Official Jolida JD9 thread

Guys...I am waiting for my recently purchased vintage PHILIPS 12AX7 VALVO tubes to arrive.
I am feeling guilty of changing tubes for the third time in less than 2 months but really excited to hear these!

I already replaced the op amps with BURR-BROWN OPA637AP and feel that the brightness of the Sovteks has reduced considerably and soundstage has opened up a bit more.
 
The new sound smith Zephyr MIMC sounds great , I'm using switch 4 47k and switch 2 85db for the gain also the high output plugs.
what other settings should i try. the cartridge says its a low output should i use the lower gain switch or the low output plugs?

Specifications
Cartridge Type
Fixed Coil

Stylus Type
Contact Line

Output
Low

Output Voltage
.4 mV

Available As Dual Coil Mono
Yes

Additional Specifications
Stylus: Selected Contact Line low mass Nude Stylus
Radius of curvature: 6 x 17 μm
Cantilever:Laser Drilled Sapphire
Recommended tracking force: 1.8 to 2.2 grams
Effective tip mass: 0.32 mg
Compliance: 10 μm/mN (low compliance)
Frequency response: 15-45,000 Hz ± 2.0 dB
Channel separation (stereo only): 1000 Hz >28 dB, 50-15,000 >25 dB
Channel difference: <1.0 dB (Stereo), <0.5 dB (Dual Mono operation- w/optimal VTF setting)
Output Voltage: ≥0.4 mV
DC Resistance (DCR): 10-11 Ω each channel
Coil: 2.75 mH each channel
Suggested Preamp Gain: 58-64 dB
Soundsmith Recommends: MCP2 Variable Loading Preamp
Cartridge weight: 10.25 grams
Loading: ≥ 470 Ω
 
So the Philips Valvo tubes finally arrived. Here's a look at them:

97gXxRk.jpg


First impression: Not so much different from the Sovteks. Probably have a break in period but considering these are vintage, I thought they might be sweet from the start. Using the same settings as the one's mentioned in the post above. High output with 47K impedance.

The sound is not bad by any standards. But I would prefer a slighly less bright presentation.

I have a feeling it's my cartridge (Denon DL-160) since I am unable to get a warm tube sound from any of the 3 tubes I've tried so far.
Saying that, will definitely post an update after a couple of weeks.
 
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Can I ask which cartridges are you all using? And which goes well with the JD-9 in order to achieve a warmer sound without losing detail?
 
Can I ask which cartridges are you all using? And which goes well with the JD-9 in order to achieve a warmer sound without losing detail?

Warm sound is often linked to Shure, Grado, Pickering and Nagaoka ---- but this is just opinion. What is warm to you may be something else to me.

I have an older version JD9 that I picked up used about 6 years ago for $150. My comments apply to the first version, I believe they may have made some changes along the way, but they should apply to a stock unit.

The JD9 is not "warm" in stock form. By my definition and experience it is "hot" sounding and it does not have a very black background. It is capable of producing an inordinate amount of gain, which I think compromises the design.

To make it better the stock tubes and stock op amps must be replaced. The coupling caps are often replaced with high quality film caps to greatly improve sound quality. These are the easy three main mods that take it from good to very good.

To make the JD9 quiet and with a blacker background there are more changes to make. The power supply diodes are replaced with hexfreds. The Power Supply filter caps should be upgraded too. The internal wiring needs to be reworked to separate the signal and power wires. The signal wiring can be improved with better wire and shielding. The power cord can be improved. Do these things and the background will get black. When that happens the JD9 will be a lot better.
 
Well, the NOS Telefunken 12ax7 tubes arrived and exchanged the NOS Bugle Boys in my Jolida 202. Gonna give a week or two for some break in before I exchange the Bugle Boys into the JD9. I always thought the BBs sounded great in the 202. I'm really looking forward to finding how they sound when I exchange the Tung-sols in the JD9.

Well I dropped the NOS Tele's into the 202 and after a good 40 hours of break in I gotta say they sound great. Not much different than the NOS BB's, a bit finer in detail and separation, nothing to really get too excited about. When I switched out the Tung-Sol's for the BB's in the JD9 The entire circuit came alive! First, the signal became super quiet which has allowed for the finer details to truly make a presence. Separation and soundstage opened up measurably, not only in the left and right which now extend slightly outside the speakers , but the depth front to back has been defined immeasurably. One of my reference live records is Fleetwood Mac Live At The Boston Tea Party, everybody is in their place and I am center stage in the 10th row. I can really feel the room and image the band on stage. The clarity really puts me at the show. All Things Must Pass, with Phil Spector's wall of sound bout knocks me out of my chair, plenty of new things to hear, It's almost overwhelming.

Gotta go, I've a couple of hundred albums to listen to again. I'm in a good place right now... with all the mods I've done, over the last year, to the JD9, it is in a good place too.
 
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^ Yup. The huge sound stage is a great characteristic of the JD9. I have nos Tekfunkens in mine. I think I'll hook it up this weekend and put it in the rotation.
 
Recently picked up an original, all stock JD9. Using an AT OC9III and a Jolida FX10.

Trying to find the right combo of switches and tubes as a starting point. In the current stock form on high gain and high output there is a ton of hiss. Switching to low output or lower gain does tame it a bit. I'm confident modding it will quiet all that up.

I've got about 6 pairs of 12au7's and 2 pairs of 12ax7s. Mullards, Telefunkens, RCA, Sylvania, Westinghouse, Raytheon. Hands down the Westinghouse 12au7 are the clear winner and they were the cheapest of all the tubes I've acquired. Don't be afraid to try cheap tubes, your ears don't hear the label or brand name.
 
Hi all,

I have just picked up a Jolida JD9 MK2 (Maryland) for £500. Initially that may seem a fair whack but its had a few mods done to it. Heres the list :-

JOLIDA FACTORY 1 upgrade:-

Addition of resistor array to the input.

INTIMATE AUDIO UPGRADE:- (carried out July 2017)

1. 12AX7 / ECC83 Harma Retro Cryogenic valves

2. Valve damper rings.

3. Mundorf Mcap Supreme Capacitors.

4. Bitumastic damping sheets extensively used in chassis & cover.

5. All Op Amps replaced -

2x Analogue Devices AD843KNZ

2x Burr Brown OPA627BP

2x Linear Technology LT1028

6.Russ Andrews 'Silencer' hard wired within chassis.

I haven't heard it or seen it in the flesh yet but i was wondering if any of you knowledgeable guys or girls know how far up the mod chain this has got and if there is a glaring upgrade missing? Pics ripped from the eBay ad
 

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Hi all,

I have just picked up a Jolida JD9 MK2 (Maryland) for £500. Initially that may seem a fair whack but its had a few mods done to it. Heres the list :-

JOLIDA FACTORY 1 upgrade:-

Addition of resistor array to the input.

INTIMATE AUDIO UPGRADE:- (carried out July 2017)

1. 12AX7 / ECC83 Harma Retro Cryogenic valves

2. Valve damper rings.

3. Mundorf Mcap Supreme Capacitors.

4. Bitumastic damping sheets extensively used in chassis & cover.

5. All Op Amps replaced -

2x Analogue Devices AD843KNZ

2x Burr Brown OPA627BP

2x Linear Technology LT1028

6.Russ Andrews 'Silencer' hard wired within chassis.

I haven't heard it or seen it in the flesh yet but i was wondering if any of you knowledgeable guys or girls know how far up the mod chain this has got and if there is a glaring upgrade missing? Pics ripped from the eBay ad

You will have the same op amp combo as me. Same Mondorf coupling caps too. No complaints here.

You have the basics covered and then some. I would look into upgrading the diode rectifier with hexfred diodes. Also improve the ps filtering caps.

I don't know what the resistor array mod is? I think the aftermarket input power filter is a great idea. The power supply can be improved.

Tubes- I rotate NOS Telefunken, NOS Millard, NOS RCA's. All are great and all a bit different. I don't care for modern tubes in this preamp.

I found some NOS GE 6189/ JAN 12AU7WA's. They sound great, rich and full and liquid, the highs are rolled back a wee bit which is good for the JD9. The lower gain is also helpful.

Listening to it now with Telefunkens in there. Loving it.
 
You will have the same op amp combo as me. Same Mondorf coupling caps too. No complaints here.

You have the basics covered and then some. I would look into upgrading the diode rectifier with hexfred diodes. Also improve the ps filtering caps.

I don't know what the resistor array mod is? I think the aftermarket input power filter is a great idea. The power supply can be improved.

Tubes- I rotate NOS Telefunken, NOS Millard, NOS RCA's. All are great and all a bit different. I don't care for modern tubes in this preamp.

I found some NOS GE 6189/ JAN 12AU7WA's. They sound great, rich and full and liquid, the highs are rolled back a wee bit which is good for the JD9. The lower gain is also helpful.

Listening to it now with Telefunkens in there. Loving it.

I did not know one can use 12AU7 tubes in the JD 9?
 
You will have the same op amp combo as me. Same Mondorf coupling caps too. No complaints here.

You have the basics covered and then some. I would look into upgrading the diode rectifier with hexfred diodes. Also improve the ps filtering caps.

I don't know what the resistor array mod is? I think the aftermarket input power filter is a great idea. The power supply can be improved.

Tubes- I rotate NOS Telefunken, NOS Millard, NOS RCA's. All are great and all a bit different. I don't care for modern tubes in this preamp.

I found some NOS GE 6189/ JAN 12AU7WA's. They sound great, rich and full and liquid, the highs are rolled back a wee bit which is good for the JD9. The lower gain is also helpful.

Listening to it now with Telefunkens in there. Loving it.
Thanks for the info, I'm not sure what the intimateaudio mods did so I have emailed them to try and find out.

Edit - The guy I bought it from IS intimateaudio haha. He tells me the mods listed are all that's been done so I'll look into improving the PSU.

I'll definitely try those tube combos.
 
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I did not know one can use 12AU7 tubes in the JD 9?

Well there is always a debate on this so I do not recommend it. I have tried it and there is no adverse affects. The tubes are pin for pin replaceable but not identical. The 12au7 will dissipate more power and it provides less gain. The tube circuit is the output of the preamp and provides the final tube character to the sound. The RIAA and the gain control (via dip switches) is all performed by the op amp circuit in the larger enclosed box. The tube selected do not effect these circuits. If they did then I would stick with whatever the designer used.

By the way I have jumpered the op amp circuit directly to the RCAs, bypassing the tube section (remove the tubes for this) to hear the solid state section on its own. It sounds pretty good but I prefer the tube outputs.
 
TUBE UPDATE:

After hours of listening to the vintage Philips Valvo tubes in my JD-9, I am slowly falling in love with it's sound!
I feel the sound is perfectly balanced with just the right amount of warmth while retaining clarity in the top end.

I am thinking of buying Soundsmith Otello cartridge to replace my DL-160 which will hopefully increase the bottom end and possibly expand the soundstage.

There is just one small doubt. The below site lists the Valvo as E83CC with triple mica:

http://www.jacmusic.com/techcorner/ARTICLES/English/Portraits/E83CC/ECC83-part-numbering1.html

The tubes I have are ECC83 and without the triple mica. See image below:

E83CC-2.jpg

The seller I bought them from has a 99.6% rating on ebay.

Does it mean they are fake? Coz if they are, they are really good quality fakes!
 
@studiord

Great info in that link! I don't know enough about tubes and tube history to answer your question. I would post the question in the tube amp forum, include the picture and link. There are some real tube guru's that hang out there.

cheers, Bob
 
I was on the phone with Jolida a couple days ago and they told me it's ok to flip the dip switches while the unit was on. All along I assumed this would be a big no no. If it's in the thread here somewhere I missed it.
 
QUICK UPDATE:

So I took the plunge and got the Soundsmith Otello cartridge for bit of a discount.

There is an immediate difference in sound compared to my old Denon DL140. The soundsmith is more laid back with less harsher highs and a sweet mid-range. Though it's a tad lacking in bass (not very punchy...more warm) I think it will get better after 30-40 hours but I am happy right now.

So I guess that's enough upgrades for now. Although I still have to go for the Bitumastic damping sheets.
Any idea where to get those for cheap?
 
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