Few people have heard of it, yet John Blankenbaker's KENBAK-1 was the first commercially available personal computer.
An Affordable Little Tube Amp
By James Grahame
The Jolida FX10 is a surprisingly inexpensive integrated tube amplifier that carries a list price of only $450.
The 8" wide x 7" deep x 7" tall unit contains four EL-84 tubes, along with a pair of 12AX7s. The tubes are encased in an attractive heat-resistant safety glass top which keeps out dust and inquisitive fingers. My only complaint is that each tube is inexplicably lit from underneath with a bright blue LED, ensuring that it'll shine like a tacky supermarket Christmas tree when in operation.
The FX10 puts out a maximum of 10W x 2 into 8 Ohms and a credit card sized remote provides an on/off switch, volume, input select and mute functionality. Unlike modern solid state surround sound amps that offer dozens of inputs, this little stereo unit serves up a simple pair of RCA inputs along with a 1/8-inch iPod audio in.
To top everything off, the manufacturer offers a somewhat weird 9 month limited parts and labor warranty.
