Im relatively sure that I wrote one of those however-many reviews on audioreview.com, so my comments here should be taken accordingly. Ive got one. I like it a lot. It is a really solid sounding (if not solid physically) CD player that can very respectfully hold its own with many players many times its price. I also read the TNT review before buying (and I would say that his characterizations are valid, though overstated) and also seriously considered the Jolida (although, unfortunately, never actually compared them--wish I could help on that front, but I cant). However, the Tjoeb is likely the weak link in a system where everything (even the cabling, damn my foolish heart) costs many times more than it did. Not to say, certainly, that cost is a direct measure of quality or value, but there is often an undeniable correlation
I bought it as a fun and relatively cheap CD player to hold me over until the dust begins to settle on the format wars or until I found a high-end DVD player that could hold its own with the big boys while playing CDs as well. So far, no real progress on either front, and I now find myself coveting Naim and Resolution Audio CD players
well see. Its a sickness. At the time, and for the above reasons, I remain convinced that it was the perfect player for me. Ive listened to it every day for going on eight months now, and I still am content, but it will be my next ubgrade. (I upgraded to some NOS Seimans tubes and, to my delight, it got even better--everything got considerably wider, deeper and fuller--although, at times, the bass is maybe not as tight. Yes, as the TNT fellow noted, there is some muddling to be had. Its fun, though). If its a question of buying either the Tjoeb from Kevin at Upscale Audio or a Jolida used from Audiogon (read: both unheard), you really cant go wrong with Kevin, and hes a great way to play with some tube rolling in the future as well. If you give the Jolida a listen, let us know. Either way, enjoy.
