[goforthepod]

The amp I (a noob) am referring to is this:
 
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Compatible-6xxx-12xxx-6N11-12AU7-ECC88-Tube-valve-DIY-Headphone-Amplifier-AMP-U-/120990700325
 
but there are auctions of the same amp going on every day that you can get it for just over 30 dollars.  The question is: is it any good?
 
I think it is a modded version of a MUSE (which they also sell) but I have no experience with those either.

 

[hchanrn]

I just received the little bear b-2 amp from them. 
 
http://www.ebay.com/itm/110961293704?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649
 
not a bad deal for $59 with 4 different op amp chips to swap out and a li-ion rechargeable battery.  So far sounds pretty good.  Have to get some more listening time before I write a review.  So far it is driving my Allessando MS-1(32 ohm) and AKG 240S (55 ohm)...not incredible volume levels but adequate.
 
I had a few questions after I received the amp and received prompt replies.

 

[keithsplace]

I just received a Little-Bear P5 that is the two BK 6N1 China tube pre amp.
Not a headphone amp but a pre amp with in-out RCA. I think it is a hybrid type amp, as the power transformer that is included is 110v to 18vac very small.
And gets very very hot, so hot in fact that I have to set it In a glass ash tray. Do not touch it or set it on your desk.
Not sure what these tubes run on, but appears to amplifies the heaters on the tubes with a rectifier section and some transistors, no heat sinks on transistors here, but did not seem to get hot any where on the board, even the tubes.
I put a larger wall wart transformer on it. 18vac, same as supplied one , only 50va rated. Well it worked fine for about 5 minuets and blew a capacitor.
I did get a reply from seller fairly quickly with some sort of broke English reply. He said he whould send me some replacement caps and I expressed my concern with the power transformer.
A quick trip to Radio shack and some soldering finess, (as it's kind of tricky with doubled layer surface mounted components. But it's back up and running. And just left the supplied transformer on it and experimenting with it on my bench, in my garage. And I don't leave the room with it on ok.
I got it for $20.00 something bucks with the shipping from eBay, search littlebear store, and watch, they are almost always on there.
The first thing I've purchased from China on eBay and actually received. First two times from China I had to get refunds cause item never made it through customs I guess. This one ttook about two weeks.
Anyway, as far as sound, it's different, I do need to get some studio monitors, but from what I can tell it seems pretty full, don't expect hugh sound stage and fullness ok, it's a $20.00 pre amp. The rest of your system needs to be premium sounding as it is to really test something like this.
So her is my points.
Pretty good for $20.00
Power supply is an issue.
Not sure it's really a true amp with such low power.
Tube rolling might be an issue if many board components need to be changed.
Sound for my situation at present is not really anything to brag about, but better speakers and amp may change that.

 

[keithsplace]

Quote:

I just received a Little-Bear P5 that is the two BK 6N1 China tube pre amp.
Not a headphone amp but a pre amp with in-out RCA. I think it is a hybrid type amp, as the power transformer that is included is 110v to 18vac very small.
And gets very very hot, so hot in fact that I have to set it In a glass ash tray. Do not touch it or set it on your desk.
Not sure what these tubes run on, but appears to amplifies the heaters on the tubes with a rectifier section and some transistors, no heat sinks on transistors here, but did not seem to get hot any where on the board, even the tubes.
I put a larger wall wart transformer on it. 18vac, same as supplied one , only 50va rated. Well it worked fine for about 5 minuets and blew a capacitor.
I did get a reply from seller fairly quickly with some sort of broke English reply. He said he whould send me some replacement caps and I expressed my concern with the power transformer.
A quick trip to Radio shack and some soldering finess, (as it's kind of tricky with doubled layer surface mounted components. But it's back up and running. And just left the supplied transformer on it and experimenting with it on my bench, in my garage. And I don't leave the room with it on ok.
I got it for $20.00 something bucks with the shipping from eBay, search littlebear store, and watch, they are almost always on there.
The first thing I've purchased from China on eBay and actually received. First two times from China I had to get refunds cause item never made it through customs I guess. This one ttook about two weeks.
Anyway, as far as sound, it's different, I do need to get some studio monitors, but from what I can tell it seems pretty full, don't expect hugh sound stage and fullness ok, it's a $20.00 pre amp. The rest of your system needs to be premium sounding as it is to really test something like this.
So her is my points.
Pretty good for $20.00
Power supply is an issue.
Not sure it's really a true amp with such low power.
Tube rolling might be an issue if many board components need to be changed.
Sound for my situation at present is not really anything to brag about, but better speakers and amp may change that.

Ok after some 50 hours or more of burn in, here are my updates.
It's a $20.00 tube pre amp. Yep, It is fairly clean, no noise that I can discern , even full volume no input, maybe slightly more open in the middle frequencies, a tad bit of lower mid to bass punch. To be perfectly honest there is hardly a difference between not having it in line and having it in line. If you adjust the amp to equal volume of what you would get from no pre. A slight noticeable difference in the lower end punch when I connect it inline with my 180watt Vector Research amp and infinity speakers, $20.00 worth maybe. But if you really need a pre amp, it is a pre amp, and a pretty fair one. At the price point I wasn't expecting tube nirvana. But wanted to experiment and see If I could get my PC multimedia speakers sounding a little better.
I do notice that I notice things in different music (Wide Variety) on things I know how they sound on everything from my 32 Channel digital live sound and recording gear through a PA, on my surround sound that is awesome, and several of my PC's. One with Bose Companion 5,  2.1 multimedia speakers, that I totally love, and one with Altec Lansing ACS300's.
Got to go more later.