I have heard that the Little Bear isn't that great unless you change from the stock opamps. Though I can't confirm this, as I have not heard it personally. YMMV!
Thank you, will look into it! Nobsound NS-08E look great, not too powerful and great for earbuds and iems. Xduoo MT 602 also pique my interest, although I hear hybrid does not provide the best tube listening experience.
I prefer using a vacuum tube amp with my earbuds. My amplifier in the photo just below was specifically made for headphones, especially earbuds with an impedance of over 64Ω though it has played nicely with earbuds as low as 16Ω with no issues at all.
BRAND: SACThailand
MODEL: Classic 45 SE Silk Vacuum Tube Amplifier; Headphone Edition
CLASS: Single-Ended Triode; Pure Class A
CIRCUIT: Zero Feedback; Auto Cathode Bias; Full P2P Wiring
TUBE COMPLEMENT: 1 x 5Y3GT Input; 2 x 6SN7 Driver; 2 x 45 Output
POWER OUTPUT: 1.5W x 2 Channels
OUTPUT IMPEDANCE: Low = >10Ω; High = ~100Ω
GAIN: Low = 5.7x (15dB; ~3.5V); High = 14.5x (23dB; ~9.8V)
INPUT: 3 x Stereo RCA
OUTPUT: 1 x 6.3mm (1/4"); 1 x 4-Pin XLR
UNIT DIMENSIONS (W x D x H): 36cm x 31cm x 20cm
UNIT WEIGHT: 14.5 kg / 32 lbs
The Little Bear B4-X is a hybrid tube / SS amp. The tubes are not used for amplification. The tubes are used as "pre-amp" feeding SS op amps. As @samandhi alluded, people have had some good success after replacing the stock op amps with other higher quality op amps. The Little Bear B4-X is spec'd to drive headphones up to 300 Ohm, your earbuds are low impedance and will be driven easily. The Cayin N3 Pro DAP also has a hybrid tube / SS output arrangement similar to the B4-X. Meaning tube pre-amp stage and SS output stage. But as far as I know the Cayin can't be modified like the B4-X to accept different op amps. I have also been looking at the Little Bear for some fun tube sound lately, so it is quite a coincidence that you also are interested in the B4-X. BTW, I do have vintage tube gear at home so I can appreciate the sound a tube amp can produce.
Edit: I made a mistake about the tube amplification. The tubes are used as amplifiers which feed the op amps. The op amps are unity gain, meaning they do not amplify the signal, but follow the amplified input voltage swing (audio signal) and provide drive current to the load (earbuds/IEMs/headphones).
Ah nice, I have a fellow earbuds user who exploring this earbuds + tube hobby together. I still not fully understands how tube amp works, and which are the best and budget friendly. But no rush for me, just exploring the journey at my own pace.
Thank you, will look into it! Nobsound NS-08E look great, not too powerful and great for earbuds and iems. Xduoo MT 602 also pique my interest, although I hear hybrid does not provide the best tube listening experience.
It really depends on the implementation IMO. But yes, generally a hybrid won't replace a true valve amplifier (vacuum tube). For instance the Cayin C9 is known to be one the absolute best small hybrid amps you can get (not quite portable, but transportable), and even though it has Korg Nutubes inside, it is known to not sound that much like a true vacuum tube amp overall.
Ah nice, I have a fellow earbuds user who exploring this earbuds + tube hobby together. I still not fully understands how tube amp works, and which are the best and budget friendly. But no rush for me, just exploring the journey at my own pace.
Ah nice, I have a fellow earbuds user who exploring this earbuds + tube hobby together. I still not fully understands how tube amp works, and which are the best and budget friendly. But no rush for me, just exploring the journey at my own pace.
“All the better to see you with!” said the Wolf...
LOL! I offered a night-time photo to better display the wonderous glow of the tubes.
Here is a daytime pic in comparison... see, not so romantic is it?
vs
SACThailand Classic 45 SE
SERIES: Silk Vacuum Tube Amplifier MODEL: CL45SE VERSION: Custom Earphone Edition; 09.2021 TYPE: Single-Ended Triode (SET); Class A CIRCUIT: Zero Feedback; Auto-Bias RECTIFIER "CONVERTER": 5Y3 x 1 *
INPUT "DRIVER": 6SN7 x 2 OUTPUT "POWER": Type 45 x 2 FILTER CHOKE: Silk Custom DC (CLCC) TRANSFORMER: Silk Custom PWRT & C-Core OUTPUT POWER: 1.5-2 W x 2 Channel LO-GAIN: 5.7x; +15 dB; 15-45,000 Hz ±3 dB; ~3.5 V HI-GAIN: 14.5x; +23 dB; 12-52,000 Hz ±3 dB; ~9.8 V S/N RATIO; THD: -79.5 dB; ≤5% @ 1 kHz OUTPUT IMPEDANCE: >10 Ω (Low); ~100 Ω (High) OUTPUT: 6.35TRS x 1; XLR-4 x 1 INPUT: Stereo RCA x 3; 0.25 V @ 50 kΩ POTENTIOMETER: Alps Alpine RK27; 50 kΩ POWER CABLE: Blur Swiss Gotham 86215 GPC GC AC STAND: Chieftain Premium Steel Ventilated Riser DIMENSIONS: W 36 x D 31 x H 20 cm WEIGHT: 14.5 kg
* This amplifier was specifically designed to use a modern, indirectly heated Sovtek 5Y3GT with a 140 mA maximum output and not a vintage, directly heated 5Y3 (max output of only 120 mA).
A link to my Earbud God-Tier List is at the very end of my ƎAЯ8UDS TIME⅃IИƎpost... however, after receiving some rather critical and unhappy DMs from unhappy buyers, I have decided I will no longer update and support the Earbud God-Tier List so as to avoid further trouble. I am even finding myself now reluctant to recommend earbuds in this thread especially if people are going to be so silly and react in this manner. Truly amazing how someone can get so easily enraged and willing to completely blame others for a disappointing purchase all the while not even taking into consideration that personal preferences/tastes are strongly at play nor taking into account the very well known QA related variances that occur these days with manufactured goods.
A link to my Earbud God-Tier List is at the very end of my ƎAЯ8UDS TIME⅃IИƎpost... however, after receiving some rather critical and unhappy DMs from unhappy buyers, I have decided I will no longer update and support the Earbud God-Tier List so as to avoid further trouble. I am even finding myself now reluctant to recommend earbuds in this thread especially if people are going to be so silly and react in this manner. Truly amazing how someone can get so easily enraged and willing to completely blame others for a disappointing purchase all the while not even taking into consideration that personal preferences/tastes are strongly at play nor taking into account the very well known QA related variances that occur these days with manufactured goods.
To be honest I bought my LBBs and Chaconne based on your and others earbuds God Tier Earbuds. Both incredibly surpass my my expectation. It is time and money saving for me as I dont want to suffer the same time and money expenditure horror during my IEMs exploration period.
It is sad to see it is no longer updated, but I am sure the it has benefited a lot of earbuds lover like me.
To be honest I bought my LBBs and Chaconne based on your and others earbuds God Tier Earbuds. Both incredibly surpass my my expectation. It is time and money saving for me as I dont want to suffer the same time and money expenditure horror during my IEMs exploration period.
It is sad to see it is no longer updated, but I am sure the it has benefited a lot of earbuds lover like me.
Very happy to hear that the list was helpful to you (that honestly has been the desired intent for all my lists) as I too, over many decades, got lost a good number of times in this hobby. Unfortunately, being called/treated as 'a shill' coupled with the further beratement and admonishment for offering an honest opinion/review/experience/list about certain/particular earbuds has kind of worn me out now. Maybe when these awkward social times end (change) I will revisit the idea of supporting and updating the Earbud God-Tier List again. Until then, I will do my upmost best to offer more benign lists and data with far less personal asides/experiences added or offered so as to maintain the peace.
Oh, those are fantastic looking! +1 on knowing what those are?! And it is a MUST to have your impressions of how they sound (I am assuming these are DIY)!
A link to my Earbud God-Tier List is at the very end of my ƎAЯ8UDS TIME⅃IИƎpost... however, after receiving some rather critical and unhappy DMs from unhappy buyers, I have decided I will no longer update and support the Earbud God-Tier List so as to avoid further trouble. I am even finding myself now reluctant to recommend earbuds in this thread especially if people are going to be so silly and react in this manner. Truly amazing how someone can get so easily enraged and willing to completely blame others for a disappointing purchase all the while not even taking into consideration that personal preferences/tastes are strongly at play nor taking into account the very well known QA related variances that occur these days with manufactured goods.
I think it is sad that you are pushed to that. You have helped SOOOO many people, and are also appreciated by so many in this thread. I think you should continue updating the list, maybe just not talk about it. Won't that appease those that are not intelligent enough to get out of their own way?
Very happy to hear that the list was helpful to you (that honestly has been the desired intent for all my lists) as I too, over many decades, got lost a good number of times in this hobby. Unfortunately, being called/treated as 'a shill' coupled with the further beratement and admonishment for offering an honest opinion/review/experience/list about certain/particular earbuds has kind of worn me out now. Maybe when these awkward social times end (change) I will revisit the idea of supporting and updating the Earbud God-Tier List again. Until then, I will do my upmost best to offer more benign lists and data with far less personal asides/experiences added or offered so as to maintain the peace.
While I don't always agree with your findings 100% (of course, having different ears means that I won't find the exact same things as you do, and it is seldom I agree with anyone about their views on headgear 100%), I am also a grown-up, and I find your findings to be invaluable and super useful, and I DO agree with your tastes more than most. I have also bought a couple of my buds based on your (and others) recommendations. I hope that you reconsider despite what the few (children) think otherwise.
In this case this statement prolly' holds true more than the other way around IMO:
The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few - Spock
Hi. Just read your review of EB2S. And also noticed that you have SMABAT M0 and compared it with that. It seems SMABAT M0 is much better than EB2S in terms of Clarity and Separation and have decent bass (less than EB2S though). Do you have 40 Ohms version of M0 or 20 Ohms? I ordered 40 Ohms but the order was cancelled so I may need to order again. EB2S I am les preferring (especially after your review) due to not that good Clarity and Detailed sound but also due to L Shape Plug which I don't want.
Do you see M0 is very good and not thin sounded? And have some Bass and it's not that lack bass fully? While I want very detailed sound, I don't want harsh sounding earbuds. I would prefer smooth and slight warm sounding earbuds (with Mic only). Please suggest. Thanks.
Also, do you know any other earbud (with Straight Plug + Mic) which is very god detailed sound but not harsh and decent bass. You mentioned that M0 lacks Bass (may be 40 Ohms may have better bass but I don't know) but if any other earbud (up to AUD $40-45 or may be $50), I would like to try that. I considered JCALLY EP09 too but then found it also has L Plug and no info on sound signature. Not sure if EP05 or 08 or J10 etc. are good enough and near what I am looking for.
My liking of the M0 is just a personal preference based on the fact that they are one of the relatively cheap earbuds that sound very clear. Are they better than the EB2S? I don't think so in absolute terms. I have found the EB2S to sound very good in some genres, while the M0s sound thinner and less full-bodied. I don't think the M0s have minimal bass, less so, compared to the EB2S. But being Smabat's specialist in bass eabuds, the M0s are one of the lightest models in this respect. This is also a personal preference. I prefer a bit more bass in both earbuds, but we'd have to go to another kind of sound and that's like a short blanket, you stretch there, you're short somewhere else...
I think my M0 is 20 Ohms, that's what it says on the box.
For bass and sound with some sparkle there's the classic RY4S MMCX PLUS 32 and you can put any cable you want.
On the other hand, I can't help you with the other earbuds you propose, I don't have them.
I'm sure other colleagues can help you more than me, in that sense.
Very happy to hear that the list was helpful to you (that honestly has been the desired intent for all my lists) as I too, over many decades, got lost a good number of times in this hobby. Unfortunately, being called/treated as 'a shill' coupled with the further beratement and admonishment for offering an honest opinion/review/experience/list about certain/particular earbuds has kind of worn me out now. Maybe when these awkward social times end (change) I will revisit the idea of supporting and updating the Earbud God-Tier List again. Until then, I will do my upmost best to offer more benign lists and data with far less personal asides/experiences added or offered so as to maintain the peace.
You are one of the most helpful people here, and the time that you put into it is evident. I find it very irritating that you have been treated in this manner. What's wrong with people??? Grrr!!!
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