[1800yolk]

i just got my 400i in the mail and all i have to say for now is that there's a sssssssnake in my boot! and i hope changing tubes helps with that. either that, or maybe stop wearing earplugs at concerts..
 
EDIT:
what i meant to say here is the sibilance is monstrously bad at times. gotta find some tubes that mitigate this.

 

[Qurzo]

  So I said I would post some more tube rolling results here. First of all, I got two new pairs of power output tubes - a pair of matched, nearly-new Tung-Sol Reissue KT66s (seller said they only had about 2 hours of use on them) and a used pair of 50's Soviet 6P3S tubes. "Wait," you say, "didn't you post earlier that KT66s draw too much current?" Well, the T-S KT66 is essentially the guts of their 6L6GC stuffed into a KT88 bottle, which also means the heaters draw only 0.9A, well within the PA1502A's capabilities. All of the other KT66s I looked at, both new and vintage, draw 1.3A, so they can't be used in this amp. Unfortunately, I lost the pictures I took of them. I will post them up later.
 

 
How did it work with the Tung-Sol KT66's?

 

[AzraelDarkangel]

Anyone compare this amp to a Little Dot 1+?

 

[wirewizard]

I purchased one from massdrop and the left channel had very loud static. I replaced all the tubes...still static on the left channel...sent back for refund.

 

[canthearyou]

I purchased one from massdrop and the left channel had very loud static. I replaced all the tubes...still static on the left channel...sent back for refund.

How come you didn't get a replacement?

 

[wirewizard]

I did not get a replacement because I already waited a month for the massdrop order/delivery process and massdrop said a replacement could take several weeks to arrive and I did not want to wait.

 

[canthearyou]

I did not get a replacement because I already waited a month for the massdrop order/delivery process and massdrop said a replacement could take several weeks to arrive and I did not want to wait.

Bummer.

 

[AzraelDarkangel]

I have a Little Dot 1+ now, just curious about the Gemtune. Ultimately I want a balanced tube amp, but those start around $1000.

 

[canthearyou]

The soundstage of this amp with the Gold Lion power tubes and Mullard pre-amp tube is amazing! It sounds fantastic with the HE-500. I am still enjoying this amp more than the H10. The H10 may* sound a little cleaner, but the sound is flat, without much depth.

 

[wirewizard]

I own the Little Dot 1+ and it sounds better than the APPJ especially at the frequency extremes. Also the Little Dot 1+ is dead quiet.

 

[1800yolk]

I own the Little Dot 1+ and it sounds better than the APPJ especially at the frequency extremes. Also the Little Dot 1+ is dead quiet.

the appj seems to be dead quiet, at least on low gain. Both amps are designed for low impedance, high current cans (so planar headphones are ideal matches)
 
also, taking advice from one of the few people that got a faulty unit isn't a great idea, with the exception of taking into account the product reliability. The rest of us are enjoying our APPJs, but I couldn't say whether it is better than the Little Dot.

 

[wirewizard]

The static was intermittent and when there was no static in the left channel it still was not as silent as the Little Dot 1+. Also when there was no static the APPJ did sound good, but it did not sound as good as the Little Dot 1+. This is my 3rd APPJ product and 2/3 have been defective.

 

[1800yolk]

The static was intermittent and when there was no static in the left channel it still was not as silent as the Little Dot 1+. Also when there was no static the APPJ did sound good, but it did not sound as good as the Little Dot 1+. This is my 3rd APPJ product and 2/3 have been defective.

oh ok, fair assessments then. it's a bummer that happened, maybe you have a really angry UPS guy, or maybe the APPJ needs some quality control.

 

[wirewizard]

I wish it was not defective as it had a nice easy on the ear sound;perfect for long listening sessions. I think APPJ has quality control issues.

 

[AzraelDarkangel]

Both products are low cost Chinese tube amps so quality control is not always the best. Also so many factors have to do with hum issues, I can induce more hum in my Little Dot just waving my hand near it. Power conditioning and better power cord would probably help, also mine is near a telephone, may be causing minor interference. It doesn't hum bad but I can hear a low level hum all the time if nothing is playing. Different tubes have no effect.
 
Also in saying one is better sounding than the other would be difficult anyway since tubes have such a profound effect on the sound and op amp too in the Little Dot. You would have to find the best tubes for each and have a shoot out. Also, I believe the Gemtune is a full tube amp but the Little Dot is a hybrid with tubed preamp. So the Little Dot may just be better at frequency extremes.