Jolida and B&W Nautilus 805

Oooopps! I misread you on the Jolida, you have the 202, not the 302. The 202 has the smaller transformers, and can only run EL34. Transformers are the reason, moreso than the EL34, that the bass will never fall into the great category, regardless of what Euro or NOS tubes you try. Not to say that it cannot be improved, but you are working against the smaller bandwidth of the smaller transformers.

Still rejoice in that the Jolida 202 is one of the sweetest amps you'll come across, both in terms of sonics and economics. From what it appears, that midrange is really making you smile.

For speaker cable, if you are looking for something under $500, PLEASE try the Coincident 0.5. It is simply a giant killer. Bass is excellent, but the cable is a performer from top to bottom. Erring ever so sligthly to the romantic side. Very full bodied sound, but nice detail. This cable beats out my AudioQuest Midnight at 1/3 the price. You should be able to buy 8' for $200 new. Of course, used would be even less. I just cannot get over how good this cable is, especially when the price is factored in.

If you are looking at anything more expensive, I would give the Coincident CST 1 a shot. It basically corrects any of the 0.5's shortcoming, bringing slightly more slam and resolution. But is the difference worth the difference? Depends on your budget.

I shake my head at people spending crazy money on wire. I have had what many consider the top of the food chain in terms of speaker cable in my system for 8 months, and came to the conclusion that cost is not the determining factor in cable. I ended up replacing it with CST 1, and made a hefty profit along the way, not to mention sound that makes me signficantly happier.

Thanks for the suggestions...I'll do some research.

With some experimentation on speaker positioning, I'm able to tune the bass... Note everything is new and needs breaking in. Then the tubes and speaker wires will be upgraded...

Trelja, your tube knowledge is impressive. Can u shine some light on Jadis Orchestra Reference, Orchestra Signature, DA-50 & Signature?

I have had great luck with The Electro-Harmonix tubes.
I own a set of their el-34s that I stick in my Rogue from time to time. It is Auto Bias, and set up for the bigger bottles, and I know that the little 34s are being run hard, but it's a nice change, from time to time.

Good luck!- and try a nice aftermarket PC for a little more oomph.

Ditto Joe's suggestion of upgrading the power cord. It should never be overlooked. That being said, you don't need to get crazy, just something that can give the amp what it needs.

Glai, I can speak to the Jadis Orchestra Reference, as I own one. However, the three other amplifiers you listed are newew products, and I have not heard them. Again I will say that sadly, the North American distribution of Jadis has really suffered a lot in the past 5 years. A once great brand has declined to almost nonexistence.

Please note that my sentiments in no way reflect the sonics of Jadis, which I feel is as good as amplifiers get. Better than most of what is available today. That's not to say that there are not companies selling today that aren't just as good. Air Tight, AtmaSphere, and BAT come to mind.

As far as the Orchestra Reference goes, I feel it is a fantastic integrated tube amplifier. In the many months I searched for a new tube amplifier, only two products really came to impress me. One was the Jadis, the other was Air Tight. My intention was not to purchase an integrated, but the Orchestra Reference simply sounded better than other products to me. The decision to opt for the Jadis over the Air Tight was a factor of being able to run a wide range of output tubes (EL34, E34L, 6CA7, 6550, KT88, KT90), cosmetics, and bass/treble controls.

The sonics of the amp are quite impressive. The hallmark of the amp are its transformers, which are the most important and costly, yet least appreciated component of a tube amplifier. They lend the Jadis the ability to go low, and put power into a difficult loudspeaker. Not crazy difficult, but more than most comparable products.

Due to the current atmosphere in the North American market, I am not sure I would buy a new Jadis. But, that's just me. If I am spending that kind of money, I want to be sure that I am working with a stable operation, one that is there to support me in the same way I supported them through my purchase.

Despite what some, including those selling the amps in North America, the tone controls in the Orchestra Reference are a worthwhile addition. I know some have been quoted as saying to forego them for what you may be referring to as the Orchestra Signature. I disagree with that.

I cannot comment on the DA50, but my experience would tell me it will sound excellent. From my eye, it seems to be the natural successor to the DA30. The differences being the use of KT88 output tubes in lieu of the 6550, which I WHOLEHEARTEDLY agree with, cosmetics of the Orchestra Reference (beautiful!), etc.

I consider the Jolida 202, 302, 801, and 1000 to be "baby Jadis" integrateds. The reason being the smooth, relaxed sound they offer from a convenient integrated package. That's not to say they sound as good, they don't. But, they aren't so far away. Jadis products are more rugged, well built, extended, neutral, refined, etc. The 502 is conspicuously absent from my list because I just don't think it sounds very good. Others will disagree, I am sure.