2. amps-preamps
  3. 1407331524

Jolida JD102CRC

I'm seriously considering ordering a Jolida JD102CRC because I've really wanted to get into the world of tubes for a while. My real main hesitation is that I can't find much in the way of solid reviews or "reliable" information on Jolida. I see a lot of back and forth on whether it's just trash, or a solid entry level tube amp producer that happens to start their amps off with pretty low quality stock tubes... and all you need to do is upgrade those and you've got a really good amp for reasonable money.

Can someone shed some light on this particular model or recommend something else in THE SAME PRICE RANGE (~$875). No I can't jump to a PrimaLuna at 2 or 3 times the price.

My other consideration is a Peachtree Decco65 or Nova125, which would solve my need for a DAC at the same time... but I'm very hesitant to get something with a built in DAC. It just seems planned obseletion.

I'm looking to pull the trigger on something within the next week if possible.

Current System:

Vandersteen 1Cs
NAD 3140
Pro-Ject Debut Carbon w/ Ortofon 2M Red
greatwhitebat
raymonda
855 posts
 
I owned a 102b and enjoyed it very much. The el84 tubes are inexpensive and fun. Biasing isn't too fussy and it plays nicely. The new 102 comes stock with a Alps blue velvet the older ones came with a cheaper alps. I modded mine to accept the blue velvet with great improvement in sound.

At the new price of a 102 I think you could buy better used tube amp. Buy it used for 500 and you have a great value.....at the new cost, not so much.

Also, speaker matching for any tube amp is a must. Make sure you have a 92....8 ohm speaker so that your amp can control the drivers and you have enough juice for those teenage flashback moments. The wrong speaker is a sure recipe for disappointment.
zd542
5,339 posts
 
Looking at your system, you are probably better off just getting a preamp. A nice feature that your NAD has is that it jumps the amp and preamp sections in the back externally. This allows you to use it just as an amp or just as a preamp, without running the signal through any extra circuitry. Getting a new preamp will most likely give you the biggest increase in sound quality for your money. The 1C's are revealing enough so that you'll easily hear these changes.
greatwhitebat OP
35 posts
 
A preamp? I wouldn't be better off getting a power amp and using the NAD as a pre?
chrshanl37
833 posts
 
I agree with zd542. With your budget a preamp will most likely give you the greatest improvement. I just purchased a Jolida fusion DAC PRE that is only a 100 bucks over your budget and I like it just as much as my spereate tube DAC and tube preamp that I owned that cost almost 4x what I paid for the Jolida.
chrshanl37
833 posts
 
Also I have owned a jolida 202a and at the time had a Peachtree Nova. I preferred the nova in both sound quality and flexibility.
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