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Firestone Audio Little Country III
6922 Tube Headphone Amp / Pre Amp
Ships Free to USA
$459.99
The Little Country III is Proof You Don’t Have To Spend $1000 or More on a Tube Headphone Amp to Get That Coveted Audiophile Sound!
“If you're like many audiophiles you spend a lot of time critically listening and are forever analyzing everything. But how about this instead, you put on your favorite music, relax into your most comfortable chair, and experience pure musical bliss without any tweaking or tinkering - The Little Country III lets you do just this”
Worth the Wait!
A little over a year ago the Firestone engineers sat down with a major goal in mind; to improve on their Flagship Product, the Little Country 2. Owners and reviewers alike raved about the outstanding performance of the LC2 and called it an outstanding value at $499.00. Talk about a tough act to follow. Even though the task looked daunting and there was constant pressure to get the new model to market, they would not be rushed. The circuitry wizards at Firestone Audio left no stone unturned in their efforts to mold and massage the LC3 until it performed just right. Well, by all accounts it’s been well worth the wait. The improvement is evident the first time you sit down with the Little Country III.
Beautifully Detailed Sound
The Little Country III turns every listening session into an lush Audiophile experience. It features a rich, beautifully detailed sound from top to bottom and a superb soundstage. You’ll find yourself lost in the music - almost hypnotic like. Every once in a while an audio product comes along that exceeds the expectations of even the most demanding listener, and so it is with the LC3.
Compatible with the World’s Best Headphones
As you would expect the LC3 is compatible with the worlds best headphones and you’ll definitely want premium quality headphones or earbuds to fully enjoy the LC3. Those “throw away” ear buds you got with your MP3 player won’t cut it here. So far I’ve listened to the LC3 with Grado RS1 (32ohms), AKG K701 (62 ohms), and Sennheiser HD600’s (300 ohms). They all sound superb but to my ear the LC3 tends to favor the lower impedance units just a tad. The external gain switch lets you adjust for any brand or model of headphones from 28 ohms to 300 ohms.
The LC3 received many important design changes and upgrades. The most significant being the addition of the all new power regulation module that now occupies the lower section of the main unit. The power supply unit is now in seperate module.
The three sets of gold plated RCA plugs are for Input, Bypass and Preamp output. The LC3 accepts its input from any source component including CD/DVD players, phono stage, Tuner, DAC, and even your iPod or other portable player. To make sure the power transfers safely and efficiently between modules the LC3s power cable is equipped with threaded connectors. Gone is the push in S video style cable from the LC2. On the rear panel you’ll find the gain switch and AC power connection.
The new Power Regulation Module (above) now occupies the bottom section of the main unit. The power conditioning benifits of this new module add to the startling sonic purity of the LC3. This new module also incorpoates a new soft start circuit to prevent a rush of current to the tubes at startup. A headphone and speaker protection circuit is also part of this major upgrade.
Why all this fuss about power conditioning?
In high-end audio the power supply and power conditioning sections make up a large percentage of the cost of every component. Most Audiophiles understand that a source of clean, consistent, regulated power is essential for great sound and a low noise floor. This fact was not lost on the Firestone engineers who paid special attention to this section. As we constantly preach here at Audiophile Products;
Better Power = Better Sound
A Perfectly Quiet Tube Headphone Amp?
You won't find that old TUBE AMP HUM with the LC3. The Firestone designers succesfully engineered the LC3 to run dead quiet. This helps reveal more of the low level detail in your music, detail you may not have been hearing, detail that was previously veiled by noise. You dont need me to remind you that Low Level Detail is where you really discover the magic in your music.
The main audio section features a pair of 6922 tubes. The 6922 in its various forms remains the long established standard for Preamp and Headphone Amplifier tubes. A nice stepped potentiometer (volume control) and premium components are used throughout. Each component carefully selected for its positve contibution to the Little Country III.
A Brief Note on the 6922 Tubes
The LC3 is shipped standard with Electro Harmonix 6922EH tubes, I enjoy the EH tubes but being an insatiable tweaker I couldn't resist rolling in a few NOS (new old stock) 6922's into the LC3. I tried about 4 or 5 different tubes - my current favorites are the Amperex 7308 USN-CEP. The 7308 is a premium version of the 6922 and Amperex appears to really have gotten this tube right. To my ear they bring out more soul in the music, with a more fully resolved midrange. Of course your mileage may vary; this is one of the fun aspects of tube audio. You can tailor the sound to your liking with the various tube brands and models.
The top cover is easily removed to allow for tube swaps, Allen Key included
Little County III Headphone Amp Specifications
Tubes: 2 X 6922 (Electro Harmonix)
Opamps: Burr Brown OPA2604
Frequency Response: 15Hz ~ 80KHz ; -1dB ( 100 ohms load )
Max. Output: Voltage -7Vrms Current -90mA
Output Impedance: < 0.1 ohms
lnput Impedance: 10K ohms
Inputs: 1 RCA
Outputs: 2 RCA (1 preamp out and 1 bypass out) 1 – 1/8" headphone jack
Input Voltage: 110 or 220 VAC (switchable)
Additional Features
Power Supply easily switches between 110 or 220 VAC
High-end stepped potentiometer
The shunt/series switch, changes how the circuit “sees” the volume control. Adjust to suit your taste, default setting is series
1/8” to 1/4” headphone jack adaptor cable included
The Little Country III Package Includes
The Little Country III Headphone Amp / Preamp with 6922 tubes installed
Power Supply Module
Power transfer cable with threaded connectors
AC power cable
1/8" to 1/4" gold plated headphone jack adaptor cable
Allen Key
Owners Manual
Warranty Card
The Little Country III comes with a full one year parts and labor warranty
Here's a recap of the changes and upgrades for the LC3
New Power Regulation Module for smooth power and sound
New soft start circuit provides protection to the tubes and audio circuts at power up.
New Headphone and speaker protection circuit
New Separate power supply module (This by itself is a $117.00 upgrade)
New Twin 6922 tubes
New External Gain switch, makes it easy to adjust for different headphone impedances, also adjusts the preamp gain.
Upgraded components used throughout (Exactly what would you expect after a year in development)
New Threaded power transfer cable New Gold plated RCA connectors
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