Jump to content

Tube CD Players......


SWL

Recommended Posts

JC,

Yes...been on vacation for the last 2 weeks. No cell phone and no PC. Fought the urges. First time I have ever taken 2 weeks off. We'll see how work is tomorrow.

Meagain,

Yes...JC has an Ah with every upgrade. That's what I heard on 2 occasions. On Richard's Jubs and system the first time, then on my own system. A real waker upper. As far as tubes in the Jolida.....it does not seem to be too fussy. The EH sounded very good to me and so do the Tung Sols. The Tung Sols sound like they have more gain and the EH have a little more finese and detail.....just a tad more IMO and in my system. Either are just fine for me really. I thought the Tung Sols sounded a tad rough at first but I began to really like they're sound. The EH are sure bets. I think anyone would consider those good in a JD-100 and they are cheap.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 92
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

If you can make it up to Lake Country Fest you can listen to an Eastern Electric Mini Max and maybe a Rega Apollo. With Josh's recommendation in mind, I figure to preview one sometime this week. See top of 2 Channel for the thread about the get together.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think I'll try the EH and the Tung Sol tubes after about a month of the stock JD100a burn-in. What the heck, right? They're inexpensive, can't hurt. Are there any other tubes you guys would recommend? Is it true the hotter they run the better they sound? Is that only applicable to amps and pre-amps or BS all together?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

In my opinion, sonic differences in tubes used in a CDP is not BS. Whether the price of admission is worth it to a particular individual is subjective.

I also thought Amperex Bugle Boys were decent in the JD100. My favorite tubes in the Jolida are Mullard CV4004s. High resolution but smooth.

But - expensive. Worth it to my ears.

Wait until you get the unit burned in, try some less expensive options and see where you are.

Carl.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have been wondering about the talk I hear on these Tubed CD players for quite a while...some of you like the Jolida JD-100 (Duke, Meagain, etc.), some the Eastern Electric Minimax (LarryC) but a couple of you mentioned the Heart CD6000 OSE LE (Dee, fini)...I was VERY close to scoring an Eastern Electric MiniMax after talking with LarryC at the Pilgrimage...then an ad for a brand new Heart came up on the 'bay...I bid, thinking there was no way my bid would win...yup, it did...I was shocked to win a NIB Heart for less than half of one new...

It arrived today...no damage to the box, everything looks right...well...it is not new in box...I may have misread the ad but...

I am listening right now...tried it first with SS McIntosh MA6200...what is it I'm supposed to hear over the Cambridge or even an unmodded Toshiba 3950???...it even sounds a bit bright...

I hooked it up on the main floor to the BlueBerry MkI and VRDs...listened first to the "free" CD that was left in the machine...kd lang-shadowland...very nice...different, not my usual type CD but very nice...now listening to Diana Krall-Girl in the Other Room...very sultry...perhaps THIS is what you all were talking about???

Now, to be fair...it wasn't a lightning strike and I am still a bit peeved about it NOT being New In Box but I did get the free kd lang CD and it came stuffed with two USN-CEP 7308s marked Amperex with gold pins...

perhaps I won't complain to the seller...

Bill

Link to comment
Share on other sites

listening to the Heart this morning before coming in to work...on Tube gear as I should have all along (it was easier to temporarilly hook up to the McIntosh upstairs...my mistake ;) )...very nice sound, very well made player...about 13-15 pounds, solid drawer, wish I could read the text better, it is dim (they all are) but it scrolls the CD and all the songs while playing...none of my others do that...nice sound...needs a bit more listening but I will report back.

Bill

Link to comment
Share on other sites

In my opinion (and ears) most of these mid prized tubes cd players does not make much difference - if any!

To heat up and run some tubes in a component does not neccesary makes ut better. A good sounding tube circuit that makes it's "footprint" from source level in a system requires serious stuff.

My recommedation vould be to use a reasonable good cd-player as transport, or to get hold of a dedicated transport (like Tentlabs DIY transport) and hook it up to a tubed DAC.
I have done some A/B tests/listening with the AudioNote kit DAC 2.1 (5687 output tubes), and this DAC really makes a difference! As a kit, I consider these DAC's a bargain!

Note:
I have been told that some of unknown reasons has experienced communicaton problems between Sony CD players and AN kit DAC's when connecting via the digital cable.
This is not a impossible taks to overcome, but worth knowing.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I recieved the Jolida JD100a yesterday......the remote cracks me up, it's like a brick with buttons on it. So anyway, like Silversport said here and in the other thread, not a "lightning strike" but very detailed and smooth. I have it hooked up to all ss equipment and the improvment over my Denon is not overwelming. I'll be patient and let it burn in for about a month or so and experiment with different tubes. SS sound is all I know but Monday I'll be ordering the new JM Peach. I'm really looking forward to the tube-pre, tube cdp and ss combo in my quest for better sound quality in music. The Jolida is put together very well and the remote is built like a rock but it didn't knock my socks off. I'm not disappointed in this purchase but I really hope that it warms up in the next few weeks.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

What is a DAC and what kind of a difference did you notice? Where do you hook this thing up (internal or external)? How much $$$ are you talking about?

DAC it converts the digital to analog so it is a converter. Digital Analog Converter.

I beleive all or most cd players have them. On the back of your Jolida there should be a digital out. You would run the cable from there to the DAC.

One way to upgrade a cd player is to buy a higher quality external DAC and use the cd player as a transport.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

SS sound is all I know but Monday I'll be ordering the new JM Peach. I'm really looking forward to the tube-pre, tube cdp and ss combo in my quest for better sound quality in music.

Sounds like your on your way. Congrats!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hello all, first time poster here. I've been thinking of getting a tube based CDP myself so this seems like a good place to jump in.

I've been researching for some time and the tube based model that keeps coming up is the Raysonic CD-128, but I've not seen it mentioned here. Anyone have experience with this machine?

The new Cambride Azur 840C is also getting allot of postive press these days. It's not tube based, but is an upsamping unit that upsamples to 384 while most upsampling units only do 192.

I am currently without a stand alone CDP, however, I also see many are discussing the Rega units and I did audition the Apollo extensively when it first came out as it was on my short list. I found it to have very nice PRAT, but a bit weak in the bass and too lean for my taste. It did have good inner detail as well.

I ended up with the Naim CD5i, which I sold a couple of months back thinking I can find better. It was much better than the Rega, but it was also about $700 more expensive.

I've been using my Sony NS999ES DVDP as my source in the interim and while it's a decent machine with SACD's it's not great for RB's so for these I use the digital out into my Arcam AVP-700 which has some pretty decent Wolfen DAC's and sounds a little better.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Welcome to the forum Jack. It has been an interesting thread. Because of the lack of stereo shops here I was unable to audition any tube cd players before I purchased my minimod Jolida 100. I read the 6moons review which you can read at 6moons.com and go to audio reviews and archives. I have not been dissapointed but like I said...I have not heard the others. Good luck in your search and let us know which player you buy.

Chuck

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.


×
×
  • Create New...