Using Jolida JD 202A Tube Amp with Marantz 2230?

[roughdraft]

I've been using a turntable and a Marantz 2230 integrated for the past year, but recently I've been curious about the sonic benefits of using a Tube Amp.

So I just borrowed a friend's Jolida JD202A Amp (http://www.audioreview.com/product/amplification/integrated-amplifiers/jolida/jd-202a.html) and a Parasound 2100 PreAmp (http://www.parasound.com/2100.php) for the phono stage.

But I'm confused now --- is it worthwhile to have the Marantz somewhere in the chain?

Let me know the best way to use this gear, looking forward to hearing this tube warmth i keep hearing about. Thanks!

 

[century tek]

But I'm confused now --- is it worthwhile to have the Marantz somewhere in the chain?

That's totally up to you. You can listen to tubes for a time, and then switch back to solid state, then switch back etc etc.

Or.....you can listen to tubes permanently and do away with solid state, or keep and use both at the same time. Keep your Marantz connected to a pair of speakers, and run the Jolida with its own pair of speakers, connected to the Marantz's "TAPE-OUT" or "REC-OUT" jacks. You will have two volume controls unless your Marantz has the pre-out/main-in options.

Using both together will give you more power but you will also have to make sure that all of your speakers are in phase with each other. If you want just the tube sound, then just use it by itself or even get another tube amplifier/receiver to take the place of your Marantz.

I own both tube and solid state mixed together and as separate whole systems.

 

[vinylkid58]

But I'm confused now --- is it worthwhile to have the Marantz somewhere in the chain?

Maybe if it had an exceptional phono stage, otherwise there's no reason to use it.

jeff

 

[roughdraft]

The Marantz has

That's totally up to you. You can listen to tubes for a time, and then switch back to solid state, then switch back etc etc.

Or.....you can listen to tubes permanently and do away with solid state, or keep and use both at the same time. Keep your Marantz connected to a pair of speakers, and run the Jolida with its own pair of speakers, connected to the Marantz's "TAPE-OUT" or "REC-OUT" jacks. You will have two volume controls unless your Marantz has the pre-out/main-in options.

I own both tube and solid state mixed together and as separate whole systems.

The Marantz has pre-out and main-in jacks -- are those better to use than Tape or Rec-out? The Marantz phono stage is excellent, just not sure how it compares to the Parasound's.

I just tried just using the Parasound and Jolida JD202A with my turntable (no Marantz). Now I'm hearing a deep buzzing/humming coming from the right speaker. i have grounding cables attached from the turntable and the jolida, do i need another from the parasound too, and if so where does the other end attach to? there's no more 'grounding'-labeled ports left...

 

[century tek]

Your buzzing or hum sounds like it could be a ground loop somewhere, or maybe even a bad cable.

If the Marantz didn't have the pre/main options, you would connect the Jolida to the Marantz tape outs. Because the Jolida is an integrated amp, it has its own volume/level controls so you would have to adjust it along with the Marantz and use them both together as separates. Tape out gives a straight line level signal so anything besides a recording device plugged into here would need its own volume or level controls.

Or......since the Marantz has the pre/main options, you can remove the jumpers, and with a pair of Y adapters, run one pair of RCA interconnects from the Marantz's pre-outs to the Jolida's AUX inputs and then put its volume control at a set level and leave it. Run the other male ends of the Y's back into the Marantz MAIN-IN jacks. Here, the Marantz would now be your main control for everything. This will work but since the Jolida is an integrated amp instead of a straight power amp, you might get a higher noise floor which appears as unacceptable levels of hiss when there is no music playing.

It won't hurt anything to try.

 

[ctjetta]

I'm sure it's just me, and I know we're supposed to be supportive, and considerate of other's opinions, but I don't know how many threads I've read asking if you can/should plug the Super Doozy Whatsit into the Extreem Modified Thingy and get desirable results and It's making me crazy.
I get there's a certain amount of creativity involved, our hobby is an art not it's a science, not everybody has the money to blow . . . blah, blah, blah.
Still, why are we encouraging people to rig stuff up hoping for certain results? Why can't we just tell posters- "If these are the results you want, this is how you get them"?
I'm not saying there aren't isn't room for alternatives, but how about we present them rather than trying to show everybody how smart we are by configuring up a roomful of equipment to perform a simple job, reproducing music. (If you say that doing so properly is hard, than making it more complex is not the answer)
Often the simplest setup is the best, if not the easiest.

 

[airtime]

I used the 2230 as a preamp for my dynaco st-70 for two years. The 2230 is worth holding onto regardless of what happens. It's one of the classics and you should consider having it professionally restored. Don't do a home job - have it professionally done. Look over at the Marantz forum.

 

[cademan]

If the person has the equipment and know how, you can interlink audio equipment together. A lot of equipment is designed for it. It doesn't hurt it in any way, shape, or form. It's all about the
impedance matching.