I owned a Jolida preamp and using NOS was a vast improvement. If you are using Mullards in the Dac then maybe you should use a more neutral tube in the preamp. Telefunken is very neutral, dynamic and has a huge soundstage. RCA BlackPlates are very open and realistic sounding, more like classic tube sonics. And inexpensive. |
Now I remember markj, you didn’t like bass that the Gold Lions were giving you. I think you’ve got enough Mullards in your system. They are not known for tight bass. Telefunkens or Amperex are considered to be pretty good in the bass and top quality tubes, but to be honest we’re all just guessing about what might give you the sound you want. Different brands of tubes are generally considered to have a particular sound, but it doesn’t always work that way in a particular system. It’s really hard for anyone to guarantee that what works in their system will work in yours. It’s also possible that the tubes aren’t the cause. The best suggestion I can give you is to call Upscale Audio, Brent Jessee or Jim McShane and talk to them about what would work. A phone call won’t be a commitment to buy. Just tell them you need to think it over. They are all willing to give a little free advice. Below is a link to a thread about tubes in your Jolida Fusion: https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/tubes-for-jolida-fusion-preamp?highlight=Jolida%2BFusion and another: https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/jolida-owners-need-tube-help?highlight=Jolida%2BFusion |
Brent Jessee provides descriptions of each type of tube and their sonic signature... http://www.audiotubes.com/12ax7.htm |
Mullards are great in bass in the EL34s I run in my highly modified voltage regulated Dyna Stereo 70. Deep and punchy in Legacy Signature IIIs. Also, the Mullard 12AX7 I get great bass in a 3rd system with an EAR 864 preamp using the military version CV4004 which is very open and detailed (not bright just balanced with a wide frequency spectrum), totally unlike original Mullards which tend to be very warm sounding. |
