Little Dot MKIII in pre-amp mode

Beside this function in tube desktop headamp, little dot MKIII can be a pre-amp to. Of course you must have power amp to connect Little Dot MKIII to the speaker in your home audio.

To operate Little Dot MKIII to pre-amp is very simple. Connect the rca output to your power amp and done. Nothing else, just do it. Ok, now about this character from this amp if in pre-amp mode. I try to connect it to the CDP Maranzt ( i forgot the model ), DIY power amp an Yamaha speaker. I compare this amp to the DIY pre-amp. Characther is very soft, low speed dinamic and sweet vocal. I suggest this amp to slowly music like, easy jazz, country. maybe this pre-amp not match if you playing music with fast speed, like rock, new age, music with high detail. Remember if you operate this amp to pre-amp dont forget to unplug headphone, because its affect to sound.

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Gain affect in sound character

We are know if gain to increase amplitudo signal, so if we have high impedance headphone or speaker, we can drive it easyly. Beside to increase amplitudo signal, gain can change sound character from this amp too.

In this case i test gain affect in Little Dot MKIII. Little Dot MKIII have four setting gain. Gain 3,4,5,10. Gain 3 for low impedance headphone, gain 4 and 5 for medium and 10 for high impedance headphone.
My rig test is :

Source : CD transport Macbook
USB DAC : Fubar II USB DAC upgrade
Headamp : Little Dot MKIII upgrade
Headphone: AKG K501

Usually i use gain 4 to drive this headphone. Character from this gain is dinamic, transparant in mid and trebel. Volume in 10 clock is enough. After that i try to change gain to 3. Woww.. character change drastic, mid more warm, no hars in mid, soft treble and more slow tempo. I can't say this gain is more good, this is 2 gain with 2 different character. If u need sound with dinamic character, transparant go to high gain. But if you happy with sweet vocal go to low gain.

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How to set gain in Little Dot MKIII

Gain in Little Dot MKIII can adjust from four switch in PCB near headphone out

There is 4 setting gain in Little Dot MKIII. Gain 3,4,5 and 10. Each switch control gain to each channel. You must set same gain in each channel. There is position to gain setting :

* Gain 10 ---> Switch 1 OFF, Switch 2 OFF, this gain for high gain impedance headphone ( 300 ohm or more )

* Gain 5 ---> Switch 1 ON, Switch 2 OFF, this gain for medium impedance headphone ( 120ohm )

* Gain 4 ---> Switch 1 OFF, Switch 2 ON, same as gain 5 to medium impedance headphone

* Gain 3 ---> Switch 1 ON, Switch 2 ON, this gain for low impedance headphone/ high sensitivity headphone ( 30 ohm )

Remember, this gain also affect to pre-amplifier output

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Foto inside Little Dot MKIII

Here is inside from Little Dot MKIII

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Little Dot MKIII review

Little Dot MKIII is tube headamp product from Little Dot. Standard tube used in Little Dot MKIII is RCA 5654 (American Tube ) in driver tube and OTK 6H6N-I ( Russian Tube ) for power tube.
Little Dot MKIII can be use for pre-amp in home audio. Connect output rca to the power-amp, and you get two function from Little Dot MKIII. Character from this amp is very smooth, like another tube amp. Little Dot MKIII is more prominent in mid. Vocal heard very smooth, more soul. Staging is not too wide, bass control but no deep, treble is very smooth. This amp good for jazz music, country, word music. Body from this amp very exelent, build quality is very very good. With this standar component you can get very good sound. You can replaced standar tube to get different character from Little Dot MKIII. For this range price, i can say this amp have good quality.

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