Which Tube CDP?

schwarcw

An interesting thread post by Maurice providing convincing testimony abou the quaility of his Original CDP. I was wondering if any of you good Forum members auditioned the Original, Jolida and the Ah! Tajoe for a side by side playoff?


I have not heard any of these players but the tube CDP has me verry interested. On paper the Ah! with it's optionsal upsampling feature has my interest peaked. But I don't have a local HiFi shop with any of these players available to audition. I was hoping for you perspective and feedback on these units.

dkg999

I have the stock Jolida 100 tube CDP. I have to admit that I didn't do extensive listening to other tube CDP's. I went on some trusted recomendations and was in Boston and was able to demo it extensively on a Saturday morning at Spearit Sound. Ralph gave me a hell of a deal, including shipping it to me, and said if I didn't like it to ship it back for a refund! It's still here! I haven't changed the stock tubes, and in combination with my Audcom tube pre-amp it sounds really good. Very open and airy soundstage, good tight bass, wonderful female vocal mid-range! I also used it with my Parasound 850 SS pre-amp and it made a very significant improvement with that pre-amp. I have purchased some of the recommended tubes, the EI, Sovtek, and RCA black plates, but just haven't had the ambition to open it up and roll them in!

SCompRacer

Normanality has a Jolida with Level-1 mods coming and I'm sure we will compare it to my Ah! w/upsampler. I don't have any experience with the Original. Based on the Sheng Ya I've heard, the Chinese can make a great sounding CDP for little money.

organ

I haven't tried the other ones you mentioned. The Original is my first adventure into tubed cdp's.

The main thing to keep in mind when purchasing a tubed cdp is the type of tube being used. The most popular ones are 6DJ8/6922 and 12AX7. These tubes have their own sound signature. I find the 6DJ8 family to be more detail oriented and have the most neutral sound. The 12AX7 tube is quite different. There's only a few X7 tubes that I actually like.

The main reason I went with the Original is because of the 12AU7 output tubes. I have a lot of experience with them and their "house sound". The U7 is a more lush and warm sounding tube than the other I mentioned above. This is a good thing for taming digital. It's also a low gain tube which is a good thing when you're only dealing with 2 volts output.

12AU7 sound great and NOS prices are still reasonable. So tube rolling shouldn't cost an arm and a leg. Just go ahead and order the Original;). If you don't like, you have permission to kick my ****. Actually, you shouldn't have a problem selling it and getting your money back if you don't like it. But I highly doubt you won't like the sound. It trashed my $500 NAD!

What kind of sound are you hoping to get from your cdp? This could narrow down your search.

Here's the store I got my Original from. They have a small selection of tubed cdp's. Check it out. http://stores.ebay.ca/HOTPRODUCTSTORE

F1nut

Carl, you stated in Maurice's thread, "I'm leaning towards the Ah! for the upsampling feature." FYI, the Jolida upsamples also at 24/96.

The only place to buy the AH! new is at Upscale Audio, so you won't find it at another dealer to demo. The only person here that I know of that owns both the AH! and Jolida is Beardog.

organ

F1,
How does the upsampling sound?

Upscale can be pricey but they hook you up with killer NOS when you buy something.

I did consider Jolida but didn't have the funds, then I ran into the Chi-Fi stuff.

F1nut

Tough to answer that question, it's always on.

W WALDECKER

schwarcw wrote:

An interesting thread post by Maurice providing convincing testimony abou the quaility of his Original CDP. I was wondering if any of you good Forum members auditioned the Original, Jolida and the Ah! Tajoe for a side by side playoff?


I have not heard any of these players but the tube CDP has me verry interested. On paper the Ah! with it's optionsal upsampling feature has my interest peaked. But I don't have a local HiFi shop with any of these players available to audition. I was hoping for you perspective and feedback on these units.

Hey man, there is a guy on the Audiocicles website selling a top shelf used Audio Aero Prima tubed CDP for $1200 if i didnt already own a good redbook player i would probably buy it myself. good luck finding a tubed CDP that you like. thanks....WCW III

Early B.

"Chi-fi" -- ha ha (never heard that term)

I have a Chinese made tube CDP -- Bada HD-22 -- that I bought off ebay a couple years ago. They are very difficult to find now. It replaced my comparably priced Cambridge Audio 640C and simply smoked it in every way in stock form. I had some minor mods done to it and the guy that modded it also mods Jolida CDP's, so we did an A/B test and they sounded identical; however, my CDP still had the stock tube in it. Once I did some tube rolling, it took the player to another level of performance.

I am a firm believer in Chinese gear. You have to know what to look for, though. And there's usually no warranty, if that matters to you.

SCompRacer

Carl, drop over Saturday and you can hear mine. We got my new IC's to demo, a couple of pre amps to compare, and were gonna see if this power conditioner I recently aquired affects the sound. Heck, it is only about.........an 8 hour drive.:D

jfb4548

I have a Jolida with level 2 mods. and I really enjoy it. Never had the chance to listen to the AH or for that matter even the Jolida in stock form, but never the less the Jolida is a solid preformer. Just make sure you upgrade the power cord. It was a completely differant animal with the simple addition of a cheep PS PowerPunch cord. Oh mine has basic EH tubes. They were part of the level 2 upgrade along with 90% of the other guts.

ND13

Don't forget about the Sheng Ya CD-S10
-Built like a tank(about 20 lbs)
-Philips transport
-Burr-Brown 24/96 DAC
-Burr-Brown opamps(digital outout)
-Solen Caps
-6DJ8/6922/7308 output tube
-12A*7 power supply tube
-HDCD decoding

All for $400-500, depending on dealer

I'm WAAAYYYY happy with mine and Halo has one and likes his, too.

SCompRacer did a head-to-head comparo with Halo's and his Ah!(w/upsampler) and had nothing but praise for the Sheng Ya, which is about half the cost of the Ah!(after the upgrade).

Good Luck with your quest

Midnite Mick

jfb4548 wrote:

I have a Jolida with level 2 mods. and I really enjoy it. Never had the chance to listen to the AH or for that matter even the Jolida in stock form, but never the less the Jolida is a solid preformer. Just make sure you upgrade the power cord. It was a completely differant animal with the simple addition of a cheep PS PowerPunch cord. Oh mine has basic EH tubes. They were part of the level 2 upgrade along with 90% of the other guts.

I purchased my Jolida as a demo and it came with the EH tubes. I really didn't like them as I felt they veiled the sound. Maybe it is a different story though with the modifications.

Mike

jfb4548

Midnite Mick wrote:

I purchased my Jolida as a demo and it came with the EH tubes. I really didn't like them as I felt they veiled the sound. Maybe it is a different story though with the modifications.

Mike

In what way? That surely isn't anything that I would say about them in mine. I havn't been able to do any tube rolling due to lack of funds, so I can't say your not 100% right...However the sound quality has been so good I really haven't had the itch to do it anyway. I have noticed that in my little tube pre, the 6922 EH's are not nearly as tube-like sounding as the JJ's it shipped with. More Solid State sounding if you will. Maybe the God's of $ will shine on me again and I can try something else. But till then I have to say I like my EH's in the Jolida.

halo

I have both the Sheng Ya CD-S10 and the Kavent CD-731 (USA version modded by KAVD) I don't hear a difference between the two but the cosmetics are a little different (see photos).

These players use one 12AU7 for the PS and one 6922 / 6DJ8 / 7308 for the output. Since you only have to purchase one output tube - tube rolling is easier and less expensive.

BSUfbfan just got a Sheng Ya CD-S10 and he loves it.

dorokusai

W WALDECKER wrote:

Hey man, there is a guy on the Audiocicles website selling a top shelf used Audio Aero Prima tubed CDP for $1200 if i didnt already own a good redbook player i would probably buy it myself. good luck finding a tubed CDP that you like. thanks....WCW III

I heard alot of Audio Aero gear at CES....very nice stuff.

Be unique, by something other than a Jolida or Ah!Tjoeb....like Organ and his Original.

Midnite Mick

jfb4548 wrote:

In what way? That surely isn't anything that I would say about them in mine. I havn't been able to do any tube rolling due to lack of funds, so I can't say your not 100% right...However the sound quality has been so good I really haven't had the itch to do it anyway. I have noticed that in my little tube pre, the 6922 EH's are not nearly as tube-like sounding as the JJ's it shipped with. More Solid State sounding if you will. Maybe the God's of $ will shine on me again and I can try something else. But till then I have to say I like my EH's in the Jolida.

It seemed that the overall tone was too low, closed sounding. I was missing a lot of the top end. I know of several others from another forum that tried the EH's as well (probably because that is one of the mods) and felt that the stock tubes were actually better. I received the player with the EH tubes in it and I was quite dissappointed in it. When I rolled some tubes and changed the cord I started to like it more. Although, I would like a little more resolution from it and have been thinking about sending it in for mods. I am just unsure when one considers the cost of shipping (US) whether it is in fact the best option.

Mike

F1nut

Mike, have you tried the Ei Elites?

I agree with your comments on the EH's, couldn't get them outta there fast enough.

mulveling

I've only owned the stock Jolida JD100a; it's a VERY nice CDP for the money if you buy used (audiogon $600) and IF you use good NOS tubes. I used Brimar CV4004's; those beat the crap out of the stock Chinese 12AX7's. My friend has the Audio Aero DAC w/ tubes; that thing sound amazing but then his entire system is top-notch (Halo JC1's, Legacy Signature III's, BAT VK31SE, Sony SCD-1 transport, Audio Aero DAC). My Meridian G08 is better than the Jolida, but again, the Jolida is sweet for the price (better than the Bel Canto DAC2 IMO). The Audio Aero is better than my G08. Tubes rule!

Sometimes I kind of miss the JD100a; I might buy it again at some point for a 2nd system. The headphone output SUCKS though - don't believe reviews that state otherwise

Midnite Mick

Jesse, no I have not yet. I do enjoy my system very much right now so that is probably why I have not been running out to try stuff. I am sure I will though as things can always be better.

I didn't know one could use tubes other than the 12AX7's. New to tubes as I am sure you can tell.

Mike

organ

Whoa, you're getting some very good suggestions and info here!
Glad to hear everybody is enjoying their tube cdp and that the Chinese stuff can really compete with the higher priced exotic units. One thing's for sure though. I won't be going back to ss cdp. I'm so happy with the Original and I haven't even started tube rolling yet. Can't wait to pop in a pair of Mullard in there.

Have any idea of which player you're going for, Carl?

Halo,
Very cool Sheng Ya and Kavent. Does tube rolling on the power supply give you a difference? I think that's pretty neat. It's like having a tube rectifier in a tube amp.

halo

organ wrote:

Halo,
Very cool Sheng Ya and Kavent. Does tube rolling on the power supply give you a difference? I think that's pretty neat. It's like having a tube rectifier in a tube amp.

I noticed a big difference when I replaced the stock Chinese 6n4 (6n4=12AU7) with a Raytheon 12AU7.

I've got Telefunken's in the Sheng Ya and Mullard's in the Kavent at the moment. Female vocals are amazing with the Tele's. The Mullard's are my favorite "all purpose" tubes so far.

BSUfbfan told me that swapping the stock 6n4 with a RCA "Cleartop" 12AU7 provided a substantial increase in gain. He was running the CDP straight to the amp (using the CDP's adjustable volume level instead of a pre).

These players blow the crap out of the Rotel RCD-1070 I used to have (and that was a nice CDP). Tube CDP's give you the ability to taylor the sound to your preferences via tube rolling. I don't think I'd ever go back to a SS CDP again.

Midnite Mick

Halo wrote:

ornec.com or a used unit from eBay or Audiogon instead.

Holy crap they have the best prices I have ever seen. I am sure they are not authorized however, but for those prices.

Mike

halo

Midnite Mick wrote:

Holy crap they have the best prices I have ever seen. I am sure they are not authorized however, but for those prices.

Mike

The prices are excellent but keep in mind that it is another $100 + for shipping from China.

Midnite Mick

I emailed the tube store (Canada) this morning as an interest in tube suggestion. I thought I would purchase a few given that they are so inexpensive and educate myself on the different sonics of different types. I will copy and paste both my email message and the reply that I received.

My email

I currently own the Jolida JD100 cd player and am looking to do a little tube rolling. It is compatible with the 12AX7 tubes. I have tried the EH tubes (sounded veiled, didn't like), and have a pair of Sovtek's WA in there right now. I like these tubes much better than the EH's (more open). I am wondering if there is a tube that would give me a little more resolution however, especially in the highs. Any suggestions? Thank you for your help.

Mike

The response

Most of our Jolida customers agree that the Ei Elite 12AX7E is the best tube for these units. Unfortunately we won't have stock for a week or two. Please check our website again because when we get stock our site will be updated immediately.
http://thetubestore.com/12ax7.html


Given this response I am suprised that you are the only one that has suggested these to me Jesse.

Mike

Midnite Mick

Halo wrote:

The prices are excellent but keep in mind that it is another $100 + for shipping from China. I could have a new Sheng Ya delivered to my door for just over $500 and it's already converted to run on 110V. Authorized? I think they offer a warranty but the shipping would kill ya. McAlister Audio can do repairs and or mods.

Oops. Didn't realize they were based out of China. I wonder how that would relate to purchasing from Canada.

Does anyone know if there is a place in Canada that can do mods on gear. I am interested of doing some to the jolida but crossing the border gets expensive.

Mike

F1nut

Listen to your Uncle Jesse.

Midnite Mick

F1nut wrote:

Listen to your Uncle Jesse.

Yes Sir.:D

Mike

halo

The Ei elite gold pin is the best $10 tube out there in my opinion. Jessie suggested these to me as well and my jaw dropped open when I swapped out the stock JAN Phillips 6922 for the Ei 6DJ8.

Ei elite gold pin tubes available here:

TUBE DEPOT

TUBES DIRECT

TRIODE ELECTRONICS

McAlister Audio doesn't sell these players. Aside from manufacturing and selling tube amps he does do mods and repair work on other electronics (audio gear).

schwarcw

organ wrote:

Whoa, you're getting some very good suggestions and info here!

Have any idea of which player you're going for, Carl?

Wow! I've been sitting back watching this thread develop. There have been a lot of good suggestions for sure. I have not heard anyone say anything about the reliability or any customer service issues with these players. That's an important factor. The Chinese units are very interesting, the Jolida and the Ah! are assembled in the USA with components from who knows where. This is not an easy decision without actually hearing them. I'm interested to hear from Rich and his side by side listening experience. The good news is for around $600 there are a lot of good options.

Carl

organ

Halo wrote:

I noticed a big difference when I replaced the stock Chinese 6n4 (6n4=12AU7) with a Raytheon 12AU7.

I've got Telefunken's in the Sheng Ya and Mullard's in the Kavent at the moment. Female vocals are amazing with the Tele's. The Mullard's are my favorite "all purpose" tubes so far.

BSUfbfan told me that swapping the stock 6n4 with a RCA "Cleartop" 12AU7 provided a substantial increase in gain. He was running the CDP straight to the amp (using the CDP's adjustable volume level instead of a pre).

These players blow the crap out of the Rotel RCD-1070 I used to have (and that was a nice CDP). Tube CDP's give you the ability to taylor the sound to your preferences via tube rolling. I don't think I'd ever go back to a SS CDP again. Anyone considering a used Rotel RCD-1070 or 1072 for $500 should really look into a new Sheng Ya from ornec.com or a used unit from eBay or Audiogon instead.

That's great. You have more flexibility when it comes to customizing your sound. Looks like you have a good mixture of tubes there. Tele tend to be detailed, neutral and somewhat analytical (I love my tele X7) and the Mullard adds the warmth and smoothness.

You're absolutely right. I'm never going back to ss cdp's as well:). Please let me know if you know of any super warm and creamy sounding U7. That's what I'd like to roll in my Original next.