[OceanEnthusiast]

hi all,

i know the MKII vs OTL32 question is asked frequently, so bear with me.

im thinking about checking out an ASL MG Head DT/OTL MKII this weekend, but the only thing the shop has for demo is an MG HEAD DT/OTL32. The only MKII they have is in box. Do these amps provide a similar sound? Or will I be completely misleading myself if I listen to the OTL32 and walk out the door with the MKII?

I know the OTL32 is $200 more, so that might answer my question.

I'll be listening with Senn HD580's. I'm fairly motivated because the MKII is on sale, and they're aren't any hi-fi shops within 45 minutes of me. this will be my first headphone amp. Any help for a newb will be greatly appreciated and repaid in full with good karma points.

 

[Sovkiller]

Quote:

Originally Posted by OceanEnthusiast hi all, i know the MKII vs OTL32 question is asked frequently, so bear with me. im thinking about checking out an ASL MG Head DT/OTL MKII this weekend, but the only thing the shop has for demo is an MG HEAD DT/OTL32. The only MKII they have is in box. Do these amps provide a similar sound? Or will I be completely misleading myself if I listen to the OTL32 and walk out the door with the MKII? I know the OTL32 is $200 more, so that might answer my question. I'll be listening with Senn HD580's. I'm fairly motivated because the MKII is on sale, and they're aren't any hi-fi shops within 45 minutes of me. this will be my first headphone amp. Any help for a newb will be greatly appreciated and repaid in full with good karma points.

AFAIK the OTL32 and the DT/OTL are two completelly different amps, the OTL32 is a far better amp, and more versatile, capable of driving almost any load, the DT/OTL was designed for high impedance headphones, IIRC.....not sure about the differences between the old and the new version....

 

[OceanEnthusiast]

thanks, that's kind of what I figured.

it would be like test driving one car then buying another.

 

[GlowWorm]

Quote:

Originally Posted by OceanEnthusiast thanks, that's kind of what I figured. it would be like test driving one car then buying another.

Pretty much.

The MG-Head OTL is a good starter tube amp especially w/ the HD580's (high impedence), but if you can afford the extra $$ I would go w/ the OTL 32. Like Sov says it's a better and more versatile amp, something you can definitely grow with.

 

[mkmelt]

The OTL32 was developed to be able to drive low impedance (32 ohm) headphones and also have enough power to drive the AKG K1000 headphones. You will need (4) 6BQ5/EL84 tubes for the OTL32. I am not sure if these need to be in matched pairs, but perhaps someone who knows can answer this question.

The MG Head OTL matches extremely well with Sennheiser's HD-580 and HD-600 phones. If you own a pair of these phones and want an inexpensive introduction to tube amplification then the MG Head OTL would be an excellent choice. The sound of the MG Head OTL, when listening to the OTL output, can be quite good if you are using some decent sounding tubes. I don't recommend the transformer output connection because the output transformers introduce noticable rolloff of the bass and also upper frequencies.

One nice thing about the MG Head OTL is that the (2) 6BQ5/EL84 tubes do not have to be matched for transconductance or plate current. As long as the tubes do not have any shorts and test at around 50% of a new tube or higher, they should perform just fine. At the low (150 volt) plate operating voltage of the MG Head OTL the tubes never really get hot, prolonging tube life, so you should conservatively be able to get at least several thousands of hours of life from a set of tubes.

The MG Head OTL has a very engaging midrange that is very natural sounding on vocals and acoustic instruments. The overall sound of this amplifier is very good but it is not perfect. Compared to some other more expensive amplifiers the high frequencies above perhaps 10Khz are a bit rolled off, and the bass, below 100Hz, can be too depending on your choice of tubes.

With both of these amplifiers sample to sample quality variations are a concern due to varying levels of background hum. In most examples of the MG Head OTL there is usually at least a slight amount of residual low level hum. It should, however, not be audible at any normal listening setting of the volume control. It is best to audition the amplifier you intend to buy, with your chosen headphones, before purchase.

 

[Sovkiller]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mkmelt The MG Head OTL matches extremely well with Sennheiser's HD-580 and HD-600 phones. If you own a pair of these phones and want an inexpensive introduction to tube amplification then the MG Head OTL would be an excellent choice. The sound of the MG Head OTL, when listening to the OTL output, can be quite good if you are using some decent sounding tubes. I don't recommend the transformer output connection because the output transformers introduce noticable rolloff of the bass and also upper frequencies.

Well just to clear one point, as I do not want anybody else to go blind in the same hole I did.....it is not a bad match but not the best, if you are looking for an optimal match, these are by far to be the one, OK? I was fooled by the idea of being a match made in heaven, and after hunting an hunting tubes, I finally got rid of it, really disapointed, and I do not want anybody else to fool in that bag again....it is a decent cheap amp for them, probably the best cheap amp, it will perform well, but leave a lot to be desired from the HD600/580, there are by far a lot better matches, in other words if budget is an issue, go for it, otherwise, I think that the OTL32 will be a much better amp for the money.....period, IMO and IME nothing exceptional OK?

 

[OceanEnthusiast]

thanks everyone. i agree, i think buying something without listening to it (unless there is minimal investment being made) is a bit foolish. i may go poke around the shop today and see what they have (headphones in hand), but i need to relax a little bit. there will always be opportunities to buy, i don't need to just grab something this weekend.... i'm feeling more patient this morning than i did yesterday. thanks for all the info.

 

[Asterix]

I bought my MG Head OTL without trying it. I did have experience with tube amps, and I knew that I wanted one. I read as much as I can on here and elsewhere, and made my decision. I found a place that offers a money-back garantuee (can return it if I don't like it.) and I bought it.

 

[judgmentday]

Quote:

I bought my MG Head OTL without trying it. I did have experience with tube amps, and I knew that I wanted one. I read as much as I can on here and elsewhere, and made my decision. I found a place that offers a money-back garantuee (can return it if I don't like it.) and I bought it.

Hi Asterix,

I have been debating between your amp, PPX3 and PPX3-6SN7.
Actually I like more how the MG head looks. I'm getting my Hd650 next week.

 

[Asterix]

Quote:

Originally Posted by judgmentday Hi Asterix, I have been debating between your amp, PPX3 and PPX3-6SN7. Actually I like more how the MG head looks. I'm getting my Hd650 next week.

If you want to know the truth about what really helped me decide on the MG Head vs. the Singlepower stuff... that huge thread questioning the build quality of their [singlepower] amps came about right as I was about to buy an amp, and my first choice was a Singlepower at the time. I have read that the Singlepower stuff might sound better than the MG Head, but I was a little reluctant to jump into it, since it is a smaller company, and I would have to special order the amp, while the MG Head I could order right away with a money back guarantee, and was significantly cheaper too.

I was almost ready to spend all my money on a souped up MPX3, but I'm glad I didn't and got the MG Head AND a an NAD cd player for the less than that would cost!

I don't doubt that the Singlepower amps sound good, according to the numerous positive things I've read from people about them, and in direct comparison to the MG Head as well.

I figured I was compromising getting the outmost best sound with other factors like potential reliability, maintanence issues, and price. If you do decide to go with the MG Head, may I recommend Audio Adviser in Michigan. They offer the lowest price on the net with a 30 day money back policy, very low shipping rates and are friendly to work with.

 

[KZEE]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Asterix If you want to know the truth about what really helped me decide on the MG Head vs. the Singlepower stuff... that huge thread questioning the build quality of their [singlepower] amps came about right as I was about to buy an amp, and my first choice was a Singlepower at the time. I have read that the Singlepower stuff might sound better than the MG Head, but I was a little reluctant to jump into it, since it is a smaller company, and I would have to special order the amp, while the MG Head I could order right away with a money back guarantee, and was significantly cheaper too.

It's kind of odd that you would choose the MG Head over the Singlepower based on reliability, because I've only ever seen one mention on this web site of a reliability issue with a Singlepower product, but have seen probably five or six posts in regard to issues with Antique Sound Lab products. In fact one gentleman said that he has owned four ATL products, and has had problems with all four of them. Also, from personal experience, I can tell you that Mikhail over at Singlepower will bend over backwards in order to make sure that you're satisfied with your amp.
Please understand that I'm not putting ASL products down... I wouldn't rule out the possibility of owning an ASL product myself. Enjoy your new amp when it arrives.

 

[Asterix]

Quote:

Originally Posted by KZEE It's kind of odd that you would choose the MG Head over the Singlepower based on reliability, because I've only ever seen one mention on this web site of a reliability issue with a Singlepower product, but have seen probably five or six posts in regard to issues with Antique Sound Lab products. In fact one gentleman said that he has owned four ATL products, and has had problems with all four of them. Also, from personal experience, I can tell you that Mikhail over at Singlepower will bend over backwards in order to make sure that you're satisfied with your amp. Please understand that I'm not putting ASL products down... I wouldn't rule out the possibility of owning an ASL product myself. Enjoy your new amp when it arrives.

This may very well be true. Please understand that the main thread questioning the build quality of these amps came up right as I was making my purchase. It was very hard for me to make a Singlepower purchase at the time after reading that thread, whether or not it's based on truth or not. However I'll admit I am not technically inclined enough to make judgements from the internal pictures and people's more advanced technical explanations. It is true that the earlier models of the MG Head had some problems, but they seemed to have cleared them up as I have no problems with mine and am extremely pleased with the sound. If the Singlepower is truely better sounding, while still being safe & reliable then I'm sure it is a wonderful amp.