[theryaner]

I currently own a little dot MK III connected to a pico amp/dac and I was wondering if a little dot I+ hybrid would be better with my Grado 325is.

Note: My little dot MK III is upgraded with gold pin 6H30Pi power tubes and mullard driver tubes.

I'm pretty satisfied with the sound I'm getting from my setup but I heard the LD I+ has better synergy with grados. I'm kinda in need of some cash, so I'm hoping I could improve my audio and add some money in my pocket at the same time.

What I like about the mk3 is the noticeable improvement to imaging and instrument separation. Would I lose any of this with the LD I+ ?

It's likely that I'll upgrade the tubes on the LD I+ if I were to get it. So for those with experience, let me know what you think. thanks!

 

[kunalraiker]

Little Dot I+ usually recommended with the Grado's for a budget amp.

 

[HeatFan12]

The LD MK1 is a portable amp. I believe you are referring to the LD I+ (tube hybrid). Sounds great with Grados and low impedance cans. You can also use your driver tubes from the MKIII...

Three families of tubes, great price, great service...

In case your next question is- Which version should I buy (tube)?...IMO, go with the stock 6J1 (EF95) and upgrade tubes on your own. If you have several sets for the MKIII then you are ready to go.

When you said you have Mullard drivers, do you mean from the EF95 or EF91/92 family...?

Many favorites for this little amp, but I always go back to the EF91/92 family. Now, some Tung Sol 6028s (408A) definitely rock it very nice, the Mullards CV850 are another go to tube...And then there is....Nevermind, don't get me started, many, many options...

.....

 

[theryaner]

Thanks for the comments! Would you guys say this is an "upgrade" from my little dot MK3 when grados are concerned or is it just different?

BTW the mullards I own are part of the EF95 family. I'll look into your recommendations.

EDIT: @heatfan12

I just checked your profile and I see that you own the MKIV and the I+. Among those 2 which do you prefer with your grados?

 

[HeatFan12]

Quote:

Originally Posted by theryaner /img/forum/go_quote.gif Thanks for the comments! Would you guys say this is an "upgrade" from my little dot MK3 when grados are concerned or is it just different? BTW the mullards I own are part of the EF95 family. I'll look into your recommendations. EDIT: @heatfan12 I just checked your profile and I see that you own the MKIV and the I+. Among those 2 which do you prefer with your grados?

For Grados, the I+ everytime...

 

[lescanard]

I had the 325is and MKIII and just recently sold both. I sold the MKIII mainly because the LDI+ was the right match for all my low impedance cans (incl my Grados). MKIII is a great amp so don't get me wrong...buy the I+ is perfect for your Grados. EF91 Mullards Blue Glass are my absolutely favorite tubes with the 325s!

 

[theryaner]

Quote:

Originally Posted by lescanard /img/forum/go_quote.gif I had the 325is and MKIII and just recently sold both. I sold the MKIII mainly because the LDI+ was the right match for all my low impedance cans (incl my Grados). MKIII is a great amp so don't get me wrong...buy the I+ is perfect for your Grados. EF91 Mullards Blue Glass are my absolutely favorite tubes with the 325s!

Those mullards look awesome! I think I found a place where I can get a matched pair. What kind of music do you listen to?

 

[lescanard]

Mainly Roots Rock, Vocals, Acoustics, Blues, Americana stuff, Alternative, Cool Jazz...pretty much all over the board. You should enjoy those tubes - got mine on eBay from a guy in England - probably paid about $5 ea for 5 of them.

 

[stang]

Agreed, the Little Dot I+ is a great choice for Grado's, more so than the MKIII

 

[silwen]

I asked David if I should go for the MK III or MKIV or the 1+ for the Grado RS-1i. He recommended the 1+. I can't recall the reason he gave me though.

 

[GeckoSlayer]

The I+ that I have sound amazing with some MS-1s.  That's all I've heard though, so can't really comment much more

 

[stang]

thread bump ftw

 

[RonMiller1]

I was about to "upgrade" from my 1+ to the MKiii to use with my 325i's. This thread has me second guessing the decision. What are some of the differences people have heard?

 

[little dot]

I have the mk3 and have just recently bought the 325is.I was looking at getting the little dot m1+?????

 

[GotNoRice]

I have the mk3 and have just recently bought the 325is.I was looking at getting the little dot m1+?????

The bottom line is, it comes down to what headphones you want to use.

Let's compare the power output of the two units:

Little-Dot I+
150mW @ 300 ohms
300mW @ 120 ohms
800mW @ 32 ohms

Little-Dot MKIII
350 mW @ 300/600 ohm
300 mW @ 120 oh
100 mW @ 32 ohm

What should be dramatically obvious is that the Little-Dot MKIII delivers the most power when using high-impedance headphones. The Little-Dot I+ delivers the most power when using low-impedance headphones. In addition, the Little-Dot I+ has much more power available in it's optimal configuration (800mW) compared to the MKIII in it's optimal configuration (350mW).

The Little-Dot I+ is able to deliver 8 times more power than the MKIII into 32-ohm headphones such as your Grados.

The Little-Dot MKIII on the other hand is going to do about double the power into your HD650s compared to the I+ (assuming 300ohm).

My preferred headphones at the moment are the Sony XB700s which are 24ohm. The two Little-Dot units I have aside from the I+ are both full tube units that exhibit similar power characteristics to the MKIII (more power into higher ohms). The difference between using the XB700 on the I+ vs one of the full tube amps is night-and-day. They just can't deliver large amounts of power into the headphones like the I+ can. That makes the I+ sound significantly clearer, with much less congestion, and stronger, harder hitting bass.