[Clemmaster]

Kingwa re-issued the SA300 amplifier!
 
It should go for $1300-1400 shipped (the shippings are not listed for the power amps) and might be a worthy alternative to the Master-3/10 power amps.
I prefer the SA-31 amp to the integrated "pseudo-Master 8" NFB amp in my NFB-27 with the 5LEs (even though it's single ended vs balanced).
 
The "Musical Serie" SA gears are really true to their name! 

 

[szanella]

Quote:

Under 1k Dac it's best to buy used. Also it depends on whether multiple inputs/outputs;balance/preamp are required or not.
 
Some of my recommendations would be: Metrum Octave + transport, Electrocompaniet ECD-1, a heavily modded Havana, Parasound 1600, used Larvy Da10/Da11, EE Minimax (replace opamp and remove tube).

 
Thanks!
Do you believe all these would be superior than the Ref10 from a DAC point of view?
 
 
 

Kingwa re-issued the SA300 amplifier!
 
It should go for $1300-1400 shipped (the shippings are not listed for the power amps) and might be a worthy alternative to the Master-3/10 power amps.
I prefer the SA-31 amp to the integrated "pseudo-Master 8" NFB amp in my NFB-27 with the 5LEs (even though it's single ended vs balanced).
 
The "Musical Serie" SA gears are really true to their name! 
 

 
Yeah, it does sound interesting! But then again, isn't colour on the sound something we are trying to avoid when we go to hps like the HE-6? I read that the SA gears were somewhat coloured

 

[khaine1711]

Quote:

 
Thanks!
Do you believe all these would be superior than the Ref10 from a DAC point of view?

From a dac point of view, it's only your preference that matters (that and requirement of input/output). Bear in mind that with kingwa's dac, the Sabre/PCM1704/WM8841 and the Diamond buffer dac all sound quite different from other. Personally I am not really fond of Kingwa's dacs though he does make some killer preamp. Dacs are really personal, and require home audition and a/b-ing, preferably 2 weeks minimum and volume matched 

. Human memory isn't reliable and with dac it's pretty point-less to have just one then relying on memory to see if it "betters" your old dac.
 
If you got 1.8k (the ref10) to blow, and are really set on Kingwa's interpretation of the Pcm1704, I'd say empty your wallet and get the Master 7 instead. Still I'm advising you to move slowly, zooming on an expensive dac may make you miss some good stuff along the way. This is coming from a box swapper who used to be an Audio-gd fan, but now settling on something completely different 

 

[khaine1711]

So I was just talking random non-sense, chit-chat to a dealer; and the next day, something land on my table 

 

 

 

[Silent One]

What a conversation!

 

[khaine1711]

Quote:

What a conversation!

I blame Zenpunk! I was like "damn I want to try the Little Dot 6, but my lampi is single-ended only. Maybe I should get a balance Dac to try - hmm Hilo or Dac2". One thing leads to another and then the Eximus landed 

 

[Silent One]

Quote:

 
I blame Zenpunk! I was like "damn I want to try the Little Dot 6, but my lampi is single-ended only. Maybe I should get a balance Dac to try - hmm Hilo or Dac2". One thing leads to another and then the Eximus landed 

 
I've yet to hear the Little Dot 6 - is it some good sound for the money?

 

[khaine1711]

Well I don't know 

. But the topology is interesting - it's dual mono push-pull, but using a pair of 6SN7 instead of the usual suspects (El34/Kt77/Kt88/6550/2A3), the voltage divider part is done by an opamp I think - instead of tubes; input is 6h9c, but from the design I think one could use a double voltage adapter to convert that into 12ax7 types of tube, which I'll have plenty..
 
People reported the 6 and 8 sound good for the price - I could see why (despite the cramped design, you don't need really high quality iron; no output cap helps too). All in all I'm curious - I've heard a lot of push pull amp with El34 and 2A3; various other tubes too, but I haven't seen anything like the LD6/8. Also tube rolling is cheap (tons of 6SN7, compared to NOS 6550/2A3).
 
Now I'm pondering if I should try the 6 first, or grab the 8 with upgraded supertube in the FS and buy/borrow a pair of hd800 

 

[Silent One]

I'll be watching with interest.

 

[MrQ]

Quote:

I blame Zenpunk! I was like "damn I want to try the Little Dot 6, but my lampi is single-ended only. Maybe I should get a balance Dac to try - hmm Hilo or Dac2". One thing leads to another and then the Eximus landed 

I would as well. It's a good place to start

 
Quote:

 
I've yet to hear the Little Dot 6 - is it some good sound for the money?

 
I've heard Zenpunk's rig at his home and again at the last UK meet. I brought a HE6 and EF6 combo and I was still impressed with his setup.

 

[alota]

this week, despite overwork, finally i listened the he-6 and the he-500 with my beta. i´m really surprised about this headphones.
if i were to give advice, i would say he-500 without any doubt
this the best headphone(for the price)that i tried at this day.really amazing, really incredible.
but this is the he-6 thread and this headphone is superior.
more expensive compared to the he-500 of course but with a good price compared to toys like grado ps-1000, ultrasone edition 10, stax sr-009, etc. etc. etc.
i´m not good in english, i´m not good with the words but i´m my little and modest experience in this crazy world, the he-6 is a queen
top combination between dynamic and electrostaic world.
of course you need a differente amplification but you´ve a top system with a reasonable expenditure
just my two cents

 

[TheWuss]

i owned the LD MKVI+ for a while.
 
great amp for the price.
 
however, i might be mistaken, but i think it's designed for the 6SL7 tube.
can be used with 6SN7.  but i think it affects the output.   making it slightly quieter than with the 6SL7 tubes.
 
a good buddy of mine bought my little dot from me.  and still owns it.
 
i recommend the russian Svetlana "winged C" tube as recitifier.  and the Tung Sol BGRP 6SL7 (which can be had much cheaper than its 6SN7 sibling).
 
with a nice power cord, and nice interconnects to a balanced dac, the sound should be surprisingly good.
i didn't think it was "quite enough" power with the HE-6, but it was dynamite with high-impedance cans like the T1.
 
later,
Wuss

 

[alota]

Quote:

i owned the LD MKVI+ for a while.
 
great amp for the price.
 
 
i recommend the russian Svetlana "winged C" tube as recitifier.  and the Tung Sol BGRP 6SL7 (which can be had much cheaper than its 6SN7 sibling).
 
.
 
later,
Wuss

Dear Wuss, i agree for the amp and for the tubes

 

[alota]

I have a technical question. in a hardawired he-6, the impedance changes or is the same?
thank you

 

[Silent One]

My dealer reports the resistance drops; becomes more efficient to drive. Now, by how much I don't know... or remember. You could ask Robert @ Aphroditecu29.com