[tako_tsubo]

Hope to get my LDI+ soon also. Having a really good experience with a Dared mp5...another hybrid. How easy is it to change jumpers? It seems reading up on the LD mkIII site that many stick with the 5654 tube family...EF95, due to the hassle of jumper changes.
Does it hold tru for the LDI+ that if you want a warmer sound than the EF95 tube, then you would go to the EF92tube?
Also it seemed that the EF91 tube, although sounding good, had problems with distorsion in higher volumes in the LD mkIII? any one try these diff tubes yet?

 

[taso89]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tobias Hobson /img/forum/go_quote.gif OK I just got my 1+ and have a n00b question. Why does the manual say not to unplug your headphones while the amp is on? Is that to protect the amp, phones or both?

Amp. I believe it has something to do with the tubes and them needing resistance (headphones) in order to function properly. I don't know, I've quickly swapped headphones with amp on without any problems.

 

[JamesL]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tobias Hobson /img/forum/go_quote.gif OK I just got my 1+ and have a n00b question. Why does the manual say not to unplug your headphones while the amp is on? Is that to protect the amp, phones or both?

It's because when you plug or unplug a TRS plug into an amp, it shorts the ground channel to the right channel which may cause problems.

 

[taso89]

Tfox,

I've had the sensation of slight (~8%) channel imbalance towards the right channel with this amp. It's a great amp otherwise but it does bother me from time to time. Sine waves led me to about a ~8% decrease in the right channel. Now everything sounds fine.

 

[Dept_of_Alchemy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by taso89 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Tfox, I've had the sensation of slight (~8%) channel imbalance towards the right channel with this amp. It's a great amp otherwise but it does bother me from time to time. Sine waves led me to about a ~8% decrease in the right channel. Now everything sounds fine.

It's most likely that the imbalance comes from mismatched tubes, where did you get the Sylvania Gold 408A from?

 

[TFox]

Quote:

Originally Posted by taso89 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Amp. I believe it has something to do with the tubes and them needing resistance (headphones) in order to function properly. I don't know, I've quickly swapped headphones with amp on without any problems.

I think this explanation would apply more to hifi tube amps, or perhaps guitar tube amps - I know that if you run them without a load, they can burn out the output transformer. With the LD's relatively low impedance loads and solid state output section, I guess it doesn't affect it, but JamesL's above response probably holds true.


Quote:

I've had the sensation of slight (~8%) channel imbalance towards the right channel with this amp. It's a great amp otherwise but it does bother me from time to time. Sine waves led me to about a ~8% decrease in the right channel. Now everything sounds fine.

I've been playing around with it for a while now, and I've come to a point where I think it might be something other than (or more than just) a volume difference - David from Little Tube asked me to retry my tests connected directly to the source (and to make sure the source was at line level). With the help of my friend's multimeter, I got my soundcard's headphone output to .3V playing back a generated sinewave @ 0dB, 440Hz. That corresponds to approximately 60% on the master volume, although I don't know how much this matters. He remarked that the potentiometer was most balanced at the halfway mark, and I confirmed this while monitoring the levels. Unfortunately, the strange sound persists, and having heard it some more, I would say it sounds as if the channels are partially out of phase with each other, and that there could be an uneven frequency response across the two channels.

In case anybody's curious as to what I hear, here's a sample of what's happening to a signal. This is a short clip of the monophonic version of the Beach Boys song Don't Talk, off the album Pet Sounds.

Original mono clip

Through I+

Despite the real or perceived problems I have, I have nothing but good things to say about Little Tube's customer service so far. Every email I sent is answered in less than a day, and it's clear that they make their customers' satisfaction a top priority.

 

[StratCat]

Quote:

Originally Posted by JamesL /img/forum/go_quote.gif It's because when you plug or unplug a TRS plug into an amp, it shorts the ground channel to the right channel which may cause problems.

Agreed.

Standard boilerplate warning for HP jacked equiptment. Though I've sometimes seen the warning amended to "do not insert or remove the plug at high/loud levels".

(which I've often disregarded with impunity to no ill effect, but I'm trying to reform)

 

[HeatFan12]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tako_tsubo /img/forum/go_quote.gif Hope to get my LDI+ soon also. Having a really good experience with a Dared mp5...another hybrid. How easy is it to change jumpers? It seems reading up on the LD mkIII site that many stick with the 5654 tube family...EF95, due to the hassle of jumper changes. Does it hold tru for the LDI+ that if you want a warmer sound than the EF95 tube, then you would go to the EF92tube? Also it seemed that the EF91 tube, although sounding good, had problems with distorsion in higher volumes in the LD mkIII? any one try these diff tubes yet?

Hey Tako

The jumpers are easy to set. Remove the screws of the bottom plate of the amp (4) and the plate just comes off then it goes right back in place. Because of how easy it is, it's difficult to stay just with one family of tubes. I use the Mullard EF91s a lot and love the sound. Never had any distortion problems at all. Right now I have some UE EF92s in there and the sound is nice and warm with nice extension.

BTW-----Love the PRO2500s...Listening right now with the I+...Thanks for your help on that.....

 

[Tobias Hobson]

OK thanks guys! I was curious about that.

 

[tako_tsubo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by HeatFan12 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Hey Tako The jumpers are easy to set. Remove the screws of the bottom plate of the amp (4) and the plate just comes off then it goes right back in place. Because of how easy it is, it's difficult to stay just with one family of tubes. I use the Mullard EF91s a lot and love the sound. Never had any distortion problems at all. Right now I have some UE EF92s in there and the sound is nice and warm with nice extension. BTW-----Love the PRO2500s...Listening right now with the I+...Thanks for your help on that.....

Oh my wallet thanks you for that info. A tube from each family sounds like fun! and I love the Mullard sound sig.

Glad that you like the 2500...just hate that burn-in time

 

[electropop]

Hi all! I just received mine this morning on second delivery attempt. Doorbell rang at 7:30am

I started listening to it immediately with my 325i's and i can already see the potential, even without any burn-in. Or course they're not that refined yet, but they did do what i was hoping for. Bass extension/power, fluidness, extra-kick and what even surprised me, is that it's very accurate in details also, at least with my 325i's. Now time to start burn-in sessions with the 6J1's. I also have an extra set of WE408's. Will post impressions also after thorough listening and burn-in.
With very low volume, I can hear the imbalance. So low though that it doesn't matter.

Thank you all for your experiments and comments. I'm off to do some jamming..

-K

 

[DarKu]

i also have an SR325i and i am very interested in this amp.
I want to hear your further impresions with Sr325i, do you had other amps before this?
thanks in advance

 

[malldian]

Compared to the 336i is the weakness of bass response but that isn't a fair comparison. I will try to do a write up later.

 

[electropop]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DarKu /img/forum/go_quote.gif i also have an SR325i and i am very interested in this amp. I want to hear your further impresions with Sr325i, do you had other amps before this? thanks in advance

Hi! So far I'm liking it. Even after 5 hrs of burn-in i can hear the sound already settling in. Comparing it to my Graham Slee Voyager, it's definitely more punchy but not as refined. The Voyager sounds smoother, and actually warmer too. This shows especially in the midrange, it doesn't try to fight itself forth but just is. I+ has more detail and a tad more fatiguing treble. (may be the kick). It almost involves you physically. Both sound great with the 325i's. I've tried to find a good amp to drive these phones to their potential, and thank goodness i went for these two

Yes, the Voyager is definitely more balanced. I+ is fun but almost out of control, if i can say that..
I've yet to try the other set of tubes (WE408). Maybe they'll smooth the sound a little.
On the other hand, the I+ seems more transparent.

... Back to listening..

-K

 

[electropop]

So far i've only listened to my music with 325i's from external soundcards, and a few solid-state amps. I'm very pleased with these two amps. It's really completely different, even my mom could tell the differences with these and the soundcards.

A newbie expression I'm sure, but still in awe..
Steely Dan - Negative Girl, I didn't know those low bass lines existed

Tone is nice, though overall the I+ sounds a little drier than the voyager..

-K