Received my unit today and have to say first impressions are well, not impressive at all.
The sound I had running through my iFi iTube buffer on my Nakamichi 660zx was considerably better than through the Jolida.
Bass was much more stout and clearer, the Jolida almost seems to put a veil over the bass and leaves it more a one note muffled affair no matter where I have the bass dial.
Now the dimension is fun but that is about it.
Overall unless it gets much better the longer the unit is on and warmed up it is not a keeper.
Even though it is nice to have just one unit to run both analog sources through, I think I would just buy another iFi iTube buffer for the open reel deck.
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One is on its way.
Found a trade in at $300 so not painful at all.
We will see.
I am presently using an iFi audio itube buffer which gives me a good result on my cassette deck and an el cheapo Chinese tube buffer on my R2R tape deck.
Will be nice to run both decks into just one unit. |
Very interesting indeed.
May have to give one a try on my Maggie's.
After all $400 is not a fortune. |
HA! I have found one thing that bugs me. Seems that a spot of silver paint on each knob will give me 'at a glance' idea of where the knob is positioned. Can't see them well enough unless all the lights are on. What this actually means is that I have absolutely no remorse about this product being in my system. Come to think of it, I could just find find really cool looking knobs to replace the black ones. 'Nuff said. |
I have to concur with these observations. There is more “there” there, “more meat on the bones” and once set - “forget it”. The only exception is with acoustic bass-shy jazz recordings that benefit from a bit of boost. |
I am surprised. I thought it would be fun to
listen to the same cd and vary the settings.
Or, change the settings with different discs.
"Set it and forget it" is working very well,
thank you! |
I just now realized you were addressing the other poster. |
It is now a permanent part of the landscape, meaning it has disappeared as a new component. I have it dialed in and just enjoy it. Really a good buy for my purposes.
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Any further updates on how you're enjoying the SSX? |
I have been a SS guy since high school but since I set up a stereo system in my kitchen I have thought about making the leap to tubes or at the very least a intergrated hybdrid. I saw a Jolida intergrated tube amp on this site for a great price. In my research I reached out to the folks at Jolida and spoke with the owner Mr. Allen. He highly recommened going with the For SS-X as a great introduction to the sound of tubes, well one in this case.
I hooked it up earlier this afternoon and the spacing setting made a great first impression on me. It may need 20 plus hours or more to warm up so I will post an update in a week or so.
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Every claim about this product is confirmed, based
on only a few days in my system. I had broken it in
to get some time on the tube.
It puts more "meat" on the sound, through the tube "filter."
I don't have a preamp, and placing the SS-X between my
cd player and amp has dispelled any questions about
what I may have been missing. This is my first tube product.
The music seems to have more body, and the instruments sound
more substantial, in a natural space.
I am happy with the bass adjustment, and am content to leave
the control on neutral. In this position it sounds more full than
what I was hearing before. Now I have the option of changing it,
whenever desired. (I do not use a subwoofer.)
The sound staging in the "wide" mode, is really excellent, too.
It also seems to add more depth and height to the sound.
The SS-X is well built and definitely responds to quality cabling and
vibration isolation. (I replaced the fuse with SR Blue.)
The people at Black Ice (Jolida) in Maryland are great to talk to and
have responded to questions easily.
At $400, I think this product is a unique steal. In a single unit, you can
control variables that are not addressed by any other piece of electronics that
I know of.
It very simply does what it claims to do! |
Your instincts are correct. The unit sounds different with each combination of components. So far, I have not found a combination that it is in that I would take it back out. |
Thanks 4krow. I know it will work from a technical standpoint, just wondering how good it will sound. Enjoy the music review said it didn’t work as well with the Tavish tube phono stage as it did with a ss phono. Questioning how it will sound with the JD9?
Only way to know is try it I guess. Sounds like a great value.
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Follow-up: This is arguably one of the best purchases, dollar-for-dollar, I have ever made in audio with the best benefit ratio and enjoyment factor of any component. It has completely exceeded my expectations and the magic simply has not worn off, as so often does, with something new and different. Been there - done that.
This is out of the ballpark. Clean, clear, articulate and involving. For those of you who own one, it might explain the sparsity of used ones on the market. :-)
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Since the Jolida phono pre-amp provides a line level signal, it is fine to use this unit between it and the Rogue unit. |
I have a Rogue Cronus Magnum and a Jolida JD9 phono amp. Wonder how this will work inserted between them? |
I was tempted too, but then realized there is little chance of buying a used unit. Finally bit the bullet and got mine. I didn't mention what the unit does for my speaker system. The fact that I like it in circuit so much says a lot, but it is not for every recording out there. Further, my system already has a great sound stage so why did I bother? Because I wanted to try out the bass EQ that this unit has in comparison to the bass tone control that is on my Vincent pre-amp. It does treat the bass differently than the Vincent, but I need more experience to determine what that difference is. Also, it includes a tube buffer, and the 12AU7W tube chosen was right on the button. Since I make buffer amps for sale, I know the difference between one or another in terms of sound. This one is simply honest. No 'tubey' euphemisms to be tacked on here.It is the same reason that I bought the Vincent. The LED display is a little funky though, and I wouldn't exactly call it studio level resolution. God help me, I am somewhat tempted to find high dollar replacements for the TL074 op amps. For now, I am just enjoying what the unit has to offer. |
Talked to Jerred at Black Ice yesterday (great guy) about the SS-X. Very tempted to try this out soon. |
The unit came in a day late, courtesy of a snow storm. Then, living in Wyoming generally means that a product needs to warm up for at least an hour. Finally, I plug it in and turn it on for a few minutes. Like others that stated a bit about the quality, I concur. Thank god this isn't some crappy little black box. I am pretty impressed. The packing was righteous as well. My wife is sleeping so, headphones first impressions. After a bit of fiddling with the controls, I was surprised to learn that just a bit more bass on my ZMF Ori phones was used. Not much, just something that I preferred. I am listening to U2, Joshua Tree. Listened to it last night on speakers, and said to myself, "Oh yah, this is the album that can have a little or more midrange bite." The Ori phones put this sort of thing right back in perspective for me. Glad that I own them. Then I am adjusting the dimension control. I have listened to more than my share of this kind of stuff, and am skeptical after being fed anymore placebos. As I used the control, I realized that yes, there really is something positive going on, and thank god again, it is variable. Too much is just that, too much. For this recording, about a 1 o'clock position gives me for the first time, a worthy impression of headphones not feeding your ears a little miniature rock band smack dab between your ears. I may sell the rest of my system... who needs more? But just kidding folks, I will accidentally wake the wife, and continue listening through speakers. So far, there are no regrets for the price paid, nor the real estate taken by this unit. Thanks Jim Fosgate. |
Ok, get ready for an update in the coming days. I should receive the unit this Thursday, and am anxious to give it a listen. My system isn't quite complete yet, as I am working on an amp project that will take some time. In the interim, I am getting by with less than a great power amp. Regardless, I feel that the new unit will make it's impressions known enough for me to decide what I hear from it. Seems that it had some intent for headphone listeners as well, and that< is where I do have a leg up for some more serious listening. More later, less sooner. |
Comments/advice greatly appreciated. I like to own ANYTHING that is quality first. Audio has never been an exception.Jim Fosgate has the kind of reputation that holds up to my expectations. Eventually, I will buy one of these. |
Thanks for the comments. Good observations.
It would be really hard for me to give up the Maggies. I wanted them in the worst way since the early salad days when I first heard them powered by Audio Research. I knew I wanted tubes and Maggies. I was finally able to buy them in mid 1990 after I acquired the Carys. They were the last in the chain of my build.
Actually, they were never intended to stay in my office at home. They sounded tonally great even without the bass and imaging. It was always my intent to move them into a different area but that option never happened. Family issues precluded that move. In the intervening years, I wasn’t necessarily suffering from the lack of bass and imaging, I just missed both. My prior speakers, Celestion SL700SEs, would disappear and image like crazy in that other area, but no, I just had to have the Maggies. Well, to be fair, the Celestions suffered a catastrophic loss too painful to recount. I decided to opt for the Maggies rather than replace them.
This product brought it all together. I’m under no spell. I know it is signal/phase manipulation, but I accept that. It is well-executed, the build is exemplary and the sound very satisfying, such that, the compromise to absolutism is more than amply offset by the glorious compromise it is.
Bottom line is I get to keep my Maggies with their seductive mids and now have the warmth in the bottom with the imaging I was missing. To directly address the responses to my post, I’ll take that compromise for sure, even though I don’t view it that way at all.
I’ve been into this hobby since boyhood with soldering iron in hand and I have heard enough to know immediately what I like and don’t like; hence, despite the room acoustics, I kept this system this many years. This, I like, and my compromise is over.
I posted this as I suspect others may be in the same dilemma and need this capability. It may merit consideration. It truly is a great tool.
Now that I have shot my 5 (posts), I’ll return to the music and anonymity.
Best and happy listening to all!
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There is nothing worse than speakers that won't work with the room. I've said this many times, but in a normal domestic environment without a huge amount of placement flexibility, it is a total crapshoot in finding a speaker. But when it clicks with the room, a whole world opens up. Believe me, I know. I had the Harbeth Monitor 30s and I so wanted to love them, but it sounded like everything under 100 hz was missing. Then I tried the Opera Callas Monitor and it sounded perfect. The errors in the speaker complimented the errors in the room. My guess is you will eventually abandon this product and try for a better matching speaker because you won't be able to deal psychologically with inserting a $400 box in between all your expensive components. Part of the audiophile mind. Maybe not. Try to enjoy. |
Agreed. I am one of them. I spent good money on a very revealing all tube system for those same reasons. I'm just stuck in a small room and my 3.7s can't disappear due to the physical limitations of placement and can't generate quite enough bottom due in part to their design as well as the room dimensions.
This is a fix. I was well aware of that in my deliberation. But it is one heck of a good one. I've have owned and have heard many enhancers over the years and never cared for them. This one is done right. Subtle, clean and unobtrusive save for the fact that it accomplishes what I need done. I am a happy camper. |
I spent years working in recording studios and there are many, many devices that are used to "enhance" the recorded sound that manipulate phase and eq. While high-end has traditionally eschewed tone controls, equalizers and phase manipulation at the end-user, things seem to be changing a bit, IMO because of the popularity of super-revealing systems that sound good on first listening, but then become tiresome over time. Again, IMO. If you like the sound and you can wrap your mind around the fact that you are not hearing what was actually recorded, have at it. But I can see where this would be abhorrent to those people who spent a lot of time and money assembling a system that was as true to the recording as possible. I'm not sure they could intellectually enjoy a system they knew deliberately manipulated the sound. The human mind is a strange thing. |
It only affects the bottom end. There is no affect beyond at all. It simply warms up the bottom end with a 9db plus (or minus) adjustment which I needed. It is very satisfying and nothing like a traditional equalizer. The device itself is flat to beyond audibility. The specs are impeccable.
The big plus is how it widens the soundstage on live recordings without sounding the least bit gimmicky. Been there - done that. I am a stickler for tone, clarity and musicality. It is a well designed and well executed circuit. Very well built. It has transformed my listening space just as I was hoping it would. Actually, I wasn't prepared for just how much.
Jeez, judging by this it sounds like the cocktail waitress served me a few already...still waiting but enjoying the music! |
I too, have a sort of interest in this product just to audition it, or more. I forgot whether the unit would have an effect on treble. What have you found there? |
I also want to add that my Stax SRM-MKII with Lambdas now sound rich. They are notoriously bass shy. Not anymore. Also, the enhancement circuit works wonders with them too.
“Oh, waitress!” |
