Hifi Bargain ! JungSon JA-1/JA-99C preamp and amplifier review (standard version)
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- Опубліковано 14 жов 2024
- Jungson is a chinese hifi manufacturer that is primarily a chinese (Chifi) amplifier brand. They Mainly make audiophile amplifiers and pre-amplifiers. This is their preamp and amp review !
Disclaimer: Before the review, It was decided that the Jungson combo review unit will be given away on my patreon. nbtsmedia.com/...
To buy or for more info: www.china-hifi...
If you like amzaon, Jungson on amazon:
USA: amzn.to/3hzsWvm
Canada: amzn.to/32pDLtJ
for gear tier & recommendation list, frequent giveaways and auctions: / nbts
Instagram: / nbtstudio2017
Facebook: / next-best-thing-studio...
Twitter: / nbtstudio2017
#Amplifier #preamplifier #audiophile
Disclaimer: Before the review, It was decided that the Jungson combo review unit will be given away on my patreon.
Disclaimer/ Personal interest in my reviews can be read on nbtsmedia.com/about-us/
To buy or for more info (choose the correct voltage for your country): www.china-hifi-audio.com/en/jungson-audio-amplifier-cd-player-c-27/jungson-ja-1-ja-99c-class-a-balanced-preamp-power-amplifier-ver-standard-20th-p-1017?zenid=d80eb668b8d9bc5cd7d4d31d29b9736c
If you like amzaon, Jungson on amazon:
USA: amzn.to/3hzsWvm
Canada: amzn.to/32pDLtJ
Nice looking amp!! You have completely stepped up your A game. The filming and editing is very good.
in all fairness, and of course that should be mentioned in that case along with the disclaimer, the giveaway should only concern the patreons at the day before the date of the video. Just to avoid people jumping in for the chance of winning and cancelling right after.
I'm not a patreon myself but I see those giveaways as rewards for the people that support your work in the long run, so it would only be fair to only have them in the giveaway. But it's your channel, your call, you decide.
I'm just worried that all of a sudden you get a lot more patreons (good) and as soon as the giveaway is over a lot of the new ones are gone. Hopefully it's not the case.
@@brunohebert1351 the winner is already announced on patreon before the video is released to the public
@@Jayiyagi That's great! Congrats on the winner! Thank you for your reply.
I own the Jungson JA88D and your discribtion of the sound is spot on. I’ve often seen this amp described as warm sounding and it’s not. On the the other hand it’s never harsh sounding either (even at very loud wolumes) and that could well be what’s mistanken for warmness. Anyhow, great review and I too love the meters!
Great review Jay ...and I really glad someone is reviewing stuff from China hifi as they have loads of great amps and speakers that should be reviewed ..as there is so little info on them apart from website specs. Thanks again but please see if you can do a few more budget valve amps
I have the amp and I love it. When I did my research I found an article that the original designer died in a car accident and the manufacturer that was building the amp bought the designs and continues to make them true to the original design.
Nice. I'm thinking about getting this Amp. Did you compared it to other amps, have you had any issues with it?
Is the front clear piece glass or plastic?
@@JuanLega sorry I thought I got emails when a reply was posted...anyway a year later and it's still my daily drive and I cannot say enough good things about it. No issues at all and I would say its equivalent to gear 3x or even 4x it's price. The front window is glass..btw...one more observation I have recently replaced my DAC with the Denfrips Aryes ll and it has tamed the brightness and made it sound significantly warmer. Also just got a pair of Mofi Sourcepoint 10's and have fallen in love with my system all over again.
These are highly rated amps ... Incredible unbeatable value .... Never seen this quality at anywhere near this price
Glad you are reviewing chinese audio!I have Mark Levinson ML 2 clone JC3 25 wpc dual mono class A amp and and a BRZhifi JC2 dual mono class A preamp recently aquired from China that I'm impressed with! Excellent build quality,and has the same sonic signature as the units you just reviewed for under $1000 dollars.if these units were built in Europe or America,they would be at least $5,000.also,I have a Chinese tube preamp in the signal path to buffer some of the brightness of the power amp,just by tweeking between the two volume controls gives the listener tonal variation.i'm happy with these units!
Man, this looks so nice! Wish more companies would make amps with VU meters.
vaishal27 YES!
YES...maby start another monster amp war, ...careful what you wish for... recently i have gone the other direction, minimalist systems..., im slowly selling off a 20 year vintage analog stereo collection on ebayy. Look me up at immarich. (Seller).
They do.. Yamaha , Teac..many more
Most audio companies do. Nothing special here.
Jay you have the bad ass job . I remember when I was into cycling and got a job at a cycling shop I loved going to work everyday . Wish I worked at a place like you I understand it’s sales and service but you are doing something you love
Noticed the power caps were rated at 85'c so I would agree that this amp will probably run 10/12w in class A before switching to class B. A general problem here in the UK is Chinese mains which run 220v. Our mains often run above 240v which can cause reliability problems with Chinese gear, particularly valve amps which tends to put me off buying. Nice review again Jay.
These amps are available for 100v - 110v - 115v - 120v - 220v - 230v & 240v power input.
you should try ShengYa integrated amplifier you gonna surprise by it is performance .. it is very good hybrid class AB amplifier .. and some model have both class A and AB
I agree. I had the Preamplifier SA-T1 branded Vincent Audio but is still Shengya anyway. Best Tube Preamplifier I ever enjoyed.
@@xray111xxx my friend bought Shengya A17CS he use it with Tekton Double Impact
he love it so much even more than his Hegel H160
hi Jay... I'm from Chile, I always watch your reviews and I just need a little advice. I have a chance to buy the Jungson JA-99 power or the Parasound Halo A23 + ... which one would you choose? I listen a lot of jazz, smooth jazz, many instrumental music and funk (sometimes). For now my source is a Pro-Ject Pre Box S2 DAC, a NAD CD player and a Technics SL1200 MKII. I have Kef R300 loudspeakers and a pair of JBL L112. Thanks a lot and I really appreciate your help!
I had the JA-88D integrated version of this for a few years. While it did sound good, those blue LEDs started to fail one by one, and afer a few years it started to have an intermitted crackling. There is a screwdriver provided to adjust some trimpots to get the bias right, but no instructions on how to do this. Good luck trying to get any service or resale value from a faulty unit...
Most amplifiers led will fail eventually I have a Marantz integrated amp made in Japan It’s led display failed after few years too
@@LengKLeong For sure, caps will eventually fail, etc., but these issues were right from the first year.
Connect it to an oscilloscope with an eight and a four ohm load. Do a frequency sweep, and check it!
A bridged monoblock version of the amplifier would be a nice upgrade option.
They use a magnetized lid for the remote (it may have gotten a bit demagnetized over time). Rub a magnet on the lid for a few minutes in one direction and It will be remagnetized and good to go. Seriously, this shouldn't be a 'quality control' complaint man. My Jungson's fkin awesome!
Very true. nevertheless, this happened within a week of me receiving the unit and something people should be aware of - which ties in with the risks of buying directly from china.
@@Jayiyagi Dude, while you guys are all busy complaining about the "charity" price that the Chinese offered for this level of high quality electronics (charity recipients shouldn't whine, in general!), they also currently and quietly lead the world in AI, defense products, renewables, civil engg, nuclear fusion, whatever the fk you want. So, folks who have this bias that anything coming outta China is sht will be swallowing their words in just a li'l while. I have YET to see one stoopid Chinese engineer in my 30 years of slamming heads in the engineering world. But, there's plenty of stoopid ass engineers all around where i work in the home town homey! A very basic assessment and observation of one's own pathetic contribution to the world should make one a tad bit more humble.
@@wa2368 100 percent. But that does not mean I should not point things out. I have 0 problems with chinese hifi gear myself. But there are obvious things that must be pointed out for individuals that are not aware.
Cheers and rock on
saw this video , do you think it will pair well with my klipsch La Scalas ?????
Hi Jay, congratulations on flying solo. I know Adrian and the crew will miss you, but I'm sure you'll help them out from time to time. Best wishes.
How many times has anyone here rolled his eyes when watching a movie and an actor announced mate in one and his opponent reacted in shock? This series did justice to chess.
Thanks for the Interesting review of this stack. have you shot a review of those Tekton Lores though? I’d be verrrry interested to view that! Seems to not be a very widely-reviewed Tekton model .
Fyi 99% of all the components still come from china regardless of brand. You be a hypocrite not to admit it, thus doesn't even warrant a discussion.
Thanks Jay, another interesting review *thumbs up*
Off-topic but I'm looking at three speakers right now. The wharfedale 11.2 vs the 225. Is it worth the price difference and how to both Stack Up against the triangle bro3? It is so hard to find wharfedale reviews. I'm leaning towards wharfedale because most of the time I won't have a choice but to put it a little too high and backup to a wall. I could pull them down and out when I break out the vinyl. Any other recommendations in this price range would be appreciated as well. Preferably in white. I don't care but the wife does hahaha. It sounds like elac would be a little too dark and boring but the Klipsch 600 m might be a bit too bright for me if that helps.
Sean said he read on the inner webs that people have tested the amp and gave the specs you said
Great video. Im a subscriber now. Keep up the good work.
Do you feel that choice of speakers can compliment some of the stacks weaknesses?
looks like the German designed Vincent power amps which operate in A for 10 watts of the 150/channel.
Looks like you are describing the Denafirps Hestia and Hyperon combination like what Sean reviewed? looks like the same build quality also. Nice review mate
When are you going to do a review on the Buchardt A500? What are your thoughts with the new active design? I'm a bit disappointed they don't have a passive version to pair with my Hegel H120.
S400?
Great light and image quality.
I just received my amplifier direct from china. Wow those side fins are sharp, be careful when lifting from sides will cut your finger? better lift it holding front and back,, :(
You said these seem reliable, well built, but how can you trust a company that is so far off on their numbers as to what in class a etc? You also said the capacitors are somewhat of the same quality but that's a very vague statement. Not to be negative and I'm certainly not audio snob since I'm running outlaw amps and looking to upgrade.
I stated what I see and hear. it is your decision to see if the company can be trusted or not. Not everything is black and white - can it be trusted? (in some aspects no, aka the power rating. In some aspects yes, the thing seems to be built very well and they have lasted in the business for a very long time and have good reputation overall) - how else should I have put it? I am open to suggestions and criticisms for my future videos.
Capacitors are somewhat of the same quality as far as my expertise can extend by looking at them
and the markings of the brands and so forth
but I am not going to tear apart the capacitors and measure each one to see if it "measures" better...
hope that clarifies things.
cheers
Many audio companies are far off on their numbers, intentionally...
Awesome, I have been thinking about buying the stack.
I am on the hunt for a Class A power amp for around the $1000-1300 range. The JA-99C seems like natural fit for my Tektons... Thoughts? (If there is something else to recommend I am all ears)
I was wondering what voltage you order for your gear from China? Here in Ottawa, I see 119-121 VAC at the outlet. China HiFi usually provides 110, 115 and 120V options.
Canada uses 120V.
Sounds a lot like youre describing Crown studio reference amp and Crown macro reference.
Would this amp be able to drive properly hard-to-drive monitors like Raidho D1.1 with 85 dB at 6 ohms?
🤩Vincent mono Amps first 100w class A ..than AB to 300w on 8 Ohm..600w on 4 Ohm made in Germany vor extrem Good value. But you can cook on them 🤩
How does the power amp perform with the SoundArtist preamp? Pls share some info on that. Much appreciated. Thank you
Do you know how expensive shipping to EU of the JA99C without the pre will be? I really want a good non-class D power amp under 1000€ and this looks really great.
No idea. You would have to ask chinahifi
I am an audiophile looking to power my Bose acoustamass 5s..... will this amp be on par with these particular audiophile speakers??
Also... would this be better than my Pyle amp I use to drive them now?
Audiophile and Bose in the same sentence? Well I never....
Do yourself a favor please, spend money speakers first. There are a bunch of speakers that are less than $500 that will outperform those Bose by a mile. That will have far more impact than changing the amp out. Also really bad a idea to pair a $2,000 stack with these POS. Also almost any amplifier will out perform any Pyle.
Oh no, I think I fell for this post.
@@billybunter3753
L😷L
Sarcasm people!!
@@ufarkingicehole Yes I realized, hence my silly comment.
Used McIntosh VU meters go from $400-600. That’s used. That’s just the VU meters.
McIntosh is becoming a thing of nostalgia vs cutting edge. I heard an ARCAM that put a similarly priced Mc in perspective. It was a that's really good to wow...another level
I am glad I didn't buy the parasound +21. I am now torn between a Chronus magnus 3 and similar priced Hegel for 1.7i maggies
Not sure what that's got to do with anything? VU meters are cheap as chips to manufacture, Mouser Cpc you can buy good ones for less than 10 dollar. Besides all objectivity has gone once you accept review items for commercial gain.
jon be That’s the point. They are cheap and it’s ridiculous that high end manufacturers charge a lot for their equipment with VU meters. It’s nice to see that for $2K someone can get into a Class A system rather than $6K plus.
@@jonbe8304 it has to do with Companies like McIntosh who live off of an amazing reputation and maintain high prices while the rest of the world is/has caught up or passed them
Jay will you be revieweing the EX-P7 preamp soon? I love mine but it’s the only $2k preamp i’ve owned. Would love your thoughts.
Yeap. Soon !
I looked into them, when you suggested it might work for me, but in the end I found a Parasound A 23 and I love that amp with the Pendragons. But the meters are nice. Looking to find a set of meters to add, just for the look but they're hard to find for a good price.
Jay, I am looking at both the Schitt Freya+ and the Jungson JA-1 as preamp for my Parasound HCA-2205A. The Jungson looks to be great build quality at a much lower price, however the Freya+ while being more expensive does offer a 5 year warranty and good service. Is there any compelling reason for me to side with one or the other?
Comments between this amp and Adcom Gfa 555????
Great review and find. Appreciate the exposure to consumer direct companies. Now, what about those denafrips amps in the background? 😉
Those are dacs lmaoo. Yea i know.. Monsters..
The Next Best Thing Studio wtf...
Hmmm... Have you tried Shengya`s amplifiers?
how would you compare this with the kinki studio amp m1+ or M7?
Wow, you know your stuff bro. Great review
Great advice Jay (7.33 mark) beautiful units.
Great review.
Hi, great review about this intriguing product. When will be the giveway and from when we need to be patreon member to be elegible? Thank you!
Giveaway draw is made at the exact moment the video goes live. This is to make it so that people jumping into patreon just for certain giveaways won't be included in the draw as this is not fair for real supporters
@@Jayiyagi I understand thank you! Count me in September 1st for the next one! I would have like to have a shot at this one!
a comparison with FW F7 would be interesting given the price difference..
Quite very different. If you go back to the f7 review... This ones entirely different. Opposite even
How about value , since f7 about 3 times the price of JS
Heck Yeah jay ! Gotta love VU meters I got 4 total with VU ! Yammy AS-1100/
Yammy C.A.810, SANSUI G-8000 and My Onkyo Integra M504 ! ' I been hypnotized"
Thanks Jay great job ! The Sansui Is 42 years old !
Wonder why Sean’s preamp had a schematic printed on the transformer shield
you really need to review the amp without the preamp to make a good comparison to higher end amps.
Hello Jay.
Nice vídeo, thank you.
You HAVE to try Audio-gd and Line Magnetic gear.
I'd say about 25w class A ....then AB to 80-100w.... 25w is plenty for most speakers
Where do you find this for $2000 including shipping? The Amazon price for the amplifier ALONE is $1250 (US), and the preamp is not listed.
Check the description...
sadly VERY FEW review of Jungson on youtube.
it has something do to with HOW the company communicate with customers.
Phillips head screws... why? Why do these crappy screws continue to endure?
How do you reckon they drive the Raal SR1A?
Probably excellent actually but thats just a guess
Great lookin amp and pre, id like to try it.
Do your thing man...
Doing very good job friend
Price？
This is a great product but to compare it to the hagel I think that's a little far stretched
Hey Jay , do you like the Willsenton better than this stack?
Just for the amplifier, comparing Jungson to the XTZ edge on sound quality, which one do you prefer ? i am looking a amp for my dali ikon6 . the small size of XTZ edge impress me. thanks!
I question the number of China HiFi products you have reviewed. Sound Artist, Willsenton and now Jungson. Should I?
people like affordable and people expressed interest in me reviewing more stuff from china hifi. Ever since the Sc8b review and the willsenton r8 review.
What do you question here exactly. I would be more than happy to clear it up.
@@Jayiyagi ok, you say it's by popular demand. Not saying you are, but you could be perceived as marketing China Hifi. That could be percieved as undermining your objectivity and credibility. As I said, i am discussing a potential impression people could have. Second point: buying direct is good in terms of lowering prices. However, there is no trial period or return policy for China hifi products. Buy something and it's yours forever. Because of that a lot rides on your positive reviews. Without them people might be less inclined to buy. Hence my questioning of the appropriateness of perceived closeness to this company. I will say this is true of all other reviewers of factory direct no return brands in the hifi world.
@@meshplates Good point Mark. Let me be very clear - I say everything in this review even to the point where I point out a flaw in the remote. I also make note of what the buyer's should be aware of buying direct from china. (7:33 mark).
I can't control what people think but people that are bright and intelligent enough will realize that I am not a marketing agent for china.
PS... I am not even chinese as some people suggest. But that is besides the point.
Aside from that, two points to be made here:
1. when I review something like this that goes through a standard distributor-dealer network, it costs $5,000 or more very easily. Then people complain I only review higher priced items or that it is not worth it without realizing the obvious labor that goes into promising of servicing and quality control etc.
2. It is only natural that companies going direct are more inclined to reach out to us for these reviews because they have very few other resources to let people know what their products sound like. - the positive thing about this is that they are able to keep the price low (extremely low in some cases).
This is a demand met by overwhelming people complaining about things being pricey. Even companies that used to do the distributor-dealer network like PS audio has pulled out.
I am not for or against any side - merely stating the state of the industry.
@@Jayiyagi I realize that it's not easy. And I certainly never suggested that nationality has anything to do with what I am pointing out. At its simplest reviewing gear that cannot be returned really makes the reviewer the only guarantee a customer has that he is buying a product worth her or his money. Therefore the reviewer is in a position to have an outsized influence on buyers. Because of that and because a number of products from the same direct no return company have been reviewed, one can be forgiven for wondering. At least you can send buchardts back!
@@meshplates Returns, unless the product is defective is NOT a thing in most of Europe, Asia, South America, etc. I guess you don't know how the rest of the world operates.
Damn I asked China Hi-Fi and shipping is 300€+tax by air or 100€ by train but this will take 2 months. I think I have to find a different amp...
The way the needles don't rest totally on the left side would drive me nuts.
it does but if you have a tube amplifier hooked up to it - then it picks up the noise and does not completely rest
The Next Best Thing Studio but the matching pre is hooked up?
@@theaudiophilecorner for the b-roll. it is not, it was the tube amplifier in the back
Can you review ANTHEM STR. Im hearing good reviews on this amp and pre-amp.
If they are willing to send it my way. I have no reason not to
Size beware I gave up the idea as I don't have the space for it let alone for the stack
Great review, Jay. Those look to be made extremely well, look beautiful inside, and I actually took a few screenshots for my audio porn files.
Thank you for making this video Jay! I've always had a liking for that power amp. Just a couple bits of constructive criticism. You mentioned that the amplifiers been out for about 20 years but you don't know what the difference is between the original and this one. If you're going to do a review why wouldn't you look into this and give us some differences? And then here's more of a question versus a criticism. You're talkin about the sound signature of the amp but isn't it true that most of the sound signature comes from the DAC or preamplifier versus the amplifier itself? I mean the job of the amplifiers to amplify the sound. The other devices give a Flavour of the sound. Is it's not right?
Hey Ryan. I have no idea what those changes are, I would have stated them if I could find out but the original designers are long gone and theres nobody to get a hold of to get a firm answer on what changed in 20 years and at what point in time.
Sound of amplifiers are different just as it is in pre-amplifiers and Dacs.
@@Jayiyagi thanks for your response JAY
Disappointing that the power amp doesn’t use a toroidal power supply.
honestly, that has to do with the design. I guess they wanted to keep it as close to the original production as possible 20 years ago, changing the power supply would inherently change the design in a lot of the cases. I like toroidal transformers myself but this amplifier is quiet than even most toroidal transformers - so I can't complain.
It's not a problem if distortion is controlled.
I think placing the build quality (faltering remote and all) on par or above Parsound's is questionable. I mean Parasound products tend to be built like a tank. Yellow flag too for their fudging over power output and perhaps even operating mode. With all that I'd even be anxious over the genuineness of some of the parts, like those normally expensive Japanese hermetically sealed relays seen in the pre-amp. Obviously the EI transformer is a clear money saving move over a toroid as well. I know it's meant to be a cheap Chinese good-enough product, but it's not exactly "cheap" either to take a chance on it. So not for me, I'd pass.
I owned Jungson integrated. It sounded bloated, slow, and very smooth. If you like the classic tube sound, then it’s for you. Otw, stay away.
Logitech harmony remote will have the remote codes
And around stuff you like
it's hard to put my faith in a product which the manufacturer says puts out 80 watts into class A, yet actually puts out 13 watts into class A. Maybe other people can overlook this, but I don't see how they can, as the discrepancy shows this to be a bald faced lie. This is a deal killer, not because this is no longer a good amp, but because I refuse to support dishonesty in manufacturing and marketing.
You know what. That’s fair !
I want it please
Probably very good value.
But I would never buy chinese hifi.
Thank you for all the reviews 👍👍
They have a service guy in the states
Get a Schitt Eq
Mmmm... VU's.
"A piece of gear." Not "a gear."
right... 😥
I don`t think i want JungSon sack
Haha
@@Jayiyagi I would love to see you review the Yamaha as2200 any plans on that in the future? I have the as2100 and it`s a beast built like a tank and those vu meter love that. And it has a dedicated headphone amp which sound good.
low budget transformer
Crap
Track record on reliability has me concerned here. Unless you really watch how and what goes inside. Chinese products could and will screw you. Prima Luna is assembled in China, but is awesome. This one here though probably not as much, not so much. Pass.