[Dookky]

Hello everyone! I recently got into the audio scene about a year ago when I had the chance to take two courses to finish my degree, digital signal processing lab and intro to digital filtering. We mostly dealt with audio signals and I immediately fell in love with the mathematics behind the systems! Although my job has taken me in a different direction I have recently acquired a new appreciation for music when I got my first set of real headphones, Denon AH-D5000, along with a portable amp (ibasso d2+ boa, which is AMAZING). I can't believe how much I have been missing in my music! I love my d2+ but I am eager to hear a tube amp, which is partially why I'm writing this.
 
Anyways, enough about all that. I have spent many many hours perusing this fine website in the search for what would be the perfect tube amp for my headphones (and future headphone purchases ). I am planning on doing some DIY projects once I get established with a nice tube amp and cans, I don't want to have to depend on my next project for aural pleasure afterall. So with that in mind I wanted to buy a nice entry level tube amp, and I was almost completely set on a WA3 or possibly even 6, when I jumped the gun and emailed little dot about the MKIV SE. I can't tell you why I went with it, it was more less of a gut reaction.
 
I just wanted to say Hello, thanks for all the cool threads, and let you guys know what I'm planning on doing. I figure this is a good way to get connected with the community that I hope to be around for quite some time. I'll let you guys know how everything goes, and when I get it (or whatever tube amp I get) I'll put some pictures up, guts and all.

 

[RazorJack]

hi, an entirely new world opened for me as well when I registered here at head-fi. I've never heard the LD MKIVse, but read many stories from happy owners here.
 
p.s. I can't believe you actually like digital signal processing, and the subject filtering! I had to take a course in DSP last semester, and every now and then I'm still having nightmares about the exam (Discrete Fourier Transform, omg...) which I passed with a 6/10, luckily/miracously.

 

[.Sup]

The MK IV SE is a fantastic amp at a low price. I'm really enjoying mine.

 

[Dookky]

Haha I know, it was kind of weird when I finally realized how much I was enjoying the class.
 
It's official, i put in my order for an MK4 SE. hopefully it will arrive in about two weeks if all goes well!!

 

[PANGES]

Quote:

Haha I know, it was kind of weird when I finally realized how much I was enjoying the class.
 
It's official, i put in my order for an MK4 SE. hopefully it will arrive in about two weeks if all goes well!!

Just curious, where did you order from? I was looking into the same amp myself, and David's ebay store is empty, and his resellers are all in different countries than mine. lol.
 
I'm thinking I must've overlooked something.

 

[Dookky]

I emailed him, found his address in a topic in the Miscellaneous section of his forum.

 

[jms91]

Congrats on the purchase! I've had my eye on this amp for a while now but haven't had the money to shell out on a tube amp. Let us know how everything sounds

 

[Dookky]

Little Dot is on holiday and my amp will have to wait 

I'm glad he's taking a break though, it sounds like he's been VERY busy lately.

 

[Dookky]

I FINALLY GOT MY MKIV SE!! Very pleased so far! Only JUST beginning to listen to it (less than an hour) but already, some static in a recording has been significantly reduced, and what I would equate to soundstage has been dramatically increased. I am listening to a Beethoven piano solo and the sound seems to be coming from WAY BACK THERE! I'll have some more photos later, and I didn't realize how big it would be so it's sort of half-hazardly placed on my desk until I care to rearrange everything.
 

 
my setup, ibasso d2+ DAC -> MKIV SE -> d5000

 

[Denys]

Quote:

I FINALLY GOT MY MKIV SE!! Very pleased so far! Only JUST beginning to listen to it (less than an hour) but already, some static in a recording has been significantly reduced, and what I would equate to soundstage has been dramatically increased. I am listening to a Beethoven piano solo and the sound seems to be coming from WAY BACK THERE! I'll have some more photos later, and I didn't realize how big it would be so it's sort of half-hazardly placed on my desk until I care to rearrange everything.
 

 
my setup, ibasso d2+ DAC -> MKIV SE -> d5000

Congrats !!! Enjoy.....start saving for Mullard tubes... You'll be in heaven !!!
 
Bang for the buck this Little Dot... I have a MK III that I bought "temporarly" to go along with my Grado 325..... I can't get rid of it.....and I put it in my bedroom !!!

 
Denys

 

[Maxvla]

Welcome to the club. Nice of you to stick your foot in the door. After you get over your initial shock, you'll find there's even more out there.
 
If nobody said it yet.. Sorry about your wallet!
 
FYI to all those asking - You can buy any Little Dot product directly from David by emailing him. You can find all the info you need at www.littledot.net
 
Also David's great with service. I've had a couple issues (replacing fans and power switch) with my MKVI and he's responded quickly and replaced the parts in question at no charge.

 

[Dookky]

Haha, yes my wallet has seen better days but this is just incredible. It's like the first time I bought expensive ear-buds. Granted they were bose (i don't much care for them anymore) but it was a huge step up from the stock ipod earbuds. AMAZING!!

 

[Dookky]

As i am new to tube technology, which style Mullard tubes would I look for Maxvla?

 

[Maxvla]

That would be better answered by a tube roller, which I am not. I'm using stock tubes (or similar) in my amp.
 
From the Little Dot site:
 
"The SE version also replaces the normal MK IV vacuum tubes with M8100/CV4010 driver tubes and 6H30PI (Gold-Pin) power tubes!"
 
Try searching for those numbers and find a match. Check it here (http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/332615/little-dot-mk-iv-se-tube-rolling) with someone who knows more about the MKIV SE before buying.

 

[Dookky]

Welp, it was bound to happen, but work has really got me bogged down right now (which is not a bad thing by any means) and I haven't been able to listen to much. Once I get some free time and have thoroughly listened to my little dot I plan on tube rolling, and taking it apart to study the circuit, see if I can't begin learning about tube amp design and maybe make my own someday!
 
I had a pretty scary moment the first night I was listening to it. After about 20 minutes of listening I would get some really bad crackling and popping in the left channel. After doing some very simple diagnostics and talking with David (who is VERY fast in responding to emails, and extremely helpful in general) he said the best idea would be to clean the pins and sockets with a good deoxidizing cleaner. I'm pretty embarrassed to say that I had no faith in this fix (the guy has been building amps for a while, I'm pretty sure he know what he's talking about). So I bought some DeoxIT and VOILA, everything is working beautifully now! If any one is new to tube amps (like I am) I would highly recommend cleaning the pins every so often. I still think it's amazing that, what seems like such a simply procedure, can have such profound effects on SQ.