[DefQon]

   
Does it still offer the pinpoint 3d imaging with the HD800 and also make them sound more smoother/warmer?

Depends on the tubes you roll.

 

[Contrails]

Which tubes you recommend?

 

[khaine1711]

Anyone have internal picture of the current production MkVI+? (the one with 1/4 TRS moved to the front)
 
I know Little Dot moved the single-ended headphone out to the front, just not sure if there's any changes to the internal.

 

[john57]

  Anyone have internal picture of the current production MkVI+? (the one with 1/4 TRS moved to the front)
 
I know Little Dot moved the single-ended headphone out to the front, just not sure if there's any changes to the internal.

Like this?

Looks more like a modified model since the screw holding the balanced headphone output are silver not black. Have not seem any like this on Ebay.
Looks like they jumpered into the balanced output lines for the 1/4 headphone jack so the internal picture should look mostly the same.

 

[khaine1711]

  Like this?
 
Looks more like a modified model since the screw holding the balanced headphone output are silver not black. Have not seem any like this on Ebay.
Looks like they jumpered into the balanced output lines for the 1/4 headphone jack so the internal picture should look mostly the same.

Yea they move the 1/4" jack to the front. It's official, all ebay resellers' pictures weren't updated. I was only aware of it when I saw few pictures of new owners showing off his MkVI+
 
Just wondering if there's any internal component changes.

 

[john57]

Good question, the area that could change the SQ the most would be the driver tubes coupling caps.

 

[khaine1711]

So far I haven't seen any stock photo of the internal of the new mkVI+
 
I recall seeing a really souped up mkVI+, with V-cap OIMP coupling caps and changing most of the Wima caps into Ero.
 
Edit: found the souped up mk6+ 

 

 
 
I know I've seen a MkVIIIse using Wima caps, and another using Ero caps - not sure if the MKVI+ has any changes.

 

[alota]

   
Does it still offer the pinpoint 3d imaging with the HD800 and also make them sound more smoother/warmer?

well if my memory is good, the soundstage was fantastic.
about the sound, this depends on the tubes that uses

 

[seaice]

"Does it still offer the pinpoint 3d imaging with the HD800 and also make them sound more smoother/warmer?"
 
Originally Posted by alota /img/forum/go_quote.gif
well if my memory is good, the soundstage was fantastic.
about the sound, this depends on the tubes that uses

I fully agree with that! Plus it is a question of synergy of the whole setup. I love the sound of my Audio-GD REF7 > LD MKVIIIse. Neutral, but musical and enjoyable, not clinical.

 

[elwappo99]

  Like this?

Looks more like a modified model since the screw holding the balanced headphone output are silver not black. Have not seem any like this on Ebay.
Looks like they jumpered into the balanced output lines for the 1/4 headphone jack so the internal picture should look mostly the same.

 
Huh! Wonder if any of the ground loop issues were solved with the 1/4" TRS in front. On my unit, it was basically unusable as a result of the humming. 
 
 
 

 

  The amp can drive the HE-6 no problems.

Totally agree. It is the best amp I heard so far with the HE-6, and  I tried quite a few, including vintage receiver, T-amp,  EF-6 and Shiit Mjonir.

 
Although I thought the MKVI+ did well with the HE-6,  I still think it didn't have quite enough voltage swing. I did think it did better than the Mjolnir however. 
 
I kind of miss this little unit. Great headphone amplifier. 

 

[john57]

The Mjolnir is rated at 5W RMS into 50 ohms. So you saying that the Little Dot holds up well

 

[khaine1711]

   
Huh! Wonder if any of the ground loop issues were solved with the 1/4" TRS in front. On my unit, it was basically unusable as a result of the humming.
 
Although I thought the MKVI+ did well with the HE-6,  I still think it didn't have quite enough voltage swing. I did think it did better than the Mjolnir however.
 
I kind of miss this little unit. Great headphone amplifier.
 

You wrote in the He-500 thread that the Emotiva A100 outperform the MKVI+ in driving the He-6 - kinda scares me since I found the Emotiva quite mediocre.

 

[zenpunk]

The Mjolnir had slightly better bass extension but was borderline peakier in the treble while  the LD is quite a bit more realistic and open sounding. (that was with 5998 tubes). I haven't found an amp that bested the LD for my taste. People after a lusher and warmer sound might prefer a vintage amplifier.

 

[baronbeehive]

I don't think anyone has had the mkvi+ factory upgrade, with the caps and wiring, available with new purchase only. I haven't heard anyone mention SQ and would be interested to know how SQ is affected. I would have thought that silver wiring would make an even more neutral sounding and not as enjoyable as a tube amp? Since my speaker set up uses the mkvi+ as a preamp and modifies SQ in a strikingly realistic way over the system minus the mkvi pre I can't see much point in any mods for me personally.  The fact that the mkvi does this is surprising given it is a humble headphone amp yet improves detail and sound over a proper speaker amp, (nuForce icon-2), which admittedly doesn't extract all the detail that, say a Temple Audio Bantam Gold does, however I find it much more musical, but it wouldn't be the same system without the mkvi pre in the setup.

 

[khaine1711]

  I don't think anyone has had the mkvi+ factory upgrade, with the caps and wiring, available with new purchase only. I haven't heard anyone mention SQ and would be interested to know how SQ is affected. I would have thought that silver wiring would make an even more neutral sounding and not as enjoyable as a tube amp? Since my speaker set up uses the mkvi+ as a preamp and modifies SQ in a strikingly realistic way over the system minus the mkvi pre I can't see much point in any mods for me personally.  The fact that the mkvi does this is surprising given it is a humble headphone amp yet improves detail and sound over a proper speaker amp, (nuForce icon-2), which admittedly doesn't extract all the detail that, say a Trends Audio Bantam Gold does, however I find it much more musical, but it wouldn't be the same system without the mkvi pre in the setup.

 
I'm a cable sceptic - but by that logic what effect would gold wiring have? Do silver solder sounds more natural than lead solder then? What about PCB trace =p. Not taking shots at anybody but wiring difference (if any) would probably be minimal.
 
On the other hands, coupling caps are quite a big deal though. I've swapped out caps in several tube amps and the differences are much more than any tube rolling. You could try swapping cap yourself and see if you like it. The ones Little Dot uses are Mundorf silver/gold/oil.