I have used this in my reference system for years and couldn't be more pleased with the sound. Yes, you can spend a lot more on a tuner, but the marginal improvements in sound are hardly worth the price considering the sound integrity of an FM transmission. That said, the tube stage works miracles in making voices real. With Telefunken NOS cyro tubes, the DJs sound as if they are broadcasting from your room. You'll need a good FM antennae for this and the Magnum ST-2 is superb in this regard. This isn't a tuner for everyone... if you expect audiophile quality with stock tubes and cables, look elsewhere. But if you want one of the best tuners available at any price (considering the price of easy DIY upgrades), look no further.

pulls in stations like you wouldn't believe, however local ones can be said to be the best,
very lush tube sound, good sensitivity , high profile audiophile sound

a very slight and extremely small interference can be heard depending where the placement is , other than that all is well with no weaknesses to be found other than the need for a top notch antenna with this tuner
manual does not explain well the basic intereface of the tuner , ie. what the lights stand for and there meaning like " dsp cinema sound " etc
could have larger heat dissapating vents on the frame itself, as the tuner can heat up a little

I was in the market looking for a tuner , and preferably at that a vintage tuner , all the while at the top end and with great preference , one that would be brand new or of recent edition. After much research, somewhat decided to give Jolida a try, given that they had a tube stage incorporated within. After, hook up I must say the reception was not that great, as the tuner was not getting any stations to my dismay. I searched for antennas and what they stood for, and in the end settled with the magnum dynalab st 2 , which is an excellent choice as it made a world of difference in my system, adding to the tuner a significant amount of selectivity and sensitivity to the point of one could say " wow " , with deep bass, lush midrange, and dynamic soundstage all contributed to my amazement and satisfaction of having both improved my system and achieved audio nirvanna....... i other words , BIG DIFFERENCE
so basically you need a professional grade antenna with this tuner to work at it best
the design is fairly decent with a thick audiophile aluminium faceplate , and along with a small blue lcd light indicating that the tuner is turned on

Customer Service

bought online

Similar Products Used:

somewhat a touch was the Yamaha ct410 natural sound, no tubes , but tuby in sound, Akai 2260

Dependable, solid build, sounds very good with classical music. I listen more to my Jolida tuner than I do my $3K cdp.

AM reception is non-existent. FM reception is adequate, but not as good as my Magnum Dynalab DT-5

Unlike the previous reviewer, my remote has worked fine. I purchased my unit with rev. 2 modifications, and have been very happy with the overall sound of the unit, listening to primarily classical music. Reception is not as good as my Magnum Dynalab, but is sufficient for my purposes. AM reception however is non-existent.

Customer Service

no issues

Similar Products Used:

Magnum Dynalab DT-5

Very good AM reception, some of the best I've heard. FM reception seems to be average. Nice overall Tube sound to the stations.

Did I metion the REMOTE IS A CHEAP PEICE OF PLASTIC JUNK that didn't work for me out of the box. Also, the remote completely does NOT match the silver facing on the unit.

I was satisfied with the tube sound from my Jolida 302B, which I purchased about a month ago - although the balance know was way off in position. However, I decided to give Jolida another try with the 402A AM/FM Tuner. My first impression was this is a very attractive tuner, heavy in weight. I looked under the hood to see how easy it would be to change tubes. The instructions contain ZERO information on how to change and tube, much less a diagram of the interior. Apparently, you have to twist off a spring loaded tube cover. There are actually a total of 4 tubes, a pair of 12AT7 & a pair of 12AX7. The unit is essentially a Denon Tuner with a modified Chasis and tubes handling the preamp section. The remote is worth mentioning, because it is absolutely THE CHEAPEST AND WORST REMOTE CONTROL I HAVE EVER SEEN. Now, I've owned many, many electronics from many manufactures, like Arcam, Rotel, Pioneer, Cairn, Sony, BVAudio, and many others, however; the Stock JOLIDA 402A remote is the absolute worst. In fact, I had to call Jolida upon receiving the Tuner to get a new remote because many of the buttons DID NOT WORK. The first person that answered the phone was courtious, but the owner MIKE was rude, crass and disrespectful with me. He just didn't want to hear about the fact that the supplied remote was a cheap plastic piece of junk that did not work. Hey, were're not talking poor design, we are talking buttons that were sticking. Ok, so getting past the remote how does the unit actually sound and perform. On the positive, the AM reception with the supplied AM Loop antenna was exceptional. It was some of the clearest AM reception I have ever heard in the New York Metropolitan area. I live in a High Rise across from Manhattan so there is a lot of competition for the airwave. FM on the other hand was just ok, I susspect that a better antenna will yield better results. I'm going to try the Godar FM antenna and see if it helps. Seems that passive antenna's generally don't multiply interference. On the stations that came in, the sound was real and alive. It had a good sense of being there, but seemed to slightly lack that announcer resonance I've sometimes found on my Tivoli Audio Radio. The overall clarity for voices was exceptional and it did well on music too. It seems that the tubes when combined with a proper tube amp will allow Highs to flow through in an unrestricted maner. Overall, I am happy with the unit. I'm hoping that the replacement remote they are sending me is better. In not I'll have to look at getting a universal type remote that can replace the supplied one or consider returning the unit.

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Rote, Arcam...I would like to try a Magnum dynalab, I've heard good things.