coinmaster
1000+ Head-Fier
PREAMBLE - SAFETY PRECAUTIONS
Before building/modding your amp, you are supposed to be aware of all the safety rules that go with this activity. Voltages and currents may turn you into this
and in some cases this
even when switched off or unplugged.
- Always unplug your amp before touching any exposed metal..
- Wait for some minutes after switching-off before touching said metal (discharge of the remaining energy in the "discharge resistors")
- Always check the voltage of your power rails.
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I've been talking about this mods thread since too long, so here it is.
I will be feeding it in the next few weeks, filling the "reserved" posts and editing them as I progress in my writing.
Introduction / Context
Little Dot has done a fine job with the MK6 and MK8 amps and we fully understand that the "price tag" leads to some compromises ...
A group of people have decided to learn from the existing design of the amazingly good sounding Little Dot flagship amplifiers and improve on their stock design with upgraded components and such.
The stock MK6/8's sound is agreed to be on par with the WA22 which is more than twice it's price. (no really, there's plenty of direct comparisons on the web)
I was a part of these initial modifications of the amplifiers, mine being the MK6. However, the sound quality increase from these modifications has risen the sound quality so high above the stock sound that it is sort of mind blowing.
I've tried many flagship amps from many manufacturers, Hifiman, Mcintosh, Moonaudio, etc and at around $5k-$10k each they sound no where near as good as my MK6 did after modifications.
I was quite disappointed in the prices of the flagship amps when they didn't hold a candle to my cheapo one.
So I decided to stop at nothing to make this amp perfect in every way.
Here is the thread for the tried and tested modifications of the MK6/MK8 amplifiers.
http://www.head-fi.org/t/782183/little-dot-mk8se-mk6-super-mods
That thread is mostly dedicated to improvements on the current design of the amp and my plans involve potential alterations to the design which is beyond the scope of that thread.
This thread is dedicated any possible improvements to the design even if it means changing the original one.
Making it way cooler and better.
I tore my amp apart completely and spent months mapping out a schematic from the PCB traces and getting help from all over the web on maximizing the potential and design of the amplifier.
I have literally spent every waking hour over the last month and a half doing nothing but that.
The time is nigh.
What we want to do in this thread
1. It was (and still is) an adventure and I want to share what I have found and done.
I claim this to be the final truth of ultimate sound, and if you disagree with me then, well no one is perfect. You will forever live in my shadow and be driven mad by it.
2. Show you how to build a modded MK6 on the cheap from scratch.
What we DO NOT want to do in this thread
1. Disagree with my ultimate opinions which are not really opinions at all but are a fact of life that all other beings must live under.
2. Post selfies of yourself as fried chicken or a pile of dust.
Table of Contents:
1. My progress so far
2. Schematics
3. Upcoming mods
4. Cheaply build an MK6 from scratch.
Before building/modding your amp, you are supposed to be aware of all the safety rules that go with this activity. Voltages and currents may turn you into this
and in some cases this
even when switched off or unplugged.
- Always unplug your amp before touching any exposed metal..
- Wait for some minutes after switching-off before touching said metal (discharge of the remaining energy in the "discharge resistors")
- Always check the voltage of your power rails.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I've been talking about this mods thread since too long, so here it is.
I will be feeding it in the next few weeks, filling the "reserved" posts and editing them as I progress in my writing.
Introduction / Context
Little Dot has done a fine job with the MK6 and MK8 amps and we fully understand that the "price tag" leads to some compromises ...
A group of people have decided to learn from the existing design of the amazingly good sounding Little Dot flagship amplifiers and improve on their stock design with upgraded components and such.
The stock MK6/8's sound is agreed to be on par with the WA22 which is more than twice it's price. (no really, there's plenty of direct comparisons on the web)
I was a part of these initial modifications of the amplifiers, mine being the MK6. However, the sound quality increase from these modifications has risen the sound quality so high above the stock sound that it is sort of mind blowing.
I've tried many flagship amps from many manufacturers, Hifiman, Mcintosh, Moonaudio, etc and at around $5k-$10k each they sound no where near as good as my MK6 did after modifications.
I was quite disappointed in the prices of the flagship amps when they didn't hold a candle to my cheapo one.
So I decided to stop at nothing to make this amp perfect in every way.
Here is the thread for the tried and tested modifications of the MK6/MK8 amplifiers.
http://www.head-fi.org/t/782183/little-dot-mk8se-mk6-super-mods
That thread is mostly dedicated to improvements on the current design of the amp and my plans involve potential alterations to the design which is beyond the scope of that thread.
This thread is dedicated any possible improvements to the design even if it means changing the original one.
Making it way cooler and better.
I tore my amp apart completely and spent months mapping out a schematic from the PCB traces and getting help from all over the web on maximizing the potential and design of the amplifier.
I have literally spent every waking hour over the last month and a half doing nothing but that.
The time is nigh.
What we want to do in this thread
1. It was (and still is) an adventure and I want to share what I have found and done.
I claim this to be the final truth of ultimate sound, and if you disagree with me then, well no one is perfect. You will forever live in my shadow and be driven mad by it.
2. Show you how to build a modded MK6 on the cheap from scratch.
What we DO NOT want to do in this thread
1. Disagree with my ultimate opinions which are not really opinions at all but are a fact of life that all other beings must live under.
2. Post selfies of yourself as fried chicken or a pile of dust.
Table of Contents:
1. My progress so far
2. Schematics
3. Upcoming mods
4. Cheaply build an MK6 from scratch.