In response to Marakentz's post: Before I took on any entry-level tube amp line, I discussed various low-priced tube amplifiers with an experienced local audio technician who's a hard-core audiophile, as well as an audio equipment manufacturer and inventor. He builds tube amps. In response to my questions, he said the JoLida amps use decent quality components (equal to or better than some of the more expensive amps mentioned in this thread, though he doesn't like the stock tubes). He also likes the simple, easy to repair topology. He told me that in his experience JoLidas are more reliable than several more expensive brands mentioned by name in this thread (his one-word comment when I asked about one of the brands in this thread was "Boom!"). Based on my technician's extensive experience and their price/performance ratio, I decided to become a JoLida dealer. By the way, just for the record, neither he nor I nor any of my customers have ever encountered any DC offset problem with JoLida amps.
I've only had one customer have a problem with a JoLida product - a bad solder joint on an input terminal, which the factory of course fixed at no charge. I have yet to have a customer complain that the sound of their JoLida amp wasn't up to their expectations - in fact, I have yet to have a customer who didn't tell me he was quite pleased. I'm using a JD-302B in my bedroom right now, and I have numerous more expensive amps on hand.
The Chinese-wound transformers are the key to JoLida keeping their cost down. Nope, they aren't as good as a German or Swiss transformer. But if we're going to compare apples to apples, we need to compare products in the same price range.
If we were trying to drive Quad 57's, I'd say the $2500 CJ amp would make more sense (though the $950 JD-302B sounds very good on my Quads). The Martin Logans need more power than that, so for 2/3 the price, the more powerful and still very good-sounding JoLida JD-1000A makes sense.
Marakentz, as you allude, the JoLidas can be improved by upgrading components. The same is true of all budget audio products - the difference is, the JoLida is fairly easy to work on so it CAN be upgraded. The kind of person who buys JoLida is often an extremely passionate music lover on a tight budget, and this kind of person is more likely to go to the trouble to upgrade it himself.
Most of the gear I sell is quite expensive - my top-selling amps retail for ten grand, and my most successful product is a sixteen-grand speaker. I took on JoLida because I didn't want to only sell to wealthy audiophiles who travel to my by-appointment-only listening room. I also wanted something to offer the college student or newly married or otherwise cash-poor but passion-rich audiophile. Relatively speaking I don't make a lot of money off of a JoLida sale, but I do get a lot of satisfaction out of it.
