The price is right

None at it's price point

Best EL34 amp under a thousand dollars. Good build quality and fit and finish. Sound quality is better than most solid state amps. makes two channel litening fun again.

Similar Products Used:

Prima Luna PrologueII

sound, warmth, look, value

none so far...

This review has several purposes. First I want to write this with an eye to Canadian consumers trying to get Jolida amps and second for listeners who may prefer music on the heavier / metal side of the spectrum (particularly given the question of bass performance re: tube amps). (American readers can skip down...)First off, I got a tremendous deal on this through Wally Underwood who can work out a deal to get these into Canada with less than $50 in shipping and duties. The price I quote above is in the total in US dollars and that included shipping! I'll leave the details out, now that you know this is possible . . . you can do your own research. As many of you know, getting audiophile grade gear up here can be a real pain or just a huge cost! Definitely check out Wally at Underwood HiFi. He can also sell you a mod-ed version of the 302B reconstructed by a former Sonic Frontiers guy in Oakville. What I am listening to is the stock model, however. My stock 302B came with a silver face and trim (very nice!) and the stock tubes are el34 big bottles, which is a new choice by Jolida, I think (at least based on what I have read here about earlier models and people wondering if you could switch to big bottle tubes in the 302b). I switched to Electro-harmonix tubes after a while but I did not notice a significant change in the sound. Without a doubt this is the loveliest amp I have ever heard. I was using a NAD 350 and this is a huge step up in warmth and richness. Even my wife (to use a cliche of these reviews), who is no audio enthusiast, noticed the richness of this amp right away. The nicest thing about the amp is the realness of the sound. The presence of the sound is remarkable. The band is right, not on a recording. The texture and resolution is wonderful without ever being clinical. Yes, the bass slam is weaker but with a sub hooked up to the speakers (302b does not have a sub out) I would choose this over mid-fi solid state gear everytime. Again, the sound is so so lovely and detailed. Turning it up you really get a feel for the power of the amp not in terms of absolute volume but texture reproduction. My Nad would become quite harsh at higher volumes but this just wraps you up, making the music come alive. As I said in the intro, my tastes are atypical of this forum perhaps, running much more toward metal, hardcore, grind with some jazz thrown in too. Tube amps tend to get a bad rap about being unsuited for heavy music. But this amp handles metal very well. Again, my nad certainly had much more precise and powerful bass than most consumer electronics, so I was used to a pretty good wallup. But with the jolida hooked up to a sub I don't miss the nad a bit. The 302b removes the edge that could make many discs fatiguing after a while at the same time that it clarifies all of the instruments and makes them sound much more present and lively, which is pretty impressive considering the denisty of mixing on some grind. There is a real energy and vitality to the sound of my jolida that I just love.

Similar Products Used:

no other tube gear

looks cool,build quality is first rate, sounds like 2 to 3 times the price,especialy with a few mods,

none

this amp replaces a 200 watt per channel solid state amp,that was used in my system for a long time all the great things ive read about the tube magic i figured ill give it a try,on a budget. i really wasnt expecting a major differance boy was i surprized,the 50 watts per channel this amp puts out is more than enough for horn speakers.the best way to describe this amps sound is very layered,soundstage very open,innerdetail amazing,i cant believe what you get for a 1000 bucks,what an amp

Similar Products Used:

none 1st tube amp ever owned

Tweakability.... There are some significant gains to be found elsewhere in the amp. Mine came from the factory with some "upgrades". I put "upgrades" in quotes becase the upgrades were some SCR (Solen I think) coupling capacitors. There were also some IXYS Freds, and decent wire wound resistors between the EL34's and the output. I replaced the coupling capacitors with SonicCaps from www.soniccraft.com . There are 6 of them. Two are .47uf and 4 are .22uf. I replaced the 4 IXYS rectifier diodes with the latest and greatest Faichild soft recover diodes also purchased from Soniccraft. I replaced the 4 sand cast 1 ohm emitter cushion resistors with Mills 5 watt units from soniccraft. After these upgrades the amp is a killer! It easily has the detail of my previous solid state setup. It is almost, dare I say, analytical. It is a truly wonderful amp. It is quiet, dynamic nd very smnoI have found that most companies have bean-counters that eliminated good internal parts and leave those parts available for marketing. This makes very good sense in the grande scheme of things. It gets the product into the customers home while maintaing some profit.

None - get this amp in your living room. At $1k is is unbeatable.

This review will be somewhat long. This is simply because their is a bunch of information to convey. I will offer some backround information regarding my system, describe the impact of the Jolida, then describe some modifications I performed to the unit and where it now stands. Speakers - EllisAudio 1801s - obviously Amplifier - (past) - Bryston 3B-ST Preamps - Creek OBH 12 mostly. Further commentary. I have tried some other preamps in my system and preferred the Creek OBH 12. I tried the Sonic Frontiers Line 1 Signature. I found the bass slightly more dynamic, but the S.F. unit added grit/noise in the midrange. Subsequently I tried a fully tweaked Foreplay preamp. This sounded very good intially, but after a few days the foreplay sound became boring. It imparted a somewhat "fat" sound that I really didn't like. It really added that full/rich tube sound. Some folks like this, but I returned happily to my Creek passive. I believe the Creek generally works well in my system because of the 50k ohm input impedance on the Bryston 3B-ST and the fairly strong output stage in my CD player. CD Player - Anthem CD1 with SonicCaps in the coupling circuits (huge improvement) and Fairchild (Harris) generation 3 soft recovery diodes adjacent the Transformer. The dioded were extremely good too. Wires & Cables - Goertz speaker wire and Belden 89259/89248 interconnects. Initial impression of the 302b: It sounded very nice and smooth. There was a hint of that fat tube sound, but it wasn't very pronounced. It just plain sounded good. It sounded good enough that in the last 2 months I have not energized the power button on my Bryston 3B-ST. The 302B is grain free and very dynamic, The bass balance is just right and the music is wonderful. The bass is also quite dynamic, and the sound pressure with my 83-84db/watt 8 ohm speakers easily fills my 15' x 18' room with 3 door openings. About the only thing I can say bad about the 302b is that it did lack some detail when compared to the SS amp setup. Please don't focus on this though. I am an avid symphony attendee, have good recoridings, and am very familiar with what correct sound is. The Jolida performed better overall than the considerably more expensive solid state stuff. Again, I have not turned on my Bryston since the arrival of the 302b. The grain free presentation of the 302b is easily preferred to the slighlty harsh edge present with the Bryston/Creek combo. I subsequently tried some tube swapping. Please understand that my conveyance herein reflects my fist somewhat extensive tube swapping. Frankly, I fail to see what the hype is about tube swapping, but I suppose it is due to the ease of swapping them. Tubes, like speaker wire, do make a difference in sound quality. Both are very easy to swap. I believe this is why folks discuss the matter of tube swapping frequently. While there is copious commentary on this matter, I think the differences in tubes are very minor in the grande scheme of things. Anyway, for El34 I tried OEM, Electro Harmonix and Svetlana. I liked the NOS Svetlana the best, but the difference was vvery minor. For the 12AX7 I tried OEM, Aperex Orange Logo, RCA, and Tunsgram (spelling?). I like the Aperex the best, but agian the differences were very minor. The OEM tube is really fine. For the 12AT7 I tried OEM, Mullard, and Amperex. The Mullard and Aperex darn close. Maybe the Mullard is better, but again the differences were not very significant. The OEM tube is fine. My recommendation for first time tube users: DON'T EXPECT HUGE GAINS WHEN UPGRADING TUBES! Sure, there are improvements, but I don't know if these improvements are worth the $140 I spent on the Svetlana and Aperex tubes. Maybe if the OEM tubes die then then the good tubes are a smarter purchase. Running out of space...

Similar Products Used:

I attended CES 2002, and have heard darn near everything. A stock 302b is a very very good purchase, but not a BAT "giant killer". After my modifications... well...

Obviously the tube sound...open, deep soundstaging, presence, non-fatiguing listening pleasure. The pure musicality of the experience...the music just draws you in.

None at this price point...only that more people don't know about this product and about tube sound in general.

eAfter a number of years listening to 2-channel music through a surround sound system (no names...but good stuff)...realized I wasn't listening to music much any more...the sound was terrible. Happened upon the Jolida line quite by accident and was blown away by the fact that decent, really decent tube gear was available at a price that mere mortals could afford. Long story short decided on the 302B and have been knocked out ever since. For the money, it is hard to imagine a better amp or sound. While there are concessions to the price point, right out of the box this unit is a winner. Have talked to Mike Allen (the owner & designer of Jolida)...he is great to talk to and very forthcoming in what his stuff is all about. Although I found the Chinese tubes that were shipped with the amp to be more than okay, have now settled on Svetlana EL 34s, JAN phillips 12at7s, and Tungsram 12ax7s. The 12ax7s were the hardest for me to decide on (tried RCAs black plate, Electro Harmonix, Telefunken smooth plates) but found the Tungsram to be the most satisfying to my ears. This is a very musical amp that concentrates on providing a quality listening experience with no fatigue whatsoever. More than enough power to make my Quads have the neighbors calling to complain. A friend who has a high dollar solid state set-up is now sick because he finds the tube sound to be so much more listenable...and that is what is all about...listening and enjoying.

Similar Products Used:

Hi-$ surrond sound system, Quad 405, Quad 44, and Fisher tube reciever.

Performance to cost. Can't be beat at this price range. Might not be bassy enough for rockers or bass heads. This amp is suited more for Jazz, classical, fusion, etc. True audiophile music IMHO. But I do like rock and metal ;-)

Might not have enough bass for some people. More than adequate for me.

This is an excellent amplifier for the money. I've listened to Conrad Johnson and some others (can't remember the names)and for the money, this amp can't be beat. The soundstage is awesome, wide and deep. I can hear so much going on, especially on classical recordings. Midrange and highs are beautiful and non-fatiguing. Bass isn't booming but adequate and very present down to very low frequencies. I'm running the amp with a Marantz / Heart tube cd player, Ecosse interconnects, and MIT Terminator 3 speaker cables. Preamp tubes are Sylvania Black Plate 5751 (Gold label JHS), and Mullard 12at7 drivers.EL34's are ok Jolida/Shuguang's. Bill (greatest guy on earth)is sending me upgraded EH tubes. Bill is one class act. My recommendations for anybody going into the world of Audiophile...contact him at Response Audio. He's excellent to work with.

Similar Products Used:

Jolida 102B.

Mike Allen! That guys a riot. I called him and talked to him for 30 min. He's so down to earth and knowledgable. He had me laughin and I learned so much. Mike says to listen to the stock tubes for a few months, then call him and tell him what you would like to here more of then hell tell you what tunbes he recommends. Extremely Musical, Detailed, INcredible front to back sound satge. Center image is full and robust. Plenty of Power Four inputs: you can have Jolida add a fifth set of RCAs for a line output for $100 or they can convert one of your inputs into an outout for $50.

I cant think of any for this money and performance. Mike say he couldnt build a product good or better as Conrad Johnson if he tried. But who cares. Youll too be busy havin fun with the music to worry about Conrad Johnson (nothin personal towards Mr. Johnson)

My prespective is one of a musician (classical and jazz piano; reed and wind player, too) of over 30 years. Im not going to call my self an audiophile because I dont know what that means. All I know is I have a lot of experince with live acoustic music in many types of settings. Ill keep it short. Audio equipment is suposed to give us the impression of a live performance or recording session taking place right before us. I think this amplifier does a damm good job doing that. With this 302B, I'm hearing detailed sound characteristics, tone quality and nuances (breathing, instrument mechanics, body movement) . The real kicker is I am hearing the room. Echoes, attacks, and decays of performances I never heard before. Especially in Jazz reocrdings from the 1940's - 1960's. The saturation of 70's analog is gorgeous on here as well as the sound staging and imaging. The amp sounds incredible for $950. If you love to listen, I mean really listen to music, you'll be so happy with this amp. I've played classical recording, jazz, FM rock, 70's rock, Its all beautiful on here(Vinyl, SACD and CD). Stock tubes are ok. I upgraded to some Svetlana EL34s and some some old RCA 12AT and AX 7's for the preamp stage. I Cant turn it off. I love it! Last thing: put the music first-the performance- then the equipment. Make sure you approach it as a tube amp. Your not gonna get solid state power from this amp but the 302B has more than enough power. My neighbor has asked me turn it down already. Plenty of Bass, controlled, fast and tight. If you're looking to go tube amp and dont have 10's of thousands, you ned to get a Jolida.

Similar Products Used:

Harmon Kardon Citation 2, I had a Hafler P4000 I now use for mixing. Monster BIwire cable Infinty 3009 crescendos. Sony DVP-NS500V SACD player

Simple the best for the money. Real natural music. If this amplifier cost the twice, i still buy it. Tube sound at it's best.

What is that????

This a great amplifier. Sound's beautifull, warm , excelent sound. I use it with Sonus Faber Concerto, and it sounds first class. I head other tube amplifiers with 40/50 watts, but the Jolida 302 sounded milles away. We think he got 100 watt's, not 50 watt's. He use to drive a pair of Martin-Logan's Aerius. I now this wasn't the best configuration, but 85% of the time the sound very good, but Martin-Logan's speakers need more power and a good solid state amplifier. I sold them. In my opinion, if you add this amplifier with a good/very good speakers (like Sonus Faber Concertino/Concerto) you i'll have a dream team, with lots of great years of what most important after all, MUSIC. I use him although as a front speaker amplifier, with a AMC PRO 7 Dolby-Prologic processor (the best), the sound is awesome, natural, great bass, coherence...if you like to ear music with tube amplifier's, try it inside you home-theater system. Note: i use 4 Sovtek EL 34 WXT (MATCHED QUARTET), 2 Sovtek 12AX7LPS and 2 Philips 12AT7WC (E81CC).

I've learned what a excellent "sound stage" is suppoes to sound like.

Finding the perfect combination of tubes for your musical taste. Preamp/Driver tube sockets seem weak . . . be very careful changing tubes! Must learn how to bias out-put tubes . . . though its very easy.

After talking with Bill at ResponseAudio.Com I decided to go with the 302B instead of the 502B because of the EL34's. If you plan on buying a Jolida product . . . Bill at ResponseAudio is the guy to talk too . . .even when I called Jolida directly they said Bill was a great guy and a super AUTHORIZED dealer. I got into tubes about 2 years ago when I switched from a solid-state guitar amp. to a Fender Twin tube amp. If you don't know much about tubes . . . think of it this way . . . today’s digital music when processed by a solid-state amp. is limited to algorithms and the digital realm of 1's and 0's. Music becomes bits, instead of free flowing wave patterns. When you use tube amps with CD's you basically convert that sound from the dull lifeless sterile crap, back into the normal sound patterns you would hear in person. I never understood what people meant by "Sound Stage" until I tired out tube amplification. I don't have much experience with HiFi tube amps. but I do know that this 302B is the best purchase I have ever made interims of audio equipment. Current Setup -Jolida 302B -NAD c541i CD player -Silver Serpent interconnects and BetterCable speaker wire -B&W 602'2 and Old KEF C-series

Similar Products Used:

Yamaha SS amp. Fender Twin Guitar Tube Amp

open, richly detailed sound. very accurate, with plenty of power to drive speakers rated @ 100w./channel@8 ohms

No turntable input

Really a 2002 model-that choice not available. My wife and I heard the 202 Jolida several months ago. She never has an opinion about equipment (other than 'you can't afford that'), but she was in love wife that tube amp from the start, and really wanted a music setup for the MBR in new house. Well, throw me in the briarpatch! I decided on the 302, because I got a great price, and I can't tell you how happy we are. CD's that are regularly played on the 'big' rig just sound so open, rich, and warm. Detail is incredible. Biasing was no problem. I have read reviews saying that the stock tubes are sub-par, but the seller is in the business, and said that these have been upgraded, so I went stock. If a change in tubes would make a substantial difference, I don't know if I'd do it because I might never go to work. We plan to move the turntable (remember those?) from the other setup, where it is never used, and hook up with a transformer so that we can use with the Jolida. I play opera, symphonic, blues, and rock, and all sound great. Sorry, can't offer opinion on country, but what the hell, that stuff sounds best on a Yugo radio anyway. Last night listened to D. Oistrach recording of Mozart violin concertos from yrs. ago, and couldn't even read while it was playing-I just had to sit and listen. I don't know why Jolida seldom gets reviewed by the professional audio press, but if someone else is producing better quality for anywhere near the cost, I'd be amazed. By the way, Jolida estimates tube life at 3000 hours, which seems darn reasonable to me.

Similar Products Used:

none