Joule Electra preamps and amps. What is your impression?


Never auditioned them. Thinking about replacing my SS integrated. Lamm, VAC etc. are out of reach.  Also, how would Joule preamp work with some SS amp, say, Rowland # 2 or older Pass or something like that ?
My Redgum integrated is very dynamic with excellent drive and bass so I won't sacrifice that even for a more natural and sophisticated.
inna
I am a big fan of the 845 in single ended mode. Have heard it in push pull Japanese Triode amp. sounded good there although hard to tell with the Adagio speakers. The Ulyanov GM-70's are powerful, musical with a little more brashness then the 300B. Wouldn't ever through it out of bed however.

Jim

Rich, maybe I'm just lucky but I live within two miles of two Interstates, six miles from a military air station, and within sight of three TV transmission towers.  Still, I never experienced any RFI in my Joule phono stage, in either low or high gain.

And inna, as Rich will likely agree, Merlin speakers are a very good match with JE electronics.  Jud and Bobby demoed together several years at CES.

@soundsrealaudio ... Only ONE Joule preamp (model/version) used the Russian 6C45 and 6H30 "super" tubes... The LA-150MK1 line stage (you can also find this line stage in the few LAP150MK1 preamps made (NB: a LAP is a joule line stage and phono preamp [a OPS-1] in a full function two chassis [power supply in separate outboard chassis] full function preamp. LAXXX preamps are only line stages). If a Joule preamp sounded small, IMO there was something wrong with it... Not something I have experienced or many owners I have talked to over the years have heard with them. If you ever get a chance to hear a LA150SE or a LA-300ME, give it a spin - I think you may find it to your liking. :-)  I do understand we all have our individual preferences though when it comes to what tubes and tube designs sound best. :-)

The LA-100(MK1 through MKIII) used 5751 and 6350 tubes in the line stage and LA-150MKII line stages used four 6350 tubes in the line stage.

I am also not a big fan of the Russian tubes (sound wise), but even for using those tubes the LA-150MK1 line stage was pretty good sounding... I do think that the LA-100MKIII and the LA-150MKII line stage designs (so the later includes the 150SE and the LA300ME variants) were Jud's best sounding efforts.

@pryso The phono preamps can be odd that way. Generally they are not prone to picking up radio stations, but I have one customer who seems to be in the right spot to pick up a certain FM radio station... RFI can be odd that way . . .  it can be something about slight differences in wiring layout or even tube chosen that can cause it to happen or not.

Those CES shows with Jud and Bobby bring back fond memories and were great fun... And also some sadness with Jud's wife Marinanne passing some years ago and just last year Bobby. I do miss them both.

Happy Listening
Rich Brkich
Signature Sound
It is Michael Green Audio Revolution 80i free resonance speakers.
I've not been able to find any information on this speaker, but in general it appears that the speakers on Michael Green's site are pretty tube-friendly in terms of impedance and phase angles. They do need a bit more power but that is usually not a problem for OTLs.
Ralph, thank you. When I switched from 60 watt/ch amp to 120 watt/ch amp, both ss integrated, there was a big improvement at all volume levels, though the current amp is of higher quality too. But I can definitely hear that the increased power is beneficial. So 60 watt/ch of tube power should be just right, and 100 watts wouldn't hurt.