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Review of Little-Dot MKIVse - Page 43

post #631 of 833
1/26/09 at 1:55pm
CV4010 are probably the darkest sounding tubes...

GE 5-stars are a bit too bright for Grado's IMO
Amperex 5654 or russian 6Zh1P-EV are good and clear sounding driver tubes.
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post #632 of 833
1/26/09 at 4:06pm
Thanks for your suggestions Seba.

Guess I'll probably try the Amperex 5654 tubes first then. However, I see the following 5654 tubes mentioned in my SE Reference Guide: "5654, CK5654, GL5654" - I don't suppose they're the same tubes? Are they just different brands, or different types?
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post #633 of 833
1/26/09 at 4:52pm
Appreciate that shotmaker and Cswann1. If the 85%/15% split is right then it looks like I have a good chance of finding a tong sol equivalent sound mentioned by Penchum that will give the clarity I'm looking for but using driver tubes.

I agree with kds5000 about the smooth nature of the ld mids but have the opposite problem with my audio technica cans which have the vocals right next to your ears which is quite exciting. What is needed is to disentangle everything that is going on in the mids clearly. If I can achieve this then I may have succeeded in matching the sound of the ld mk v but with the advantage of being kinder on lossy files such as 320 mp3's.

Will let you know if anything transpires from this.
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post #634 of 833
1/30/09 at 2:59pm
Ok, I had a thought to get a 2nd PA2V2 amplifier, and thought to myself: "I wonder if their is something slightly better out now". I came to head-fi, after research I decided on a LDIII, and just now I impulse purchased a LD MKIV (non-SE though).

@ my wallet head-fi!!!










I can't wait to get it now though lol.
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post #635 of 833
1/30/09 at 4:19pm
Now that I am switching from 80-Ohm phones (perfect for my I+, which is designed for low impedance) to 250-Ohm phones, I am considering going from a hybrid to a pure tube amp.
At nearly 3X the price of the I+, would the MKIV SE be a correspondingly huge upgrade?
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post #636 of 833
1/31/09 at 6:54pm
NO.
Tubes aren't for a huge difference in these price tags.
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post #637 of 833
2/2/09 at 4:24am
Quote:
Originally Posted by intoart View Post
Now that I am switching from 80-Ohm phones (perfect for my I+, which is designed for low impedance) to 250-Ohm phones, I am considering going from a hybrid to a pure tube amp.
At nearly 3X the price of the I+, would the MKIV SE be a correspondingly huge upgrade?
For Grado's MKIV SE makes a way better sound than I+ despite the fact that MKIV SE gives "only" 100mW of power compared to I+'s 800mW. Bass may be a wee bit of less powerful but everything else in the sound are miles ahead the I+.
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post #638 of 833
2/2/09 at 6:24pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Seba View Post
For Grado's MKIV SE makes a way better sound than I+ despite the fact that MKIV SE gives "only" 100mW of power compared to I+'s 800mW. Bass may be a wee bit of less powerful but everything else in the sound are miles ahead the I+.
LD I+ is designed primarily for portable use, right? That alone should mean that there's a significant difference in sound, correct? I don't have personal experience on LD I+ but I do have a MKIV. I can't possibly imagine that a portable amp could come even close to MKIV in terms of sq.

Would it be a huge upgrade? Someone wiser with more experience better chime in here, but I do think it indeed would.

BTW, which 250-ohm 'phones are you switching to?
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post #639 of 833
2/2/09 at 6:28pm
Whoops, double post. This is the first time this happened to me, actually.
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post #640 of 833
2/2/09 at 6:37pm
LD 1+ is a desktop amp. Would be damn hard to transport a tube amp also, how would you prevent the tube from breaking? That and it needs a sufficient power source.

Its just a hybrid amp is all, not a true tube amp.
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post #641 of 833
2/3/09 at 3:07am
Seba,

I'm thinking of getting either the RS-1 or MS-Pro to pair with my MkIV SE (CV 4010 version). What are your thoughts on both?

My listening preferences are very similar to yours i.e. predominantly Rock, Metal, Electronica / Trance.

Many thanks.
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post #642 of 833
2/3/09 at 6:27am
Quote:
Originally Posted by mbd2884 View Post
LD 1+ is a desktop amp.
Oh, thanks for the info. I stand corrected.
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post #643 of 833
2/3/09 at 10:46am
Quote:
Originally Posted by SilverShadow View Post
BTW, which 250-ohm 'phones are you switching to?
I have switched from the 80 Ohm Beyer DT770 Pros to the DT150s. I love them so far, and am interested in anything that will improve the sound even further.
At this point, I think I will probably buy a MKIV SE when I get my tax return (Unless, for exactly the same price, a Cambridge DAC Magic would give me a bigger audible improvement?)
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post #644 of 833
2/4/09 at 7:10am
Quote:
Originally Posted by kds5000 View Post
Seba,

I'm thinking of getting either the RS-1 or MS-Pro to pair with my MkIV SE (CV 4010 version). What are your thoughts on both?

My listening preferences are very similar to yours i.e. predominantly Rock, Metal, Electronica / Trance.

Many thanks.
I preferred the MS-Pro's much more because of their improved clarity compared to RS-1's. MKIV SE warms up the sound just a bit and it was perfect for my ears. If you like the MS-1's from your MKIV SE you will love the MS-Pro's.

I suggest you buy MS-Pro's and get RS-1's for a loan somewhere and compare them. I think you can sell MS-Pro's much easier than RS-1 because they are more rare phones and doesn't show up in FS threads that often.
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post #645 of 833
2/4/09 at 1:32pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Seba View Post
I preferred the MS-Pro's much more because of their improved clarity compared to RS-1's. MKIV SE warms up the sound just a bit and it was perfect for my ears. If you like the MS-1's from your MKIV SE you will love the MS-Pro's.

I suggest you buy MS-Pro's and get RS-1's for a loan somewhere and compare them. I think you can sell MS-Pro's much easier than RS-1 because they are more rare phones and doesn't show up in FS threads that often.
Thanks Seba.

You're right in that it's the MS-1 that got me thinking of going all the way to the MS-Pro. But having read the threads and reviews at Head-Fi, I thought that the RS-1's coloration might suit my music with the MKIV SE more.

I'll definitely audition both first before buying, but many thanks your frank views on the two so that I know what to look out for.

I do hope I prefer the MS-Pro though, because they're probably cheaper over here. A popular local shop sells it as a bundle for a great price - not sure if it'll let me swap the MS-Pro for the RS-1.
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