[Jamil]

I started to investigate tube amplifiers and am really confused by what I am seeing. Perhaps someone can share insight on my findings.

I am seeing that LittleDot has a balanced tube headphone amp in the MK VI+. This is not their latest top-of-the-line model and has been out for quite some time now (over ten years). I am reading the owner's manual for it, and I am super confused on the tubes it requires

This is a copy + paste directly from the manual:
Front Tubes: 2x dual triode 6H9C
Power Tubes: 4x dual triode 6080WC

I am Google searching trying to find prices for ordering these tubes, but it looks like some (or all) of these tubes are not even made anymore. All of my search results show that these are old fashioned "legacy" products. This is part of the reason I am confused. What would a product that is not really that old use discontinued and replaceable tubes? The manual specifically states that the 6080WC tube is confirmed to work, and compatible tubes "should" also work. Is the GE 6080WC tube even manufactured any longer?

I also see that compatible drive tubes go by the following part numbers: 6H9C, 6SL7
Compatible power tubes go by these part numbers: 6080WC, 6AS7G, ECC230

Even after searching all those part numbers above, I am not find anyone who makes all of these tubes still active. How do tube owners get replacements when tubes eventually fail?

 

[Ralf Hutter]

NewOldStock.

NOS is what most of us tube users do. More often than not, NOS tubes sound better than new production Chinese and Russian tubes and there are many more types available.

 

[Jamil]

Thanks for sharing this info. So all of these NOS tubes being sold are discontinued yet never before used. As the NOS stock gets used up more, I imagine the prices for the rare tubes will increase exponentially.

I think it would make more sense if a small company opens up to manufacture vacuum tubes (instead of only Russia and China being the sole manufactures [or close to sole]).

 

[Jamil]

I just ordered two items that have a very long wait time before I get them:

1. Musician Pegasus R2R USB DAC Decoder
2. Little Dot MK VIII SE Fully Balanced Headphone Amplifier Vacuum Tube Dual-Mono

This will be my first R2R DAC, and I am looking forward to pairing it with the MK8 above. My thought being R2R retains more of an analog sound to feed into the MK8.

 

[chaz_flhr]

I just ordered two items that have a very long wait time before I get them:

1. Musician Pegasus R2R USB DAC Decoder
2. Little Dot MK VIII SE Fully Balanced Headphone Amplifier Vacuum Tube Dual-Mono

This will be my first R2R DAC, and I am looking forward to pairing it with the MK8 above. My thought being R2R retains more of an analog sound to feed into the MK8.

So how do you like the Little Dot MK8? I am looking at this amp and am looking for reviews.

 

[Jamil]

So how do you like the Little Dot MK8? I am looking at this amp and am looking for reviews.

My Little Dot had a great sound with plenty of power. I enjoyed listening to it. Unfortunately, it stopped working after only two months of daily usage. I had lost all output from it for both balanced and single-ended output jacks. It had four damaged resistors that resulted in this output loss. It has a one year warranty, so it is currently with a repair shop in my country. I still have not received it, and I most likely will not get my unit back until some time in 2021.

Based on my own experience with it, I cannot recommend it.