Again everything. It deserves to be called a legendary product.

For the price? Well, perhaps the absence of pre-outs or main-in connections, but I prefer go simple.

This is really a follow up, as I already wrote about the Jolida 202 and I am so marveled about it. First: It passed about 2 years and until now the amp never failed. Second, here is something interesting: There is a french online magazine (thr.france) that reviewed the Jolida and said it is just great, but they did the test with JJ brand (prior Tesla) output tubes instead of the stock Jolida tubes, so I made the same change and the results where very notorious: the treble went more defined and the bass more round and full, while the midrange (already marvelous) were intact. Another simple think I did (based on the Steven Rochlin review article) was the use of Vibrapods under the stock feet, resulting in a slightly more open highs and mids and somewhat more headroom and less congestion at louder passages (i.e. Previn's Messiaen Turangalila Symphony, Antal Dorati's Grofe Grand Canyon Suite), while chamber orchestra and jazz got better soundstage. I also changed the 12AX7 Jolida tubes for Electro Harmonix, but here I didn't note a substancial difference. My point is, at this price, you will not get a better and more upgradedable amp than this. Speakers? I am now using the famous Triangle Cometes ES (prior I was using the Wharfedale 8.2), and until now it is the better sounding amp/speakers combo I have ever heard for less than two thousand dollars (believe me, I have heard many solid state and tube amps as many kind of speakers).

Customer Service

I have not needed it

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Marantz MA6100 monoblock power amplifiers, NAD T743 AV receiver, Yamaha P2500 professional power amplifier, Parasound HCA1000A power amplifier, Quad 405 power amp.

everything (soundstage, bass, etc)

dosent have remote control

i wanted to try some valve amp, after i tested the jolida 202, i found what i need to make the music sound the best in a very very good price its more realistic than every amp i have ever tried and the sound stage its something that you need to hear not to read............

- Smooth and detailed sound - Very tight bass, once broken-in - Simple controls: one switch, two knobs - Very decent stock tubes - One of the nicer-looking tube amps available, imho

- no remote - stock tubes should be replace for maximum effect

So I decided that I'd had enough of listening to music through my Denon AVR 1802 receiver. It's a great receiver, don't get me wrong, but what I really needed was a proper integrated amp for stereo sound. Omer at OZ Enterprises introduced me to Jolida's line of tube and tube/solid state hybrid amps, so I brought home the JD102 tube amp and gave it a serious listen. I was so impressed that I had Omer order me a 202. Besides being closer to the amount that I wanted to spend, it looked nicer (in my opinion) and reportedly sounded more detailed due to the better tubes. I've had my amp for about 3 months now, and I couldn't be more satisfied. After a 25 hour or so break-in period, the bass is tight, the highs are impossibly sweet and the sound has a level of detail and smoothness that I'd never heard before on my system. Even though it sounds great after 30 seconds of warm-up time, I usually leave it on for 3-4 hours at least before doing some serious listening. I haven't replaced the stock tubes yet, although I understand doing so makes a significant difference. My advice to new owners would be to leave the stock tubes in until they're nicely burned-in, and then make a decision concerning tube replacement. My system is: JD202 integrated amp Arcam CD72T cd player Klipsch RF3-II floorstanding speakers Clarity Labs Emberglow interconnects QED 25th Silver Anniversary bi-wire

Similar Products Used:

- Denon AVR1802 receiver - Jolida JD102 integrated - Jolida JD301 hybrid - Roksan Caspian integrated

Soundstage, warmth, imaging

none to speak of

This is the JD 202. It is a wonderful amplifier and I do not believe you can find a better amplifier, especially tube, for this price. I am using it with Alon Napoleons and even my wife is amazed at the imaging and soundstage. I have auditioned many speakers and amps/preamps, but this is the best I could find for the money. For under 1500 dollars, I have a system that is great and will only get better as I upgrade my transport, cables, and add the Thunderbolt sub. I might even do a hoe theater with these tubes and Napoleons.

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krell, plinius, sony es

Don't let the thought of tubes scare you. My ability is less then zero when it comes to electronics home repairs and such. The tubes are actually easier to plug in then standard house light bulbs and biasing even for someone like myself was accomplished in less then 10 minutes with a $15 radioshack multimeter and set of precision screwdrivers (Also radioshack). After that the tubes should last for 5 or 6 years and need to be rebiased only 1 time during that period.

Music wise absolutely none rather listening to jazz, classical or even rock. With inefficient speakers ie less then 88db, difficult impedence loads or very large rooms you might want to check into one of the 202A's larger brothers if you like to play it loud

Originally I purchased a Jolida 1701A hybrid amp from Joe at NTC. The unit developed problems in a few weeks and Joe was great. Wish I could say the same for Mike Allen the President of Jolida. No apology, no offer to replace the unit. He gives the strong impression you bought it, its yours. Two thumbs down! My point being almost anyone can be a Jolida dealer, be very careful that you deal with a reputable distributor like NTC. Now on with the review. The 1701A while having great slam, very good detail and being very musical I found that it didn't seem to tame much of the digital glare from CD's compared to my Yamaha CR2020 and Harman/Kardon Hk460i solid state receivers. When the 202A arrived I really didn't expect much. The 1701A was a disappointment and supposedly sounded like tubes. I figured that the two units would sound about the same. Not so! Out of the box the 202A totally tamed the digital glare and had a very fatigue free and musical sound. On the down side doing an A/B comparison between a SS amp comfirmed what I initially heard some compression of the dynamics, less bass slam and slighly soft focus. The amp sounded so musical that I figured these were normal limits that one would have to live with to get that glorious "magic" that is credited to tube amplification. I listened a little each night to the amp while it broke in, during the day, while I was at work and a wonderful transformation took place. The soundstage blossemed, dynamics impoved substantially, tight focus and the amp began to have some real slam. Wonderful transformation! Highly recommended! Easy 5 stars.

Similar Products Used:

Yamaha CR 2020, Harman/Kardon hk460i and Jolida 1701A hybrid

Build, gold binding posts and rca terminals, detail, midrange, clarity, warmth, dead-on center imaging, resolute, solid bass, soundstaging, value...just about everything

Limited bass extention, no remote, little more power would be nice. But I am deeply searching for drawbacks.

After auditioning several amps, both solid state and tube, I found the Jolida 202a to be the best in performance for value. While most solid state amps, similarly priced, had almost every feature I would want, none of which offered that "you are there" atmosphere. That quality was the main cause for my purchasing the amp. Voices and especially stringed instruments became more resolute, and the treble was more detailed without being bright or tinny (which was the case with my Cambridge Audio A500 amp). I recently upgraded my power tubes to Sovtek EL34's and hope to enjoy this amp until my next amplification upgrade.

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Cambridge Audio A500, Sony home theatre in a box, Sansui home theatre receiver from early 90's.

Bass is tight, smooth, and just the right amount.Vocals are very sweet,round,and 3D. Highs are airy. I like'em airy.

Sweeter, darker sounding cables tend to lower headroom on less dynamic and harder recordings. Throw on a pair of brighter cables and everthing gonna be alright.

Now I have only had this amplifier for about a week, but I have done some extensive listening and would like to share my initial impressions.

First off, the system consists of the Jolida 603 CD player, Clarity Wire Emberglow and/or Moonlight for interconnects, the Jolida SJ202A integrated tube amp and a pair of Alesis studio monitors connected via Audioquest speaker wire. It's not my first choice of speakers but it's what I have at the moment and they are very revealing of a recording. And also remember that none of this equiptment has been used for more than a week except the speakers, so I am accounting for them not being burned in.

The 202a so far has been an extreme pleasure to have in my home. The sweetest sound I ever heard was Elliot Smith sing "Angeles" thru the 603 and 202a. The acoustic guitar and vocals were so big and real it truly seemed live. Spiritualized "Live at Alberts Hall" is heard as I always knew it could be thru this setup. Everything sounds musical. Even things that by nature are not. Flutes, violins and horns,sound like flutes violins and horns. Female vocals are as beautiful as the day is long. Anisa Romero's(Sky Cries Mary)voice so perfectly controlled and accuratly reproduced by the Jolida products.
Like I said in the weaknesses catagory, some recordings that are less dynamic and or dirty sounding, sound better through the Moonlight cables. Vocals and guitars are more pronounced. But if you got something sweet you want to hear, I highly recommend the Emberglow. They really bring a recording to life and are very transparent. And the bass on both, though slightly different, is tight and smooth as a baby's butt. I will be keeping both pairs to use for different types of recordings.

To wrap it up here I just want to thank Bill Baker at Response Audio and Tom Grot at Clarity Wires. They have been honest and good people to do business with. Both the Jolida products and Clarity wires were everything they said and more. Thanx Guys, Greg Onesti

Nice tube roundness,very reliable,not really finicky on source matching.

Needs ample warm up,bass is too thin and cannot go low.

Ideal for a small listening room with high ceilings,mates very well with British transducers and even does well with panel speakers(Quad 63).At this price level and performance its a must listen.Not a primary amp for the Audiophile but suited for a secondary system.Magical midrange with a slight brightness on the upper extremes.Lower bottom is MIA.

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A true audiophile tube amp that is very affordable and delivers what it promises.

Sad to say the bass is very thin and takes away some of the impact on classical(drums and precussions).

My long term testing is definitely positive.It provides that midrange tube sound to a "T'.Females vocals comes alive and strings just sings.Guitars and brass instruments is better than average,but pianos has this nasty dullness.Bass is a weakness but my musical taste evolves around r&b and smooth jazz so its not very important.I agree with the previous posters that the Jolida 202 is worth every dollar and more.Audition this baby and you will also be a convert.(six stars)

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Audio Research,Krell,Naim.

Midrange warmth,excellent voice clarity,price,design.

loose bottom,highs are rolled off too quickly,not enough outputs.

Absolute steal at this price for a tube intergated design.Has no right to sound this good at sub par $1000cdn.Will give tube amps at three times the money a run for its money.A classic tube signature sound with tuby lows and restricted highs,but the midrange is magical.Mate this amp with easy loads monitors and you will get a wonderful system that will play jazz,vocal,strings,and wind instruments to almost perfection.Cannot believe this amp sound so good.

p.s change the tubes to Russian tubes,will open up the highs a little more and gives better soundstage depths.

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Cary,AMC,Dynaco,Quad II,Golden tube.