Little Dot MK IV Vacuum Tube Headphone Amplifier

[wongwarren]

Haha, pretty cool to meet someone else who has a dad like that. In fairness the only truly high end solid state (power) amplifier that has had a good run in our house were the Mark Levinson No.331 and Krell FPB600 so I can of course not speak for all high end offerings. They were both great, but certainly did lack a lot in comparison with the Vaic Valve Model 52B's that are currently driving his speakers, we both agree on that.

My dad actually saves a lot of money by not buying amps. He somehow finds the schematic for the amps he wants and then he'll just draw and custom-makes his own circuit board based on the schematic and DIY those amps. His current amp is a copy of the TAD-M600. I forgot what his previous amps were based on but they're monoblock tube amps that outputs 300W per channel. I thought those tube amps sounded loose and not very lively at all. Then again, it was just 300W trying to push a Maxx. He's now hunting for the schematic of the FPB600.

[Hans Christian | Teri]

My dad actually saves a lot of money by not buying amps. He somehow finds the schematic for the amps he wants and then he'll just draw and custom-makes his own circuit board based on the schematic and DIY those amps. His current amp is a copy of the TAD-M600. I forgot what his previous amps were based on but they're monoblock tube amps that outputs 300W per channel. I thought those tube amps sounded loose and not very lively at all. Then again, it was just 300W trying to push a Maxx. He's now hunting for the schematic of the FPB600.

 

DIY is definitely a good solution for people who feel a bit adventurous or already know what they're doing. It's not as hard as people make it sound and personally I enjoy it quite a lot. The FPB600 is a biiiiiiiig and heavy box and I can only imagine the components for it would be quite expensive. Has he ever looked into lower wattage solutions and more sensitive speakers? Through the year my dad found that to me the most satisfying experience, if I remember right the speakers in the picture I posted (also DIY, a bit less technical than building an amp) delivers 108db for 1 watt in. 

[Lays]

@LinusTech you mentioned LCD-2 a few times, will you review those?

 

I'm actually planning on buying them this week or next week, it would be cool to see what you think about em.

[NannerBeans]

Hmm...$500? I'll stick to my o2. 

[AceHunter]

Audeze LCD-2!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! omg...cant believe Linus bought this...its so...expensive..and cant believe linus went from hd555 to LCD2...one of the world known best headphone out there... (should be above rank #10 of all heaphones ever been made)

[ShearMe]

So. Much. Cancer.

[ItsLinkNotZelda]

Love reading the comments on audio products. So many trolls...

[Joshua Ondangan]

I'd love ot have one of these but my wallet doesn't want to date it.

 

 

The way it looks is just like sex.

[dizmo]

Changed my mind. Got a few requests for it.

Glad you did! Love seeing reviews on this kind of stuff from what I consider a pretty unbiased, trustworthy reviewer. Even if you don't have all the fancy gear I find your reviews more relevant to what most people will be using it for.

 

This is mostly the case, however the subtle sound signature changes a lot depending on what tubes you use and even what manufacturer produced them. Tubes can be both good and bad, in these cheaper solutions they will generally use pretty terrible tubes that does introduce some level of distortion however in higher end solution this is not the case. When you start reaching products using respectable tubes these "imperfections" breathes warmth and life into the music, you close your eyes and it really makes the music come alive. This is something that I've never heard a solid state amp do. Now of course it can be discussed to death whether or not this is desirable, but for me music is meant for pleasure, and I get much more pleasure from listening to sound that seems organic and alive than I do from listening to analytic studio solutions. I've grown up with a dad that's been actively pursuing the perfect listening experience for the most of 35 years (21 of which I have been alive in) so I feel I have more knowledge and experience on the subject than most. This of course doesn't change the fact that you should buy and use what you like the most, that is always the case.

 

 

Wouldn't you be able to simply change out the tubes for something better though? They even offer a few different kinds on their site.

 

Hmm...$500? I'll stick to my o2. 

They have a few cheaper versions that are very comparable to the o2.

[NannerBeans]

They have a few cheaper versions that are very comparable to the o2.

Yeahhhhhh no. No tubes will be comparable in the sense that they are similar to the o2 because they are exact opposites. Tubes color audio and solids don't...

[Hans Christian | Teri]

Wouldn't you be able to simply change out the tubes for something better though? They even offer a few different kinds on their site.

 

Tubes come in many sizes and types, it takes different voltages / inputs etc to drive them and have to be biased in correctly in order to run properly (or at all, you risk breaking the tube). Some are interchangeable but it's generally not something you wanna mess with unless you know what you're doing.

[dizmo]

Yeahhhhhh no. No tubes will be comparable in the sense that they are similar to the o2 because they are exact opposites. Tubes color audio and solids don't...

In terms of price.

[NannerBeans]

In terms of price.

The replacement tubes will always bring the price up. Solids don't need any more investment after the initial. 

[dizmo]

The replacement tubes will always bring the price up. Solids don't need any more investment after the initial. 

I'm sure the $30 every few years really won't be that much of an issue

As stated several times in various places, each to their own. Not everyone wants the same thing.

[Imabigmac]

man those Logan chirps.....

[ShearMe]

Wouldn't you be able to simply change out the tubes for something better though? They even offer a few different kinds on their site.

 

From what I read, the tubes included with the MK IV are already some of the best you can get. Sure you can get others with different distortion characteristics, but not hugely better.

[Constantine]

NCIX: N/A

Amazon: http://georiot.co/1JhL

Manufacturer Direct: http://www.littledot.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=820

 

The MK IV from Little Dot is a relatively inexpensive tube amplifier for your headphones that looks great and sounds great, but does comes with the usual tube amp caveats!

 

 

Just a note to people that want to try this, Tubes need a warm-up time in order for them to reach their optimal state. It won't sound anything special if you just plug it in and listen from a cold start. Also tubes also tend to die on you over use, similar to old lightbulbs.

 

If you wan't something just for plug-and-play with no fuss I'd just get a solid state amp. If you want to try something a little fancy then maybe a tube-amp would be better but if you want to save up on costs, DIY tube amps are a little lighter on the wallet if you have the electrical experience.

[Murdoch]

Wait! did this not receive the coveted Linus Tech Tips 'Better Than Useless' award?

[Lapis]

Tube amps (or any headphone amp) are probably about #16346 on my priority list at the moment, but damn do I want one now. Not to use, I just want that on my desk, it looks awesome!

More audio stuff wouldn't go unappreciated Linus

[Joshua Ondangan]

Just a note to people that want to try this, Tubes need a warm-up time in order for them to reach their optimal state. It won't sound anything special if you just plug it in and listen from a cold start. Also tubes also tend to die on you over use, similar to old lightbulbs.

 

If you wan't something just for plug-and-play with no fuss I'd just get a solid state amp. If you want to try something a little fancy then maybe a tube-amp would be better but if you want to save up on costs, DIY tube amps are a little lighter on the wallet if you have the electrical experience.

not everybody who wants to buy because they want to use it

 

heck I'd buy it just for the looks and let it stay on my shelf. sadly no spare cash this time.

[Constantine]

not everybody who wants to buy because they want to use it

 

heck I'd buy it just for the looks and let it stay on my shelf. sadly no spare cash this time.

 

There are other tube products if you're buying just for looks. Exhibit A: http://www.thinkgeek.com/product/f352/?srp=5

[wongwarren]

DIY is definitely a good solution for people who feel a bit adventurous or already know what they're doing. It's not as hard as people make it sound and personally I enjoy it quite a lot. The FPB600 is a biiiiiiiig and heavy box and I can only imagine the components for it would be quite expensive. Has he ever looked into lower wattage solutions and more sensitive speakers? Through the year my dad found that to me the most satisfying experience, if I remember right the speakers in the picture I posted (also DIY, a bit less technical than building an amp) delivers 108db for 1 watt in. 

The Maxx 3s aren't very sensitive at 91 dB @ 1 watt @ 1m @1 kHz. Also they don't play well with low wattages when it comes to tightness.

[wongwarren]

@LinusTech you mentioned LCD-2 a few times, will you review those?

 

I'm actually planning on buying them this week or next week, it would be cool to see what you think about em.

The LCD-2 is a wonderful headphone, a very good first introduction to reference level headphones. If you're into bass, you're in for a real treat with these cans as the low notes are powerful, tight, and well extended. The CD-2 is nicely balanced, and delivers good imaging and resolution.

The planar magnetic driver used in these headphones make them fairly large and heavy. I find it fairly comfortable, but it's not a headphone for walking around, and may be a bit warm in hot, humid climates. Audio Pros looking for an open headphone may find these attractive for long listening sessions and mixing.

[wongwarren]

Audeze LCD-2!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! omg...cant believe Linus bought this...its so...expensive..and cant believe linus went from hd555 to LCD2...one of the world known best headphone out there... (should be above rank #10 of all heaphones ever been made)

Easily top five.

[Lays]

The LCD-2 is a wonderful headphone, a very good first introduction to reference level headphones. If you're into bass, you're in for a real treat with these cans as the low notes are powerful, tight, and well extended. The CD-2 is nicely balanced, and delivers good imaging and resolution.

The planar magnetic driver used in these headphones make them fairly large and heavy. I find it fairly comfortable, but it's not a headphone for walking around, and may be a bit warm in hot, humid climates. Audio Pros looking for an open headphone may find these attractive for long listening sessions and mixing.

 

 

I know how they sound, I've already listened to them, I just wanted to see what he thought about them.