First let me qualify that I am a audiophile n00b. I have several headphone amps, cables, etc., but my primary source of music is an iPod Nano
. I eventually hope to move to better music sources.
I have been trying different headphone amps for a little over two years...every since I got my first decent pair of headphones (Senn HD555). I was bit by the audiophile upgrade bug and have been trying new amps and cans as they catch my attention. My goal has always been to have something that sounds good to me. My first LD amp was the II+, then the II++, then the micro. I have experimented more with portable amps than with home amps; trying everything from the Cmoy to a modded XM4. The LD Micro was ok, but I felt it was a little weak for my personal taste. Up until recently, the modded XM4 was my primary portable amp. That's because I just received the LD MK1.
I bought the amp from David through the ebay store. I had it four days(!) later. It came well packed in dense foam with its charger, manual, a little carry pouch, and a bonus...a good quality mini-to-mini interconnect. The amp itself is impressive. It is small, about the same length as the XM4, but it is wider. The black portion of the case is in a high-gloss finish and the end plates are brushed aluminum. It is also heavy...making a good personal defense weapon (somebody tries to steal your wallet and you can take him down by whacking him with the amp...makes a good throwing weapon too. I wonder if that is covered in the warranty?)
Seriously folks, the build quality of the amp is first rate. If anything, it reminds me if the LD MK III and IV enclosures, without the tubes and transformer box on top.
I have only had a chance to burn the amp in for about 20 hours. I have been listening with two sets of headphones; brand new AKG K701s (they also only have about 20 hours of burn-in), and a set of Grado 325i cans with the GS1000 earpads (courtesy of TTVJ). They have about 100 hours on them. As soon as I started listening, I knew I had found my new primary portable amp. It sounded good right out of the box. I did find that I have to play musical interconnects and EQ settings to find a happy median as the cans burn-in, but I have been able to hear the music improve noticeably even after 20 hours. I can listen to the AKGs with EQ turned off and still get good sound quality and detail that I hadn't heard before. The Grados sound better with the EQ on Acoustic (the GS1000 earpads make a major difference in increasing comfort and expanding the soundstage). The bottom line is that even with only 20 hours burn-in, the amp sounds great. I can't wait until the amp and cans are well burned-in; I truly believe that the sound will be incredible. I tried all three gain settings before settling on the 4x (middle) position.
So, IMHO the LD MK I is a great portable amp, but does it have any downsides? Well, I have two nits to pick; the volume knob is tiny. My fat fingers can't get a good grasp without having pick the amp up. I would recommend (as an option?) either a knurled knob or one with the little rubber rings around it. That way big fingers can get better traction on the knob. My only other nit is that the amp didn't come with white cotton gloves to handle it. The finish is a fingerprint magnet. I am not sure I can listen to an amp I need to buff before using.
Good build quality, great sound out of the box; I am sticking with this amp for a while...until Sword Yang comes out with something better. By the way, where can I buy some white cotton gloves?
Regards,
-HK sends
EDIT: It will definitely complement the LD MK IV SE I just received today!
I have been trying different headphone amps for a little over two years...every since I got my first decent pair of headphones (Senn HD555). I was bit by the audiophile upgrade bug and have been trying new amps and cans as they catch my attention. My goal has always been to have something that sounds good to me. My first LD amp was the II+, then the II++, then the micro. I have experimented more with portable amps than with home amps; trying everything from the Cmoy to a modded XM4. The LD Micro was ok, but I felt it was a little weak for my personal taste. Up until recently, the modded XM4 was my primary portable amp. That's because I just received the LD MK1.
I bought the amp from David through the ebay store. I had it four days(!) later. It came well packed in dense foam with its charger, manual, a little carry pouch, and a bonus...a good quality mini-to-mini interconnect. The amp itself is impressive. It is small, about the same length as the XM4, but it is wider. The black portion of the case is in a high-gloss finish and the end plates are brushed aluminum. It is also heavy...making a good personal defense weapon (somebody tries to steal your wallet and you can take him down by whacking him with the amp...makes a good throwing weapon too. I wonder if that is covered in the warranty?)
Seriously folks, the build quality of the amp is first rate. If anything, it reminds me if the LD MK III and IV enclosures, without the tubes and transformer box on top.
I have only had a chance to burn the amp in for about 20 hours. I have been listening with two sets of headphones; brand new AKG K701s (they also only have about 20 hours of burn-in), and a set of Grado 325i cans with the GS1000 earpads (courtesy of TTVJ). They have about 100 hours on them. As soon as I started listening, I knew I had found my new primary portable amp. It sounded good right out of the box. I did find that I have to play musical interconnects and EQ settings to find a happy median as the cans burn-in, but I have been able to hear the music improve noticeably even after 20 hours. I can listen to the AKGs with EQ turned off and still get good sound quality and detail that I hadn't heard before. The Grados sound better with the EQ on Acoustic (the GS1000 earpads make a major difference in increasing comfort and expanding the soundstage). The bottom line is that even with only 20 hours burn-in, the amp sounds great. I can't wait until the amp and cans are well burned-in; I truly believe that the sound will be incredible. I tried all three gain settings before settling on the 4x (middle) position.
So, IMHO the LD MK I is a great portable amp, but does it have any downsides? Well, I have two nits to pick; the volume knob is tiny. My fat fingers can't get a good grasp without having pick the amp up. I would recommend (as an option?) either a knurled knob or one with the little rubber rings around it. That way big fingers can get better traction on the knob. My only other nit is that the amp didn't come with white cotton gloves to handle it. The finish is a fingerprint magnet. I am not sure I can listen to an amp I need to buff before using.
Good build quality, great sound out of the box; I am sticking with this amp for a while...until Sword Yang comes out with something better. By the way, where can I buy some white cotton gloves?
Regards,
-HK sends
EDIT: It will definitely complement the LD MK IV SE I just received today!
