Little Dot I+ 6JI X2 Tube Standard Hybrid Headphone Headphone Amp Pre-Amp Tube Amplifier (LDI+)

**Update with recommendations 9/20/19 at bottom**I'd like to start with all of the information that is relevant to this review. I have been into high-end audio for over a decade now, the entire time as an adult and I am above all other things, a music lover. Secondarily I am an audiophile and former musician of multiple instruments. Music, it's production and the listening experience are what I prize in my free time.My setup is as pictured: Tidal (HiFi) PC - Topping D30 DAC - Topping A30 Amp (using pass-through) - Little dot I+.I'll be frank, are there bad units out there from any manufacturer? Yes. Are the majority of issues with this amplifier setup related? Yes. You wont need to be an electrical engineer to set this up right but there are a few things that will go a long way to having a very satisfying purchase and end user experience.For starters if you use and external DAC (digital to analog converter) this will help. Preferably one that is not USB powered. Why does this matter you may ask and I'm happy to answer. Using your on-board PC sound card or phone or other battery powered device *MAY* create a ground loop. If so, you *MAY* hear humming or buzzing in your headphones when you use this. Just keep that in mind. An easy way to test is to have headphones plugged in to the amp, with the power on, and no RCA cable connected to the rear. If you do this and hear no hum/buzz/noise but when you connect RCA’s you do, then the issue is either a faulty cable or ground loop from a shared ground in your system.So now that we've addressed the most common issue people have had with this amp on with the review then. I have had zero issues with my LDI+ save the fact it's ridiculously loud. I don't listen at "I want to go deaf by 40" levels of sound but I don't play my music quietly either. Even with 300 ohm headphones on low gain I cannot get above 30 on the volume knob. So just accept you may be using very, very little of the volume knob.The good news is the channel imbalance fades out very fast and by about 8 both channels are the same volume. This is par for the course for a device at this price but the volume pot is not scratchy and makes no noise for me during any of my use. I have rolled the Op Amp and have purchased several more to find what I think is best. I also have purchased two additional pairs of matched tubes.Contrary to popular opinion the stock tubes are a lot less "garbage" than people would lead you to believe. If you run them in for about 20 hours you'll find the amp is actually setup pretty well out of the box. I started listening after having the amp on for about 30 minutes and immediately liked the sound of it.Setup is simple and the only thing it doesn't actually cover is how to open the housing of the amp. Google it as seeing it will be better than if I explain it but there are only 4 screws. It takes about 50 seconds or so to do.I have the Vokshod's, and the GE JAN tubes as well. I am currently running in both tubes to the 50 hour mark. The current Op Amp I am using is the Burr Brown/Texas Instrument OPA2134PA. I also have in the mail the AD8066, OPA2107 and OPA2228, all authentic and all purchased from reputable vendors. I will update once the my tubes are burned in and when the additional Op Amps arrive.*Update*As promised, here's the recommendations on pairings.I tried Burson, MUSES, Burr-Brown, and AD Op-Amps. I tried GE Jan tubes, Vokshods and Mullards. I'm going to try to save you money here.Best overall pairing: Burr Brown AD8066 Op-Amp (you'll need to buy one that is already ready to drop in DIP-8. If you search you will find for about $8). Use this with the Mullard M8100 CV4010 5654. You will not have to change jumpers to use this. Outstanding width, depth, bass and vocal. By far and away the best sound I achieved out of this amp.Best for bassier or warmer headphones. Closed backs or those who have more narrow music preferences. Burr Brown OPA2107 (I recommend a legit channel here, about $20). Pair this with the GE JAN 5654W tubes. You can find them on Amazon but I feel like the price is getting a bit outrageous. They were $25.79 when I bought hem and now they have skyrocketed to $35.IMHO these are by far the best two pairings. I'd recommend you try one and if you like it you'll know that the other pairing is also a great option for you. The Vokshods, while good tubes, didn't do anything better with any of the Op-Amps I tried it with vs the other tubes.Best of luck!

This is a great well made headphone amp.Looks great and well Built.Unfortunatly it comes with China made 6j1 Tubes that really are just junk they sound horable even if you let them run for a few days they have a shrill bright mid and very little bass.So really I wouldnt even bother using them.Your best bet when you order this amp is to also orderVoshkod 6ZH1P-EV Tubes right away and just put them in and you will have a great sounding headphone ampI odered mine from ebay they are from Russia and were a great tube made in the 80s for Militaryif you want a great U.S. tube and a bit cheaper orderGE JAN5654W from ebayThese are great US military tubes and there are a ton of them out thereSo back to the Dot OneThis is a great Headphone amp and makes listening to music allot of funIt has a bit of Noise when it is dead quite even with no cables connected so its probably AC noise just from a lack of shilding and close proximity of all the componentsBut its not bad at all and not at all noticable will listening to music even soft.I ordered mine and it came direct from China DHL within Days I was shocked.I ordered it and the tubes from ebay (Yen Audio out of Phenoix AZ) and had both within a weekI wish it sounded better out of the box but Im sure there stuck with what china has to offer as a tube and the ones it comes with are garbage.This Amp with the Voshkod 6ZH1P-EV Tubes and a nice seat of headphones like sennheiser's or Grado'sand you will be shocked at what your music can sound like.

If you are looking for an amplifier to crank the music to your head phones this is a product for you. If you are looking for a rich and satisfying hi-fi music experience this is a product for you.I will take the rest of this review to describe the latter.I have always found it hard to describe a specific audio component itself as the total listening experience is going to be as good as the weakest component you have. So first...If you are looking for a true hi-fi experience playing music from your computer I would first recommend that you invest in an external DAC (Digital to Analog Converter). The DAC in your computer is not real good. There are three components you need to achieve quality Hi-Fi from your computer: 1) headphones; 2) an amplifier; 3) a DAC.My rig is: HRT Music Streamer II DAC, Audio-Technica ATH-M30 Headphones, and the Little Dot I+ Tube Amplifier.Before buying the Little Dot my musical experience was very, very good with my headphones and external dac. But, once you catch the Hi-Fi disease you realize the sound can even be better. Being the owner of a Fisher 500B tube receiver I began a search for a headphone tube amplifier so I could have the same warm sound that tubes deliver.After reading the reviews of others and researching competing products I settled on the Little Dot I+. I can say that this is is one of the best purchases I have ever made.First things first, if you buy this amplifier and use it with the tubes it comes with it is, frankly, little more than an amplifier. If you replace the tubes (referred to as rolling) with a nice set of tubes you will be blown away.Rolling the tubes involves plugging a new set of tubes into this amplifier. As you can see from the product picture the tubes are external so this is something anyone can do. If you google tube rolling and little dot you will get information on tube rolling. If you are not one to research everything in detail I will give you the cliff notes version and my experience.I have used GE JAN5654W (GE makes different versions of the 5654 tube so make sure you get this version!) and Tung-Sol 6AK5. Both are spectacular. The GE JAN5654W are the best value (I paid $18 for five). eBay has a number of stores that specialize in selling tubes. The Tung-Sol 6AK5 cost me $24. I have also read that the Voshkod 6ZH1P-EV, the Mullard M8100 CV4010, and the RCA 5654 Black Plate are also good tubes.The bass and treble are excellent using the GE JAN5654W or Tung-Sol 6AK5 tubes. The detail is also phenomenal on both. You will hear things in the music that you have never heard before. The soundstage is superb as well. For example, listening to Fleetwood Mac the Chain the drummer, Mic Fleetwood, sounds like he is directly behind you. The midrange is fantastic. Singers like Diana Krall and Adele are a joy to listen to. Both of these tubes provide a rich and warm musical experience that only tubes can provide. If I had to pick I would give a slight edge to the Tung-Sols. But listening is pretty subjective.One word of warning. Once you experience true hi-fi sound it is hard to go back to an MP3 player plugged into headphones or ear-buds. I let a co-worker listen to my setup and for the rest of the day he did not listen to his music. Even my wife who is not the music fanatic I am gets a smile on her face when she listens to her music though my setup.---Added 1/28/2014I have now tested the following tubes with this amplifier:-GE 5Star 5654-Voshkod 6ZH1P-EVThe 5Stars are very nice and a value at $16 (included shipping) for 5 through eBay.The Voshkod's from yen audio set me back $40 for the pair. They are spectacular. They are my new favorites.