Upgrade from Jolida JD-100A

Boa, you mentioned in your original post that the Jolida was open and non-fatiguing. How is your AAP comparing in that regard and overall what are your other impressions. I have not heard the AA Prima, but based on the "buzz" and your post, it seems like it is easily ahead of a stock Jolida. I was wondering how it might compare to a modded Jolida. They are the same ballpark price-wise. Thanks.

Maineiac,
I had considered a modded Jolida, but was a little unsure as to how far I wanted to go with it. A very helpful dealer sent me a list of all the possible mods, which came to somewhere around $1000. I had dampened the inside of the case, and replaced the stock tubes with Mullards. The vibrapod feet also worked wonders with the Jolida, leading me to believe that vibration was a significant issue with the player. Definitely not the case with the Prima, in my experience.

First, when it came to doing the mods, I did not want to spend that kind of money, considering that I would likely recoup very little of it upon resale. Second, Jolida told me that other than what I had done already, they recommended changing the stock caps, but that everything else was superfluous. I cannot confirm this because I have not heard a player with a different clock, diodes, etc. The Jolida is a superb player. I loved the laid back feel of the Mullards, and found the player to be 100% engaging for as many hours as I wanted to listen. The Prima is similarly engaging, but as the hours go on, I get pulled even more deeply into the music. I will also say that the Jolida sounds better when it is on par with the other components in the system. When we got a more revealing, transparent amp, the weaknesses of the Jolida were (literally) amplified.

Some of the differences with the Prima:
It resolves everything. The Jolida had more difficulty tracking complex music, and seemed to compress layered music. Rock was OK, but for jazz and vocals it was fantastic. The Prima is said to be less than the best players for rock, but what I've found is that it plays rock superbly with the Prima hybrid amp, an amp that separates the instruments as well as anything I've heard.
The Prima is MUCH more dynamic than the Jolida. You can hear the sonic fluctuations in the playing. It digs down to the bottom of the notes. It has a relaxed approach to the music. There is a depth and ease to the music that thoroughly relates the spaciousness of the recording studio. The player doesn't seem to play any different no matter how much I isolate it. If anything, I would say that the vibrapod feet decrease the three-dimensionality of the player, though that difference is so slight that it could just be psychological.

The very best quality of the Prima is that there is no edge or grain to the music. It feels like music on a tightrope, just barely hanging on and yet always making it to the other side. There are no seams in the music, an effect that I only noticed once listening to this player, at which point I realized just how many other players sound digitalized. There are always players that do this or that better than the one I'm listening to, but I've yet to hear one (other than the Capitole, perhaps) that pulls me so far into the music, knocking out my desire to sit and analyze the details.

I used to sell BMW motorcycles, and would say the same thing about them that I would about the Prima. While many motorcycles excel in a particular area, the BMW (IMO) was the most complete package, without calling attention to any one system on the bike. It all worked well together, and that ability to get out of the rider's way, to let the ride come to the rider, is its forte. You don't notice the BMW. You just experience the ride. And the Prima has the same quality when it comes to the music.

Sorry for the long-winded response. In closing this novel, I will say that upgrading the power cord made a huge difference on both players.

All the best,
Howard

Howard,

Thanks for your thoughtful response. It sure is interesting when it comes down to the wire on a decision like this, i think it can be close because the differences may be so subtle. I just dropped the $ bomb on the wife and after the dust clears I'm going to flip a coin or something and order me a cdp.

Let us know what you end up with. By the way, if it's a Prima, talk with Audiogon member warrenh, as he has a good source for Audio Aero's, and I know he will have a demo for sale in the next week or so. You will want to buy from a dealer as only they can provide a warranty--or so I was told by three different dealers.
Good luck!

I took the plunge and ordered an AA Prima today! I'll let you know how it goes when I get it in a few weeks.