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Review of Little-Dot MKIVse - Page 44

post #646 of 833
2/5/09 at 10:54am
Hello,
I was wondering if I purchased the Little Dot MK IV, if I could replace the generic (Neutrik looking 1/4" connector) with the genuine Neutrik Connector? Would it be difficult to do this? Are they the same size? Is the 1/4" jack connected to the PCB using wires?

Any input is appreciated.
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post #647 of 833
2/6/09 at 2:46pm
Sorry I have a newbie question. Tried to use the forum search and google but couldn't find my answer. I'm sure this has been asked before. I (will) have a MKIV non-SE.

I want to try some Mullard M8161's. When I go on ebay I notice that their are many different markings like:

Quote:
CV4015 M8161 EF92 9D6 MULLARD QDD PRINTED "6065 CV4015 KB/QDD"
and

Quote:
CV4015 M8161 EF92 9D6 MULLARD KQDD/K PRINTED "CV4015 KQDD/K"
and others.

Are they all compatible with the MKIV as long as they say EF92 and M8161? What do these cryptic markings such as K##/## and CV#### mean?
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post #648 of 833
2/6/09 at 5:36pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by GuruSY View Post
Are they call compatible with the MKIV as long as they say EF92 and M8161? What do these cryptic markings such as K##/## and CV#### mean?
I'm an amateur myself but I'll try to forward to you what I've read here. Apparently guite a few (only western?) tubes have a bunch of different designations even though it's really the same tube type. Now, to my knowledge EF92 is the general designation used for the tube family, M8161 is a (british only?) military designation for (only Mullard?) EF92 tubes. CV4015 is Mullard's own designation for the particular product for civilian market(where reliability and overall quality were not as important as in military use...).
Well, okay, civilian market CV4015 were probably the same tubes as the military ones. Most Mullards on the market seem to be military branded tubes anyway, though. Even if the product name says only CV4015 it's probably exactly the same as military M8161. So, M8161 and CV4015 mean Mullard-made EF92 family tubes.

I have no idea about that K##/## marking, though. Well, someone with more experience and knowledge will probably help us with that.

One more thing: does anyone know if there is a Soviet/Russian NOS equvalent to EF92?
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post #649 of 833
2/6/09 at 5:51pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by SilverShadow View Post
I'm an amateur myself but I'll try to forward to you what I've read here. Apparently guite a few (only western?) tubes have a bunch of different designations even though it's really the same tube type. Now, to my knowledge EF92 is the general designation used for the tube family, M8161 is a (british only?) military designation for (only Mullard?) EF92 tubes. CV4015 is Mullard's own designation for the particular product for civilian market(where reliability and overall quality were not as important as in military use...).
Well, okay, civilian market CV4015 were probably the same tubes as the military ones. Most Mullards on the market seem to be military branded tubes anyway, though. Even if the product name says only CV4015 it's probably exactly the same as military M8161. So, M8161 and CV4015 mean Mullard-made EF92 family tubes.

I have no idea about that K##/## marking, though. Well, someone with more experience and knowledge will probably help us with that.

One more thing: does anyone know if there is a Soviet/Russian NOS equvalent to EF92?
Thank you for the info. So it is safe to say that this tube will work with the MKIV, being that the CV marking sounds like a marketing number more than a technical description.
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post #650 of 833
2/6/09 at 7:02pm
^^
Well, the CV marking is just as technical as the military designation but yes, those tubes will work if they are what the seller says (which is the case 99.5% of the time).

If you prefer to play it safe, wait for someone with more knowledge to comment on this.
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post #651 of 833
2/9/09 at 6:11pm

6N30P-DR Tubes

First off, I just wanted to say thanks to everyone on this thread who has helped guide me in purchasing a Little Dot MK IV SE. It was head-fi that originally convinced me to buy the Little Dot II++ a couple years ago!

I've started tube rolling already, and I just bought the 6N30-DR supertubes after everyone's glowing (pun?) reviews of it. However, An Audiogon user selling these tubes at $179 each (youch!) is saying that the 4-digit code on the front is the manufactured date (seems about right), but also that "It may be tempting to opt for the lower priced 6H30's or even the newest versions of them but don't believe anyone who instructs you that doing so will give you the same sound quality. This tube is light years above the 6H30P-EB or EV versions or the recent nearly exact 6H30P without the diamond etching that are being passed off as early production tubes." Here's the link for reference:
AudiogoN ForSale: Reflektor 6h30 6h30dr 6h30n-dp modwright

So this is where it gets a little interesting. These are the tubes that I purchased: 6N30P-DR = 6H30Pi-DR USSR 2 tubes TESTED NOS + sockets - eBay (item 330291648649 end time Mar-03-09 11:39:34 PST)

Have I been duped into buying fake or "inferior" tubes? If I follow the date stamp guidelines, this picture would mean that these tubes were made either in 02/2009 or 09/2002. I feel like these would still be the same tubes since they came from the Reflektor plant, though.

What do people think about this?
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post #652 of 833
2/9/09 at 8:36pm
Seems like a keeper!
I'd get that if i had the bucks
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post #653 of 833
2/10/09 at 2:36pm

This has to be a record

My MKIVse was shipped from China on the sixth of Feb. It arrived at my house yesterday, the ninth. Now that was fast!! All the comments about David Zhe's and Little Tubes customer service being first rate are certainly true from my own experience.

I've been listening for about an hour and a half now with my K701's. The gain settings are at the lowest impedance setting, and I have to use the whole knob to really make it growl. I'm going to try the next highest gain setting since these AKG's really seem to act like a higher impedance can than the 62ohm rating would suggest.

This is not my first experience with a tube amp, but it is my first one to own. I can tell the tubes are very new. They just have a bit of edge but the buttery-warm tube sound is very apparent. Me like

For now I have no plans to tube roll because I want to get very familiar with this amps sound over the next several months.

I'll post again after a couple of weeks, when there is a 100 or so hours on these tubes.
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post #654 of 833
2/11/09 at 11:16am
I have been considering the MKIV as a possible upgrade from my I+ (and hoping it is enough better to justify the price!)

I am concerned, however, about the unusual looking headphone jack (neutrik?) Is it compatable with the standard 1/4" plug on my phones?
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post #655 of 833
2/11/09 at 11:52am
Is it worth the difference ($200) between MKIII and MKIV SE? I'm still undecided.
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post #656 of 833
2/11/09 at 2:51pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by intoart View Post
I have been considering the MKIV as a possible upgrade from my I+ (and hoping it is enough better to justify the price!)

I am concerned, however, about the unusual looking headphone jack (neutrik?) Is it compatable with the standard 1/4" plug on my phones?
I'd imagine the MKIV is quite a step upwards from I+. I haven't heard the I+ so I can't say anything for sure.

The headphone jack is certainly compatable with any standard 1/4" connector. The jack is genuine Neutrik on MKIV SE and a similar looking no-name connector on MKIV.
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post #657 of 833
2/11/09 at 2:54pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by wizia View Post
Is it worth the difference ($200) between MKIII and MKIV SE? I'm still undecided.
That's a tough call. And ultimately you are the only one qualified to make that decision. Penchum wrote a paragraph in his review (in the OP) that pretty well sums up his take on the MKIII-IV-IVse lineup. It's, of course, just an opinion of one guy, so you can put as much stock in it as you feel comfortable.

He seems to be a fan of Little Tube products, and there is nothing wrong with that (I am too), but you must consider any gear purchase as objectively as possible imo.

Personally: I thought the $200 was worth it. I don't want to buy a product and think, "It's nice, but would I be happier with the higher-end model". Of course the answer to that is almost always yes for me. Then it just comes down to, can I afford the additional cost. If I can, I do it. Is it twice the amp? No, but with almost anything audio, there are diminishing returns the higher in price you go.



EDIT: SilverShadow. I have a question for you. What gain setting do you use when you run your K701's through your MKIV? And does your amp run hot with this pairing? I've got mine on the gain setting of 10. I usually don't have to go past 12 o'clock on the volume knob but the amp gets very warm.
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post #658 of 833
2/11/09 at 3:28pm
Long time lurker, first time poster here. After a lot of reading here, I decided to take the plunge and buy a Little-Dot. I went from thinking of a LD II.. to the III (which I was sure I was going to get), then I read this thread and decided on the MKIVse! Ouch to my wallet.

I received my MKIVse from David a few days ago and just wanted to reiterate how great David was with customer service! I've been putting some hours on the amp and can't wait to hear what it sounds like after more maturing.
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post #659 of 833
2/11/09 at 3:36pm
Thanks for your opinion cswann1, I will consider it.
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post #660 of 833
2/11/09 at 3:38pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rinshin View Post
Long time lurker, first time poster here. After a lot of reading here, I decided to take the plunge and buy a Little-Dot. I went from thinking of a LD II.. to the III (which I was sure I was going to get), then I read this thread and decided on the MKIVse! Ouch to my wallet.

I received my MKIVse from David a few days ago and just wanted to reiterate how great David was with customer service! I've been putting some hours on the amp and can't wait to hear what it sounds like after more maturing.
Welcome!! What took you so long?
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