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Tube phono preamp distortion - help

Hi everyone,

Having some very frustrating distortion issues with my new Jolida JD9 Mk2, and I have tried everything I can think of. My rig was working without issue with the following setup:

Project Debut Carbon w/Otorfon 3M Blue
Vincent PHO-8 Phono Stage
Simaudio i-1 integrated
Tekton M-Lore speakers
Silnote IC, phono cable, and power cables
Clear Day double shotgun speaker cables

So, the only change I made was to remove the Vincent and hook up the Jolida. The Jolida has several settings that need to be chosen:

A. Three voltage gain switches: I set this to low (for MM cartridge, as recommended). The medium setting was unlistenable, and I didn't bother trying the high setting.

B. Eight impedance switches (100, 300, 1000, 47000 ohm, and 47, ,100, 150, and 220 Pico Fared). I set this at the recommended 47k ohm for the Otorfon Blue. I tried the other settings out of curiosity, but none sounded as good at the recommended setting.

C. Two RCA outs: High (1.8 volts for an integrated or line stage) and low (500 millivolts for high gain preamp separates). I connected from the High out to my Simaudio integrated.

This combination of settings is by far the best sounding. However, I get terrible distortion in the higher frequency ranges - upper keys on the piano, female vocals, etc. The low and midrange are fantastic, but the higher range just degrades into a static-like warbling sound (as if it's being overdriven) in both channels with each rise in a singer's voice or striking of the piano keys. It happens on every record and in both channels. As soon as I put my Vincent phono stage back in, everything returns to normal.

I have tried everything I can think of:

-Placing the phono amp further away from my gear
-Trying different inputs on the Simaudio integrated
-Using every possible combination of the switch settings and the RCA outs.

I'm relatively new to vinyl, and I see why some people say it's too much trouble. However, I'd like to find a way to make this work.

I'm open to any suggestions - ready to experiment! Thanks for any ideas!

Best,
Scott
smrex13

Showing 1 response by zd542

zd542
5,339 posts
 
Here's 2 things you should try.

"C. Two RCA outs: High (1.8 volts for an integrated or line stage) and low (500 millivolts for high gain preamp separates). I connected from the High out to my Simaudio integrated."

First, try the low setting instead of the high. If that doesn't fix the problem, try listening with headphones. I believe your Sim has a headphone jack. If that sounds OK, then you're issue is most likely a mismatch between your phono stage and your speakers. To confirm this, try some speakers that are less efficient than your current ones. If that's what the problem turns out to be, you'll either need to get new speakers or a new phono preamp.
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