[barbazz]

Yeah, those screws are a pain. Some words of advice if you plan to do some heavy tube and opamp rolling:

• Don't tight the screws too much when closing the lid. It is perfectly secure even if you don't screw it in too tightly.
• Use socket savers for both opamps and tubes. If they become loose, they are easier to replace than the original sockets.

• Make a list of tubes, their settings and what adapters you need to roll them. This will save you precious time and you'll make sure you're not blowing any tubes (or the amp) in the process. Here's a small sample of mine (yeah, I love lists, so there's probably many fields you don't need to use )

• Enjoy your Little Dot!

 

[ikoster]

I had no idea that such a thing as tube/opamp savers exist... Thanks for all the tips !
(it is my first tube amp ever)

btw I have ordered some little wire brushes and some isopropyl alcohol for cleaning those tube pins today.
There is some "coloration" on the tube pins probably the source of that left channel hiss... (but it is ok now nothing to be heard after re-plugging the tubes).

I will post some "before and after" pics when those cleaning tools arrive...

I love this amp and the synergy with the RS1x

update:
cleaning tools arrived but I decided not to mess with these tubes (yet) because there is no reason for cleaning those pins currently...

 

[ikoster]

Talk is cheap.

I did it today...

Overview :

before:

after:

left tube before:

left tube after:

right tube before:

right tube after:

I know it is not much but I did not wanted to over do it...
Do I have to say that after plugging them back in everything is many times improved OMG the details, separation, layering, dynamics... EVERYTHING !

after bit more cleaning near the tube base (I still need to figure out how to clean inside of those pins)

 

[ikoster]