[metrathon]

 
[size=10.0pt]I didn't expect much from this little amp, but the minimum I was expecting was to outsound my two CD players I currently listen to: Denon LA-2000 ($30 used) and Technics SL-P770 ($40 used). I'm using a pair of HD 650.[/size]

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[size=10.0pt]Well, even with the CV4010 it doesn't. It sounds identical to the Technics and worse than the Denon. By worse I mean, less bass, less sound stage.[/size]

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[size=10.0pt]I cross fingers and desperately pray that this is because the tubes are new and they need burning in (the amp is new, just got it from David). I hope the sound will get to be (at least) as good as the Denon. [/size]

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[size=10.0pt]I'm disappointed. I’ll let it play for a few days and then come back with an update.[/size]

 

[Frank I]

 
Quote:

 
[size=10pt]I didn't expect much from this little amp, but the minimum I was expecting was to outsound my two CD players I currently listen to: Denon LA-2000 ($30 used) and Technics SL-P770 ($40 used). I'm using a pair of HD 650.[/size]
[size=10pt] [/size]
[size=10pt]Well, even with the CV4010 it doesn't. It sounds identical to the Technics and worse than the Denon. By worse I mean, less bass, less sound stage.[/size]
[size=10pt] [/size]
[size=10pt]I cross fingers and desperately pray that this is because the tubes are new and they need burning in (the amp is new, just got it from David). I hope the sound will get to be (at least) as good as the Denon. [/size]
[size=10pt] [/size]
[size=10pt]I'm disappointed. I’ll let it play for a few days and then come back with an update.[/size]

What headphones are you usiong and what amp prior? I have heard the Little Dot MK111 and it sounds like nothing you describe could be your CD players need to be upgraded
 

 

[metrathon]

So until now it was CD Player -> HD 650. Now I have CD Player (line out) -> LD MK III -> HD 650.
 
 

 

[Gatepc]

Thats odd, I can confirm that the CV4010s and Little Dot III are very good combo's and compete with amps that cost much more. Heck I'd say it competes with my Burson in some regards. Maybe its the HD650s sound signature that you do not like or a limit of your CD player. I would recommend getting a better CD player or DAC as that is probably what is limiting your chain of audio.

 

[metrathon]

 
[size=10.0pt]I think you guys assume I said the LT sounds bad. It doesn’t sound bad, I never said that. All I said was the LT sounds as good as my Technics and not as good as my Denon.[/size]

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[size=10.0pt]I don't see the point in upgrading the CD players. I mean, it's the same source, right? The only difference is that instead of listening directly to the CD player, I’m using the line out of the CD player, through the LT.[/size]

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[size=10.0pt]The LT, in my mind, should have produced a better SQ than my 15 years old Denon. Not sure what I was expecting, but I was expecting something.[/size]

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[size=10.0pt]Maybe nothing is wrong. Maybe this is the right SQ one should expect from the LT MK III and the only "fault" is that it sounds the same as my CD player. If I’m right, the question is how much should I spend to outperform the used $40 Denon. $250 were not enough it seems.[/size]

 

[Impulsive]

well, just remember the purpose of amp.
It will amplify the sound that it is given by source.
it wont magically make the same music better, it will just reproduce, what's on it's input.
Yeah, it should wake the headphones up, and maybe some details in music can come out, but you cant expect miracles.
It seems that your CD player drives HD650 very good.
Quote:

[size=10.0pt]If I’m right, the question is how much should I spend to outperform the used $40 Denon. $250 were not enough it seems.[/size]

i think you upgraded wrong part, when you were after better quality.
I think i would change CD player.
HD650 should be easily driven by CD players and i presume they already are driven very good by your denon, I think that is the reason why MK III failed.
It basically didnt failed, it succeeded because the music was not worse, it was able to perfectly reproduce and amplify, what Denon gave him.
Just the Denon and Little Dot, they both drive HD650 very good and that is why you didnt noticed the difference.
 

 

[metrathon]

Impulsive, your reply makes sense. You're anything but what your avatar says
 
Now, I'm wondering if buying a DAC and using DENON (optical out) -> DAC -> MK III -> HD650 will improve the sound? Actually, is it more room for improvement? I think this is the basic question i need to answer

 

[blacknile]

Welcome to to the club of disappointed Little Dot MK III users. I owned one and sold it after some months.
 
It didn't impress me at all. I also purchased a pair of mullard drivers (the same ones you got). Marginal improvement, but nothing spectacular. My recommendation: don't waste more money on it if you're not happy: a new DAC won't do miracles.  I used Beyerdynamic DT880 with it. I initially tried:
 
Marantz CD6000OSE -> little dot -> Dt880.
 
It didn't sound significantly better than doing:
 
Marantz CD6000OSE (headphone jack) -> little dot.
 
I then bought a DAC and streamed flac files through it:
 
FLAC -> foobar2000/wasapi -> HRT music streamer II -> Little dot ->dt880
 
and compared what I heard with what I got replacing the little dot with my speaker integrated amplifier:
 
FLAC -> foobar2000/wasapi -> HRT music streamer II -> Integrated Amp -> dt880
 
This time the configuration *without* the little dot was significantly better. The only advantage I could find is that the LD was completely silent with no music playing (the jack  of the integrated produces a faint hiss).
 
In the end, having decided the LD was worth neither the price I paid nor the additional connections and room taken I sold it. Won't be buying other dedicated headphone amps for the time being.
 
IMHO: the LD is good if you DON'T own separates hi-fi equipment to start with: it's good for people that don't own, or don't want to own, separates CD players (that have at times excellent headphones amp built-in) or receivers/amplifiers. Most of the ecstatic comments come, I believe, from people that have no non-dedicated amplifiers to compare the LD with.
 
It's a decent amplifier in a relative sense (relative to powering your headphones out of a portable head-amp or the jack of a laptop, etc);
it's a poor amplifier in an absolute sense (compared to other generic, non-headphone-centred hi-fi amplifiers).
 
My 2c.
 

 

[casperry]

My initial impressions were the same when I first got the amp. There wasn't a night and day difference between my cheaper equipment and this amp but you tend to pick up differences as you listen more. For me, I spot the improvement when I switch back to my old amp - then I hear flaws in it, not so much when I move up from lower end to higher end. I would give it a few months test run and then compare but with the dac built in your cd player you are not maxing out your amp - crap in, crap out. Also, I find that where mostly the LD3 excels is in representing more lifelike vocals so even though any music will sound better on the LD3, electronic music won't benefit from the amp that much so some genres will perform better than others. Regards, Cas.

 

[Optimus Praim]

3 days ago i managed to get my hands on a fully burned MKIII with stock tubes and i tested it with Pro 2900 and Pro 900.
I can verify that ''no wide soundstage'' experience.
I was also dissapointed because it completely lacked in soundstage compared to M-Stage...
But i can't say the same with bass..
The bass was there,tight and controlled..
Btw M-Stage rocks,a real performing amp...