Jolida 202 amp bass problem

I have had this amp for 3 years and tried different tubes(sovtek and svetlana el34's), tube coolers, and an equalizer, but I can't get acceptable bass response. I got this used, and wonder if there is a possible fix I haven't tried or if there might be something wrong with the amp. It is biased correctly. :5:

I got one in November of last year. It's a newer model that has a blue power indicator light as opposed to the green light on the older versions. It's supposed to have some minor improvements over the older models as well, but I'm not sure what they are. I'll describe my tube-rolling experiences.

I haven't swapped the EL34s yet. With all the stock tubes, mine was a little sloppy in the bass and it didn't seem like the bass was as extended as it could be. However, I must say that I was pleased with the sound. But I got curious and decided to try some different tubes. I started with the 12AT7s swapping them with some German-made nos RCAs. These tightened up the bass and extended it as well. Next, I tried some nos RCA 7025s in place of the stock 12AX7s. These seemed to add detail in the entire frequency range, but most obviously in the midrange. I did a little research and discovered that most users claim changing the preamp and driver tubes (12AX7s & 12AT7s for the Jolida 202) have the biggest impact on the character of sound.

I switched from a solid state preamp/amp combo to the Jolida mainly to try the authentic tube sound. I was willing to put up with sluggish bass response and a little more background noise. But the Jolida is quieter than my old gear and with the new tubes, the bass is just as tight, but has more impact or immediacy. I picked the 202 because it was supposed to be the model that best replicated the authentic tube sound and I don't need a lot of power in my small listening room. The size of your listening room and your speakers (are they easy to drive?) are some things you might want to consider too.

I bought mine through www.spearitsound.com and dealt with the man with the coolest name in audio - Dick Moulding. Their website has a link to Jolida's. Maybe you can email Jolida for help or email spearit sound. They take trades if you think you may need more power. Finally, not everyone is enamoured with tubes. Without more info, you might be happier with solid state. Budget tube integrateds like the Jolida sell pretty fast on audiogon.

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Originally Posted by Bill K Davis

I have had this amp for 3 years and tried different tubes(sovtek and svetlana el34's), tube coolers, and an equalizer, but I can't get acceptable bass response. I got this used, and wonder if there is a possible fix I haven't tried or if there might be something wrong with the amp. It is biased correctly. :5:

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Some speakers require more damping than others, and if your amp doesn't have this there's very little to be done. Changing speakers, or the amp is the only choice.

Thanks again. Your answers and Robert Harley's book are clearing things up some. I'm going to try some Stabilant on my speaker connectors. My speakers are B&W DM5's with a 95 sensitivity( these speakers are from 1973). They have lots of bass with a solid state amp. I will try different 12AT7's also. I got this amp for the same reason, to try out this tube amp sound, and it is rewarding.

I bought this amp used, and hurriedly put it together to see if it would work. When I pulled the Jan 12ax 7 tubes out,after 2 years of use, I saw the prongs were, purple and black, shiny, and kind of pretty. I realized this was probably bad, brushed the prongs with pot cleaner metal brush ,and treated with Deoxit. There is an improvement.

I have my Jolida 202 since 2005. I tried several speakers and several tubes, including JJ (prior Tesla). Finally I decided to leave it with its original Jolida output tubes and 4 Electro-Harmonix 12AX7 tubes. The Triangle Cometes ES were the last speakers I used, with good results in mids and highs, but then I heard about the Tannoy Mercury V4 speakers, a five stars tower speakers with a sensitivity of 91dB and a very affordable price; so I decided to take the risk. What happened? For the first time I heard the Jolida bringing beautiful bass, very natural and deep enough without loosing detail and clarity in mids and highs, and with a huge, impressive sounstage! As I use to listen Classical and Jazz most of the time, I even don't use the subwoofer anymore (if you listen to Rock maybe you will need it). So the conclusion here is that the Jolida 202 is capable of giving good bass response by its own. It will depends of what kind of speaker you will use.