Any experience with modded CDP?

pjdami

Congrats on your latest Jolida, I am definitely interested of reading your review/comments. Which one did you get?

Polkatese,

I got the Jolida JD100A level 1 mod cd player by Parts Express through Underwood HiFi. It came in today along with some DH Lab Q10 speaker cables that I'm trying out on my two channel rig.

The modified Jolida uses 12AX7A vacuum tubes. One of the mods they replace the stock Jolida tubes with Russian Svetlana tubes. I've only got a few hours on her and the new speaker wire so I won't be too critical. Not that I'm going to anyway... it sounds great. Some of the Jolida owners who also own the Ah! Njoe and the Rega Planet like the Jolida better hands down and although I haven't directly compared it side to side with my Rotel or Myryad.. I can tell something special is going on.

pjdami

Organ,

Does Mullard make vacuum tubes that would fit my new cd player? If so where do you buy them and how much do they cost?? Have you compared Mullard to Svetlana on your pre / amps?

thanks,
Paul

polkatese

Maurice, thanks! I will definitely be reaching out to you for advice on tubes info...I wish there is a DIY kit for tube mods.

Paul, that's fun! will be waiting to read your shootouts....

organ

polkatese,
I have no experience with the 6H30 tube but just about all NOS(new old stock) tubes I've tried in both my amp and pre amp sound superior to current production tubes. However, the right combination of current production tubes can give great results too.

Oh man, you're going to crap your pants when you get some NOS tubes into that CD player:D. To get some reading, the best place is probably audioasylum.com and do a search for "6H30" in the tube forum. Let me know how everything turns out with your new tubes.

Paul,
Where have you been man? Congrats on your new CD player and cables. I heard so many great things about Jolida CD players.

All 12AX7 tubes will fit your CD player. Mullard did make 12AX7 tubes but I'm still looking for some. The only Mullard I have is a pair of 12AU7 in the pre. The pre uses a pair of 12AU7 and a single 12AX7.

Mullard tubes are becoming very pricey because they're pretty rare now. I paid $40US ea for my Mullards. They stopped making tubes about 30 years ago I believe. Ask around in tube forums like audioasylum and you'll find someone willing to sell you Mullards if you can't find them in web stores. Some of the members there are freaks with **** loads of tubes. Try www.thetubestore.com They're in Canada and express shipping for me takes less than 48 hours. Another great place is www.triodeelectronics.com

I'm also using Svetlana 12AX7 in the pre amp together with the Mullards. It's not really fair to compare the two because the Svet is a 12AX7 and Mullards are 12AU7 but I can tell you their sound signature.

The Svet have a very smooth sound, especially in the mids just like their EL-34 power tubes. There's a slight roll-off in the highs and dynamics isn't as powerful as others I've tried. But the mids do sound very sweet.

The Mullards can get the HF's and dig really deep. But the most special thing about them to my ears is the realism they bring to vocals and the "atmosphere". It sounds so rich and real it's scary.

If you want more detail and dynamics/slam you really have to give the Sovtek 12AX7LPS a try. Sovtek tubes are current production and can be had cheap in the webstores I mentioned above. The Sovtek and Svet are my favorite 12AX7 tubes.

The best thing to do is buy a lot of current production 12AX7 tubes and try them all out. Current production tubes are cheap. YOU WILL hear a difference with each tube. Make sure you let them warm up before critical listening.

Keep us posted on your tube journey. There's still a lot of 12AX7 tubes I'd like to try.

Maurice

pjdami

Thanks Maurice for sharing your experience with these tubes. I actually found a thread way back in Oct. where you were discussing these things.

The Svet have a very smooth sound, especially in the mids just like their EL-34 power tubes. There's a slight roll-off in the highs and dynamics isn't as powerful as others I've tried. But the mids do sound very sweet.

Yes, the Svets on this cd player have this exact sound on my two channel system. I had the Kimber 8TC speaker wire in there before and swapped out my Myryad cd player and 8TC out for the new tube cd player and the DH Labs Q10s. Now it looks like I may have gone too far to the warm sound. So I will put the 8TC back in there this afternoon because it kind of has this "zippiness" to it and the Q10s are more natural. Wire and tubes that can be changed to taylor the sound ... I'm loving it.

The mids on the Svets are indeed the best I have ever heard. Any of the hardness or sibilance that is found in some of today's cds is really reduced to a minimum level that I have never experienced before.

Thanks for the links as well. I'm a little confused about all the letters they use with the tubes. As long as it is a 12A X 7 all these other letters ... what do they mean?? Are they just designations for model numbers and the 12 X 7 is the size?

thanks,
Paul

polkatese

Oh man, you're going to crap your pants when you get some NOS tubes into that CD player. To get some reading, the best place is probably audioasylum.com and do a search for "6H30" in the tube forum. Let me know how everything turns out with your new tubes.

...then let there be muziek! Thanks for the info, bro! I will share my experience of the swap...once I am done entertaining the family and relatives....Merry Christmas and Happy Holiday to you and your family!

The same wish goes to All of my Polkies' family!

organ

Paul,
You're absolutely right! I also found the Svet way too warm when I started using it. I don't know if my ears got used to it or the tube is broken in, but after about a week of daily use, the overly warm sound became more mellow and sweet. I found the bass a little too powerful at first but now it's just right.

Perhaps I should start playing around with some speaker cables like you. My new speakers are 98db/w/m so I think trying out cables should be fun. But first I need some money:).

I used to know what 12AX7 stands for but I forgot. I read it somewhere on the net. The 12AX7 is also called ECC83. Back in the days before transistors killed vacuum tubes, the Americans called them 12AX7 and the Europeans called them ECC83. The Sovtek 12AX7LPS is a 12AX7. The "LPS" just stands for "long plate" and "spiral". "Long plate" was the plate design used and "spiral" is for the spiral coil used in the tube so it can be used in equipments with AC heater volage without any hum.

You can also use 5751 tubes as a 12AX7 substitute.

Polkatese,
There might be substitutes for your tubes as well. If I find out I'll let you know. So I guess you're the entertainment guy in the family eh? And a Merry Christmas and Happy Holiday to you and your family too and to all the Polk members in this forum.

Maurice

pjdami

Maurice,

You're absolutely right! I also found the Svet way too warm when I started using it. I don't know if my ears got used to it or the tube is broken in, but after about a week of daily use, the overly warm sound became more mellow and sweet. I found the bass a little too powerful at first but now it's just right.

The Svets are fine in my system now after about 20 hrs of burn in. I was using the Kimber Kable 8TC in my two channel rig but have swapped it out for DH Labs Q10. The Q10 is very highly regarded in the audiophile community. I spoke with Jeff Delman of Value Audio:

http://www.value-audio.com

He is extremely friendly and knowlegable. I emailed him about some Analysis Plus cables and my setup. He called me back the same day and spoke with me for over 35 minutes about what kind of goals I was trying to achieve with my two channel system. The Q10s reveal more than the Transparent speaker wire I tried but are not as "zippy" as the 8TC. Kind of in-between. I was actually going to get the more expensive stuff but Jeff recommended that I try out the DH Labs first. I thought that was cool of him not trying to score a more expensive sale but instead trying to help me achieve my goals. It kind of depends on what speakers you have and sources as well. I traded in my Paradigm Studio 40 speakers in for some demo Spendors my dealer had and I have been doing some comparisons with the LSi 9s using these cables.

Thanks for the tube info as well.
Paul

organ

Thanks for the link Paul. I already see some cables there I'd like to try out (under $100). Now I'll have to look for some jumpers. I prefer single wire with the tube amp but haven't tried bi-wiring with the Klipsch yet.

I just checked thetubestore and noticed that they just got the Ei 12AX7 Elite. I've heard great things about that tube. I'm going to try that one next.

Can't wait to hear your report on the Spendors vs LSi9.

Maurice

polkatese

So my journey into modded CDP went further with another modded little gem, Pioneer DV563A-S, retail at BB for a low $149. It is a universal player with superb transport. The slim design initially turned me off, it looks flimsy and raised many doubts of its ability to turn into a superb player. I bought it along with the mods for $695 from aplhifi.com, whose owner (Alex Peychev) has become a good friend. My reference player is also a product of his magic fingers:

http://www.stereotimes.com/CES%202004%20Part%206.shtm

It has been upgraded a level up, with dual dacs per channels, and currently undergone review in main my system.

Going back to the little Pio, the mods disabled its multichannels output, so it is a strictly two channels (which my second system is), and it plays all formats that I care of (DVD-A, SACD, mp3, etc.) I have no need for video, but it is also a progressive capable player (amazing little Pio).

My second system now consists of DV563, Rotel RSX-1065, and LSi15. Comparing the Pio with the rest of players I have, it ranks right below my Philips SACD-1000. I have it played side by side with Pio Elite DV-37 and Sony XA3ES (which is still up for sale). The three areas that the Pio really shines: Soundstage, low and mid (especially vocals) details, and flexibility of formats. It also has a dedicated 2 channels RCA out. For the same price as the Sony, it clearly performs at a notch below the Philips (which is, by now, is the reference, and cost more than I like to admit). The tube warmth sound is almost got replicated by this player, even though it is a SS through and through. Amazing! is the word. It surpass the Sony, which is technically in the same ballpark pricing.

I have no financial interest in Alex's business, but if you are looking for a sweet return of your investment dollar, for a top notch universal player under a grand, the modded little Pio 563 from Aplhifi is a clear winner.