Driver/Input tubes

Good answer but Johnsonwu...come on dude...you know me...I would NOT understand a schematic. I could take a basic electronics course at a local community college but it would drastically cut into my nap time. Also, the Jolida doesn't have 12AU7s but my tiny headphone amp does have one. Just one. And it's cute. Your post has only one tube I'm actually employing in my amp but I sort of get it anyway. I think your explanation, although convoluted, has dragged me kicking and screaming toward almost understanding this thing. Closer...I'm getting closer...

Sorry I kept saying 12AU7 cos my personal unit is modded as a power amp not an integrated.

Let be go over this again.
Each channel has ONE 12AX7 as gain stage.
Each 12AX7 is setup in a totem pole configuration.
The output of the 12AX7 is connected to one triode of one of the triodes of the 12AT7s directly, then via a 1Meg resistor to the other triode of the 12AT7. The first one "pushes" the other one "pulls"
Each of the 12AT7s has its plate coupled using a coupling cap to a 6550, EL34, KT88 whatever you have in the amp.
Just download the schematic and spend 5 minutes looking at it and you wont think my explanation is too convoluted.
So why does it need 2 stages before the power tubes?
If the input were just the diffamp (12AT7) stage, then you will need a preamp, that swings 30-50V to drive that amp.
A CD player can only swing a few volts, so thats why the need for the 12AX7 gain stage.
The driver stage cannot have too much gain, otherwise it cannot deliver the current required to drive the power tubes and will "wimp out" and distort.

I appreciate all of this...although I think my comprehension capabilities are being woefully overestimated. I'll look for the schematic...but bear in mind my amp is a 502P basic power amp, NOT an integrated, hence the query.

Wolf, who knew your amp was such a 'swinger'.....

Stupid questions coming up. Does this mean that it is a must for the 12AT7 and 12AX7 tubes to be matched (each triode of the preamp tube has matching gain) and balanced (when the plate current draw of each triode is the same)for the Jolida 502P? I found that some tube sellers add a surcharge for this service.