Little dot MK I+ or MK III with grado's

[little dot]

That has explained it perfectly , your time and effort is much appreciated Gotnorice.

 

[Melvins]

LD1+ synergy with Grado's is impeccable 

 

[Cakensaur]

With little dot MK I+ i prefer grados
However i listen to my AKG Q701 or HD650 with little dot MK IV.
Low impedance --> MK I+
High impedance/low sensitivity---> MK IV (or MK III in this case

 

[Poladise]

With my grado sr325i, the little dot i+ has much more clarity and refined & solid bass compared to the little dot mk iii, but the dot i+ soundstage is much smaller. Definitely something to consider.

 

[pallentx]

So, I ordered a mkiii for my Grado 325is before finding this thread. Finding that the LD I+ was better matched for 32ohms, I then ordered a LD I+.
 
Well, the mkiii arrived yesterday. With only a few hours burn-in, I am very pleased with the sound. I realize there isn't as much power available at 32ohms, but there is plenty. I think the highest I've turned the volume knob is to the 2 or 3 o'clock position.
 
 
I guess my question is, will I get better sound with more power available even if I don't need it?
Also, is there a difference in sound quality between a true all-tube amp like thw mk iii vs a tube/opamp hybrid like the I+ ?
Thanks Poladise for your observations - that's the kind of feedback I'm looking for.
 
 
I guess I'll know soon enough when the I+ arrives, but just curious as to what I should expect. If sound is basically the same, I might be inclined to just keep the mk iii if for no other reason than the fact that it looks really cool all lit up on the desk.

 

[kramer5150]

Impedance matching (or miss-matching) is the key.
 
The addition of output transformers to my OTL amps has COMPLETELY changed my viewpoint of what tube amps I can / can't plug my Grados into.  Works equally well with ~16 ohm IEMs and my OTL amps too.
 
Some day I'll add a LD-2,3 or 4 OTL amp to my rig.  I like the DV-337, but tung sol tubes are not cheap. 
 
DIY thread here...
http://www.head-fi.org/t/652270/output-coupling-cap-and-transformer-mod

 

[pallentx]

Got my Little Dot I+ yesterday. I bought it to use with my Grado 325is, but after opening the box and seeing these included babies, the Grados might not get much use...
 

 
Seriously, so far with about 8-10hrs on it, I cant tell much difference from the MK III. I think I hear better bass with the I+, but it depends on the song. Also, I had a very slight hiss in the mk iii if I cranked the volume in a quiet section and I don't notice that now with the I+.  I'll be curious to see if I can detect differences in tubes. I have a set of Mullard M8100s to try, but I want to get a solid baseline on the stock tubes first. So far, I have no complaints with the stock tubes.

 

[SunshineReggae]

No reason to expect much difference since all adequate amps sound about the same. Also, all little dot amps have a frequency response with less than 1 db deviation across the spectrum (as they should).

 

[pallentx]

Yeah, trying to figure out how big of a deal the impedance matching is. It makes sense on paper that matched should sound better, so far I'm not hearing it. I need to reserve judgment until the I+ has more time on it, but so far, I can tell very little difference. I might actually prefer the MK III with the gain bumped. There's slightly more bass on some tracks with the I+, but deeper bass with the MK III. I also get a little more detail and separation of instruments on the MK III.  It might also be a tube difference. So many variables!!!

 

[whirlwind]

I think I may go for this amp for my RS1i
 
Where is the best place to order it and to get some tubes for it ?

 

[pallentx]

The maker of the Little Dot is this guy http://myworld.ebay.com/davidzhezhe?_trksid=p2047675.l2559
I think he sells pretty much exclusively through ebay now.
 
I ended up selling the MKIII mainly because the difference was very subtle and the I+ was cheaper. Honestly, despite the impedance and available power numbers, I think I preferred the sound of the MKIII, but it was VERY difficult to tell them apart with the same preamp tubes.
 

 

[kramer5150]

Quote:

The maker of the Little Dot is this guy http://myworld.ebay.com/davidzhezhe?_trksid=p2047675.l2559
I think he sells pretty much exclusively through ebay now.
 
I ended up selling the MKIII mainly because the difference was very subtle and the I+ was cheaper. Honestly, despite the impedance and available power numbers, I think I preferred the sound of the MKIII, but it was VERY difficult to tell them apart with the same preamp tubes.
 

This is pretty much the MO with the RS and SR Grados.  They just don't seem to benefit a significant amount with amplifier $$ upgrades in this price range.  There are a lot of variables though, tube rolling and source  being two.  Its good to hear this kind of direct comparison feed back though.

 

[pallentx]

Yeah, I was surprised after all I had read. It goes to show you that reading about audio gear is no replacement for actually listening to audio gear.
 
The best way I can describe the difference is to say the I+ almost sounds like its slightly compressed compared to the mk iii. It may have something to do with how the mids and upper mids come out. Maybe its what people refer to as "soundstage". Its like some of the upper mids have been brought to the front more in the I+. It was very slight though. I only noticed the effect on certain really clean recordings of acoustic instruments - like Nickel Creek stuff.

 

[whirlwind]

I want to be able to listen to my RS1i in my living room....thought I would set up a little listening station in there........would a laptop and the little Dot I+ do the trick .

 

[HeatFan12]

I want to be able to listen to my RS1i in my living room....thought I would set up a little listening station in there........would a laptop and the little Dot I+ do the trick .

You would need a dac to go inbetween the I+ and laptop, bypassing the internal card of the laptop.

I thought you were getting an MKIV SE?


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