Joule Electra preamps and amps. What is your impression?

Thank you Charles for the compliment.

Inna, another thing to consider is that Jud Barber, the sole proprietor of Joule Electra, has retired. If you ever need service, you will have to look elsewhere.

I see you are asking whether the preamp will work well with solid state amps. I did own a solid state amp at the same time that I owned the LA-150MKII, a Belles Reference 150a. The LA-150MKII was a nice match with the Belles solid state amp, with a relatively big soundstage and a non-edgy presentation, but not as three dimensional and immediate sounding as the VZN-80. The VZN-80 also had a larger, more fleshed out sound than the Belles. I thought of other reasonably priced solid state amps that might sound good with the LA-150MKII, ones from McCormack and Pass in particular, but never got around to trying any of them.

Thaluza, 
Thank you. The owner's retirement may or may not be a complication for me, I would have to think about it.
Yeah, I like the idea of all tube electronics, SS amp would most likely be a temporary solution, though I would do my best to avoid even that.

Inna,

Good luck with your journey! I really liked the LA-150MKII. Joule made an excellent preamp with built in phono, the LAP-150. Have you considered looking for one of these? Signature Sound is a good source for used Joule gear if you decide you still want Joule. If you buy from them, you can feel more comfortable about your purchase since they used to be dealers and still perform repairs.

Thaluza,

Appreciate your guidance. Yes, I would consider built-in phono too, but I strongly prefer separate phono stage. It also allows me to record onto tape directly not through tape-out.

Inna, you might want to consider Aesthetix for an all tube system. I was also considering Joule at one point, but the lack of factory and dealer support made me rethink the product line.

Best of luck with your search.

JIm Perry