Jolida JD-100A Tube Rolling


I recently added a JD-100A to my system and am wondering if any of your experiences were similar to mine. Out of the box this unit had about 15hrs on it, so it was basically new. I found the sound to warm, but very blurry in the details and imaging. Seeing all of the very positive posts about this unit, decided that I needed to allow more burn-in time for both me and the CDP and I'm very glad that I did. Even with the stock Jolida/WhateverTheStockTubesAre tubes, it really opened up to sound amazingly live with some of the detail coming back - Diana Krall "Only Trust Your Heart" became an amazing recording (recorded in live 2-track).

Deciding to start rolling tubes, I bought a pair of GE Triple Mica 5751's and immediately noticed a dramatic increase in detail - my wife woke up from a nap to comment on how much clearer the sounds were. I could hear Karen Carpenter's lip smacks on "A Song for You". But with this added detail, feel that a lot of the warmth of the stock tubes was gone.

I'd be very interested in any other experiences.

Thanks.

Russ

PS - Have a pair of Sylvania 12AX7A's in transit.
russtom

Showing 2 responses by djbnh

I use Sylvania Gold Label triple mica blackplates, pricey and well worth it. Used the GE trips, too, but vastly prefer the Sylvanias. I also use a Chris VenHaus cryoed Flavor 1 power cord, which makes a wonderful improvement in the sound. Oh yeah, also use Hal-O tube dampers - I recommend getting rid of the stock covers.

Have fun tube rolling!
To remove a JD-100 tube cover, simply push down on it and twist off gently. Nothing to it.