Power,lots!Natural presentation of instruments,good soundstage,tube rollers dream.

None really! No balance (dont need),no phono input (get a good phono pre).

This was my first venture into tube amps. After reading many reviews/viewpoints on tube audio i began to get interested in tube audio. The JD1501 interested me becuase of the ample power supply..."i like to rock, but dont like bright music". I originally intended to buy a used one off the internet audio classifieds for $450, but after a week of no responces from the seller i decided to buy one new. Out of the box it sounded good, soo good that when the internet seller did contact me i bought his & now have one in the living room for stereo when not watching movies, & one in a dedicated stereo room. This amp has plenty of power, with a massive tyroidal transformer & sounds like more than the rated watts! It throws a huge soundstage, even with imperfect speakers, although (may be my setup) not too deep. Sounds are presented naturally & with good imaging. This amp will sound OK with lower/mid-fi, but really shines with quality sources. My dedicated stereo room, which i consider my reference system has an Ah! Najoeb Tajoeb 4000 tube CDP. Without the tube CDP imaging is good. With the tube CDP imaging is great, more defined! FWIW I'm using the one in the living room with a Yamaha RXV 2092 as a pre amp with Y connecters going to the Jolida & have two set of wire going to the speakers with banana plugs. I just turn off the A speakers on the reciever/switch wires on the speakers & turn the Jolida on. Favorate tubes: JAN Philips 12AX7WA-nothing special, but never harsh, RCA 12AX7A-good tonal balance & good bass, JJ ECC83 (new prod)-"supposed to be Siemans copy", slight forward midrange with good bass (my favorite right now). Ei ECC83-good rocker with tight bass (supposed Telefunken copy). So if your thinking of going tube, but worried about low wattage/impedence matching, give the JD1501 a try & you'll probably be hooked!

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ASL Wave 8's, Decware SE84C

Clarity and realisim of sound Quickness and smoothness

Power switch is a bit clunky

This hybrid sings! I couldn't belive it when I plugged this amp in. The clarity, imaging and realism of the sound was beyond compare. When this amp first arrived I hooked it up in my office to burn it in but had to take it out, it was so realistic I couldn't get any work done. Its now hooked up at home where even my wife who usually is less than enthusiastic about my stereo purchases, is astounded by the beauty of the sound this amp produces. Warning. This amp will make you stop doing whatever you are doing and want to listen. Tracks I never used to like have come alive, with the full range of sound and details. Galen Audio, gcaudio.com is easy to work with and will let you test this amp for 7-10 days and if you're not happy you can return it. If you want your system to come alive, try this amp out. Its a great value. While it did cost twice what my Cambridge Audio amp cost, it sounds ten times better.

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Cambridge Audio NAD

very smooth and warm with a lot of power.

looks simple...

This Int. is a great value for the money. I compared it to products cost twice as much, and the Jolida performed better. It is very musical, not that detailed as the really expensive high high end systems.(but for more detail, I think you would have to pay much much more) I would recommend replacing the stock tubes, which are not that good.

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H/K, Denon, Crimson, cary, music fidelity.

Midrange, Highs and Deep Bass

None at this price

Excellent Excellent amp. I used good solid state for the last 5 years. I decided to try Tube preamp.Found this amp on sale bought and WOW what a difference. After listening to some good Jaz and Vocals recoings I Will never go back to full SS. Buy one and you will see yourself that Tube is the way to go.Enjoy the music.....

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Pathos, Unison

Bass is excellent (control as well) Simple design, Layout Mids and Highs are presented naturally Build quality Ability to swap tubes (Immediately put in a matched pair of Sovtek 12AX7LPS - excellent match)

Simple design (only 4 inputs, 1 pair binding posts) No remote (better I think)

WOW. Great build quality, terrific sound, simple design and layout. For $575.00 shipped to my door I'm floored! Far better the the endless cycle of NAD, Rotel, Arcam, etc. I've had in my system. Makes my Vandersteen's sing!

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NAD, CREEK, ROTEL, ARCAM, ad nauseum

Power and pacing Detail and soundstage Musicality Makes just about every source sound terrific

Doesn't have a preamp out for my sub Single set of binding posts

A remarkable hybrid that combines the best of tube and solid state performance. I thought musicality and warmth would sacrifice detail and soundstage, but that was not the case. Ample power, fantastic pacing, and handles every source in my system well--DVD, VCR, TV and, of course, CD. One day I plugged in my little walkman FM radio as I don't have a tuner in my system and THAT even sounded great. I wound up leaving it plugged in for two weeks just to see if I was imagining how good the Jolida made the Walkman sound. With upgraded tubes from Response Audio (Jan GE 12AX7WA) this amp is very smooth and musical while maintaining detail and imaging. My other "upgrade" which took the amp's performance up another notch was building a Flavor 2 power cord using the Chris Ven Haus recipe. The Jolida really improved with this power cord and I highly recommend it to anyone who has a Jolida 1501. I wish the amp had a preamp out and another set of binding posts, but these are only minor drawbacks to what is truly a marvelous piece of equipment. My system is as follows: Jolida 1501 RC with Jan GE 12AX7WA tubes and Ven Haus Flavor 2 power cord Music Hall CD-25 with upgraded op amps and power cord Paradigm Studio Reference 20 V.2 monitors Infinity Servo Sub 10 Kimber 4VS speaker cable, biwired Magnet wire Signal Tape interconnects built per Soundstage (Greg Weaver) recipe

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Harmon Kardon AVR10 receiver AMC 2N100 power amp and AMC AV81 preamp Arcam Alpha 8R integrated

AMAZING piece of equipment.

NONE

UNBELIEVABLE!!! How a piece of equipment that costs $600 can perform at this level is AMAZING! I have read all of these reviews and can add nothing to this discussion except to reiterate what has been said. Jolida is a fine company that "gets it". They produce a quality product at a fair price. And they will be richly rewarded. Also I must give proper recognition to "underwoodwally", Walter Liederman at underwodhifi.com who continues to amaze me with his professionalism and expertise. If you are considering an entry into the world of real hi fidelity, you need look no further than the Jolida 1501RC.

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B&K, Klipsch Reference Series, M&K, Monitor Audio, Vandersteen, Acurus, Rotel, Yamaha, Krell, Martin Logan

Smooth treble, nice midrange, and the base has umph and speed, I guess because of MOSFET/tube design. Not too tubey, not too solid state. Dealer and Tech support are GREAT. With 100wpc, should be able to push most speakers with ease. You can "tune " it with tubes.

VERY slight hum intially, not the quickest kid on the block, not crystal clear, need to use good cables, interconnect and speaker, and the right tubes(stock tubes not that great) to really hear what it can do.

I purchased a Jolida 1501RC from Bill Baker at Response Audio a few months ago and I couldn't have made a better decision. I swithed to 5751's vs 12AX7's tubes in the preamp section and this baby sings!!! I formally have had power amps (Odyssey, Classe, Rogue, etc.)with seperate preamps (Counterpoint, ARC,Precision Fidelity,etc.), but it seems that I now enjoy music more. I guess I was drawn over time into the trap of "techno speak" and "brands" of equipment as opposed to music and the feeling that music gives you. This is not the "end all" piece of gear, but I have listened to more music in the last few months than in the last 3 years. I just think it sounds good. I currently use it with a CAL Icon MKII w/ Powerboss CD player and went back to using some small bookshelf speakers(Sound Dynamics RTS3's). I should mention that it initially had a slight hum problem, but Bill Baker and Jolida took care of it VERY quickly. They both stand behind the equipment. Some may have a problem with the plastic bodied remote...I don't think it matters what the remote is made of as long as it works(I've had plasic remotes for TV's that work beautifully after years of abuse). I'd rather that they,Jolida,as they apparently did, spend the money on the parts in the amp that affect the sound. It really surprised me that I could get this good of sound out of something that is considered inexpensive in todays audio market. It really surprised me. It's a steal. If you already have an "A" system, you might want to give this a try for a second system...who knows, maybe you'll scale back in equipment like I did and enjoy the feeling of music more than you have in some time.

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Adcom, Classe, Odyssey, Rogue, Eagle, Krell, Precision Fidelity, etc.

Great sound for the money.

None that I found.

I just received the Jolida 1501RC last week and immediately heard the difference in the sound. Even with the stock tubes the music was warm and the soundstage opened up. This amp made my Mag12s sing for the first time. I have not heard any channel imbalance that was described here. All I am hearing is great music, like the symphony, a vocalist, or string quartet is right in my listening room. I never heard this in my old receiver, which has the same wattage of 100 watts. I guess all watts aren't created equal. This is a great amp right out of the box. Just imagine when it breaks in, in about a month. Bill from Response Audio has been great to do business with. He answered all my qustions when I phoned and answered all my emails. Thanks Bill.

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Nakamichi A/V-8, Sansui AU717

Beautiful rich sound, so much better than solid state. Simple, elegant design. No remote control. Well made.

No phono stage, no tape output.

I just bought a new 2002 model, without the remote control. Bill at Response Audio is a great guy to deal with. He gave me an up-graded set of tubes at no cost. Trust this guy!!! Now to the amp. It is beautiful. It is heavy. It is very well made. It sounds rich and wonderful. And, it is so simple that my dog can use it. Two years ago I set out to replace my old sort of bottom-line Sony receiver. After doing much research on-line and not being an audiophile, I thought I wanted just a much better version of what I had. I bought a Denon AVR 2801, a very highly rated receiver with a remote control that was only slightly more complicated than a 747 cockpit. The receiver itself was deceptively simple looking, only a few knobs and buttons. But, those knobs were all multi-functional, and I do mean MULTI. Combined with the currently stylish beige on black lettering that I had to read with a flashlight, the thing was such a pain in the ass to operate that my college aged kids couldn't figure it out. Finally, my wife went on strike and wouldn't even use it. To add to the frusration, it sounded just like the old Sony receiver. Out it went some technogeek from ebay is now the proud owner of the ultimate all-purpose thingamagig. I don't like surround sound; I don't have a 60" HDTV; I don't like subwoofers capable of cracking the plaster. I already have so many remote control units that I can't seem to work the toaster without one. I have more of those things than I have magazines. I am fed-up with phony "high tech" machines, carefully designed so you can't read the labels. Now more research, with limitations. First, receivers suck at doing most everything well. Second, excessive sound controls are for those who never got over their transformer toys as kids. What is wrong with the sound as recorded by the artist? Why don't you write them and tell them to pump up the bass on their CD's? Now enter the Jolida 1501. It has two knobs. One is a selector switch, the other is volume. That is all. It is also all you need!!! It does not have a tape output, but who would record on tape these days? It does not have a phono stage, but you can get one from Sumiko for $100. It does not have a tuner, but some of the best ever made are the old analog tuners of 20+ years ago.

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old Sony receiver, Denon AVR 2801.