2. amps-preamps
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Down graded, with fantastic results

I sold some gear recently to raise some cash. I sold a pair of Cary/AES Six Pacs mono amps, a Cary/AES DJH preamp and a pair of B&W 703 speakers. I purchased a pair of Tyler Acoustic Ref. monitors and a Jolida 302b integrated amp to go along with my Jolida CD player, all wired with Signal cable speakers. My wife does not usually comment on the "sound" of our system, but last night when the Jolida amp finally arrived, she loved the sound of it. I must admit, it does sound fantastic! And at a fraction of the cost of my former gear! $2,050 is the cost of the new stuff. $6,200 was the cost of the AES and B&W gear.
gretsch6120

Showing 2 responses by restock

restock
831 posts
 
Congrats on the Jolida. It is an excellent amp for the price. And it responds very well to tube rolling. In my case it replaced $2800 worth of solid state electronics.

Enjoy!
restock
831 posts
 
Hi Gretsch,

some tubes I liked on my Jolida 302b:

Powertubes: SED (Svetlana) EL43 or JJ E34L
I liked the SED a bit more than the JJ, smoother highs, a little softer bass, deeper soundstage. However, I had a couple of SED failing after very short time, with the JJ being very stable.

Preamp and driver tubes (my favorite combination)
12AX7 1970s Tesla E83CC Frame Grid gold pin
12AT7 1980s Mullard CV4024
Altnernatively the EH 12AX7 gold pin worked quite well also. Not as nice as the Tesla, but still good.

Preamp and driver tubes (alternative combination)
12AX7 1980s Jan GE 5751
12AT7 19??s BRIMAR 6060 T-Series Black Plates

Enjoy the Jolida! With the right speakers it is a great amp! And tube rolling is great for managing your upgrade urges...

Rene
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