[giuca70]

Hello Headphone lover's,

My first post on Head-fi, I am very excited.
First my presentation:
I'm Italian and lover of listening through headphones for about a year,
and ambience with various speakers and amplifiers.
My likes about the tone in the environment:
English, with external dAd3 Cyrus PSX-R
Italian, Aeron A160
Speaker, Kef Q5.2

I tested the headphones and listening:
AKG K340 (balanced)
Sennheiser HD650 (balanced)
Beyerdynamic DT880 Pro (balanced)
Audio Technica ATH-A950LTD (balanced)
Audio Technica ATH-W1000
Grado SR-60
AKG Hear Headsphere II
AKG K701
Sennheiser RS140

The headphone amplifier:
Little Dot MK VI
Little Dot MK VII

DAC:
Little Dot Dac I

But we come to the Little Dot MK VII, solid balanced with 4 LME79410HA and 8 LME79600.

After a burn-in of 20 hours, and XLR connections with low-loss cables with Neutrik gold pin, his sound is best treated as such FET, fast, great dynamics, good consistency in all ranges, coupled with the DAC, has everything used to say that he has a great sound.

Especially in the budget, the Beyer 880 Pro takes wonders, all its parameters have good listening, are multiplied 4 times better.

The 880 pulls a wide dynamic, powerful, seems to be on stage or in the studio, very close to full orchestra. She has played for 80 hours.

The 340 is more musical, dynamically another cap, although in SE if you know better appreciated for its qualities hybrids. She has played for 50 hours here from me.

The 950ltd is beautiful, precise dynamic silky as ever, has a large low-, medium beautiful, silky treble, and never annoying. You have exceeded the 200 hours of use.

Little Dot MK VII is a best buy choice, a compromise for budget and love to listen music in bilanced mode.

Compared (MK VII) with his elder brother MK VI, it sounds fast, beautiful, not cold, slightly warm for its resemblance to the sound of FET.

L 'MK VI valve sound is beautiful, a breeds. A tube rolling is in progress ...

Sincerely,
Charles

 

[sizwej]

I'm also interested in this amp.Did it have enough power for your k340?I'm asking because i'm trying to figure out if i should upgrade from an mkv to a mkvii.My mkv doesn't have enough to drive my k340.

 

[giuca70]

Hello sizwej,
K340 is a particular headphone, his impedance 400 Ohm is variable at all frequencies.
MKVII have a much power than MKV, but in balanced mode.
If You balanced your K340, that sound with more dinamic, but if You listen K340 in SE (jack 6,3mm) the power of MKVII is so equal to MKV.
MKV is SE amp.
MKVII is balanced amp, with more OP-AMP LME79600 utilized in buffer mode and in parallel of 2 for stage. This great power is audible in balanced mode.

 

[sizwej]

thanks so much for that information.I think you saved me a little bit of money.I guess i'm either going to have to keep searching for a powerful single ended ss amp that's affordable, or sell my k340.

Thanks again

 

[giuca70]

It is a pleasure, fine.

You can also balance Your K340, reterminating final Jack with XLR. But sound of K340 in SE is equilibrate, in balanced mode is more musical, but not little equilibrate as SE.

Best regards,
Carlo.

 

[giuca70]

A must for K340 is Ear Max. 3 valve tube. Best choice, my italian forum friend have this. Sound is fine. But I not listen this amp.

 

[nelda]

I have auditioned MK V and MK VII and I can tell you that even on SE mode, MK VII is way more powerful than MK V. I own a K340 too (in SE) and when I compare them, MK VII wins hand down.

Not to hijack but since we talk about MK VII and AKG K 340. I only found K 340 to "sing" when I put the volume to MAX and take the headphone out of my ear about 2 cm (Because it is too loud). Will that means that if I balanced my K 340 I can get similar result?

Sorry for wierd wording....

 

[giuca70]

Hello Nelda,
I not listen MKV, but I think MKVII have little more power than MKV, for 2 LME79600 in paralell buffer out. This MKVII have 8 LME79600 in out stage (a parallel of 2 for phase).
This buffer out stage, is 1 gain with more current out (transient).

The K340 sound well in SE mode. I had balanced my K340 with Neutrik 4 pin, and I listen K340 in both mode with XLR 4 pin to SE adaptor DIY.

K340 in balanced mode is more musical, more dinamic. But in SE have more precision.
Volume in balanced mode is at 11:00 and in SE at 13:00. High level sound at this volume position.

Another: voltage swing in balanced mode is over 30 Volt rms, 50 Vpp. The electrostatic membrane on K340 have more voltage for sing! This is fine.

K340 have a particular impedance and particular damping factor. MKVII drive her without problem. Sound is impressive, both in SE and Balanced mode.
If You prefer listen in one mode or another, there is a chance. MKVII can do this chance. Well.

 

[HeatFan12]

Quote:

Originally Posted by nelda /img/forum/go_quote.gif I have auditioned MK V and MK VII and I can tell you that even on SE mode, MK VII is way more powerful than MK V. I own a K340 too (in SE) and when I compare them, MK VII wins hand down. Not to hijack but since we talk about MK VII and AKG K 340. I only found K 340 to "sing" when I put the volume to MAX and take the headphone out of my ear about 2 cm (Because it is too loud). Will that means that if I balanced my K 340 I can get similar result? Sorry for wierd wording....

2.8W + 2.8W is for the balanced mode only. For single-ended mode, the output power is 1.4W + 1.4W (or 1.4W per channel).

 

[giuca70]

Quote:

Originally Posted by HeatFan12 /img/forum/go_quote.gif 2.8W + 2.8W is for the balanced mode only. For single-ended mode, the output power is 1.4W + 1.4W (or 1.4W per channel).

2,8 W x channel is at 8 Ohm.
2,6 W x channel is at 32 Ohm and so on.

In balanced mode Watt is about 4 x SE. Also dynamic is 4 x SE.
However, damping factor balanced is about SE/4.

In practise, 3,5 is the correct value.

In any case, power of 0,6 Watt in SE is good.

The 2 mode of listen, have a particular way to sound with one by one headphone.

With balanced 650, 880 Pro, 950ltd sound is wonderful, full of dynamic.
With 340 is more music, less precision.

 

[daniele_g]

ciao, Carlo,

it is a little bit strange to say it in English, as I'm Italian too, but... WELCOME TO HEAD-FI !

I already "met" Carlo on an italian hifi/headphone related forum (I don't know if I'm allowed to mention the site's name here) and I can say it is a pleasure to read him on Head-Fi at last.

Benvenuto !

ciao
daniele

 

[sizwej]

Quote:

Originally Posted by nelda /img/forum/go_quote.gif I have auditioned MK V and MK VII and I can tell you that even on SE mode, MK VII is way more powerful than MK V. I own a K340 too (in SE) and when I compare them, MK VII wins hand down. Not to hijack but since we talk about MK VII and AKG K 340. I only found K 340 to "sing" when I put the volume to MAX and take the headphone out of my ear about 2 cm (Because it is too loud). Will that means that if I balanced my K 340 I can get similar result? Sorry for wierd wording....

If you are cranking up the volume to its max for the k340, are you sure that the amp has enough juice for it?Cranking it up that high would suggest to me that it is underpowered for that particular can.Please correct me if i'm wrong or if i've misunderstood what you were saying.

 

[nelda]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sizwej /img/forum/go_quote.gif If you are cranking up the volume to its max for the k340, are you sure that the amp has enough juice for it?Cranking it up that high would suggest to me that it is underpowered for that particular can.Please correct me if i'm wrong or if i've misunderstood what you were saying.

No, you're right. Now that they have explained that MK VII have more juice in balanced mode, than it makes sense that on SE mode, the MK VII is struggling to drive K 340. Now, where can I buy those neutrik plug....

 

[giuca70]

Quote:

Originally Posted by daniele_g /img/forum/go_quote.gif ciao, Carlo, it is a little bit strange to say it in English, as I'm Italian too, but... WELCOME TO HEAD-FI ! I already "met" Carlo on an italian hifi/headphone related forum (I don't know if I'm allowed to mention the site's name here) and I can say it is a pleasure to read him on Head-Fi at last. Benvenuto ! ciao daniele

Hello Daniele,
thanks for all, this is a pleasure to meet You here.
I am started with this review with Little Dot MK VII. Initially this amp not impression me, but whit burn-in and listen my favourite 950LTD, it is very beautiful amp, with more energy in balanced mode.
DT880 Pro have worderful live music.

This time SS amp is impressive.

See You on italian Headphone also, Daniele.
Best redards.
Ciao Daniele, e grazie per il benvenuto.
Carlo.