Uno Series Two, the Uno Nano's voltage sensitivity was both extraordinarily high and close to specification, at 102dB(B)/2.83V/m. It could be argued that, at normal playback levels, this speaker has no moving parts! The speaker's plot of impedance magnitude and phase (fig.1) shows the behavior of the tweeter and the midrange unit, the woofer module being self-powered. The large peak at 53Hz presumably indicates the fundamental resonance of the midrange driver, which is well below the horn's cutoff frequency, while I assume the…
We audio writers have our niches. Mikey loves analog, Artie likes to play with horn speakers and assorted oddball British kit, and I really enjoy reviewing affordable speakers. There's something exciting about hearing the fruits of the labors of a creative designer who's applied his talents to meet a stringent price point and created a speaker that can entice into our hobby the financially challenged music lover.
But I have another passion: expensive tube gear. I so enjoyed my time reviewing the Audio Research Reference 110 amplifier that I bought the review sample (see my…