These highly modified Jolida JD801 amplifiers must be heard to
fully understand their true potential. Customers and industry
professionals, including recording studio engineers, have
commented that they have never heard a better sounding
integrated tube unit priced under $5k. These amplifiers are
another Response Audio classic in the making and quickly
becoming our most sought after upgrade.
With 70 glorious watts of 6550/KT88 tube power, your speakers
and ears will thank you.
Below is a list of the upgrades performed on these units
before releasing them to you for your listening pleasure.
Platinum
Series JD801A
-
SoniCap Platinum
Teflon capacitors installed in the signal path - 4 pieces
-
SoniCap ground
capacitors used in signal stage.- 2 pieces
-
"Little Devil" 1
watt, 1% Carbon resistors utilized in the grid stopper
location. These combine the transparency of a good metal
film with the warmth of a good vintage carbon composition
resistor without the noise and drift.
-
Mills 5 watt
non-inductive resistors replacing the Tube emitter cushion
resistors.
-
Power supply
filter capacitors upgraded to higher capacitance/low ESR
pieces (x4 pieces)
-
Sonicap high
voltage capacitors used as bypass units in the power supply
-
Dale/Vishay 1 watt
1% non-magnetic resistors used throughout the signal path.
We have chosen to replace all original 1/2 watt pieces with
the 1 watt pieces for a quieter operation.
-
Dale/Vishay 3 watt
1%, non-magnetic resistors utilized in the bias stage for
lower noise
-
Fairchild "Ultra
Fast - Soft Recovery" 8A diodes are utilized in the
rectifying stage of the power supply.
-
Aluminum backed
damping material added for improved resonation and noise
control
-
Alps Blue volume
control maintained for a smooth presentation
-
All internal
signal wiring replaced with 22 awg custom copper wiring.
-
High quality RoHS
Silver solder used throughout
-
Biased then bench
tested for 2 hours
-
Minimum 12 hour
burn in
-
Labor - 6 hours
-
Warranty - 5 year
parts and labor on all work performed
Modification Price: $760
What Some Of Our Customers Are Saying:
.........After playing this new
unit with all my original gear I was stunned. The mids
(especially voice ) grabbed me in the gut. Sometimes, when I
play Miles Davis( the bitches brew ) I'm stunned with how awe
inspiring the instruments are. If you are thinking about tubes
I'd start talking to Bill and let him lead u out of the
wilderness.
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Bob Smith of
SP Technology Loudspeakers
wrote this, after listening to our Reference Jolida 801 with
V-Caps at a recent Chicago Audio Society demo:
..........."Also, we absolutely must thank Bill Baker of
Response Audio for building the incredible sounding Jolida 801's
that were used. I guess its about time I shut up about tube amps
'cause I didn't know what I was talking about in the past. Those
babies were incredible! They didn't have the mushy low end or
edgy highs I've heard from tube amps in the past. Although I
will make one point in my own defense. I've always said that
there was no reason that tubes COULDN'T sound as good as S-S,
just that few manufacturers ever make them. Well...Bill's one
that DOES! That thing was one of the best amps I've ever heard -
PERIOD." <
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>
........To borrow a phrase to describe not only the speakers but
the system "They have an expansive, very natural, harmonious
sound, and at the same time, they present great musical detail
(but without being etched or aggressive)". That describes the
system............
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Shown below is my personal Reference 801 amp with Translucent
Emerald Green face and tranny cover top plates. Custom laser
engraving has not yet been done on this piece. Other features in
this amp include remote volume control and a main-in feature to
be used with an outboard preamp. Now running Valve Art KT88
tubes with over 1200 hours of use.
The
overall presentation will give you a sense of realism never
experienced in the past.
Use
of only the best available components is standard practice in
the Reference -801A. To guarantee unsurpassed performance, we
use Reference Grade Teflon capacitors, top quality resistors for
individual locations, Dale/Vishay 1 watt, 1% Metal Film
resistors throughout the signal path, high purity 24 awg copper
wire for signal inputs, Fairchild "Ultra Fast-Soft Recovery"
diodes, upgraded power supply filter capacitors, and much
more!!. Please remember each amplifier is custom built and they
take time to manufacture, but I assure you they are well worth
the wait. Built to provide a lifetime of musical bliss, the
Platinum 801A is probably the best sounding integrated amp on
the market today. At any price
Below, the Reference RA801 is shown driving a pair of SP
Technologies Continuum speakers at the June 27, Chicago Audio
Society meeting
