jolida vs. ASL


which do you prefer and why? will be driving a pair of triangles.
fickle75

In my opinion Jolida is hard to beat at its price point. I have had in the past a JD1000, JD-100 CD player and preamp (Don't remember model). Yes there is better but and the customer support was fantastic. I had to send the JD1000 back to the factory and they sent me a new one pronto.


Bobs post above is spot on. Very well said.

I am a dealer for Jolida, Klipsch, and Music Hall. The initial Jolida models had some quality issues. That has been quite a few years ago. They have changed factories, and have improved quality as well as quality control- so a JD202A amp would not be nearly as good an amp as the JD202BRC. And their current Fusion amps are made  very well. These amps compare well with ASL and Prima Luna and others. Find reviews on audioreview. You will find some mentioning comparing Jolida to more expensive amps including CJ and selecting the Jolida. Opinions are not the same as facts. IN a certain price range most all products would be comparable in quality- that is logic. As for sound- amps can be "tuned" to sound strong in bottom range, rounded in top end, strong in mids, etc. One then selects what sounds best. While the JD302BRC amp is no longer available it will sound sweeter than anything ASL has at same comparable price. You will also find on audioreview that customer reviews for Jolida gear are much better than consumer reviews of Rogue Audio which is made in USA. Jolida is no longer using Chinese made tubes- that was quite a few years ago. Use EH and Tungsol tubes today. CJ uses EH tubes because of reliability. And warranty for Jolida gear is handled in USA. There is not a USA distributor, but the company Jolida has home office operation in Maryland. Part of the work is done in China, and part done in USA> buy with confidence. The amps sound amazingly clear and natural considering the price. Excellent Value! Period.

see petery-hedden web site. Bob Anderson

Since no one used the C word in this thread you must be referring to some previous threads since there have been posters on this site that have referred to the Jolida's as crap. If you found that thread you probably saw my response there. If I recall correctly that audiogoner did not claim first hand experience. Let me step up to this issue as you requested.

I’ve been at this hobby for over 30 years. I have degrees in Physics and EE and have built a fair number of amps from scratch. In my main system I have also owned or own many ARC, CJ, Melos, Threshold, Pass, Spectral, etc. components. I have no connection to the industry other than as a consumer.

The first thing to keep in mind is that tube amps are high voltage and high temperature devices. They can fail spectacularly in a shower of sparks and flame. This is rare, but it does happen occasionally, even to “name” brands.

I recommend Jolidas to all of my financially challenged music loving friends. Eleven Jolida units (202,302,502) have passed through my house and I own three. These are older and cheaper models so I could be under rating the company. None of these units cost more than around $500 used. One unit had several dubious solder joints and a few loose fittings which I easily fixed. The built quality of the other units was basic acceptable, no better. All have been working fine for up to three years now. (Clean your contacts, pots and tube socket contacts every year). The Jolida parts (except for the quite good transformers) are just Asian basic commercial quality. You must replace the Chinese tubes. I think they are a great price performance bargain for an integrated amp. Many people buy the Jolida as a DIY chassis and upgrade the parts and modify the circuits. Check out Audio Asylum if you are interested. If you can spend $1500+ (used) you can get better sound and quality.

I bought the ASL 1006 845 SET mono blocks to replace the Jolida in my office. It is the only ASL unit I have owned. Used they cost about four plus times that of a used Jolida (with no preamp stage, switches etc.). The parts are high end audio. The build on my unit is excellent. It won the Absolute Sound Golden Ear Award a few years back. The stock Russian driver tubes were OK. (Absolute Sound gave positive reviews to the high end Jolida a few years ago also). I replaced all the driver tubes with premium NOS and new Valve Arts 845s. The sound is SET gorgeous far better than the Jolidas. I have not compared a similiarly priced ASL integrated to my Jolidas.

Parts and build quality cost money. The unique selling proposition of the Jolida is the very good sound quality per dollar spent not it's absolute build quality or sound. If you can afford better for your main system buy better.
thank you all for the informative responses. However, there seems to be a discrepancy of opinions regarding the quality of the respective units. the word crap was used to describe jolida products that were desribed by someone else as being slightly better in quality to the asl line, which was generally accepted as being solidly built. Will someone step up to the plate in a convincing manner and put the issue to rest?
THanks folks.
ben
I own both. I have a 202, 302 and 502 Jolida's in various secondary systems. These are the older models and the build quality is only good. However, I believe that these units offer some of the best sound for value.

A few weeks ago I got the ASL AQ 1006 845 based SET monoblocks to replace the Jolida in my office. The build quality is excellent and the sound is SET beautiful. However, the ASL is way more expensive than my older Jolidas.

In every case I replaced the Chinese tubes.
ASL is generally regarded by many (me included) to be better built, higher caliber designs, esp. where it counts (transformers.) Agreed chinese tubes are nothing special (their 845 is ok though). Some really interesting amps in the ASL lineup, incl. the Tulip - an IT-coupled choke loaded (?) 2A3 amp which sounds better than it should for $1000 or whatever it costs. I've seen/used one Jolida, an older one (not sure how old) and the build quality was pretty much crap - hopefully they are better now.(?). ASL has a more varied lineup with a lot of unique amps, Jolida seems to have a more narrowly focused product mix.

-Ed
I have owned the little 15 watt/5 watt ASL Integrated, and currently own a Jolida 302B. I would agree with Zorpman that the quality level seems about equal between the two, perhaps with a slight nod to Jolida. The Jolida (which uses EL 34's) is a "richer", more powerful sounding unit for sure, but those Triangle's are pretty efficient and should easily be driven by even the smallest of ASL rigs. I would suggest listening to both with your intended speakers. Personally, I like the rich tone of the Jolida, and it would make a good match with the lively sound of the Triangles. Count on replacing the tubes with EITHER unit, just consider it part of the cost of the unit as the tubes that come with either are, well, er, "economical". Good luck!
I have both an integrated Jolida 801 (mid-high power 6550/kt-88 pp) and a pair of mono-block ASL 1006DT (high power 6550/kt-88 pp) amps. The quality is equal between them. The Jolida has weird and hard to reach bias points and the ASL has an incredibly funky manual (though Joseph Lau has always been immediately helpful when emailed).

Both units are made in China with the ASL imported through Canada and the Jolida directly through a distributor in the USA.

I am very impressed with both amps. Trouble free, clear highs, controlled bass, and non-tubby tube mids. I would expect to change-out the stock tubes on either unit with better tubes. While I am using Tung-Sol 6550s in the ASLs with Tung-Sol drivers; I like EH 6550s with 5751s in the ASL (a much cheaper set-up than the Tung-Sols but a good match in the 801)

I would recommend either brand highly at or near their price points.