Well Joe??? Don't know where you live but it's 4pm EST. |
I received my Job 225 today. As I commented on my virtual systems, build quality is nice but cheap binding posts. It's a touch bright right out of the box, but I can tell the detail and depth are there and will improve (I hope), over time. I will put a couple hundred hours on it with a tuner before I make further comments. |
Joeinid: I'm glad your pleased with the Job. I have 6 hours on mine so far. Compared to my current reference, the Wyred integrated, it's not as quiet and the backgrounds aren't as black. Soundstage depth is better on the Wyred. The bass goes deeper on the Wyred but it appears that the Job's bass is more articulate, like you said. I know I only have 6 hours on it so far so I shouldn't make any judgements just yet. How many hours are on yours? Also, I didn't like the Wyred when I first got it. I actually was planning on selling it. I put a tuner on the Wyred for about 300 straight and BAM! Heaven. I just put the same tuner on the Job to get at least 200 hours on it so I can listen for a bit before my return window closes.
I'm running the Job amp-direct straight from my Metrum dac. I get a slight buzz from the drivers when I do this. It is quite transparent that way though. May I ask what your system consists of and what preamp, if any, you are using? |
Joeinid: Wow. For you to like the Job as much as you do, in the company of the top notch equipment you have, says a lot. I will give it at least 10 days of burn in before I comment further. |
I'm a little concerned about replacing any stock fuses with a boutique fuse. I may just be paranoid, but I've read in a few places that while some boutique fuses will SOUND better, they may not be quick enough in protecting the component-its primary function. |
Joeinid: I originally ran the Job with no preamp, going straight from the dac to the Job and controlling volume in PurMusic. I had an issue (not related the the original hum/buzz of the Job), with PureMusic's volume at low levels so I took the Job out and used the Wyred integrated. Durring this time I thought about what preamp to get, TVC,AVC,LDR etc. After months I finally decided on the Lightspeed Attenuator. I had one about one year ago and sold it because I went to the integrated. Anyway, after waiting for four weeks, I still hadn't received the LSA. I just got back this morning from a five day stay in Vegas. I told my neighbor to look out for a package for me. I'm going to his house right now to see if it came. When I put the preamp and the Job back in the system, I will surely let you and the rest of the community know!
Just before I left for Vegas my new Synergistic Research Element Tungsten SE power cord arrived. I will put that on the Job 225. |
Joeinid, what preamp are you using with the Job? |
I'm not surprised they have so many orders. |
I'm about to audition a bent TAP-X autoformer passive. I'm sure the Job will sound wonderful with it. I've been listening a lot lately and honestly guys, the more I listen, the more I'm blown away by the transparency, detail, soundstage depth and width. The VERY articulate bass. I've been listening to some live Mary Stallings (one of my references), and the midrange warmth just sounds so right. This is such a lovely little amp. If there is anyone reading this who is on the fence about buying one, I can't recommend it highly enough. |
Thanks for the info Joeinid. Good to have someone so informative on the Job "team". LOL. |
Joeinid, so you rally like these fuses huh? I think I'll try it just on your recommendation. I guess the owner's manual will say, but what is the proper fuse for the Job? Also, what am I looking to spend on the Furutech? I'm not familiar with the Nano. What about HiFiTuning? |
Once again, thanks for keeping everyone informed Joeinid. |
Well, I've been burning in the Bent for almost two weeks and whatever hint of brightness I heard is now gone. I took it over a friend's house and same thing, not bright AT ALL. Rich, organic sound with a very transparent, holographic soundstage that's deep, wide and open. I'm afraid the highly regarded LSA has met its match IN MY SYSTEM. Add the convenience of remote volume and balance control and I'm afraid it's a no-brainer.....the Bent shall stay and hold the honor of being "king of the hill" for preamps in my system. Also, the Bent's autoformers handle retrieval of low volume detail and information better than the LSA due to the Bent's superior output impedance at low volumes.
To anyone considering the LSA, please do not misunderstand. The LSA is IMO, is an OUTSTANDING passive and anyone on the fence about purchasing one should get off of it!!! The Bent is considerably more expensive, even on the used market but like I said, IN MY SYSTEM, the Bent is the king. |
Daldridge76, you say you're interested in a TAP-X. If I understand correctly, they're available only as a home build. I know John Chapman and Dave Slagle sell the parts but you have to build it yourself.
Oh, and you HAD to tell me that Job is releasing a preamp, didn't you? You just had to. Thanks.....thanks a lot. |
Daldridge76, I believe the AVC-1 Slagleformer is essentially, the DIY version of the TAP-X. I ASSUME they are the same sonics-wise, but who knows? I'd contact either John or Dave and ask. If you look at the pic of my TAP-X it's pretty much the same as the AVC-1 sans the silver chassis. |
So Joe, we obviously love our 225s. Up until this amplifier, the best amps to ever grace my system were the EAR 890 and the Will Vincent rebuild of a Dynaco ST-70. This amp clearly bests both of them. I've read in another forum that you had the EAR 890 as well. Like I said, I see that you like the Job, and I know you think it's outstanding for the price. However, forget price for a moment. I'm curious to know how you like the Job compared to your more expensive/exotic equipment (like the Dhartzeels and D'Agostino momentums). IN RELATION TO those amps, how does it stack up in your opinion? |
Joe,
U say u would've purchased the job over any other solid state amp. I thought u had the momentum amps. Don't tell me u like the 225 better than those. |
I've owned two EAR amps over the years. .... the 890 and the 834 Integrated.
Both amps emphasize the midrange which is typicall of EAR amps IMO. I Don't want to influence your opinion of the 890 before u get it. ... I'm Just saying that was what I heard in the system I had it in at time. |
Ncore VS JOB/Goldmund............Hmmmmm. Sounds interesting. |
Joe, glad your Job is in and sounding fantastic! My friend had an 868 with an 890 and his system always sounded great. Curious to know how it sounds with the 225. The thing that I love most about the Job is it's so damned holographic. The transparency is amazing. Very CLEAN sounding with a low noise floor. Goldmund does something with the damping factor issue which gives me the deepest, tightest, most ACCURATE bass I've ever had from any amp. I know I sound like a broken record but I never had a component that impressed me more than this thing. |
Peleg, I wouldn't misinterpret my description of "clean" with sterile or bright. By clean I meant more of a "quiet" sound with a low noise floor which also brings out more subtle nuances deep within a recoding. Sorry if this isn't the widely accepted description of how components sound, it's just how my brain works and how it hears music. :^) The 225 has surprising warmth for a solid state amp. I've NEVER been a solid state guy because in order to do solid state right, IMO you must spend serious dollars. I've never heard a solid state amp that impressed me AT REASONABLE PRICES. The only one I like that has an incredibly beautiful midrange is my friend's amp that he built himself with Mundorf caps the size of soda cans.
Now, in my opinion, the Job is INCREDIBLY transparent. The words "holographic" and "organic" always come to mind. One of the most impressive things about it is the "air" I hear around voices, and instruments. I've never had an amp that was able to "convince" me of where the artist was IN RELATION TO THE ROOM AND THE SIZE OF IT, than the Job 225. Again, this is what my brain hears as being "clean".
Very detailed without being bright. With other amps I've had, these usually went hand in hand. The amp has VERY wide dynamic range meaning it goes from very soft passages to full crescendos instantly without ever feeling the need to adjust volume louder or softer, if that makes sense. In my experience, that is the make of a great product: when you don't have to constantly adjust volume DURING THE SAME SONG.
Bass is easily the most articulate bass I've ever had, and Joe like what you said earlier, this is what I MEANT to type on a previous post, but instead I typed "accurate". Sorry, I had a martini and I messed up! Maybe my amp is finally breaking in fully, but last week I was listening and the bass went deeper than I ever heard it go before. Again, this is what I mean by every day this thing impresses me more and more.
The TONE of the amp seems so "right", which is crucial for me for any component. I listen to a lot of classical and jazz and the tone of unamplified instruments sound so correct. It's not a super warm amp, but like Joe says, it has a touch of warmth,(not E.A.R. warmth but Tim seems to emphasize the midrange a bit on his gear, which is probably why they're so pleasing to listen to). Listening to the 225 never made me wish it was warmer, for what it's worth. Black backgrounds are just as important to me because so much more comes out and the air around voices and instruments just make music sound more real to me.
I guess the amp is slightly on the warm side of neutral.
This may not be how most people describe equipment but it's how I hear music and I tried to be as descriptive as possible saying what I listen for and what pleases me. Hope this helps. |
Hey, we're all in this together right? LOL. No problem Peleg, and good luck with your better half!
Joe, I understand that Job is coming out with a preamp soon. God, I have a feeling I'm going to make another purchase....I currently have the Bent TAP-X and let me tell you, one of those doesn't exactly fall into someone's lap every day. They're pretty hard to find. I was fortunate to come across one TWICE! I love that thing so much, but more importantly, I love it WITH the Job. I know I'm going to get the itch to buy the Job preamp but I don't want to get rid of the Bent. Oh God, this s*** never ends.
Joe, I'm about to go fuse shopping for both the Job and the Metrum DAC. Wish me luck. |
Jslate, glad you've found happiness with the Job. I too have been a tube guy (for about 17 years). I never thought I'd settle on a SS amp but like you said, a strange pursuit. Everything is system dependant though. All I know is my current speakers LOVE the Job 225.
Joe, I guess I'll take a chance. |
Joe, yeah that's the one I saw. I was going to buy it but then emailed you with my concern. I just need to buy it tonight and get it over with. I have to see if they have one for my DAC too. |
Thanks Joe. I just joined and responded on audioshark. Like I said, I'm on day 6 of my indecisiveness about which fuse to put in. Hearing different things about different fuses.
Luka |
JOe, The Job owner manual only states the fuse is 4A slow blow. Do you know for a fact it's 250v? Did you see it on the fues? I was just about to buy a fuse and saw different values. |
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So I tried a new pair of speaker cables the other day only to find my Job does not accept bananas. I had my friend replace the factory binding posts with some Cardas posts. I'm glad he did because frankly the factory ones were crap to begin with. Has anyone else had this unfortunate surprise? |
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Hello Joe, yes I've witnessed the benefits of directly soldering a few times. My friend directly soldiers all his connections-interconnects as well. |
Since I've been buying a lot of cables lately, and on the advice of my friend Eric, (bigshutterbug), I've decided to wait on the fuses for the Job until I get a grasp on my new cables. Think I"m on day 9......... |
Joe, I have no experience with either. I've read that the Wyred is super quiet though. Are you biamping with the Jobs? If so, vertical or horizontal? |
George, just wondering if u had a chance to hear the 225 and if so, with what speakers? Mine are 6 ohm and 89 db and it's the best amp they've ever had on them. I even prefer the 22t over the E.A.R. 890 I had (which was the midrange king). Not saying my speakers are a difficult load, just saying. |
I was shopping for an integrated when I reluctantly bought the 225. I say reluctantly because I knew that meant going past my price range, not in amplification but in the additional preamp and interconnects I was now committing to. I'm excited about any product Goldmund/Job releases. |
I just ordered Synergistic fuses for my 225 and my dac. Finally. |
Klh007, so did you get a chance to hear the Job driving the 3.7s and the Pendragons? I'm curious to know how it did with the Maggies. Also, because of the Job's incredibly high gain, I have a feeling the volume knob didn't go too high while driving the Pendragons which I think are pretty sensitive, if I can remember. |
Hi Joe, yeah if I didn't have the Bent I would jump on the preamp in a second. Who knows Joe, I may do it anyway just to compare and sell whichever I don't want. It's win/win for me because the Bent is a very desirable piece so I know I won't loose any money there, and considering the very favorable opinion of Job within the community one could expect to get 80-90% of their money back if they chose to sell the Job preamp.
To anyone on the fence about trying this amp, I will say with no reservations whatsoever that the Job 225 is the find of my lifetime. I have never heard a component, anywhere, that scores higher on cost-to-performance than the Job 225. |
Last night I put the Synergistic fuse in the 225. I will have the amp on for at least 50 hours, then switch the direction of the fuse and see which I prefer (if I can tell). Once that is determined I will place the Job on my Mapleshade system of Isoblocks, maple block and points that greeted me at my front door this afternoon.........oh boy oh boy oh boy oh boy oh boy oh boy. |
Yes you did mention that Joe. Lol. If they weren't so expensive I would try them. I need two so I went with the SR.
Yes,I'm having a lot of fun! Tomorrow is my last day of work then I'm off for 17 days! During that time, I have my new fuses and vibration platforms/points to try out. I hope we get a bad storm and I get snowed in for a couple of days so I can play with my new toys. God, I feel like a little kid. |
Joe, did you get my email with the three links? |
Alright, I know I said I'd wait but I have to chime in. I only have 15 hours on the Synergistic fuse but already, ALREADY I hear more air and more transparency. I feel as though the noise floor dropped even further because I hear more subtle nuances emerging from a blacker background. I will install my second fuse in my dac and repeat the process. I have two sets of Mapleshade vibration control systems (isoblocks, maple platform, and brass ponts). After the fuses, I will first put one "system" under the Exactpower voltage regulator and then under the Job. I want to stain the platforms first. |
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to everyone! |
It's only an issue if the preamp passes any DC. According to Srajan's review, some tube preamps could. If you put a passive preamp on the Job you might be better off. |
Joe, Norman tells me both of you have your eyes on a passive for the Job. Keep us updated. |
Hey, I just wanted to tell everyone that Ric Shultz from tweek audio dot com loves the Job 225 (calls it a giant killer), and he lists mods he provides to it. As I wright this, price has not been set.
http://www.tweakaudio.com/EVS-2/Job_225_mods.html |
Sebna, a faster way might be to add some Rothwell adapters to the rca inputs of the job. At least that way you wouldn't have to open it up. Obviosly now you're adding something else to the signal path. I wouldn't do it, just throwing it out there. It does seem that 9 o'clock would be loud and 9:30 too loud. |
Sebna, check out this link:
http://www.tweakaudio.com/EVS-2/Job_225_mods.html
This is Ric Shultz's website called TweekAudio. He's been modifying stuff for a very long time. He loves the Job 225 and lists some mods he can do to it. Don't know if any of the mods listed will achieve what you're after but it's worth a shot to contact him and ask.
Hope this helps. |
Crap. Meant this link. This is the link to his home page:
http://www.tweakaudio.com/EVS-2/index.html |
Haven't heard from you in a while Joe. Did you get that passive yet? |
Sebna, congratulations on your purchase. Yes the Job accepts spades. However, I couldn't get my Audioquest bananas on the factory binding posts so my friend replaced them with Cardas binding posts. FWIW. |
