[Feather225]

I am getting one of these with both tube and opamp upgrades... This is gonna be my first hybrid amp listening experience.. I have a ATL OTL MKIII tube amp and a M^3 SS, but I heard Hybrid works the best with low impedance full size headphones such as K701.. Will comment on it soon.

 

[Aynjell]

So far my impressions are stronger highs, stronger lows, but it feels like something about the mids has changed and I'm not sure I'll like it. Getting used to it still, we'll see what affect it has.

 

[Uri Cohen]

Just got the GB sylvanias and ATM there is not too much differences between these and the WE ones, but remember that these GB tubes are NOS so they been barely been used. I will have to run them in for a few days for my final answer. So far it looks like the highs are a little stronger.

 

[Trapper32]

Quote:

Originally Posted by HyperDuel /img/forum/go_quote.gif Just got the GB sylvanias and ATM there is not too much differences between these and the WE ones, but remember that these GB tubes are NOS so they been barely been used. I will have to run them in for a few days for my final answer. So far it looks like the highs are a little stronger.

Are these the Gold Pin GB's

 

[Frank I]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dept_of_Alchemy /img/forum/go_quote.gif A good and trusted source for Little Dot tubes would be Yen Audio on ebay, all of the tubes sold by YA are matched pairs which in my experience is very important in terms of portraying an accurate and believable soundstage. It looks like they're stocking some 408A tubes just for the I+. Highly recommended place to start looking at LD upgrade tubes if you're just starting out in the tube amp hobby. http://stores.ebay.com/Yen-Audio_Lit...QQftidZ2QQtZkm

Yen gone. He went bad. Had alot of issues and wasnt shipping goods or returning emails. There is another seller in Phonenix selling the Little Dot tubes but wont take paypal so I think its Yen

 

[Uri Cohen]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Trapper32 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Are these the Gold Pin GB's

Yes.

 

[Uri Cohen]

Report after 30-40 hours:

The Sylvania GB-408a tubes are a lot better than the Western Electrics. I didn't even notice how airy the Western Electrics were until I burn in more of the Sylvanias and keep testing out both pairs of tubes. When I try out the Western Electrics after using the Sylvania I'm not engaged with the music and the music itself wasn't that interesting.

I was using The Clash Sandinista! album in FLAC and I'm sure that it is not the remastered album.

The midrange and the highs are a lot better than the Western Electrics.

I will do one more report on this but I'm sure that these Gold Brand tubes will destroy the Western Electrics.

 

[john57]

I am enjoying my Little Dot 1+ that I just received and I am going to stick with the 408A tubes. Thanks for the tubes review.

 

[unl3a5h3d]

I just bought a I+ and have been reading up on tube rolling options and I know it takes the 6J1, EF92, and WE408A, but it says "as well as there equivalents". What are there equivalents? Is there like a wiki page or something that tells what all tubes are "equivalent"? Thanks.

 

[john57]

Quote:

Originally Posted by unl3a5h3d /img/forum/go_quote.gif I just bought a I+ and have been reading up on tube rolling options and I know it takes the 6J1, EF92, and WE408A, but it says "as well as there equivalents". What are there equivalents? Is there like a wiki page or something that tells what all tubes are "equivalent"? Thanks.

The Little Dot I+ includes the following tube-rolling options (as well as their equivalents):

6JI, WE403A/B, GE5654, M8100, CV4010, EF95

EF92, CV131

WE408A

 

[HeatFan12]

Quote:

Originally Posted by john57 /img/forum/go_quote.gif The Little Dot I+ includes the following tube-rolling options (as well as their equivalents): 6JI, WE403A/B, GE5654, M8100, CV4010, EF95 EF92, CV131 WE408A

EF95- EF95 / 5654 / CV4010 / M8100 / 6096 / 403A/B / 6J1 / 6AK5 / CV850 / 6J1P-EV / 6ZH1P-EV

EF91 / EF92- EF91 / CV138 / CV4014 / / 6AM6 / EF92 / CV131 / M8161 / 6CQ6 / W77

408A- (Western Electric, Tung Sol, Sylvania etc.) & 6028

 

[Aynjell]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Trapper32 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Are these the Gold Pin GB's

Gold pin is not the same as gold brand. I'm not even sure if the gold brand have gold pins, but I believe they do not.

 

[HeatFan12]

This amp and this thread have been around for a while and it's good to see interest in this little gem.
I have to say that I have had mine for a while and tried many, many tubes with it. The 408A is not the "be all end all" of tubes for this amp. Many tubes sound great. Try some nice EF91s or M8161s. You want crystal clarity then put some GE 5Star 5654s in there.
It seems that a lot of folks get this amp, throw some 408As in there and get tired and move on. Possibilities are plenty. Experiment with different families and varieties. How often are you going to purchase an amp with the possibility of rolling three families of tubes at an incredible price. Don't let the 408A bug bite you. I picked up some 6096CTs for about $7 a pair and they are slammin'.
And yes, I have various 408As and have tried them and they sound good no doubt, but my Tung Sol 6AK5W, Siemens 6AK5W and M8161 and Mullard EF91 give them a run, and for rock, they just plain dominate the spectrum....

Versatility and great sound...

 

[cristox]

(EF91 = 6AM6 = Z77 = 6F12 = 8D3 = N79 = CV138 = 6064 = M8083 = CV4014)

(EF92 = 6CQ6 = W77 = 6F21 = 9D6 = CV131 = 6065 = M8161 = CV4015)

(EF95 = 6AK5 = 6j1p = 6069 = 6F32V = 6F32 = 5654 = 6ZH1P = M8100= 403A [=408a {heads up, higher heater voltages}])

 

[john57]

My own review of the 408A tubes....
After listening to the four pairs of 408A tubes, GE, WE, Sylvania Gold Brand and finally the Tung Sol. I will then write about the best of the 408A family of tubes. I am using my Sennheiser HD555 that has the same drivers as the HD595 and my new HD380 headphone listening different types of classical music, symphonic and vocal music I came to a general agreement. My favorite of the 408A is the gold pins GE (General Electric) and it has great transparency, detail and soundstage. My second is the WE (Western Electric) with great sound stage but not to the level of detail with the GE tube. Next was the Sylvania Gold Brand with great detail as the GE but not with the transparency or the soundstage and this is the least musical of the 408A tubes and this version does not have the golden pins. Last the Tung Sol is quite musical but with very high microphonics meaning if someone was yelling in the room the tube will pick it up. Also the tube heaters were very slow to warn up and the filaments barely give any light and there was indication that my Little Dot was under stress and I was not conformable using this tube in my amp. The GE has the lowest microphonics and the WE and the Sylvania close behind. I do not use the tapping test for microphonics which can damage tubes in operation but by a light rubbing the tips. It seems that the tube with the lowest microphonics sound the best for me overall in this case. Here is the picture of my GE “reactor” tube in operation in my Little Dot 1+ amp at this link.

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