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Speaker input question for Jolida 102B

I'm still a bit of a newbie to the audiophile world, so bear with me...

I just bought the Jolida 102B amp (it arrived today) because I wanted to explore the world of tubes at an entry level. I use Klipsch Synergy B3 speakers that are 8 ohm.

My main question is how to connect the speakers in the back. The only reason I'm slightly confused is that both the left and right inputs have 3 input jacks, labeled "8" "0" "4" with the "0" in the middle. As a newbie, I'm used to simple "left" "right" speaker inputs.

What I ended up doing was placing the speaker wire into the "8" and "0" spots. If you are not familiar with the amp, googling the Jolida 102b and checking out images you will see a good photo of the back panel.

I'm getting sound the way I hooked it up, but my first impression is that it's a little thin as compared to the old Yamaha CR 400 I've been using. I know it's less juice than the Yamaha, but I am still expecting a little more. Is this due to the infamous breaking in period for tubes? Are the speakers maybe hooked up wrong? Am I just expecting too much?

Thanks in advance for any insight.
128x128jdk1970
4 responses Add your response
jdk1970's avatar
jdk1970 OP
4 posts
 
Thanks for the offer, Kotta. I still have to buy a phono preamp, so the upgrades aren't in my budget at the moment. I'll just have to break it in first. I sure hope they aren't mismatched with my speakers. Either way, my long-term goal (3+ years down the road) is to upgrade to floor-standing speakers and a bigger amp that can drive them.

By the way, the tubes it came with are the Russian Electro-Harmonix (EL84EH) and Jolida's 12AT7
kotta's avatar
kotta
649 posts
 
If I remember correctly, this amp uses 2 12ax7 tubes?(I owned this amp @ one time, long ago.) I played around w.these two tubes, buying a set of Telefunken and RCA Black somethings. Both vintage and both tested very good from a reputable seller. I will say this made things sound much better. Yes, let it break-in some and see how things sound. You may prefer the sound from your old Yamaha Rec. You could also have spks. which do not match up well w/your Jolida? I hate to say this, but, you may be going down an expensive road of many up grades to find the sound you like. (P.S., I still have these tubes I mentioned and if you're interested, send me an email. Bill.)
jdk1970's avatar
jdk1970 OP
4 posts
 
Detredwings - thanks for clearing this up for me. I'll give it a few "miles" before I decide my next move, if any. I do feel like there is more detail in the sound as compared to my previous receiver. This makes the jazz I've tested so far (Kind of Blue, Blue Train) sound really nice. But when I've played rock, it doesn't handle the broader range of sound as well as the Yamaha. Anyway, thanks again.
detredwings
162 posts
 
Your hookup is fine. The black one in the middle with 0 is ground. It takes some time for the unit to burn in. Let music play on it as much as possible for about 100hrs or so and then take another listen. You can then try the 4 ohm connection and see if you prefer the sound. It won't hurt the unit. You can also bring the amp to another level with upgrades. Jolida amp are a favorite of people that like to do mods or you can send it to Jolida and they can change the caps and perform their mod. I would first give it time to properly break in and try some tube rolling. Also do some reading and make a decision after that what you would like to do. Good luck!
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