> The JoLida is a reasonable entry level piece; decent design/components, 
 > AVERAGE
 > fit and finish. It can be found for much less $$$ from J&R Music World in 
 > N.Y.
 > via mail order or on the used market!
   Thanks for your thoughts on tube gear. I am seriously considering 
splitting 
my system into a music only and home theater system. Despite what all/almost 
all of the experts say, no matter what I do to enhance one...it takes away 
from the other.
   I too am a BIG fan of bass. Especially in movie tracks AND some of the 
older music where the bass never really made it to the recording the way it 
does now. So, often I want to pump it up a few notches BEYOND accurate 
reproduction. So despite my full range speaker system that has extremely 
accurate bass, I find I need a dedicated sub.
   I also find the warmth and mellow sound of the tube amps/preamps to be 
especially pleasing to the classical, string quartet, my treasured Japanese 
CDs, new age, folk and chamber music that I spend probably 75% listening to. 
Yet the tubes wouldn't really keep up with the hard rock OR laser disks. And 
figuring in the costs invloved with what I want to upgrade anyway (as my 
listening ability improves) it would be a pretty even amount to just divide 
the system into two.
   I do see where the next step up in tubed gear is a huge one though. I 
cannot see a 10K 50 WPC tube amp sitting on my rack no matter how much I try.
Cheers, John
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