[HFoletto]

  So maybe its a solder joint  thats not wright i dont know .sorry but cant help you more

Thank you, I really appreciate your help.

It's so weird that it was suddenly. I will ask if someone can lend me their tubes and then I can give it a try.

Thank you again.

 

[TrollDragon]

Hello, how are you?


I bought a Little Dot IV SE 1 year ago used from a forum member.

When I receive it was working quite fine and how I wish.


However several months later the left channel started sound louder than the right one. I tried switch the power tubes of place and nothing. The same happened with the driver tubes.


What could be the problem and how to fix it?

I use other amp with the same source and this problem does not happen.


Thank you for reading, have a great day.

Hi HFoletto,
Following along here since you have checked your source with another amp that eliminates the source. Tubes switched sides and still the same problem would eliminate the tubes.

Try moving your headphone plug around in the jack while it's plugged in and see if it is the headphone socket. Grab the plug and apply a little sideways force to it, up down left and right to see if the sound comes back.

I have the MK IV not SE and had to change my headphone jack since the non SE versions are really cheap clone Neutrik Jacks.

Other than that I would guess there is a component bad on your board, or the volume pot going bad.

Those little gain switches might have some dirt / corrosion on the contacts as well, so take a little screwdriver and move the switches back and forth a half a dozen times to clear the debris if any.

Also could possibly be a dirty socket hole on the driver / power tube sockets you might want to try a piece of wire just a hair bigger than the tube pins and go in and out of each socket hole a few times to clean them.

Do all of the above with the power cord UNPLUGGED and the amp left for a few minutes to discharge the capacitors inside.

These are the things I would try, and hopefully it is just the headphone jack which is very easy to clean (Q-Tip with contact Cleaner) or if you have to change it only requires some basic soldering skills or a friend who solders.

Good Luck and let us know how things turn out.

 

[HFoletto]

Hi HFoletto,
Following along here since you have checked your source with another amp that eliminates the source. Tubes switched sides and still the same problem would eliminate the tubes.

Try moving your headphone plug around in the jack while it's plugged in and see if it is the headphone socket. Grab the plug and apply a little sideways force to it, up down left and right to see if the sound comes back.

I have the MK IV not SE and had to change my headphone jack since the non SE versions are really cheap clone Neutrik Jacks.

Other than that I would guess there is a component bad on your board, or the volume pot going bad.

Those little gain switches might have some dirt / corrosion on the contacts as well, so take a little screwdriver and move the switches back and forth a half a dozen times to clear the debris if any.

Also could possibly be a dirty socket hole on the driver / power tube sockets you might want to try a piece of wire just a hair bigger than the tube pins and go in and out of each socket hole a few times to clean them.

Do all of the above with the power cord UNPLUGGED and the amp left for a few minutes to discharge the capacitors inside.

These are the things I would try, and hopefully it is just the headphone jack which is very easy to clean (Q-Tip with contact Cleaner) or if you have to change it only requires some basic soldering skills or a friend who solders.

Good Luck and let us know how things turn out.

Hey TrollDragon,
Thank you so much! I really appreciate all your help!

Yeah, seems like the problem isn't on the source nor tubes. However it's really odd that it sounds louder, I think that if the problem were in somewhere else it would mute the problematic channel, but I guess I'm wrong...

I tried to clean the headphone jack and move the switches a couple of time however nothing change. I even tried to let all the switches on the opposite side, however the problem persists.

Unfortunately I know nothing about DIY. My skills in this area are simply zero. I think I'll have to ship it to someone who knows a lot of DIY.

Thank you again!
 

 

[CITIZENLIN]

Ordered LD IV from David via Ebay 3 days ago and I haven't heard from Ebay or tracking yet. I hope it worth the wait.

 

[MIKELAP]

  Ordered LD IV from David via Ebay 3 days ago and I haven't heard from Ebay or tracking yet. I hope it worth the wait.

It takes several days it seems not the first time i hear that .but you wont regret it especially if you start rolling tubes you will want to check out page 1 and especially page 77 for all the tubes we tried that are compatible with your amp and that are very inexpensive because theres no need to pay a fortune for your tubes got questions feel free to ask before you buy tubes will see you on THE LITTLEDOT AMPS:TUBE ROLLING GUIDE THREAD                                                                                                                                                                   http://www.head-fi.org/t/563884/little-dot-tube-amps-vacuum-tube-rolling-guide/4635#post_10159570

 

[bbmiller]

Hello all
I an very new to the I dear of owning audiophile level headphone equipment, but I got the idea to do so when after equalizing my Plantronics 780 headset I began to hear music over that headset like I have never heard before except in person. Consequently I thought I should push this hearing things with headphones thing as far as I could so I started to shop for audiophile level equipment.
 
Well my present only headphones are a very old pier of Sony MIDR CD350s which are meant for pedestrian use. But even though that was the case I thought I should purchase a DAC and headphone amplifier first as to have a means of previewing a headset bought from Amazon which in my past experiences with Amazon they have a no hassle return policy which I thought I should take advantage of when purchasing headphones.
 
So as of now I only have that headset for my best music listening and no appropriate headphones.
 
I have purchased both the Little Dot MK IV mk 4 SE Headphone Tube Amplifier Pre-Amp and the Little Dot DAC_I DAC 1 Digital to Analog Converter both being shipped from China with the estimated delivery date of March 20. So I still have a little time to figure out the headphone thing.
 
I would appreciate some guidance I require is a newbie. I have been looking at some tube rolling threads as well as other threads and I never see things like this set up was really good and when I equalized my headphones for it it was really great. Am I one of a very small minority of people on these forms that are sold on equalization? I mean I thought perhaps mistakenly I should shop for headphones with equalization in mind. And the same would go for tube rolling if I ever get into that. So any perspectives on those two questions shopping for headphones to be equalized and possible future shopping for tubes to be equalized? I never see that sort of stuff on these forums but perhaps I'm looking in the wrong places.

 

[MIKELAP]

  Hello all
I an very new to the I dear of owning audiophile level headphone equipment, but I got the idea to do so when after equalizing my Plantronics 780 headset I began to hear music over that headset like I have never heard before except in person. Consequently I thought I should push this hearing things with headphones thing as far as I could so I started to shop for audiophile level equipment.
 
Well my present only headphones are a very old pier of Sony MIDR CD350s which are meant for pedestrian use. But even though that was the case I thought I should purchase a DAC and headphone amplifier first as to have a means of previewing a headset bought from Amazon which in my past experiences with Amazon they have a no hassle return policy which I thought I should take advantage of when purchasing headphones.
 
So as of now I only have that headset for my best music listening and no appropriate headphones.
 
I have purchased both the Little Dot MK IV mk 4 SE Headphone Tube Amplifier Pre-Amp and the Little Dot DAC_I DAC 1 Digital to Analog Converter both being shipped from China with the estimated delivery date of March 20. So I still have a little time to figure out the headphone thing.
 
I would appreciate some guidance I require is a newbie. I have been looking at some tube rolling threads as well as other threads and I never see things like this set up was really good and when I equalized my headphones for it it was really great. Am I one of a very small minority of people on these forms that are sold on equalization? I mean I thought perhaps mistakenly I should shop for headphones with equalization in mind. And the same would go for tube rolling if I ever get into that. So any perspectives on those two questions shopping for headphones to be equalized and possible future shopping for tubes to be equalized? I never see that sort of stuff on these forums but perhaps I'm looking in the wrong places.

I guess it all depends on what kind of sound signature you are looking for do you like something neutral sounding bassy an open headphone a closed headphone because everybody ears differently your best bet is to sample in your area the headphones available because earing is believing anything else you would be taking a chance on imo                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             And if you want to try tube rolling this thread is great you need help the guys will help you out .I suggest asking for the best plug and play tubes to start with they are better than the tubes mentionned at the beginnig of the thread . See you there.
http://www.head-fi.org/t/563884/little-dot-tube-amps-vacuum-tube-rolling-guide/4965#post_10254417

 

[bbmiller]

OK two more things.
 
I think I found what I wanted try in headphones at Amazon which are 250 ohm headphones. From reading the spec sheet they should be even easier to drive than lower impedance headphones with my new purchase. Can you confirm that's the case.
 
Also if I want to take advantage of free shipping and coordinate with estimated March 20 arrival of my new headphone amp and DAC, what is your best guess on when I should order my headphones to coordinate the two arrivals? I live in Colorado USA near Denver. And will be ordering from Amazon.com?

 

[TrollDragon]

  Also if I want to take advantage of free shipping and coordinate with estimated March 20 arrival of my new headphone amp and DAC, what is your best guess on when I should order my headphones to coordinate the two arrivals? I live in Colorado USA near Denver. And will be ordering from Amazon.com?

 
That is probably something you should ask the seller or Amazon directly...
http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html/ref=hp_left_v4_sib?ie=UTF8&nodeId=3043211

 

[mab1376]

 
I think I found what I wanted try in headphones at Amazon which are 250 ohm headphones. From reading the spec sheet they should be even easier to drive than lower impedance headphones with my new purchase. Can you confirm that's the case.

 
Yes high impedance works well electrically with the topology that the MK III and IV use (OTL topology (Output Transformer-less)).
 
I use 300ohm Sennheiser HD650 and 250ohm Beyerdynamic T70 with my MK IV SE.

 

[bbmiller]

Thanks - mab1376

Is the effects of tube rolling different from tube sound coloration and/or distortion?

 

[mab1376]

  Thanks - mab1376

Is the effects of tube rolling different from tube sound coloration and/or distortion?

 
The effects are subtle in both cases but yes, below is a link to the dictionary of terms people use when reviewing audio gear, it may give you some insight while reading through the tube rolling thread for ideas on what you might want to try.
 
http://www.head-fi.org/a/describing-sound-a-glossary
 
Personally I very much like 6AV6 tubes which require cutting some pins off, but to start you may want to try IBM 6080 (6BE6) tubes or 6HM5 tubes as they don't require any mods or deviation from the stock configuration.

 

[bbmiller]

Well I may ask a lot of questions here waiting my long wait to March 20 to get my The Little Dot Mk IV / SE headphone amplifier. So please don't get sick of me
 
 
I will be biding my time waiting for my amp by researching headphones. I have the low-end of the impedance range question now. Having oral ready asked about 250 ohms what about only 25 ohms.
 
 
I am now considering getting Denon AH-D600 which has these  audio specs as follows.
 
The impedance is 25 ohms with power on high.
 
 
The sensitivity is 108 dB/mW.
 
 
The Maximum power input 1800mW.
 
 
Please confirm Dot Mk IV / SE headphone amplifier is appropriate for such a headphone.
 
 
I'm considering this headphone because I always intend to equalize any headphone I buy and I don't know if this is wrongheaded thinking, but I am thinking this very said neutral headphone might be capable of being whatever I want through the right equalization. Maybe that is very wrong headed thinking, but I am a very newbie newbie waiting the long wait for his equipment.

 

[Brooko]

  Well I may ask a lot of questions here waiting my long wait to March 20 to get my The Little Dot Mk IV / SE headphone amplifier. So please don't get sick of me
 
I will be biding my time waiting for my amp by researching headphones. I have the low-end of the impedance range question now. Having oral ready asked about 250 ohms what about only 25 ohms.
 
I am now considering getting Denon AH-D600 which has these  audio specs as follows.
 
The impedance is 25 ohms with power on high.
 
The sensitivity is 108 dB/mW.
 
The Maximum power input 1800mW.
 
Please confirm Dot Mk IV / SE headphone amplifier is appropriate for such a headphone.
 
I'm considering this headphone because I always intend to equalize any headphone I buy and I don't know if this is wrongheaded thinking, but I am thinking this very said neutral headphone might be capable of being whatever I want through the right equalization. Maybe that is very wrong headed thinking, but I am a very newbie newbie waiting the long wait for his equipment.

 
Hi - welcome to the LD MKIV club - it's a great amp.
 
The Denon's are not going to be ideal with the LD - mainly because of damping.  Here are two articles from Innerfidelity (Tyll really knows what he's talking about) that will help your understanding:
http://www.innerfidelity.com/content/comparison-beyerdynamic-dt-880-32-ohm-dt-880-250-ohm-and-dt-880-600-ohm-headphones-page-2
http://www.innerfidelity.com/content/meridian-explorer-case-study-effects-output-impedance-page-2?page=1
 
Basically you want an approx damping ratio of 1:8.  Higher is OK.  Lower could create issues.
 
Output impedance (headphone out) on the Little Dot MKIV is supposed to be around 30-50 ohms.  This means that this amp is ideally suited to drive headphones of around 300ohms.  it does great with Beyers at 250 ohms as well.  The issue with the Denons is that they have an impedance of 25 ohms - so ideally you want a headphone-out impedance of  0-4 ohms.
 
The problem with pairing these cans with the LD is that you may get a very altered frequency if the damping isn't ideal.
 
You'll also not that the Denons are really sensitive (108 dB/mW) so they don't need much power at all to get them plenty loud.  They're actually designed to be used with a low powered source (like your typical smart phone or MP3 player).  You may even struggle with the Little Dot - because they may be too loud (not enough usable range on the volume pot).
 
If you do have a low power source to pair the Denons with though (an iPhone?) - no reason why you can't just use the LD for higher impedance cans only.  That's pretty much what I do.

 

[MIKELAP]

  Well I may ask a lot of questions here waiting my long wait to March 20 to get my The Little Dot Mk IV / SE headphone amplifier. So please don't get sick of me
 
 
I will be biding my time waiting for my amp by researching headphones. I have the low-end of the impedance range question now. Having oral ready asked about 250 ohms what about only 25 ohms.
 
 
I am now considering getting Denon AH-D600 which has these  audio specs as follows.
 
The impedance is 25 ohms with power on high.
 
 
The sensitivity is 108 dB/mW.
 
 
The Maximum power input 1800mW.
 
 
Please confirm Dot Mk IV / SE headphone amplifier is appropriate for such a headphone.
 
 
I'm considering this headphone because I always intend to equalize any headphone I buy and I don't know if this is wrongheaded thinking, but I am thinking this very said neutral headphone might be capable of being whatever I want through the right equalization. Maybe that is very wrong headed thinking, but I am a very newbie newbie waiting the long wait for his equipment.

With my Littledot mk3 i use SENNS HD800 and Denons d-5000 i to wread about the output impedance being to high for  my 25 ohms Denons  but personnally i dont see wheres the problem and using Senns my gain switches are at 10 when im using the Denons volume i use is around 9-10oclock but if you use less gain volume ajustment should be a bit higher i also use the Denons with a Burson Conductor which has a very low output impedance thats why i can tell you i cant ear why this is not a good match but thats me .Again best thing is to ear it for yourself .