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First tube amp: Little Dot MkIII, Little Dot MkIV, or Darkvoice 336i? - Page 2

post #16 of 33
12/9/07 at 10:11pm
You both might want to take a breath and think how this looks to someone new looking for credible advice. Just my $0.02 worth
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post #17 of 33
12/9/07 at 11:32pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Negatron View Post
You both might want to take a breath and think how this looks to someone new looking for credible advice. Just my $0.02 worth


I just don't appreciate him belitting me. I know my stuff, and it seems he had enough guts to call me out. I'm simply defending myself.


I gave the OP credible advice, and this fellow member just took it to another level. I'm not sure what he gets out of it, but it seems like it's over and done with.





-Nick
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post #18 of 33
12/10/07 at 12:04am
Hmm.

To the OP:

You may want to look at the new Darkvoice Figaro, which is simarlarly priced to the Little Dot Mk 3 but I THINK tubes would be easier to come by.

Also consider waiting for the Little Dot Mk 2 which (From what I've heard) will be a replacement for the LDII++ and will use more widely available types of tubes.
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post #19 of 33
12/10/07 at 1:31am
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post #20 of 33
12/10/07 at 1:39am
Coming from someone who has owned a 336i for less than a week, if you want to save money for sure go with the LD MKIII. Because there are SO MANY tubes to choose from on ebay I have spent at least $100 on tubes.

FROM WHAT I HAVE READ: If you want out of the box performance you have to go with the LD. The DV sounds great out of the box also but there is tons of tempation when it comes to trying new tubes. The amp decision kept me up for two nights before I chose.

I am extremely happy and you will be also no matter what choice you make.

GL
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post #21 of 33
12/10/07 at 2:44am
If you decide to get the 336i, this popular thread should be useful in saving you money on tuberolling:
http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f5/dar...-tubes-193214/
I think getting used tubes from forum users rather than NOS is a great way to begin.
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post #22 of 33
12/10/07 at 7:19pm
Anyone knows why either LD or Darkvoice has no local agent? is that because it's hard to meet US consumer electronics import standard or what?
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post #23 of 33
12/10/07 at 7:30pm
It's already hard to find darkvoice product in China, so can't imagine they deal with international dealers ...
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post #24 of 33
12/10/07 at 7:40pm
Well considering the fact that I actually like audio (HT, Headphone, Car) and I just heard about Head-Fi a month ago I would say that there is not a whole lot of demand. I have been building PC's for some time now and I'm always looking for the latest tweak. I scoured countless forums looking for CPU, GPU, MB and Sound info...I never heard about Head-Fi or the amazing things that can be done with the accessories that we talk about here. I would venture to say that 80% or more of the demand for these amps is generated through Head-Fi.

When I first started reading, I went to one of the Guitar Center locations here in Houston and I talked to one of the employees about high quality headphones for damn near an hour. She claimed to be a DJ and that she knew all there was to know about headphones. "If you have questions, I can answer them..."

Long story short, she had never heard of Head-Fi.org, Little Dot, Headroom, Darkvoice, Darth Beyer or Grado for that matter (some of the big names that stuck out when I first started reading). I'd refer to this as EXTREME hi/fi and it for sure has a cult following. It is growing but it is still a relatively small community.
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post #25 of 33
12/11/07 at 9:49pm
Thread Starter 
Thanks everyone for the info. And also for the entertainment (flamewar)!

I think I am leaning towards the Darkvoice 336i, even though the LD MkIII is very tempting because of its price! I am definitely a tinkerer, and even though I intend to keep the amp 'stock' for a good long while to get 'used' to the tube sound, it is almost a definite that I will want to do some tube rolling in the future. Also, from what I have read in other threads, the 336i has a more 'tubelike' sound out of the box -- the LD MkIII and MkIV have a bit more 'clinical' and solid-state-like sound compared to the 336i.

Anyone have any thoughts on that specific subject (the 'tube-ness' of the 336i out of the box)?

Once I get rid of some of the 'extra' equipment in my possession I'll be finalizing my choice and ordering. I'm very excited!
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post #26 of 33
12/13/07 at 2:57pm
Let me know what you end up deciding on as I'm considering these two amps as well.
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post #27 of 33
1/9/08 at 4:36pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by nick20 View Post
Again, you are comparing 43 tubes to thousands of users, versus 400+ to thousands of users. Again, please tell me I am wrong, but 343+ is greater than 43. Maybe I'm wrong, I don't know.

There are actually quite a few more equivalent tubes to the EF91/EF92/5654 that can serve as replacement for the stock LD tubes that you may not know about. I'll attempt to list some off my head at the end of this post, but my main point being that with the Little Dots, there are many more 'types' of tubes you can try, and many more 'manufacturers', resulting in a more varied tube rolling experience. Sure there are lots of 6SN7 on ebay, but that doesn't necessarily mean that tube rolling will be more successful or more enjoyable since there aren't as much variety compared to the vast number (type and manufacturer) of tubes compatible with the Little Dot amps. I, for one, have been rolling my little dot amp for the past 2 years and has never had a shortage of tubes to roll.

Here's a list (not at all comprehensive) of LD-compatible tubes: EF91, 6AM6, 8D3, CV4014, M8083, Z77, EF92, CV131, 6CQ6, M8161, CV4015, EF95, 6AK5, 6AK5W, 5654, M8100, CV4010, 401A, 401B, etc. Many of these tubes have multiple manufactuers such as GE, RCA, Ediswan, Mullard, Sylvania, Telefunken, Amperex, International, National Union, Western Electric, etc. And that's just the driver tubes. For the power tubes there are: 6H6Pi, ECC99, E182CC, 5687WA, 12BH4, 7119, 7044, 5697, etc.
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post #28 of 33
1/9/08 at 4:49pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by nick20 View Post
The results speak for themselves, and I am correct. There is NOT a lot of LD MKIII tubes out there for sale, and are harder to come by. This is the truth.
Nick, with all due respect, it's just not true what you're saying about the LD being hard to roll. If you have read the MkIII, MkIV tube rolling threads (I did), you will find that no MkIII/MkIV owner has ever complained about a lack of tube rolling options (literally, not a post).

I'm of the opinion that you made your comments out of ignorance of the variety of tubes available for the LD amps (ref previous post). Each tube type from each manufacturer has its particular sonic signature.
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post #29 of 33
1/27/08 at 3:08pm
Yeah, there are tons of 6SN7's out there, but quantity does not equal variety. There are a greater number of options on LD driver tubes. Output tube options are very limited however, at least for the MKIII. The pin configuration can be rewired to open up many options but I don't want to use a soldering iron to tube roll. The quality of construction and bang for the buck of the MKIII is impressive.

2 cents,

E
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post #30 of 33
1/28/08 at 9:42am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dept_of_Alchemy View Post
Nick, with all due respect, it's just not true what you're saying about the LD being hard to roll. If you have read the MkIII, MkIV tube rolling threads (I did), you will find that no MkIII/MkIV owner has ever complained about a lack of tube rolling options (literally, not a post).

I'm of the opinion that you made your comments out of ignorance of the variety of tubes available for the LD amps (ref previous post). Each tube type from each manufacturer has its particular sonic signature.
Nick20 should just get a LD MK3 and start to roll himself. then you can make a fair comparison. "You got to do the experiment along with the theory" Just searching on ebay alone with the list you put up can get my pockets getting rather empty Yes its true that sometime its hard to get the tube. Think its because all us LD user are buying them all up before poor Nick20 gets a look in But then it all changes a few days later with new sellers.
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Head-Fi.org › Forums › Equipment Forums › Headphone Amps (full-size) › First tube amp: Little Dot MkIII, Little Dot MkIV, or Darkvoice 336i?