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The Little Dot Mk IV / SE Appreciation Thread - Page 14

post #196 of 291
4/11/12 at 4:12am
Thanks rosgr63
Do you have any DAC suggestion for MK IV?
I saw little dot DAC, but its over budget for me
How about the difference quality between little dot DAC and standard ipod dock?
Is little dot DAC more better than standard ipod dock?

Is it worth MK IV SE than MK IV for $100?
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post #197 of 291
4/12/12 at 2:15am

It would depend on your budget.

I would look into iPod Docks which include a DAC and have an RCA output as a first choice.

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post #198 of 291
4/12/12 at 11:11pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Louie from SF View Post

Hi all,

 

I'm new to Head-Fi.

 

Here's my story. I bought a Cyberpower PC last year in which I installed an ASUS ESSENCE ST card to drive my Audio-Technica ATH-M50S. It did the trick for a few months and I was pretty happy with my gear. But eventually, after reading this and other headphones dedicated web sites, I decided to get a pair of Sennheiser HD650. I loved them right away (they became even better after a couple hundred hours of burn time). But I quickly realized that my ASUS card was not giving me enough. I wanted more, better. I then decided to get a Nuforce Icon HDP that I now use throug the SPDIF output of my Asus card. I'm very happy with my gear and I think that I could stop here. But, I'm curious, I want to try tubes. And this thread convinced me to order a Little Dot MK IV SE that I intend to use with the Nuforce ICON HDP. I ordered from David and he seems very professional, I'm glad I ordered from him already. I'll keep you posted on how things go with my new set up.

 

Louie from San Francisco.


Hi there.
I used to use HDP as my dac/amp setup for a bit before upgrading the amp section to the mk iv se and had intended on using the hdp as a DAC.
Upon receiving my mk iv se though I noticed there was static noise in the background to which I could not get rid of after trying just about everything. The sound disappeared however when I plugged the input rca cables out. This pretty much assured me that the static was coming from the dac .
I contacted David immediately and he has told me that the mk iv se is a very revealing amp and is probably picking up noises from the hdp. I ended up getting a new dac which is on its way atm but I would love to find out if you run into the same problem..
Please do keep me updated. And I wish you all the luck!
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post #199 of 291
4/13/12 at 12:58am

Hi Namkung,

I want to know, why are you choose MK IV SE not MK IV?

is it MK IV SE much better than MK IV for $100?

 

Thank you

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post #200 of 291
4/13/12 at 8:29am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Subrata View Post

Hi Namkung,

I want to know, why are you choose MK IV SE not MK IV?

is it MK IV SE much better than MK IV for $100?

 

Thank you



If you look at their website it tells you what the differences are.

The biggest difference is the upgrade in tubes but there are a few other small things.

I suggest you read them yourself !

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post #201 of 291
4/14/12 at 5:05pm

Hi Namkung, at this point the Nuforce Icon HDP sounds just perfect with the SPDIF signal coming from the Asus Essence ST sound card but I will let you know for sure. After looking at the (lack of) available space on my computer desk though I think that I will also use the LD MK IV SE directly through my Onkyo CD/DVD-Audio player in the living room.

 

David did send the LD on Wednesday. It's on its way and I should get it next week.

 

 


Edited by Louie from SF - 4/14/12 at 5:14pm
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post #202 of 291
4/14/12 at 5:11pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Subrata View Post

Hi Namkung,

I want to know, why are you choose MK IV SE not MK IV?

is it MK IV SE much better than MK IV for $100?

 

Thank you



I chose the SE because I'm not planning on doing tube rolling and I want the upgraded version with better components. For me, at least for now, the Little Dot MK IV SE will be a plug and play thing.

 


Edited by Louie from SF - 4/14/12 at 5:14pm
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post #203 of 291
4/15/12 at 11:43am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Louie from SF View Post

Hi Namkung, at this point the Nuforce Icon HDP sounds just perfect with the SPDIF signal coming from the Asus Essence ST sound card but I will let you know for sure. After looking at the (lack of) available space on my computer desk though I think that I will also use the LD MK IV SE directly through my Onkyo CD/DVD-Audio player in the living room.

 

David did send the LD on Wednesday. It's on its way and I should get it next week.

 

 


Ah I see.

Never mind what I said haha. I found out the noise was coming from my computer =/

I was able to get rid of it using a toslink connection .

I hope you enjoy!

DHL's shipping was amazingly fast haha.

 

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post #204 of 291
4/19/12 at 5:12pm

 

Quote:
Originally Posted by Namkung View Post


Ah I see.

Never mind what I said haha. I found out the noise was coming from my computer =/

I was able to get rid of it using a toslink connection .

I hope you enjoy!

DHL's shipping was amazingly fast haha.

 

 

I received the Little Dot MK IV SE yesterday. It's in perfect shape, it's bigger than I expected, it's heavy and built like a tank to quote many here. I'm feeding it with the DAC portion of my Nuforce Icon HDP and it already sounds great. No static whatsoever BTW. I'll do the burn in by the book, about 8 hours at a time, with cooling periods in between. I already like the "roudness" of what comes out of my HD650. The Nuforce Icon HDP sounds great but the Little Dot sounds so real.

 

I've spent a few hours so far listening to music through the LD. Bass drums are straight in your face, snare drums are tight and punchy, bass guitars are powerful, guitar tube amps sound like they should and acoustic guitars sound more real than ever. And I'm expecting things to get much better in a few hundred hours of slow burn in.

 

This little guy might be the best $409 I've spent in quite a while.

 


Edited by Louie from SF - 4/19/12 at 7:38pm
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post #205 of 291
5/5/12 at 11:40am

I haven't been home much lately but was able to clock in about 200 hours of burn time on my new LD MV IV SE. What I've read on this thread is true, the LD is now very different. Rounder, smoother, buttery and the amp has much more "dynamic". I tried it with the DAC portion of my Nuforce ICON HDP and directly connected on my Onkyo CD/DVD-Audio/SACD player. I did set the bit switches to get a gain of 4 which is enough for my HD650s but not too gainy for my ATH-M50s.

 

Now my problem is that I think my Onkyo player might not be up to snuff. I never noticed before but through the LD I now think it sounds a bit harsh compared to when I use the DAC portion of the Nuforce ICON HDP. I started fantasizing on a Oppo BDP-93 SE/Xtreme or a BDP-95.

 

These puppies are expensive, are they worth it? Which one is best?


Edited by Louie from SF - 5/13/12 at 7:46am
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post #206 of 291
5/11/12 at 6:48pm

I installed a pair of VOSKHOD 6J1P-EV tubes in my LD MK IV SE a couple days ago and they already have about 20 hours of burn in time. In my HD650 and compared to the M8100 Mullards they make the LD sound more present, more dynamic with more detailed and more pronounced high frequencies. BUT, they make the LD run much hotter. I'm not sure if I'll keep them in since I already liked the Mullards even if they were a bit less pronounced on the highs. TBD.

 

I'm going through my CD collection and realize how the LD makes bad recordings sound even worst compared to better recording. I absolutely love female vocals on the LD, stuff like Stacey Kent "Raconte-moi...".  The "Last Temptation of Christ" of Peter Gabriel also sounds awesome, anything with well recorded wind or traditional chinese strings instruments sounds fantastic. Yoyo Ma, Coltrane, remastered Mike Oldfield...I could go on and on.

 

I can't compare (yet) but for $409+shipping, I'm very happy with my new LD.

 

Anybody knows how many hours a set of tubes can last for?

 

Thank you.


Edited by Louie from SF - 5/11/12 at 9:30pm
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post #207 of 291
7/1/12 at 5:45am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Namkung View Post


Hi there.
I used to use HDP as my dac/amp setup for a bit before upgrading the amp section to the mk iv se and had intended on using the hdp as a DAC.
Upon receiving my mk iv se though I noticed there was static noise in the background to which I could not get rid of after trying just about everything. The sound disappeared however when I plugged the input rca cables out. This pretty much assured me that the static was coming from the dac .
I contacted David immediately and he has told me that the mk iv se is a very revealing amp and is probably picking up noises from the hdp. I ended up getting a new dac which is on its way atm but I would love to find out if you run into the same problem..
Please do keep me updated. And I wish you all the luck!

 

 

 

Buzzing problems with Little Dot amps have absolutely nothing to do with DAC's.  Its the poor implementation of power supply in all of Little Dot amps, which causes ground loop problems in many cases. It happens to almost everyone, especially with MkV's. And frankly, if he said that his amps are so revealing that they reveal the buzzing in other gear you have, while in fact thats not the case, then thats a very poor and pathetic excuse, and one would have to be very naive to believe it.

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post #208 of 291
7/4/12 at 11:58am

Wow 3 days 6hrs and no one has responded to Namkung!   Now I am thinking I do not want to buy a Little Dot (LD).  Any comments from the community on the LD power supply?

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post #209 of 291
7/4/12 at 6:38pm

Good loops can happen with any equipment with any manufacture. I used to to has good loops in solid state equipment. You do not want to float the grounds on equipment especially tube equipment which uses high voltages.


Edited by john57 - 7/5/12 at 2:35pm
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post #210 of 291
7/5/12 at 1:23pm

FLOAT GROUNDS?  Sorry, please explain.  

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