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JOLIDA JD9 Shenda vs Maryland + Review

Hi,
This preamp sounds like the way to go but, I just got a new Pro-ject phonobox SE to go with a new Creek Evolution 5350 integrated amp.I was going to use the Creek CMC phono board in the Evo 5350 but can't because of the very large size of transformer inside the EVOLUTION 5350 and the magnetic field it generates.Creek Audio said it not advised to use the moving coil phono board in the Evo 5350.So I got the Pro-ject SE preamp from local dealer for $300,it sounds good with the Denon DL103R(waiting on a DL301mkII)so would the Jolida JD9 Tube Phono Preamp be better, I never had any tubes is my system.So should I sale the Pro-ject SE and get a Jolida JD9 for $315? From jolidia.net
 
Great thread, I'm glad I discovered it, been watching these babies over at A'Gon, they sell pretty fast there, that says a lot to me. Good info, thanks guys! :thmbsp:
 
The sound is great! Just read all the reviews. Not to mention they take well to a little modification that can elevate them to new levels of resolution. As a whole though, I would characterize the JD9's sound as very forward. It's a great phono pre!
 
MuthaFunk said:
The sound is great! Just read all the reviews. Not to mention they take well to a little modification that can elevate them to new levels of resolution. As a whole though, I would characterize the JD9's sound as very forward. It's a great phono pre!
Click to expand...
I guess "forward" is relative. I find mine (running a low output moving coil cartridge) to be quite "correct"; the instruments that are recorded in the foreground are in the foreground and the rhythm section is nicely receded back, sometimes beyond the wall behind the speakers.

When I first got mine I was upgrading from a Cambridge Audio Azur 640p. The Jolida by comparison, produced images out beyond the speakers to the left and right while still providing a nice, clean central image.

Not only did the soundstage open up and spread out, the images of the individual instruments became deeper, more 3D; I could hear more of the body of the acoustic guitar, not just the sound hole, strings and fingered frets.

So how's it sound? Well, it seems pretty even-tempered to me. It really goes a long way toward rendering my B&W 683s invisible which many will agree ain't a given. (They can sound a bit boxy with sub-optimal cohesion through the crossovers)

Mine JD9 is a Maryland unit (photos in posts 12 and 13 of this thread). It came stock a few years ago with a pair of Electro Harmonix tubes. I recently swapped these for a pair of new Tung Sols which are much richer and a little more laid back, but still have decent detail retrieval. I hear that Jolida of Maryland is now shipping their JD9s with Tung Sols.

I also recently upgraded the output caps. I won't go too far into it here except to say that these have opened the soundstage rearward considerably.
 
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Jolida.com vs Jolida.net

After looking at the pictures of all listed before I have a JD-9 by Jolida.com
The workmanship on the .com model is much better than the photo of the Jolida.net. When I looked at the spec's on the JD-9 Jolida.net it said the frequency response was 10Hz to 10Khz. maybe it's a mistake. My model is the same as the JD-9 with the Electro-Harmonix 12AX7 believed to be a Jolida.com.
It would be good to see another sample of the Jolida.net.
 
RE: Jolida.com vs Jolida.net

Rockyboy said:
After looking at the pictures of all listed before I have a JD-9 by Jolida.com
The workmanship on the .com model is much better than the photo of the Jolida.net. When I looked at the spec's on the JD-9 Jolida.net it said the frequency response was 10Hz to 10Khz. maybe it's a mistake. My model is the same as the JD-9 with the Electro-Harmonix 12AX7 believed to be a Jolida.com.
It would be good to see another sample of the Jolida.net.
Click to expand...
I agree about the workmanship being better on the (supposedly) illegitimate version. But there are also minor parts and circuit differences too. I posted my findings here:
http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showpost.php?p=4934540&postcount=140
so I'm not going to repost them again here. But you're welcome to respond to me here if you want.

Neil
 
My JD9 came with Tung-sol Russian 12AX7s. I have since flipped many 12A_7s and have settled on Sylvania Jan 12AU7s as my faves. Not as much gain, but oh so sweet. Very calm and easy going. The 12AX7s I tried were very sharp and "in your face". They did not sound bad, but for my ears the AU7s are far superior. YMMV.
 
Gonna start doin some of the mods on my JD9 in a few weeks. So far, I did add the Baldwin Greens Tubes. To me, I didnt see much difference between the stock Tung Sols that came with mine.

I bought mine new from a seller on AGon for $450. I believe it was a dealer for the Maryland company. Mine has the gold screen logo with a lil plastic piece glued on
 
The tubes really shouldn't make too much of a difference, as they are only a buffer in the output section, all the gain comes from the SS side of the amp with th OPAMPS
 
Ant1-Hero said:
The tubes really shouldn't make too much of a difference, as they are only a buffer in the output section, all the gain comes from the SS side of the amp with th OPAMPS
Click to expand...


Sorry to disagree, having the schematics in hand, this is not a tube buffer stage, neither a cathode follower stage, but a SRPP output stage with gain.
I can read schematics, howerver I have not enough knowledge to calculate the gain.
 
The thought of the tubes making no difference is laughable. My tube swap made a massive difference. Was night and day.
 
For anybody that is looking to upgrade their JD9, I made a step by step guide to upgrading the caps, opamps, tubes, and installing dampening material. I hope this guide helps those that are looking to upgrade.

Comments and suggestions welcome! :)

Step by Step guide
108241.jpg
 
 
I have never heard a JD9 but have read with interest the mods people are making, having upgraded a few phono stages I can concur that upgraded components and slight modifications can make a world of difference.

Manufacturers often have a good design but dumb it down to a certain price point.

Op amps have a huge impact on the sound as well as different combination's.

Capacitors in the signal path have a an impact as well, bad ones veil the sound, good ones give you a clearer picture.

PSU caps are important as it's critical to have good clean DC powering the op amps.

I know with the humble CA 640P, upgrading these things can elevate them to another level altogether and that's whats being done here with the JD9.

Good work everyone.
 
Brett a said:
Very cool.
Having used online resources to mod my own JD9, I'm glad to see you've taken the time to post another set of helpful pictures.

If you haven't joined in on "The Offical JD9 Thread", I recommend you check it out. That seems to be where most people go for mod info here.:
http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=344317
Click to expand...
Brett-
You really have a beutiful setup. I like it very much!

I'm a subscriber to the "official threat as well."

I created the guide as a way somebody could easily complete those 4 mods. I found instructions scattered, here and there, but it was often times difficult to piece together. Also, some of the close up pictures were not always adequate,.. ie solder points, etc. Hopefully people looking to mod their JD9 will find this helpful.
 
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