Juson Audio JTA35 Tube Amplifier, DAC & HP Amp Review

[Shadrach]

I voted not terrible. It offers a lot of functionality for the price.
Well done Juson Audio for sending the unit in and allowing the results to be published.

 

[DSJR]

The data from the testing of hybrid tube amplifier is not good than digitals.But the sounds of tube amplifier is more nature,warmth and comfortable.

I have to chip in here - I can't argue with 'warmth and comfortable' which is what I'd expect from a fun product such as this (very cheap for what it offers), but 'nature' as in 'natural?' Real life as heard live can hurt with its intensity and it's not always 'nice' at all - and that includes strings, brass, percussion and so on...


Anyway, a GREAT and appealing 'fun' product that's really very acceptable if the phono stage can be tweaked a little more and a great little conversation piece ideal for small inexpensive systems with perhaps less capable speakers. Quad (also far eastern made) did a similar box (VA1?) and that cost SIGNIFICANTLY more I remember and wasn't as powerful either!

P.S. A little bit of background noise can actually aid listening I gather... never did FM radio any harm or analogue tape back in the day. Heck, some audio people in the 80's used cassettes without any noise reduction which I admit was a step too far for me...

 

[Haskil]

I would say that it's a language barrier judging by the response but on the other hand it's an audio company,they should know better as to say solid state amps

This is what I said to myself in peto: here is a manufacturer who uses the word digital amp like one takes out garlic cloves to ward off vampires.

 

[Talisman]

That was a bit sad BUT beyond that for all the features there are and a pair of tubes that shine at a price of US $180. It's ok, I think.

I understand your point of view but I don't entirely agree with it.
All the functions present are accessory, the basic function of an amplifier is to amplify a signal in a neutral way. I can forgive low sinad and high distortion but I cannot accept such a serious frequency response error. Not even at 180 euros if we think about how many small modern economical amplifiers offer excellent performance.

 

[oozlum]

I remember a very expensive tube amplifier that cost $3,000, and the data was similar to this. I don't know what to say, but maybe cheap is enough for this kind of distortion amplifier

What was the more expensive tube amplifier?

As far as more pricy tube amplifiers I’ve listened to, it would be cool to see Octave tube amplifiers measured/listened to here.

 

[DanielT]

I understand your point of view but I don't entirely agree with it.
All the functions present are accessory, the basic function of an amplifier is to amplify a signal in a neutral way. I can forgive low sinad and high distortion but I cannot accept such a serious frequency response error. Not even at 180 euros if we think about how many small modern economical amplifiers offer excellent performance.

Well, I can agree with you on that after all.

I have a vintage receiver with a little more power, around 35 watts with the same distortion level as the Juson Audio JTA35 but with straight FR (if I go by a youtube video where that model is tested). That receiver together with 8 Ohm, 90 dB sensitive speakers. I don't hear any difference between that combo and an amp with more than 4 times the power and lower distortion.
But my speakers probably have upwards of at least 1% distortion (normal listening volume), which probably explains the fact that I don't hear any difference when I switch between the receiver and the more powerful amplifier. If I were to put the Juson Audio JTA35 in that test (blind test) , given its FR would I hear any difference then? Probably. Perhaps.

For those who are interested:

Blind Testing a 1 dB Level Difference

Discover the smallest difference in level (dB) you can reliably hear.

www.audiocheck.net

 

[JayGilb]

At $180 it would make for a nice little bedroom amp when paired with some small book shelf speakers.

Amir, thanks for another review.

 

[OldTimer]

Now we have equal between Poor and Not Terrible

 

[polmuaddib]

I voted poor, because it is. I don't see the comparison chart, but I imagine it would be at the lowest end.
I understand the sentiment and company should be praised for bravery, but finally, this is unacceptable.

 

[AudioSceptic]

I appreciate the commitment to offering an honest product, accepting to highlight its strengths and weaknesses without hiding. The performance is objectively poor for a main audio but it could be nice in the bedroom with the valves and vu meters in a relaxation system.
The only thing I don't like is the wrong frequency response, it's something I can't tolerate in 2024 from an amplifier at any price

Those bumps in the bass and treble might sound "pleasant" to some, especially with small, cheap speakers.

 

[taotone]

Voted Fine - not too expensive and the company is perfectly happy for you to know what objective performance you are getting from their product.

An honest and transparent company ethos is all I ever want. "If you like this kind of thing then here you go."

Would I have it driving my main system? Of course not, but for some fun and eye candy provided without BS and lies they are to be highly commended.

I might even buy one. Bravo Juson Audio.

 

[DSJR]

Those bumps in the bass and treble might sound "pleasant" to some, especially with small, cheap speakers.

If you could reliably hear +1dB at 20 and 20kHz, good luck to you sir I'm surprised by the sharp cut off at 20kHz or so and wonder if the analogue signal is digitised first? $180 is beer money really and do remember this unit has a phono input (which does need refining), aux analogue inputs AND digital too including remote control FFS. PLEASE don't knock it to risk putting the designers off. It can hopefully only get better from here and with luck, any design refinements shouldn't bump the price up hugely..

As said above and I'm going to repeat it - a wonderful FUN 'bedroom/study' system that actually in real life away from SINAD charts ( ) has enough power for a basic living room stereo and low enough noise as it's no worse than FM radio typically.

 

[SIY]

Proof again of SIY's 4th Law:

There are good tube amplifiers, there are cheap tube amplifiers, there are no good cheap tube amplifiers.

 

[TheWalkman]

I’m voting poor: I couldn’t agree more with their splash screen.

 

[beagleman]

If you could reliably hear +1dB at 20 and 20kHz, good luck to you sir I'm surprised by the sharp cut off at 20kHz or so and wonder if the analogue signal is digitised first? $180 is beer money really and do remember this unit has a phono input (which does need refining), aux analogue inputs AND digital too including remote control FFS. PLEASE don't knock it to risk putting the designers off. It can hopefully only get better from here and with luck, any design refinements shouldn't bump the price up hugely..

As said above and I'm going to repeat it - a wonderful FUN 'bedroom/study' system that actually in real life away from SINAD charts ( ) has enough power for a basic living room stereo and low enough noise as it's no worse than FM radio typically.

The thing is, in "Real life" as I keep calling it, without FIRST knowing the mediocre numbers, I actually doubt one would find it an audibly bad listening experience.

The best? Hell no, but I think we focus a bit too much on pure numbers at times, and forget what is truly audible.
Some of my most memorable experiences are with quite mediocre equipment from MANY years ago. Audible hiss and borderline distortion do not always ruin the actual listening enjoyment.

Does it measure like crap? YES for sure.
Does that mean I would instantly be bothered by it? Not really sure.

 

[TuteTibiImperes]

I’m really perplexed by the headphone output figures.

If this does 26w into 8 ohms, it should do 13 watts into 16 ohms, and 6.5 watts into 32 ohms, at least roughly. Somehow only doing 11 mw into 32 ohms makes me think the headphone section isn’t being driven by the same amp as the speaker section, or there’s some resistor or something in the path killing the headphone performance.

If this scaled in power linearly and could do 6.5w at 32 ohms, 3 watts at 64, etc, it would actually be a very compelling product for some colored listening. As it is the headphone output power is just way too ridiculously low to be useful.

 

[Multicore]

That brick wall on the frequency response is very surprising. How does it do that?

 

[mhardy6647]

It's an awful lot of stuff in one box for the cost -- for better or for worse.
It strikes me that "lackluster" normalizes to not bad when allowing for the above, plus the "VU" meter and the glowing tubes on the top! I am not being entirely facetious. If someone really wants all that stuff in one box and only wants to pay $180 for it, and wants a decently built (at least based on tactile assessment) product -- it might be the only game in town!

I'd be curious how long it'll last. If all the guts work 'as new' for five years -- it's a pretty good deal. If it lasts 90 days before developing a glitch, it's junk. If it lasts ten years -- I'd buy a couple of case lots and give 'em out as "hostess gifts" at future hifi shindigs!

 

[D700]

I voted not terrible solely based on their understanding of aesthetics. At that price might be fun decor/table radio kind of thing in a bedroom with a pair of old Klipsch bookshelfs …which we all have in storage.

 

[dasdoing]

how do subwoofer outs work on this kind of product that apparently doesn't provide any DSP or switches for bass management? Is it just a L+R passthrough?