[ckhirnigs113]

The fit and finish of the amp is very high-quality. There was a clear adhesive layer on the top of the amp to protect the finish. The amp even came wrapped in a nice elastic microfiber cover. It all feels very premium.

The only thing that makes me remember I bought the step-down model is the volume knob. It has a bit of a cheap feel, like it might actually be made of plastic. It functions fine and is completely silent, but my Quicksilver and Cayin iHA-6 both have more premium feeling volume knobs. This kind of thing doesn’t bother me though. As long as it functions as it should, I’m a happy camper.

 

[Yifang]

The fit and finish of the amp is very high-quality. There was a clear adhesive layer on the top of the amp to protect the finish. The amp even came wrapped in a nice elastic microfiber cover. It all feels very premium.

The only thing that makes me remember I bought the step-down model is the volume knob. It has a bit of a cheap feel, like it might actually be made of plastic. It functions fine and is completely silent, but my Quicksilver and Cayin iHA-6 both have more premium feeling volume knobs. This kind of thing doesn’t bother me though. As long as it functions as it should, I’m a happy camper.

I hope the regular Silver Fox has the iHA-6 type knob. That thing was easily my favourite aspect of that amplifier when I owned it before going to the Soloist 3X GT, of which the knob on the 3X GT is probably the part I like the least...

 

[ckhirnigs113]

I hope the regular Silver Fox has the iHA-6 type knob. That thing was easily my favourite aspect of that amplifier when I owned it before going to the Soloist 3X GT, of which the knob on the 3X GT is probably the part I like the least...

Yep, the iHA-6 has a great volume knob. Considering the price of the Cen.Grand, it seems like a weird thing to go cheap on. Besides plugging in cables, the volume knob is the only tactile connection the end user has with an amplifier. If I was designing an amp I’d always want the volume knob to have a premium feel.

I also don’t want to blow this out of proportion. The knob’s action is actually very nice, with good resistance.

 

[drc73rp]

Can you post the dimensions of the amp? I don't think it's mentioned anywhere yet.

 

[Yifang]

Can you post the dimensions of the amp? I don't think it's mentioned anywhere yet.

I actually looked into this previously and found information on a Chinese website.
It is listed as 320 x 80 x 300mm.

 

[ckhirnigs113]

I actually didn’t look up the dimensions before buying the amp. I just saw it was smaller than the very large Silver Fox. Turns out the “Little” is not so little after all! Luckily it works fine for my space.

 

[itwasluck]

The eagle has landed!

Could you measure the width when you get a chance? Just want to confirm for a R26 stack.

 

[ckhirnigs113]

Could you measure the width when you get a chance? Just want to confirm for a R26 stack.

It’s just over 12.5 inches wide. It took me a while to find my tape measure, sorry!

 

[itwasluck]

It’s just over 12.5 inches wide. It took me a while to find my tape measure, sorry!

All good, thank you for the info!

 

[project86]

Weird, I haven't noticed any cost cutting with the volume knob. I'll have to take a look when I get home, but from memory I thought it was metal and similar to the regular Silver Fox but a bit smaller in diameter (in fitting with the general proportions of each amp).

 

[ckhirnigs113]

Weird, I haven't noticed any cost cutting with the volume knob. I'll have to take a look when I get home, but from memory I thought it was metal and similar to the regular Silver Fox but a bit smaller in diameter (in fitting with the general proportions of each amp).

It’s very likely metal, but it has a bit of a sharp edge when you grab it to turn. It might be finish issue, but it’s not bad at all though.

 

[ckhirnigs113]

@project86 Have you used the single-ended headphone jacks on the Little Silver Fox when using XLR inputs? I’m wondering if it is technically an inferior option versus XLR in/out.

 

[project86]

I do almost zero listening with 1/4" unbalanced cables these days. Whenever I reach for a headphone it is usually connected to something with a 4-pin XLR, and lately I've been using the 4.4mm type often as well. So to be honest I've barely spent any time trying out the SE jacks on these amps.

Based on my experience with other fully balanced amps, using SE is typically a fairly mild downgrade, but it can become moderate or even severe when using difficult to drive headphones (since SE mode will be comparably short on power). But it does depend on the amp - some do a good enough job where SE is completely viable, others are such that I almost wouldn't bother unless going balanced.

Most of the Violectric amps are examples of the former, whilst the Musician Audio Andromeda is a strong example of the latter.

 

[ckhirnigs113]

It feels like I have been posting far too much in the Silver Fox thread. I have the Little Silver Fox after all! I have been using and enjoying the amp for the last week or so. I’ve been leaving it on most of the time with music being fed to it.

I’ve experimented with a variety of different combinations of inputs, output modes and impedance settings. With my Elite and Auteur I have pretty much settled on using the XLR input, 4-pin XLR output, High Impedance, and Parallel mode as my optimal settings. I occasionally switch to BTL mode, but only with the Elite. BTL mode has too much of a noise floor with the Auteur unless I switch to Low Impedance 2 or 3.

There is definitely more background noise from the amp when using the single-ended RCA inputs. The amp converts the signal to balanced, and this conversion introduces some noise. I’d personally recommend sticking to the XLR inputs. If you only have a single-ended DAC, it’s worth investing in some RCA-to-XLR adapters to avoid this noise floor issue.

The amp has been treating me to some wonderful listening sessions! It’s good enough that I have officially put my former number one, the Quicksilver Headphone Amp, up for sale. That was my plan when buying the Little Silver Fox, but I wasn’t sure if it would live up to the high expectations I set for it. Luckily for me, it is an exceptionally musical amp that pulls at my heartstrings just like a good tube amp has the ability to do.

The form factor is quite large for an amp called the Little Silver Fox. It’s by far the biggest headphone amp I’ve ever used, much less owned. I have grown to like the volume knob that I was a little critical of at first. It’s high quality in feel and looks. I’m almost positive it’s metal at this point. I’m really glad I went with the silver version over the black. While the black unit is very handsome, it is also a dust and fingerprint magnet. Silver always manages to look clean!

I believe the weakest link in my chain is my DAC at this point. I’ve always been very satisfied with my OG Bifrost 2, but this amp along with my Meze Elite has me considering an upgrade. I’m leaning towards a Yggdrasil variant, but I’m open to suggestions.

I actually wonder if I’d even be able to tell the difference between my Little Silver Fox and the full-size Silver Fox. The Meze Elite is so relatively easy-to-drive that the Little is basically overkill already as far as power output is concerned. I also think that the most important aspects of the Silver Fox’s amp design made their way into the Little version. In that regard, I believe this amp is an excellent deal for the asking price.

I do wonder how it stacks up against the other popular high-end solid-state amps, namely the V550 and Bliss. I’m not curious enough to make any more purchases though! The Little Silver Fox does everything I need it to in my setup. It’s allowed me to get out of the tube hunt for the foreseeable future, which was a constant drain on my wallet. For that I am very thankful!

I hope some more Little Silver Fox owners join the conversation soon! Thanks again to @ArthurPower and @project86 for helping me decide on this amp. The advice from both of you was very helpful along the way!

 

[Yifang]

It feels like I have been posting far too much in the Silver Fox thread. I have the Little Silver Fox after all! I have been using and enjoying the amp for the last week or so. I’ve been leaving it on most of the time with music being fed to it.

I’ve experimented with a variety of different combinations of inputs, output modes and impedance settings. With my Elite and Auteur I have pretty much settled on using the XLR input, 4-pin XLR output, High Impedance, and Parallel mode as my optimal settings. I occasionally switch to BTL mode, but only with the Elite. BTL mode has too much of a noise floor with the Auteur unless I switch to Low Impedance 2 or 3.

There is definitely more background noise from the amp when using the single-ended RCA inputs. The amp converts the signal to balanced, and this conversion introduces some noise. I’d personally recommend sticking to the XLR inputs. If you only have a single-ended DAC, it’s worth investing in some RCA-to-XLR adapters to avoid this noise floor issue.

The amp has been treating me to some wonderful listening sessions! It’s good enough that I have officially put my former number one, the Quicksilver Headphone Amp, up for sale. That was my plan when buying the Little Silver Fox, but I wasn’t sure if It would live up to the high expectations I set for it. Luckily for me, it is an exceptionally musical amp that pulls at my heartstrings just like a good tube amp has the ability to do.

The form factor is quite large for an amp called the Little Silver Fox. It’s by far the biggest headphone amp I’ve ever used much less owned. I have grown to like the volume knob that I was a little critical of at first. It’s high quality in feel and looks. I’m almost positive it’s metal at this point. I’m really glad I went with the silver version over the black. While the black unit is very handsome, it is also a dust and fingerprint magnet. Silver always manages to look clean!

I believe the weakest link in my chain is my DAC at this point. I’ve always been very satisfied with my OG Bifrost 2, but this amp along with my Meze Elite has me considering an upgrade. I’m leaning towards a Yggdrasil variant, but I’m open to suggestions.

I actually wonder if I’d even be able to tell the difference between my Little Silver Fox and the full-size Silver Fox. The Meze Elite is so relatively easy-to-drive that the Little is basically overkill already as far as power output is concerned. I also think that the most important aspects of the Silver Fox’s amp design made their way into the Little version. In that regard, I believe this amp is an excellent deal for the asking price.

I do wonder how it stacks up against the other popular high-end solid-state amps, namely the V550 and Bliss. I’m not curious enough to make any more purchases. The Little Silver Fox does everything I need it to in my setup. It’s allowed me to get out of the tube hunt for the foreseeable future, which was a constant drain on my wallet. For that I am very thankful!

I hope some more Little Silver Fox owners join the conversation soon! Thanks again to @ArthurPower and @project86 for helping me decide on this amp. The advice from both of you was very helpful along the way!

For DAC upgrades, I reckon something from Chord or other detail focused models would be good pairing with the warm, full nature of the Silver Fox series here.

Having tried the R26 on the regular Silver Fox, I wouldn't recommend it or other DACs that have similar characteristics to be used as the one and only unless you listen to specific genres only. Mainly those that benefit from smoothened mids and don't require too much energy. The pairing definitely lacks the energy for genres that are highly fast and dynamic, especially electronic based things regardless of what sub electronic branch it is.

I will also update in regards to the Bliss when that arrives. Depending on how that goes, perhaps I'll end up back on a Silver Fox.

Great to hear you are enjoying this amp!