Official Jolida JD9 thread

[invenio]

Interesting, my unit is dead quiet. I have done the cap, opamp, and tube upgrades (you can see the link to my upgrade instruction guide on the 1st post of this thread). I would recommend doing those if you have not done so already. Also play around with the dip switch settings to see if there is a better setting suited to your cartridge and preamp.

 

[bobins08]

Interesting, my unit is dead quiet. I have done the cap, opamp, and tube upgrades (you can see the link to my upgrade instruction guide on the 1st post of this thread). I would recommend doing those if you have not done so already. Also play around with the dip switch settings to see if there is a better setting suited to your cartridge and preamp.

Did all of that. Telfunken tubes, upgraded op amps, Mundorf supreme coupling caps, also worked the power supply, etc.

The background is not black compared to other preamps that I have. Sonics are great, big wide soundstage, just a little hot sounding to me.

 

[Edriz]

Use the Low Output RCA's - set all the gain settings to off. The double bank of 3 to the right.
Left bank of 8
123 off - 4 on or off - experiment with 5,6,7,8 - one on with all the others off for the best sound.

Anyone know where to get that jpeg?

 

[The Dill]

 

[Edriz]

Thank you so much Dill. Truly appreciated. I have mine set at Hi Out, Switch 2. I think I may play around and try Lo Out, Switch 3. Im using a ZYX Ultimate 100. Its a new line of MC's by ZYX. This makes my 2nd ZYX cartridge and I cant say enough great things about ZYX. Impeccable sound quality. Soundstage is wide, deep and precise. Imaging like the band was right there in the same room.

 

[pkwsr]

Just picked up a JD9 off of US audiomart... huge step up from what i was running prior. Looking forward to gradually adding in the upgrades. Can anyone link me or give me an explanation of why people take the tube covers off?

 

[studiord]

So I finally had time to do a shootout between the three tubes I own which are very different from each other.
Details of my system and sources:

TT: Technics SL1210
Cartridge: Soundsmith Otello Moving Iron
Integrated Amp: Yamaha CA-X1
Speakers: Vintage Royd Minstrel
Vinyl: Brian Eno - Another Green World (45 Rpm) Half-speed mastered

Here are the results:

Sovtek 12ax7LPS: The only modern tubes I own. Sounded muddy with a bit of distortion. Not pleasing overall.
Valvo ECC83: Much better and relaxed sound. Slightly rolled off top end but not bass heavy. A little too laidback.
RCA NOS 5751: Best of the three with more openness and clarity. Amazing bass. A bit bright but not overpowering.

I am planning to buy NOS Mullard (if I can find a reasonably priced pair) or a Groove Tubes Premium 12AX7M.
Which one do you guys suggest? I prefer a warm mid-range and a good bass with crisp highs.

 

[The Dill]

I have tried many too and now have a vintage pair of Telefunken 12AX7's installed. They are the best IMO.
I tried all the eastern European and Russian tubes and found them sharing a honking, cupped hands kind of sound.
The Tele's also beat the Tung-sol, Gold Lion and Mullard reissues. Check out Brent Jessee's website for good
descriptions on what different tubes sound like.

http://www.audiotubes.com/12ax7.htm

 

[heyraz]

Not quite an apples to apples comparison....5751 has less gain compared to ecc83/12ax7.

 

[studiord]

Not quite an apples to apples comparison....5751 has less gain compared to ecc83/12ax7.

I never said it was an apple to apple comparison. Agreed that 5751 has lower gain but it also reduces noise and microphonics.
Maybe that's why it is the clearest sounding out of all three.

 

[studiord]

I have tried many too and now have a vintage pair of Telefunken 12AX7's installed. They are the best IMO.
I tried all the eastern European and Russian tubes and found them sharing a honking, cupped hands kind of sound.
The Tele's also beat the Tung-sol, Gold Lion and Mullard reissues. Check out Brent Jessee's website for good
descriptions on what different tubes sound like.

http://www.audiotubes.com/12ax7.htm

Thanks for your reply. Good to know that you finally found a good tube in the Telefunken.
The only thing that's stopping me from buying them is with the number of fakes out there, it is difficult to know if it's the original I am purchasing.

I know that I can buy from a reliable online store but then the prices will be unaffordable. And is it really worth paying that much considering the Jolida is not a pure tube amp.
Where did you buy yours from?

 

[The Dill]

I know that I can buy from a reliable online store but then the prices will be unaffordable. And is it really worth paying that much considering the Jolida is not a pure tube amp.
Where did you buy yours from?

Mine came from a 60's vintage harman/kardon integrated tube amp that I bought on Craigslist. They had tube shields on them, where in perfect physical condition and tested like new.
I use Jim McShane for tubes, very reliable and reasonable. http://www.mcshanedesign.net/tubes.htm

 

[bobins08]

So I finally had time to do a shootout between the three tubes I own which are very different from each other.
Details of my system and sources:

TT: Technics SL1210
Cartridge: Soundsmith Otello Moving Iron
Integrated Amp: Yamaha CA-X1
Speakers: Vintage Royd Minstrel
Vinyl: Brian Eno - Another Green World (45 Rpm) Half-speed mastered

Here are the results:

Sovtek 12ax7LPS: The only modern tubes I own. Sounded muddy with a bit of distortion. Not pleasing overall.
Valvo ECC83: Much better and relaxed sound. Slightly rolled off top end but not bass heavy. A little too laidback.
RCA NOS 5751: Best of the three with more openness and clarity. Amazing bass. A bit bright but not overpowering.

I am planning to buy NOS Mullard (if I can find a reasonably priced pair) or a Groove Tubes Premium 12AX7M.
Which one do you guys suggest? I prefer a warm mid-range and a good bass with crisp highs.

I would stick with the 5751s for awhile and upgrade the caps to good quality films and the op amps to OPA 627’s. These changes need to be made and to get the most out of this unit.

 

[The Dill]

I would stick with the 5751s for awhile and upgrade the caps to good quality films and the op amps to OPA 627’s. These changes need to be made and to get the most out of this unit.

I agree with upgrading the caps and changing to the OPA627's. I think it is a bigger upgrade than the tubes, especially the op-amps. Just pop them out and push the new ones in.

 

[heyraz]

7025 is a low noise version of 12ax7 with the same gain.

 

[Madskaman]

I always liked amperex tubes in the jolida. Great warmth like Mullard’s, but a little less rolled off on the top end.

 

[heyraz]

I always liked amperex tubes in the jolida. Great warmth like Mullard’s, but a little less rolled off on the top end.

Agreed. After much trial and error I chose Amperex 7025's

 

[DaaDaa]

Guys this is OT strictly speaking, but i just wanted to say that i saw this video by chance just now, and to me it speaks to what kind of company it is:

still better than MIT and CRL cable companies and such lol

 

[The Dill]

Twenty four years ago most cd players sounded like sh_t compared to today's. Might have been a very early unit. The 601A I have seen use 12AX7's, not 6922's and don't look at all like that on the inside

 

[DaaDaa]

Twenty four years ago most cd players sounded like sh_t compared to today's. Might have been a very early unit. The 601A I have seen use 12AX7's, not 6922's and don't look at all like that on the inside

yes but still the board is out of a 50 buck cd player and that tube output stage is a joke.