Help on Jolida and sub-$2000 music system
Anup Krishnaswamy
I am looking to buy a sub-$2000 music system.
This is my first foray into mid-fi. I am looking for detail without
harshness, moderate bass extension and sheer musicality. In this
price range, I have come to the conclusion that my system will have to
consist of a quality minimonitor, integrated amp and basic CD player
(correct me if I am wrong).
One setup that I really liked was:
Acarian Alon Petite speakers
Jolida 502 integrated amp
Harmon Kardon 710 CD
I would have bought this system, but am a little sceptical about the
Jolida. I have never had tubes before. Does anyone have any
experience with the Jolida 502? Also, someone told me that the Jolida
302 sounds better than the 502. Has anyone compared these amps?
--
Anup
an...@altair.com
Kevin Deal
In article <4nvt2o$5...@eyrie.graphics.cornell.edu>,
I think it would be a wonderful system. Jolida makes a terrific
product that, bang for the buck, is definitaly overbuilt. The biggest
difference between the 502 and the 302 is the 502 has better
transformers where as the 302 transformers are not made by Jolida.
As to owning tubes...in my opinion, it's more fun and sounds more like
music. What you have to understand is that there is no real "preamp"
in a Jolida. One of the reasons it sounds so good. It's a passive
gain, and if down the road you decide to add an active gain preamp,
you can with a small adjustment.
Best Regards,
Kevin Deal
UPSCALE
Audio/Home Theater/Rare Tubes
(909) 931-9686 8AM-6PM PDT
Fine Tubes from Telefunken,
Amperex, NV Philips, Mullard
Robert Joseph Pelletier
I have listened to both the 502 and 302. Both are fine sounding amps
for the price range that they are in. To me the 302 sounded more
open, more sweet and defined at the mid and high end. Female vocals
just sounded wonderfull. The 502 had a touch more kick and could
deliver a touch more umph at the low end.
Make it a point to spend some time listening to both amps at the same
time on what ever speakers you plan to buy.
The 302 had more of the sound qualities that drove me to tubed
equipment. I liked it better. I talked with the folks at the factory
which is right around the corner from me and they said allot of people
prefer the sound of the 302 over the 502. The two amps look identical
except for the output tubes. The 502 has an extra 10 watts avaiable
from it's Russian 6550 output tubes over the 302's Chinease EL34's.
I learned allot by talking with the Jolita people and got a good
feeling about the product. They'll send you a colorfull litature
package if you call them, they might also be willing to send you a
copy of the reviews stereophile and Audio did on their amps.
If it interests you their number is 301 953 2014
I had the 302 on loan from a local audio shop and hearing it in my
home was the deciding factor for me. I am only a few dollars away
from from buying this amp. By the end of June I expect to a member of
the tubed elete.
Neophytos Iacovou
Anup Krishnaswamy <an...@altair.com> writes:
>One setup that I really liked was:
> Acarian Alon Petite speakers
> Jolida 502 integrated amp
> Harmon Kardon 710 CD
>I would have bought this system, but am a little sceptical about the
>Jolida. I have never had tubes before. Does anyone have any
>experience with the Jolida 502? Also, someone told me that the Jolida
>302 sounds better than the 502. Has anyone compared these amps?
I listened to the 302 but I bought the 502 - I wanted the extra
power (Alternative/Jazz). The 302 may sound better, but I couldn't tell.
So since I couldn't hear the difference it doesn't matter if it exists.
I too almost matched the 502 with the Alon Petites, and if I only
listened to classical I would have bought them, but the Alons did not
have enough bass for me. But they do sound great - I could not listen
to the Petite triad(?) system, that may solve most of the problems.
BTW: I bought the B&W 602.
As far as buying a tube amp. The 502 is the first tube amp I ever
bought. I called Jolida and talked to a few people there. They
convinced me that a tube amp is nothing to be afraid of. And they
are right. Even biasing the tubes is a piece of cake.
You should think hard about the tape loop option (some $50). I bought
the tube cage and have yet to install it. I'm sure I will one day
but right now I like looking at the glow of the tubes. Also, be aware
that the Jolida does not have phono inputs. My *one* beef with the
Jolida is that the pre-amp only has tuner/tape/cd/aux I can use an aux2.
As you can tell, I am a *very* happy owner. I've had it for 2.5 months
now.
--
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Neophytos Iacovou Distributed Computing Services
University of Minnesota 100 Union St. SE
email: iac...@boombox.micro.umn.edu Minneapolis, MN 55455 USA
Robert Joseph Pelletier
Someone here made mention that the transformers in the 502 & 302 were
from different manufacturers, the 502's being made by Jolita and the
302's being outsourced. I am of the impression that both transformers
come directly from Jolita and that infact both amps are clost to
identical except for the power output tubes.
Both models look identical (except for the output tubes) and have
identical weights.
Jolita does make other amps who's output transformers look quite
different from the 302 & 502.
Jim LeeMaster
> As to owning tubes...in my opinion, it's more fun and sounds more like
> music. What you have to understand is that there is no real "preamp"
> in a Jolida. One of the reasons it sounds so good. It's a passive
> gain, and if down the road you decide to add an active gain preamp,
> you can with a small adjustment.
[ quoted text deleted -- jwd ]
What is the "small adjustment" one would make to use an active gain
preamp? I am also interested in what difference it would make in the
sound. In other words, why would one choose to add an active gain?
Thanks,
Jim
William Ryu
In article <4oa4ip$g...@eyrie.graphics.cornell.edu>, will...@sirius.com
(Jim LeeMaster) wrote:
All you need to do is set the pot to "zero" attenuation or remove the
voltage divider altogether. You would then connect your pre-amp
through the same inputs.
The difference between a "passive pre-amps" and active pre-amps would
depend on the rest of your system. If your source has a low output
impedance and an output voltage which matches well to the Jolida input
sensitivity (i.e. can push the Jolida full range) the passive might
work quite well. If this is not the case (i.e. your source has high
output impedence and low output voltage) you might be best off with an
active preamp. People who audition systems with a poorly matched
source/passive preamp/amplifier often complain that the sound is not
as "dynamic." I have found that "passive pre-amps" in the right
situation can sound wonderful, particularly clean in the high-end, and
just as dynamic as an active unit.
Tube amplifers often have very high input impedences (100k Ohms) and
often don't sound bad with a "passive pre-amp." I have also found
that Audio Alchemy components drive tube gear very succesfully.
For those who have a tube amp and are using an active pre-amplifier
you can easily try out a passive pre-amp for less than $15. Go down
to your local Radio Shack and buy their small bud box, 4 RCA
connectors, their alps ganged 100k Ohm potentiometer or two alps 10k
Ohm pots, some hook up wire, and to finish it off, a couple of cheesy
plastic knobs (I personally like the red ones). If you don't know
what to do with these parts then you probably will want to grab a
friend who has some basic electronics experience. Otherwise heat up
your solder iron and try it out. In the right system, you will be
surprised how great this little guy can sound.
-w
--
William Ryu
ws...@husc.harvard.edu / Harvard University Biophysics / Paradise-Hell
r...@risvax.rowland.org / Rowland Institute for Science, Inc.
Mitch Culliver
Ke...@upscaleaudio.com (Kevin Deal) wrote:
[ quoted text deleted -- rgd ]
>>One setup that I really liked was:
>>
>> Acarian Alon Petite speakers
>> Jolida 502 integrated amp
>> Harmon Kardon 710 CD
It will sound great... and should you decide to later add the lower bass
extension, I heard the Alon Petites w/ their companion bass module
through a Sonic Frontiers integrated(25wpc) amp and the Marantz
cd-63mkII, and that was a very musical setup with surprising ability to
fill a room with sound. I have heard the Jolida amp w/ Totem 1 speakers
and the amp blended well with the Totem speaker's ability to squeeze
every detail out of a front end. Good Luck with the hardest part of
having an interest in music systems...making a choice. Mitch
ww...@teclink.net
Here are direct quotes from a cover letter I received from JoLida
recently:
" . . . the SJ302A utilizes EL34 power output tubes and the
SJ502A utilizes 6550s . . . Although there is little difference
between the prices, they are sonically different amplifiers. The
SJ302A is a sweet, clear sounding unit that has great soundstage. It
has bass but its greatest plus is the midrange and trebles. The
SJ502A does not have the sweetness of the 302A, but with a pair of
dynamic speakers it can give you bass that can seriously drive rock
and roll while still remaining precise in the midrange and highs. We
regard the 502A as a family amplifier since it can play a wide range
of music such as rock and roll, symphony, new age, jazz, folk, country
and quartet. We characterize the 302A as an audiophile integrated
amplifier since it is absolutely superb on jazz, folk, new age and
country. The SJ202A is a less powerful version of the SJ302A."
Hope this helps out.
-wwoof