Totally Tubular: The Tube Thread

"Possible cost".............You have the OGs as backups, which have plenty of life on them on the outside chance you have one go out. It was just one thing I didn't want to think about, more than anything, it was an honest judgement on myself. I knew I'd start trying different tubes turning it into a money pit. So moving from the PL was more about removing temptation and saving my wallet from myself, lol.

I really do miss it though.

Yeah it’s perfectly possible, if you’re happy to stick to the same tube and they remain affordable/in production, to just a have a couple of the same on hand and swap them out individually as and when they die and only be left buying one or two at a time to keep as backup stock. It’s the wanting to try different types of tube that ends up breaking the bank!

Yeah I've had to just take the thought of trying different tubes off the table. Hopefully I don't have to worry about any replacements for a little bit.

Today is my last day before I move so I'll be packing up the pl today.
 
@gafacaode

You may have started something. I didn’t realize you can still get the JoLida JD202BRC new on Amazon.

The 202 is nice as shipped from the factory. But it can also be seriously upgraded- power supply, resistors, capacitors. The transformers are seriously good, everything else is point to point wired- no circuit boards.

I know one of the most knowledgeable JoLida modification experts in the US. I haven’t been in contact in quite a while and hope my contact info is still good.

Anyway the wheels are turning in my head. Buy one, ship it to him for all possible mods, have him ship it to me.

Stay tuned.
 
Yeah I've had to just take the thought of trying different tubes off the table. Hopefully I don't have to worry about any replacements for a little bit.

Today is my last day before I move so I'll be packing up the pl today.

Tubes will fail at different rates, like lightbulbs, so it’s always handy to keep a couple spare. But because of the adaptive autobias on the PL you don’t need to change them all, just each one individually as they fail.
 
Yeah I've had to just take the thought of trying different tubes off the table. Hopefully I don't have to worry about any replacements for a little bit.

Today is my last day before I move so I'll be packing up the pl today.

Also one moving tip. If you still have the boxes for the tubes take them out of the amp and package them in their boxes. Prevents any accidents, however unlikely, happening during the move.

This is more for the big power tubes. The little ones should be ok.
 
@gafacaode

You may have started something. I didn’t realize you can still get the JoLida JD202BRC new on Amazon.

The 202 is nice as shipped from the factory. But it can also be seriously upgraded- power supply, resistors, capacitors. The transformers are seriously good, everything else is point to point wired- no circuit boards.

I know one of the most knowledgeable JoLida modification experts in the US. I haven’t been in contact in quite a while and hope my contact info is still good.

Anyway the wheels are turning in my head. Buy one, ship it to him for all possible mods, have him ship it to me.

Stay tuned.
KLIPSCH AND TUBES, KLIPSCH AND TUBES, KLIPSCH AND TUBES
 
@gafacaode

You may have started something. I didn’t realize you can still get the JoLida JD202BRC new on Amazon.

The 202 is nice as shipped from the factory. But it can also be seriously upgraded- power supply, resistors, capacitors. The transformers are seriously good, everything else is point to point wired- no circuit boards.

I know one of the most knowledgeable JoLida modification experts in the US. I haven’t been in contact in quite a while and hope my contact info is still good.

Anyway the wheels are turning in my head. Buy one, ship it to him for all possible mods, have him ship it to me.

Stay tuned.
Oooooh, interesting!
 
@gafacaode

You may have started something. I didn’t realize you can still get the JoLida JD202BRC new on Amazon.

The 202 is nice as shipped from the factory. But it can also be seriously upgraded- power supply, resistors, capacitors. The transformers are seriously good, everything else is point to point wired- no circuit boards.

I know one of the most knowledgeable JoLida modification experts in the US. I haven’t been in contact in quite a while and hope my contact info is still good.

Anyway the wheels are turning in my head. Buy one, ship it to him for all possible mods, have him ship it to me.

Stay tuned.

Oooooh, interesting!

I’m here to follow this story!
 
Also one moving tip. If you still have the boxes for the tubes take them out of the amp and package them in their boxes. Prevents any accidents, however unlikely, happening during the move.

This is more for the big power tubes. The little ones should be ok.

Yup @anthonyl packaged everything amazingly well so I still have the original boxes and they'll be going with me on the drive instead of with the movers for, hopefully, extra safety.
 
Well, I’ve talked with my guy. I’ll be ordering one and shipping it straight to him. I’ll get it back with full upgrades in a couple of months.
Oh, FYI- the JD202 is not point to point wired as I’d read online. I questioned it because every other JoLida amp I’ve owned or seen used PC boards.

Also my guy told me the JD202 is the worst one to modify labor wise because of the use of double sided circuit boards- that is parts on both the top and bottom. He did say it could be made into a giant killer.
 
Well, the JoLida is out. No way to use headphones or connect a headphone amp.

Y’all know I love Manley gear. I stumbled across a deal on a Stingray integrated- an amp that I’ve heard long term and have kicked myself for not buying. I may be fixing that.

I was gonna say you should hunt down a KingKo, but sadly it doesn't look like one has even been on sale used since 2021. I feel like I own a unicorn.
 
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