[Albinoni]

Just re the chinese built/made tube headphone amps are there any out there that are good and would you reccomend a chinese tube headphone amp.
Also do most of these use chinese tubes or other brands
How about their SQ ?

 

[Uncle Erik]

The vast majority are inexpensive OTL amps. Would an OTL fit your headphones? Most of these amps have a relatively high output impedance - they won't work right with low impedance headphones.

Also, pay close attention to the power supply. That's half of what you're listening to, aside from the signal itself. If you have a no-name power transformer feeding a diode rectifier and a couple of caps and resistors, you can still get AC ripple injected into the circuit.

Caveat emptor.

 

[brendon]

Depends on your budget.
 
You do get some well made Tube hybrid and Tube OTL amps but a lot of them are badly made crap.
 
I have personally heard the $199 Maverick A1 and found it quite competent.
 
It wont beat my EHHA tube hybrid but for the price it could drive my demanding YH-100s pretty well so power is definitely not lacking.
 
Also while I have not personally heard them, Little Dot amps are pretty well made and the person who makes them David offers a 24 month warranty on his amps.
 
IF the amp fails within 3 months, he will pay for shipping both ways. I dont think any other manufacturer offers that.

Also his communication is very quick and polite. My friend received his refund within 1 hour from sending a mail asking for a refund.

 

[Albinoni]

Most of my headphones are only 32 ohms but Ive got my heart set on either ATH-ESW9s or probably AKG K701

 

[lootbag]

You could try the Little Dot I+.
Good synergy with low impedance headphones.
Works great with my Grade HF2 and Westone ES5.
Not a big investment either at around $140 shipped.

 

[Albinoni]

Re the Little Dot 1+:
 
1. What size headphone jack does it have
 
2. How would you rate its SQ
 
3. Size and weight
 
4. What tubes does it use, they actually look quite small

 

[lootbag]

This should answer most of your questions.
http://www.littledot.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=819&sid=aac39dd9a2f27cc8cc26af9c2d80bc3c
 
I bought the little dot based on the opinions I read on Head-Fi and their supposed great synergy with Grados.
And yes, I can say it does.

 

[Dojomoto]

 A Chinese tube amp would make for a rather large portable, wouldn't it? To each his own, I suppose.