Piranha Posted January 6, 2004 Share Posted January 6, 2004 OK, it's official. Craig says I am possesed and I would have to agree. Has anyone ever heard/owned any of these? If so your feedback would be greatly appreciated. Model JD 1000A Model JD 801A Model JD 502B Model JD 302B Thanks, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hightone Posted January 6, 2004 Share Posted January 6, 2004 Sure I have one. The 302b. What da ya want to know? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mobile homeless Posted January 7, 2004 Share Posted January 7, 2004 Of that lineup, the 801a is the most flexible but also the hardest to find as it was quite a bit more rare than either the 302 (EL-34)or 502 (6550). Do realize that the 302a and 502a are almost exactly the same as the B series except for cosmetic differences. Between the 302 and 502, the 302 seems to have less problems. The 801 is made to employ a variety of output tubes and supposedly has more robust iron. I have heard and lived with several versions of Jolida and they are great little amps used and can be modified to be even better. Response Audio now does a booming business modifying Jolida. Are there better amps around? Yeah. But if a used 302 falls in your lap, it's not a bad place to be. I do believe there are more musical choices out there but you might be riding the vintage rail or going up in price. btw, a modified EL-84 102b can be a little giant killer from what I have heard from the dried out grapevine... kh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Piranha Posted January 7, 2004 Author Share Posted January 7, 2004 ---------------- On 1/6/2004 7:25:33 PM hightone wrote: Sure I have one. The 302b. What da ya want to know? ---------------- Interested to know how you like it? Pros and cons if any. And what kind of speakers you're driving with it? Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NOSValves Posted January 7, 2004 Share Posted January 7, 2004 I just repaired and did some Mods to a original 302. They are indeed a darn good buy at the price there available for used. They have some great Iron!! The one I worked on was 4 years old and really did need some work already so high quality parts are not there standard fair. But the work was straight forward and fairly easy to do not at all expensive. Replacing the tube sockets was time consuming part. When I looked at what most of the upgrade "specialist" are offering for the money they charge a good portion of what there offering will do little or nothing to the sound. Most of it is just to add pazazz to there upgrade package and of coarse to the cost ! There is no wild mysteries in these amps just a straight forward Push Pull tube circuit that is pushing the EL34's pretty hard. Craig Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Piranha Posted January 8, 2004 Author Share Posted January 8, 2004 ---------------- On 1/7/2004 3:34:32 AM NOSValves wrote: I just repaired and did some Mods to a original 302. They are indeed a darn good buy at the price there available for used. They have some great Iron!! The one I worked on was 4 years old and really did need some work already so high quality parts are not there standard fair. But the work was straight forward and fairly easy to do not at all expensive. Replacing the tube sockets was time consuming part. When I looked at what most of the upgrade "specialist" are offering for the money they charge a good portion of what there offering will do little or nothing to the sound. Most of it is just to add pazazz to there upgrade package and of coarse to the cost ! There is no wild mysteries in these amps just a straight forward Push Pull tube circuit that is pushing the EL34's pretty hard. Craig ---------------- I presume they are no MK III's or you'd have one? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guy Landau Posted January 8, 2004 Share Posted January 8, 2004 No, He only wishes to expand to new amps modification as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NOSValves Posted January 8, 2004 Share Posted January 8, 2004 Guy, Yup your right is there something wrong with that ?? Oh and a previous customer asked me to work on it ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soundthought Posted January 8, 2004 Share Posted January 8, 2004 Hey fellas, I keep hearing about the 102s, 302s, and ect..., but what about the 202? Where does it lie on the food chain? It's not exactly chopped liver, is it? Regards, John. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mobile homeless Posted January 8, 2004 Share Posted January 8, 2004 Actually, many think the 202a is one of the sweetest in the line with more than few of the guys saying this. It is probably the bargain of the bunch. While it might not quite have the extension in the lows, the midband is supposed to be sweet. I heard the 202a in a shop and thought it sounded very nice for the price, especially when you consider that it can found in the $450 range used. The bias adjustment is done from the bottom which is more of a pain than the bias test points on the top of the 302 and 502. Still, it is probably the most attractive of the bunch in some ways and does have a smaller chassis than the 302/502 series. I lived with the 302 and know this amp pretty well. I have had it with all sorts of speaker combinations and can say that its a nice, well-built amplifier that responds well to the front end tubes being rolled for better than stock. IT sounds equally good with small monitors as on the Klipsch Cornwalls. I especailly liked the combination with my ProAcs. Even stock with no mods, it's a nice amp and well worth the used price if in the $500-550 range. In fact, it's hard to get it to sound poorly. While the companies that are doing the mods like Response Audio surely charge for their work, and relatively fairly in my view, I see most of their mods as the same that users have been doing and have found to be beneficial. These include switching to carbon film or Dale resistors (Dale is one of the better Metal FILM resistors around). They also usually replace the coupling caps with Auricaps or equivalent. Most of them then move to HEXFRED fast recovery devices for the rectification. Also, the volume pot is changed out by most (Noble is a common option) and many bypass the balance control. Some even do work in the power supply cap area offering more capacitance. All pretty simple mods and most beneficial. And I also really wouldnt overlook the little 102 either, something that might be a good match for Klipsch Heritage. I think the EL-84 is such a great sounding power tube. Ultimately, I might side with vintage amp choices for some reasons but Jolida makes an excellent first tube amp. I dont know how many people I have taught to bias tubes via the various Jolidas. Two women that had never touched a VOM now enjoy checking and setting the bias. My old girlfriend still has the 302 and listens to it every day (Rega Planet - Jolida 302 - Fried Q4 Monitors - AudioQuest Ruby/Indigo Cable). Remember, the older "a" series is a good bargain as it has the old cosmetics but the same exact circuit and parts. I recommend these amps for people that dont want to head down the vintage path, even though the vintage amps might offer slightly more warmth and refined sound depending. kh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NOSValves Posted January 8, 2004 Share Posted January 8, 2004 Hexfreds are a funny upgrade I wish someone would explain that logic ? Just another audiophile buzz word in my opinion. I did a test to the stock volume control on the 302 that was here pumped a square wave in and attached my probe at the input. Then another probe at the input to the front end board. Signal was Identical and well balanced side to side within reason throughout its range. So I can not see where there is much of a true sound quality upgrade in a new volume control. I do agree with replacing the Metal Oxide resistors in the signal path but hey where talking 6 resistors here that the signal actually travels through 2 of them are already carbon film. So what is left...... Capacitors , tube sockets , more accurate bias resistors ?? The 202 would be easy to install bias test points above chassis. Oh by the way the bias resistor values were way off in the amp I had here. Craig Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mobile homeless Posted January 8, 2004 Share Posted January 8, 2004 You do realize that most of these amps ARE either entirely or the base components from China. Some used to say the Iron from the Jolida was from Germany - not sure about that one either. While some might not be too happy about certain parts from China I have to say they have done a KING HELL job bringing affordable tube audio to the mass market and near receiever prices. OVer 10 years ago, a tube amp was $$$$. Now there are MANY options if you want NEW, more than in the last 40 years. Of course, the Jolida 202 and Kalin comparison seen below is a bit of an eye opener. http://www.progressive-engineering.com/klipsch/catic.jpg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NOSValves Posted January 8, 2004 Share Posted January 8, 2004 It is pretty interesting how close they resemble each other ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mobile homeless Posted January 8, 2004 Share Posted January 8, 2004 Well, I have heard a Jolida with an upgraded ALPS and thought it sounded better. OF course, the balance control had been bypassed as well so that was also playing into the picture. Most of the forum guys trading mods they have been doing for years on the Jolidas talk of the mediocre volume and balance pots, this WAY before the mod companies like Response Audio. Not sure of the tracknig but more transparency can be gained. That is what I gained as well with my pot change but it surely is subtle to some (a move to a better ALPS or Noble is not as big as going to a stepped attenuator). There is a good personal Jolida mod site somewhere from a user that did everything under the sun and documented it. I used to have the address but this was years ago. The HEXFREDS are no audiophile buzzword. But thats your opinion and fine with me. They are fast switching hi-speed devices and are less harsh sounding than the typical SS diodes, exhibitng less switching noise. I find this agreed on by everone from the DIY contingent to manufacturers. Most recognize the less harsh quality and even those that prefer tube rect dont mind a properly done HEXFRED with snubber. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NOSValves Posted January 8, 2004 Share Posted January 8, 2004 Kelly, when you put a square wave in and it comes out Identical it is transparent they don't lie ! No opinion, no ears, no mistakes. I like to see and feel the upgrades I no longer will base what I recommend on what I read alone. It has proven time and again to be a flawed approach to the truth. Don't get me wrong there is no replacement for listening to the music as the final word but a volume control is a passive device. Its job is the pass the signal without changing it except for its level. The unit in the amp I checked was passing the signal near perfect this does not mean that all of them are doing this in every Jolida. The owner of the amp was standing there while I did it. He concluded there was no point in messing with it. By the way I had a Alps on hand to install if needed. I personally still see no facts to explain why a hexfred will truly help a amp with a properly designed Diode based PS with the right filtering ? Craig Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mobile homeless Posted January 8, 2004 Share Posted January 8, 2004 There are countless articles on the net and DIY/audio forums on what makes HEXFREDS different and why they are preferred. Do a search and you will find plenty of information if you dig. The are MUCH faster switching devices hence the fast recovery. They are also SOFT switching as well and there has been much made over the merits of this . You dont believe it? Fine. It's accepted and used by many and I do know that I have a passionate distaste for regular SS diode rectification. Many here have decided that there is NO DIFFERENCE here. I dont argue with them. Go for the cheapest diodes available I say, especially if they dont hear any difference. Over the last year, I have found arguing parts with others fruitless or worse. As for passive devices, if you measure two resistors, many parameters will measure the same but the sound would be different. Why? Do two volume pots that both measure the same in tracking sound the same? I learned long ago that measurements are guides but rarely tell all, especially with audio. I dont go by what I read as what I experience (I use reading as a good suggestive starting point, and to expand my knowledge base). While it's pretty fruitless to get in an argument here, I will say that volume pots have made a big difference in various upgrades I have done in the past. One of the best upgrades I ever heard in my preamp was moving from a very well respected NOBLE pot to a TKD stepped attenuator. Again, with some measurements, the differences are negligable, but sonically it was another story. I lived with a completely STOCK Cary SLP-70 and a fully modified unit side by side for about 10 years. IT was interesting to hear the changes between the two. 99% of the Jolida guys on the forums ditch the stock volume pot. EVen the company doesnt shy away from this rec. AGain, each to his own. Personally, I take measurements as basic indicators and use my ears to tell me yay or nay. Others think otherwise. You do what you have to do. Sure, much can be wasted with needless $$$ dropped on parts. And there are sure no blanket statements to be made and it's not worth the time to even argue, it's so far down on the importance list. I have heard gear I loved perform GREAT with stock, ****pie parts so I dont suggest wholesale changes either. AGain, do what you feel you necessary. kh ps- Apology for the large size of this.. But for others, here is what we are referring to when talkingabout HEXFREDS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hightone Posted January 8, 2004 Share Posted January 8, 2004 Hear is a site about some mods for the 302b http://www.themorgue.org/audio/jolida-302b/ I agree with most of what mobile said about the 302b. It sounds very nice on cornwalls and the heresy. It's was great first tube amp for me but left me wanting something more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guy Landau Posted January 8, 2004 Share Posted January 8, 2004 Did you already receive your new amp? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hightone Posted January 8, 2004 Share Posted January 8, 2004 Yes I just posted a photo and some questions . Night and day from the jolida IMHO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guy Landau Posted January 8, 2004 Share Posted January 8, 2004 Good to hear. Enjoy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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