[catom]

Pretty good! I know they need to burn in, but I like the JAN5654W's with the MSR7's using the Little Dot I+. I think the description on the http://www.head-fi.org/t/563884/little-dot-tube-amps-vacuum-tube-rolling-guide thread are quite accurate. Already these sound better than the stock 6JI tubes. I'm hoping they warm up here and get even more distinguishable. I get that description of quietness and treble extension. I don't know if I get the bass description over the 6JI's (I see them pretty equal there), but I'll hold judgement until they burn in. Certainly more intimate though.
 
At this point would I go hog wild on a tube amp for the MSR7's? No, probably not. But I don't feel burned too bad by the cost of the Little Dot I+ for the MSR7's. I don't think it's a "waste" in other words. I also don't think it's a "necessity" either (and there's debate around this from what I've read).
 
I'm using a Dragonfly DAC (arguably not the best, but not bad and it's quite convenient) and when I'm at the office or away with just my laptop, I don't really feel like I'm missing much at all. Again, I may change my mind here after these tubes burn in...But at this point I can live without the tube amp. Just purely for cost and size reasons. You can't exactly lug around a tube amp. The Dragonfly DAC adds a considerable amount of quality over just plugging in straight to the Macbook Pro's headphone port of course - and that is portable.
 
I'll post back after I've spent more time with the setup. Also totally possible something's wrong with my ears =)
 
edit: I will say that listening to Stevie Wonder's Superstition there's a real nice quality to the trumpets that's quite distinguishable.

 

[WilliamLeonhart]

  Just the tubes that came with it right now, the 6JI. I have a pair of GE JAN 5654W on the way though, should get them today.
 
I'll also try different gain settings I think. I'm a bit confused by that one. The MSR7's have relatively low impedance at 35ohms, yet the sensitivity is 100dB/mW. From what I read the DIP switch set for higher impedance "OR" sensitivity of 100dB/mW+ ... So I went with the default gain setting for higher impedance because of the sensitivity. I don't hear any background noise so I don't know. I'll try playing around with that too I guess.

I'm not sure on this. I thought by default it's on low gain.

 

[WilliamLeonhart]

  Pretty good! I know they need to burn in, but I like the JAN5654W's with the MSR7's using the Little Dot I+. I think the description on the http://www.head-fi.org/t/563884/little-dot-tube-amps-vacuum-tube-rolling-guide thread are quite accurate. Already these sound better than the stock 6JI tubes. I'm hoping they warm up here and get even more distinguishable. I get that description of quietness and treble extension. I don't know if I get the bass description over the 6JI's (I see them pretty equal there), but I'll hold judgement until they burn in. Certainly more intimate though.
 
At this point would I go hog wild on a tube amp for the MSR7's? No, probably not. But I don't feel burned too bad by the cost of the Little Dot I+ for the MSR7's. I don't think it's a "waste" in other words. I also don't think it's a "necessity" either (and there's debate around this from what I've read).
 
I'm using a Dragonfly DAC (arguably not the best, but not bad and it's quite convenient) and when I'm at the office or away with just my laptop, I don't really feel like I'm missing much at all. Again, I may change my mind here after these tubes burn in...But at this point I can live without the tube amp. Just purely for cost and size reasons. You can't exactly lug around a tube amp. The Dragonfly DAC adds a considerable amount of quality over just plugging in straight to the Macbook Pro's headphone port of course - and that is portable.
 
I'll post back after I've spent more time with the setup. Also totally possible something's wrong with my ears =)
 
edit: I will say that listening to Stevie Wonder's Superstition there's a real nice quality to the trumpets that's quite distinguishable.

Well I never plugged my MSR7 into any amp or dac. Just my laptop or iphone is ok. 
 
However I do think that the Dragonfly DAC is the main weak point in your system. I'm not sure if it can output "pure" DAC analog signal (not amplified) but that doesn't seem to be the case, and that means you're double-amping which is not good at all. Regardless of that, the Dragonfly IME is not the greatest even among the entry-level DACs. You can keep the Dragonfly for mobility use but if possible I think upgrading to ODAC or Modi 2 Uber will yield greater result.

 

[catom]

You're right about the low gain setting being the default ... but my unit had it set the other way. I'm looking right at the manual and it says exactly what you are saying, but the DIP switch was the other way when I opened it. Odd.
 
One other odd thing, I noticed just now that audio out of the right can was louder than the left. If I turned the amp down to 0, you could still hear the right side. The left side had to be turned up to 30 to equal the output of the right - however the right was still adjustable. Ever experience that??
 
I walked away to fold laundry, came back, and its balanced now. Did it just need to warm up somehow?
 
Why is double amping bad? I'm all for getting another DAC if you think it'll make a significant difference. 
 
edit: Ok, so I read up and outside of all the super technicals I understand that it's amp+amp is exponentially increasing a signal that may not be perfect and can create distortion at certain volume levels. Seems a bit disputed and a situation where your milage will vary.
 
Ok. Fair enough. Then I saw this. https://www.reddit.com/r/headphones/comments/4ervwq/can_i_use_dragonfly_12_as_a_dedicated_dac_without/
 
...what's really bothering me is this thing seems to be flaking out. The channels are unbalanced and randomly on one song it just got loud on the right side and completely cut out on the left. Volume control did nothing. I'm starting to think this little dot is maybe defective? =(

 

[WilliamLeonhart]

  You're right about the low gain setting being the default ... but my unit had it set the other way. I'm looking right at the manual and it says exactly what you are saying, but the DIP switch was the other way when I opened it. Odd.
 
One other odd thing, I noticed just now that audio out of the right can was louder than the left. If I turned the amp down to 0, you could still hear the right side. The left side had to be turned up to 30 to equal the output of the right - however the right was still adjustable. Ever experience that??
 
I walked away to fold laundry, came back, and its balanced now. Did it just need to warm up somehow?
 
Why is double amping bad? I'm all for getting another DAC if you think it'll make a significant difference. 
 
edit: Ok, so I read up and outside of all the super technicals I understand that it's amp+amp is exponentially increasing a signal that may not be perfect and can create distortion at certain volume levels. Seems a bit disputed and a situation where your milage will vary.
 
Ok. Fair enough. Then I saw this. https://www.reddit.com/r/headphones/comments/4ervwq/can_i_use_dragonfly_12_as_a_dedicated_dac_without/
 
...what's really bothering me is this thing seems to be flaking out. The channels are unbalanced and randomly on one song it just got loud on the right side and completely cut out on the left. Volume control did nothing. I'm starting to think this little dot is maybe defective? =(

The imbalance thing shouldn't be too strange for me. Plus it might be the result of setting the volume too low. 
 
And yes your I+ seemed defective As someone who had to return the I+ for warranty, I think it might be the case that IF it fails then it's going to do so after not too many hours of use (in my case, around 50 hours). You seem to be in worse luck than me. But then the exchange unit of mine have lasted 1.5 years now without any problem.
 
Anyway, try swapping tubes to see if it's caused by tubes or the amp itself. The volume pot can also be the source of the problem, but if you are not willing to do DIY stuffs then there's no other way than return it for warranty.

 

[catom]

Ok. So I'm just getting mixed results. Maybe it's the tubes, the amp, or maybe I'm not seating them properly sometimes. It's all over the map. I'm at a point now with stock 6JI tubes (without DAC) where it works as I'd expect. So right now it doesn't feel like the amp. That all changes based on what's hooked up. Sometimes it doesn't even control the volume at all. The dial just does nothing. Other time's unbalanced. Right now it's working fine.
 
 
...again i turned it on (with the JAN5654W's) again just now and it's fine. So weird. No unbalanced loudness in the channels. Just fine. So weird. I guess I'll look into other DACs. When I use the Dragonfly as max like the manual says, I hear distortion/choppyness. Things get weird. Like a little garbled. I think it's from the DAC because I think I hear similar things when not using the amp, but at higher volumes with the DAC. I likely never noticed before because I don't listen to my music so loud. Maybe. Maybe the DAC is fine and it's double amping problem with clarity. Sounds better with volume on computer lower...But that then technically isn't "line out volume."

 

[HardstyleLoco96]

Some of the cleanest bass I've heard too.

. In some songs these truly feel like some strange magic is going on in those drivers, how can instrument seperation, vocals, micro details be so so so so clear with such a hard hitting but yet so damn clean bass line. These headphones just wow me the more I listen to them . The bass is like a little lion cub playing and having fun, but then you suddenly notice something, the mother & father are hidding and waiting for you to notice, as they already have you as pray, you can try to run but the more you do, the harder and faster they come to get you seriously scary because like. Where in the world did that BASS COME FROM!!!!

 

[FYLegend]

Is there any pads that have a more consistent seal than the stock? What about the Yaxi pads? I sometimes feel they are imbalanced (eg bassy on the left, more sibilant on the right, sometimes the opposite), same with my Sound Professional velour pads, but when I press them against my ear or move them around they sound more balanced. I get OCD as to whether the drivers/vents may have been damaged some time, or maybe it's just in my head, I remember it happened when I first got them and I thought the left side was a bit more bassy, but I stopped worrying about it and it's gone, but I still think the seal isn't very consistent between the two pads.

 

[catom]

  The imbalance thing shouldn't be too strange for me. Plus it might be the result of setting the volume too low. 
 
And yes your I+ seemed defective As someone who had to return the I+ for warranty, I think it might be the case that IF it fails then it's going to do so after not too many hours of use (in my case, around 50 hours). You seem to be in worse luck than me. But then the exchange unit of mine have lasted 1.5 years now without any problem.
 
Anyway, try swapping tubes to see if it's caused by tubes or the amp itself. The volume pot can also be the source of the problem, but if you are not willing to do DIY stuffs then there's no other way than return it for warranty.

 
Ok, my ODAC came today (much smaller than I thought it'd be). Today when I flipped on the Little Dot I+ it seemed to cooperate. Perhaps I just didn't have the tubes seated well before. I sure hope it doesn't act weird on me again.

It sounds pretty good. For some reason the Dragonfly is now acting up (I tried using it alone with nothing else). It was causing crackling. Not sure why and it wasn't on every track. This was using Spotify though, so it could be he source...But I never noticed problems before from these tracks off Spotify and the Dragonfly in the past.
 
On a call where it's quiet I can hear a little static "flutter" for lack of a better word, every now and then. A bit more invisible while listening to music. Maybe interference? I'll check some things.

Re-visiting the tracks that were crackling and had distorted audio (particularly with the bass) with the Dragonfly I don't get any of that crackling or distortion when using the ODAC + Little Dot I+. I'm left to wonder if something went wrong with my Dragonfly. It could've been the culprit all this time.

Things sound real great. The Little Dot I+'s volume nob does NOT need to be turned up that high at all. It's at like 10% or 15% ... So the problem with the pot being unbalanced at lower volumes worries me, but again I haven't experienced that again now since reseating the tubes (makes me never want to remove the tubes now!). 

My first impression here is that I think the ODAC made a big difference. Thanks for the suggestion!

I do like the MSR7's + ODAC + Little Dot I+ ... I now need to see how different tubes work. Still on the fence about the value of the total investment =) I feel like I'm getting sucked in here, haha. But it's sounding pretty good.

 

[catom]

Wow! I just figured out that my cordless mouse makes the DAC produce a humming noise when I hold it close. Ok, so keep the box far away from the mouse =) Step 1.
I'm still trying to track down the crackling. I'm thinking maybe power outlet, I don't know. Do people plug amps into surge protectors or anything special? I might go get a ferrite ring for the amp's power cord.

 

[WilliamLeonhart]

  Wow! I just figured out that my cordless mouse makes the DAC produce a humming noise when I hold it close. Ok, so keep the box far away from the mouse =) Step 1.
I'm still trying to track down the crackling. I'm thinking maybe power outlet, I don't know. Do people plug amps into surge protectors or anything special? I might go get a ferrite ring for the amp's power cord.

Get a ferrite first and surge protectors is also needed for both your amp AND your PC. 
 
I'm glad you like the combo, but don't think tubes for the LD I+ should cost too much. Start with a pair of these first:
http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=m570.l1313&_nkw=ei+yugoslavia+6hm5&_sacat=0

 

[catom]

I have a surge protector on my computer already, the amp doesn't because it didn't reach. I have to move things around. 
 
What are those tubes like? I don't see them listed on that tube rolling guide with all the comparisons. I'd love to find something that colors the bass a little. I like the sound of some of the Mullard tubes. Like Mullard M8100 / CV4010 maybe. I'm not sure.
 
Will probably end up getting whole bunch over time. I just feel like I'm lacking a little in the bass department and I do understand when I see people say he MSR7's are a bit sibilant. While I'm not sure that's the fault of the headphones (more the recording) I do see how other headphones don't have it as pronounced. That said, if I can find a tube that somehow cut down on that - bonus.
 
MSR7's definitely work well with the tube amp for sure. Guess I'll just have to try different tubes now. I think this ODAC is they key performer here in the setup though. Thanks for the suggestions.

 

[WilliamLeonhart]

If you can afford Mullards then go for Mullards. Else, a pair of RTC won't disappoint you and sound quite close (though not actually the same) as Mullards.

 

[catom]

  If you can afford Mullards then go for Mullards. Else, a pair of RTC won't disappoint you and sound quite close (though not actually the same) as Mullards.

"can" and "want to" are two very different things =)
i saw they were a bit more... not insane, but a lot more than some others. so i'll have to see.

 

[gmv698]

I would like your expert opinions because im torn between gradolabs sr125 and the ath msr7. I listen mostly on vocals and prefer more midrange. Thanks