Jolida JD 1501 RC

Firtst owner i put 7/10 for the very small dent, with out that it a 9/10 unit. Technology: The Jolida 1501RC is what's known as a "hybrid:" it mixes two different technologies, in this case a tube pre-amp and MOSFET power amp in one case. Over the past few years, the Hybrid amplifiers have become tremendously popular. What you get with the Hybrid is solid state speed and authority in the lower regions due to the SS power section while still maintaining a very seductive midrange and upper end from the tube input section. A very versatile combo! Technical Specifications (taken from Jolida web site): Rated Output Power:100 W per channel at 8 ohms, 22Hz to 19 KHz Frequency Response : (at 1 watt into 8 ohms) 5Hz to 100 KHz + 1dB Bandwidth:22Hz to 19 kHz + 3dB; 0dB 100 W 1KHz Distortion THD : Less than 0.1% at 90 W output, 22Hz to 18 KHz Input Impedance: 47Kohms Input Sensitivity: 500mV at 1 KHz, 8 ohms for100W Noise and Hum: 90dB below rated output Tube Complement: 2 pcs. 12AX7 for the preamp. Power Requirements: 230 VAC 50 HZ 180 watts-standby, 450 watts maximum Dimensions: 17 inches wide by 13 inches deep by 4.5 inches high. Weight:32 pounds net, approximately 35 pounds packaged. Warranty:18 months limited parts and labor. Six months or 1000 hours whichever comes first on Jolida Tubes. Construction, Circuit and Build: Build: Jolida has very attractive looks and nice built and finish, it is built like tank, the unit weighs in at about 18 Kg! Its brushed aluminum front panel is 6 mm thick! Heavy gauge metal sheet is used for body which is supported by heavy duty metal legs. Front Panel: Front panel sports a large ALPS volume control with lighted (Blue LED) position indicator; 4 inputs (CD, DVD, TUNER, AUX) selector buttons with built in (Blue LED) indicators and an illuminated (in Blue/Red) push-button Stand-by switch. Rear panel: Its rear panel features one gold plated pair of speaker outputs, gold-plated inputs for a CD, DVD, TUNER, and AUX input. AC mains is fed through an IEC-standard connector, Power ON switch is provided and an external fuse(3.5 A) is embedded in the ICE input socket itself. The unit I ordered came with one variable Pre-Amp Out and one fixed pre-amp output Variable Pre-out is can be used for subwoofer (powered) and fixed one can be used for tape. (Please note that some cheaper versions of 1501RC are w/o these pre-out sections. And there is one more plain and cheaper version of 1501 comes w/o remote) Remote: Full function Remote control is all plastic but quite durable. It is very compact, cute and efficient. Functions available on Remote are: Standby, Source selection, Mute, Volume up and Volume down. As this remote also serves for Jolida HT combo so there are some addition buttons on the Remote with No function while using with 1501RC. Jolida has got out and out clean and decent layout. The whole thing is powered by a HUGE toroidal transformer. The MOSFET's are attached to substantial heat sinks, power supply and rest electronics is placed on two separate PCBs. The tube sockets have spring loaded metal shields. Internal wiring looks clean and very professional. Needless to say inside outside everything has got excellent fit and finish. The volume knob with built in Blue LED for position indication , actually turns when using the remote. So rest assured that there are no extra electronics in Volume control path. However there are no balance and tone controls. The preamplifier section is vacuum tube based. The inexpensive 1AX7 (two) tubes are in abundant, both in NOS and in new-production forms, feed the amplifier section, composed of a brace of MOSFET output devices. The tube pre-amp section, specifically the choices of tubes, has quite a large influence over the sound quality of this amp. Each brand could result in a subtly different sonic picture. People are pleasantly surprised with the changes and/or improvement in the performance by trying Svetlana, Sovtek, and JJ etc. At present the amp is fitted with stock Chinese 12AX7 tubes. Since this is a tube product, (at least partially) be aware that the tubes in the preamp section will need replacing. Tube life is expected to be about 8000 ~10000 hours, after which one has to replace those 12AX7 triodes. I have so far consumed around 400 hours out of it so there is enough juice left. Don’t worry, you won’t need tube replacement for next 8+ years of moderate use! As the tubes are only in the Preamp section, you don’t need any biasing adjustment, so no worries at all. Performance: This Jolida JD-1501 RC with its simple, purist, circuits is extremely capable of reproducing refined music. The solid 100 Watts MOSFET based solid-state amplifier section cleanly and clearly conveys all the warmth of the preamp tubes without any of the "lack of bass" blamed on all-tube systems. Jolida is not a genre specific amp, it does Jazz, classical and rock too with equal zeal and dedication. What you get is the silky smooth sound with adequate bass punch. Bass is always presented realistically: no bloom, no extra emphasis, just as the musicians and recording engineers desired. Add to this the cozy upper clarity and crispness and you got a winner in hand! The amp provides excellent details with smooth tube warmth and excellent imaging along with wide sound staging. It is so smooth that one can listen for hours without fatigue. Moreover, the Jolida possesses the natural harmonics and mid-range rightness of a tube amp that no solid state amp can match. Vocals sound very detailed, crisp and the sound dynamics is excellent. I listen to jazz and classical and Voices and plucked strings seem so real and natural compared to all solid state designs. However I have listened to this amp for all types of music, at all volume levels and remain very impressed. Bass punch, mid range performance, details and more emotions were the primary reasons to buy this amp. You would have to pay a lot more to beat the performance and build of the Jolida 1501RC. Strengths: •Warm, Transparent sound of tubes with punch of solid state •Simple yet pleasing style, Clean faceplate design without much clutter •Solidly built with quality parts. Gold plated binding posts. Huge Toroidal transformer, quality ALPS volume potentiometer •With 100wpc, should be able to push most speakers with ease. •Profoundly musical yet transparent sounding with a smooth sweet soundstage, •Vocals sound clean and crisp, imaging is fantastic and sound dynamics is great •The ability to fine-tune the sound by changing tubes. Weaknesses: •No tone or balance controls (but it keeps additional circuitry out of the signal path). Final Words The 1501RC is the Winner, be the price, easy of use, or the sound quality. If you want your system to come alive, try this amp out. It's a great value. The clarity, imaging and realism of the sound , everything is beyond compare at this price. So if you are thinking of going tubes, but worried about low wattage / impedance matching, buy this JD1501 RC with total confidence & you'll probably be hooked! A good choice if you are looking to control those harder to drive speakers that require a bit more current without the harshness and upper end fatigue commonly associated with much of the solid stage gear anywhere near the Jolida's price points. PayPal + 3.5%