2. amps-preamps
  3. 1334466827

Could use your advice re: tube gear

I posted a long discussion of my MC240 and 8B which came out of storage a couple weeks ago. After listening to them with several speakers in our little local shop, and in comparison to an Anthem 700 MRX SS integrated ($2K) driving the speakers I'm thinking about, I'm missing the highs I thought I was getting. Quite a bit. And on big speakers the bass is loose and very undefined. Both tube amps (with my CJ PV-5) had vastly better midrange though.

What would be a move to keep the mids of my gear but get the defined bass and airy open highs?

Get a SS amp (like the DNA-1)? But would the CJ kill the tight lows and open highs? Could I mod the CJ?

Can I find a (~$1K used) tube amp that has the lush mids but tight lows and open detailed highs? The Quicksilver GLA maybe?

Trying to solve it with speakers, I could probably find a speaker with much tighter bottom (B&W CM-1 maybe) but that would not solve the highs. I have some Superzeros with spiky highs that help but don't replace the missing air and space.

Your thought would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.
river251
wolf_garcia
6,695 posts
 
Yeah...the mods from both Jolida (of course) and Underwood are warranty covered, as is my amp if the KT120s blow it up. Supposedly my Preludes (the latest model...there'e been a couple) are 91db, although I think that's generous. I use the 8ohm taps from the Jolida.
river251 OP
154 posts
 
Wolf, so how are you liking the Jolida? May I ask what other gear you've used that you can compare to? If you'd rather say it in email, I am at jkk251 at gmail dot com.
Thanks much.
ths364
181 posts
 
Atmasphere is right on target in re: filter caps. It's not even fair to compare these amps to new amps without addressing the caps. (Not to mention that new caps are NOT that expensive). Re-cap them and then compare. If you still don't like them you can put them back in the stream for top dollar, buy a new amp and maybe still pocket a couple thousand bucks.
wolf_garcia
6,695 posts
 
I got the Jolida because I was bored and curious, and I like the sound of it a lot. It holds up really well in comparison to the SS amps I've owned in the sense that it's quiet and has plenty of dynamic juice. I'm really liking the tube "warmth", colorful tonal palette, and the fact that I can mess with it just by changing tubes.
johnsonwu
469 posts
 
The Jolida 302 and 502s have wonderfully overbuilt power trannies (output is a different story but still very competent. Lots of space for mods. And a simple enough circuit topology to allow the modder to be flexible with tube choices and current draw and make mods without breaking the bank (direct coupled input to driver stage).
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