Moving Up from a Jolida JD9

Got it installed but I've got a hum that I can't get rid of. Can't figure out where it's coming from. The Jolida was dead quiet. It almost sounds like it's picking up the transformer in the outboard power supply. Everything's grounded properly. There's switches inside the unit that affect grounding but the manual doesn't say much about them. The manual for this unit really doesn't say very much about anything. It doesn't even give you a diagram as to which tubes go where. The tube sockets aren't even marked on the board. It probably will sound pretty good if I can get rid of this ground hum. Anybody got any ideas?

Got it via UPS today. It's a really nice, well made unit. I'll probably hook it up tomorrow after I read the manual, get it set up for my cart, and decide which tubes I'm going to use in it. New toy, oh boy! 😎

Yes it is. That’s one of the other carts I’ve got stashed. Went from the ART9 to the ART9XA and kept the ART9 for a spare.
From what I’ve read about the Ares I can get about 12dB added gain by using four 12AX7s instead of two 12AX7s and two 12AU7s. I have several old stock quads of both so let the rolling begin.
I'm really looking to hearing the Ares. I've been listening to the JD9 for ten years so it should be quite a difference from what I'm used to,

"Hope it has enough gain for the ART9xa"

based on the latest spec:

Three gain settings: 40dB, 55dB, 64dB

Ares is a great phono amp especially in it's price range.

64dB should be fine, on paper perhaps on the  lowest acceptable value. The linestage will add a little more. 

Enjoy it. XA could be my next try. Plenty of experience with the 1st gen ART9's

Great cart for the money.

I walk a couple miles in the forest with my dogs, ride my bike at least five or six miles. So, getting up is simply hard and uncomfortable for me.

Having said that, when I play an album… a couple times a week, I like the ritual. My 2,000 albums are in pristine condition. I carefully do a light cleaning, and clean the stylist. It is a fun tradition. So I listen to an hour and a half of vinyl a week, and 20 hours of streaming… with the same sound quality.

Bought a Rogue Audio Ares. Hope it has enough gain for the ART9xa. If it doesn't I've got other carts with 0.5mV output I can use.

+1 For a Manley Chinook. A lot more quiet and dynamic than the Jolida, much better build quality. 

I’m a Schill also for Black Ice Audio. I purchased two F100 monoblocks and the F360 Preamp is on long term loan. If I already didn’t have the PS Audio Stellar Phono Preamp. I would have easily bought this with no hesitation and worked with Jarred for any possible modifications.

https://blackiceaudio.com/preamplifiers/phono-preamplifier

jerred@blackiceaudio.com

They are really great people to work with and their Jim Fosgate designed/Jerred Dunkerson implemented F Series products are fantastic to listen to and look at (in that order).

Cheers,

Joe

info@blackiceaudio.com
(301) 953-2014

@ghdprentice Thanks for your input and agree streaming has been great. Especially all the new music discoveries👍. I have gotten my streaming setup sounding much better than my very modest vinyl setup. To get vinyl up to the streaming level would be quite an investment in order to maintain my lower body fitness program.

For those who are streaming its good for  our knees and muscle to stand up, and stretch and walk ,sitting for too long is not good.I? Would even prevent embolism .

OP I upgraded from JD9 to Sutherland 20/20 and Icon PS3 .Go to tmraudio.com they have some good used phono preamp sometimes.

Once you star streaming, your TT will not get nearly the usage as before.  Trust me on this.  I always loved spinning vinyl, but it will definately play second chair after this.

I still play my vinyl two or three times a week. I still enjoy the black art of set up and the ritual of playback. Or maybe I’m just nuts. There are no dealers in my area to help with a sell off so I’ll have to take care of that myself.
Does anyone have an opinion on or experience with the Rogue Audio Ares? There’s one for sale in the classifieds within my budget and it uses the same tubes I alread have. Could possibly be what I’m looking for?
Also found an E.A.T. E-Glo Petit for the same price on another site.

OP,

Understood. I get the difficulty in parting with the LPs. You can see my wall of albums under my UserID, also started in the ‘60s. The sad thing is I seldom play them although I have a top notch TT and Phonostage. My audio dealer has instructions to sell it as a collection and my system and give the proceeds to my partner. 

But to maximize your enjoyment, I would think streaming. Way easier on the knees.
 

Going on seven years for me. My knees aren't great but my lower back is absolutely junk. 
I've thought about getting set up for streaming and may do it next year if I'm still around. I really need to start thinking about downsizing as I can hear my clock ticking nowadays. It'll be tough to sell lps I've had since the sixties.

I am retired as well. This is great, I have much more time to listen to music.

Following up on @tksteingraber.

I was able to bring up my streaming to the level of my vinyl sound quality. The benefits have been simply overwhelming for $12.99 per month. I have access to essentially all music. There is over half a million albums at high resolution, this is completely opened up by scope of music. Not to mention as your knees get more creaky you don’t have to get up enough or risk breaking off a stylist.

You might consider saving up and slowly investing in streaming. I have found you can spread out the payments over six months to years and the benefits are huge just a thought from my experience.. now retired for five years.

I've never heard the Chinook. Are they as good as folks say they are?

Used Manley Chinook can be had with your budget 

You’re welcome. I’m retired and on a fixed income now so I have to spend wisely. I probably won’t get into streaming and just improve on what I have. I have hundreds of lps and hundreds of cds to keep me happy and occupied and don’t have much interest in getting into something new. I've bought most of my gear used here or on other sites to get more bang for the bucks and I've been lucky so far.
I’m not unhappy with the JD9, it sounds very good for what it is. The caps, nos tubes, and discrete op amps helped quite a bit but it still just sounds like its lacking something. Probably I’ve just got that itch that needs scratching. lol

I have a modded JD-9 as well.  ODAM V-Caps, Burr-Brown OPA’s.  Not sure I want to get into the vinyl rabbit hole with the streaming quality improvements.  🤔 Thanks Sam for this interesting thread.

I definitely recommend going used, that can put you another level up.

Thanks everyone. You've given me a lot to research and I do appreciate it. I'll get back to all of you after I've read up on what's been mentioned.
Regards,
Sam

slovell,

I moved from a modded JD-9 (Burson op amps/Jupiter caps/NOS 12AX7s) to an E.A.T. E-Glo Petit and it was huge improvement, both in sonics and convenience. Like theflattire, I’ve since moved on to a Modwright PH 9.0X, but that’s in a completely different league; if I hadn’t gotten a great deal on the Modwright I could have been totally happy with the E-glo for years.

+1 on the Tavish. Also recommend the Hagermann Trumpet MC 

A used Tavish Adagio will be in your budget, if you can find one.

I would put it as just a bit below a Modwright PH9.0 (which I have and was able to compare with the Adagio; I sold mine for $1600).

I used the Adagio with my VPI Prime.  It made my Darlington Labs MP-7 sound SS.

Maybe a Rogue Audio Ares? And of course the EAR834.

I think if you stay with no feedback/discrete designs you should be good to go.