Topic: Littlebox vs. BM2P+ UA5 Comparison?

[Cheesecadet]

Anyone know if the Littlebox would be a lateral move from the Busman modded UA5 or an upgrade/downgrade?  I love the BM2P+ but I am getting the itch to purchase something again...

[jbell]

I am waiting for a Littlebox with a SPDIF out!  Hopefully it will happen sooner than later. 

Anyone know if the Littlebox would be a lateral move from the Busman modded UA5 or an upgrade/downgrade?  I love the BM2P+ but I am getting the itch to purchase something again...

[willndmb]

I am waiting for a Littlebox with a SPDIF out!  Hopefully it will happen sooner than later. 

Anyone know if the Littlebox would be a lateral move from the Busman modded UA5 or an upgrade/downgrade?  I love the BM2P+ but I am getting the itch to purchase something again...

i broke down and got my lb after waiting a while, real happy so far

[yug du nord]

While the Busman UA-5 sounds really sweet,  I kinda think that the ADC's in the "newer" recorders might be better than the ADC in the  UA-5.  As for the preamp section, I cannot comment because I have not heard the Naiant boxes yet.  But the BM2P+ does make nice recordings!  The Naiant pre's seem to be taking the "scene" by storm though.  And both units seem to have very good customer service.

[SmokinJoe]

Some mic and preamp combos go together "synergistically" like peanut butter an jelly.  Some don't.  And some people like the sounds of certain combos, and others don't.  So, I don't think it's appropriate to say going from a UA-5 to a Littlebox is inherently an upgrade, or not.  It depends on the mics you are running and your tastes.  It's an upgrade if you like the new flavor combo.

C4's > UA-5 is a proven combo, run many times by many people, and people keep running it because it works well together.  I strongly encourage people to listen to lots of samples on archive.org of different mic/preamp combos and decide for themselves.  If you can't find one with C4s > Littlebox then probably no one has tried it yet.  It might be the greatest thing since sliced bread, but no one will know until someone tries it.

[rockymtnryan]

I am waiting for a Littlebox with a SPDIF out!  Hopefully it will happen sooner than later. 

Anyone know if the Littlebox would be a lateral move from the Busman modded UA5 or an upgrade/downgrade?  I love the BM2P+ but I am getting the itch to purchase something again...

I fully support this idea.  I emailed Jon at Naiant to ask if it was possible since the website says "other connectors by request" but apparently he doesn't offer it yet.  Maybe in the next year or so?

[willndmb]

I am not working on the S/PDIF converter for littlebox any longer; it was just going to be too expensive.  I am not likely to do anything digital until TI releases a USB CODEC that supports audio class 2.0, which is hopefully next year . . . before then, in order:

- tinybox II
- AKG capsule coupler
- X-8 microphone
- littlebox II (revision to match tinybox II improvements)

Those will keep me busy for the next six months.

[jbell]

I am completely happy with my littlebox> sony D50.  The ADC in the D50 is very good so I'm not real concerned with a SPDIF version of the Littlebox. 

[fmaderjr]

I am completely happy with my littlebox> sony D50.  The ADC in the D50 is very good so I'm not real concerned with a SPDIF version of the Littlebox.

I am very happy with Littlebox> Sony M10. I wouldn't be surprised if the M10 had the same ADC as the D10. I wouldn't want a littlebox with a SPDIF out even if it was available. I may be in the minority, but I much prefer an analog only pre if I feel that the ADC in my recorder is good enough that I wouldn't hear a difference even if using an external one might be a slight improvement.

[willndmb]

i ONLY wanted the ADC lb when i had a mt1
with the m10 i don't care anymore

[jbell]

I have seen folks post that the D50 has a better ADC than the M10, but I am not sure how true that is.  I like my recordings with the D50 and I have only ever run it from anolog pres.  I think eventually I will get an optimod V3, so that is why I decided to stick with the D50.

I am completely happy with my littlebox> sony D50.  The ADC in the D50 is very good so I'm not real concerned with a SPDIF version of the Littlebox.

I am very happy with Littlebox> Sony M10. I wouldn't be surprised if the M10 had the same ADC as the D10. I wouldn't want a littlebox with a SPDIF out even if it was available. I may be in the minority, but I much prefer an analog only pre if I feel that the ADC in my recorder is good enough that I wouldn't hear a difference even if using an external one might be a slight improvement.

[rockymtnryan]

From the Naiant website....

"Output transformer offers low-frequency saturation at levels above 0dBV and ground isolation for reduced interference."

Can someone translate this for me? Just wondering how a LB with the transformer output option would differ in sound versus one without.

[duch]

Simply put, transformers :

- generally add a bit of colour (or warmth, give it the name you want) to your signal
- do not distort in the same way as an active component. Transformer distortion adds a lot of colour and some compression (a bit like recording very "hot" signal to studio tape) while transistor distortion basically screw your signal.
- provide additional fixed gain (this is a "simple" way to obtain high in to out gain) depending on the specs of the transformer.
- provide way better isolation from ground issues (the in and out of a transformer are magnetically and not electrically coupled, with the input ground isolated from the output ground).
- do not need or draw power to operate.
- weight and cost very often more than the equivalent active circuitry.

[duch]

You're 100% right, but as rockymtnryan asked for a "translation" I thought I could take some -big- shortcuts to give him a -very- quick picture of how a transformer could affect the sound. Thanks for the real and detailed explanation ! I should have let Mr Naiant answer about his own products. 

Regarding the use of the term "compression", that's true that neither a transformer nor a tape driven by a hot signal apply compression to it, but in the end most people I know perceive and describe the way sound is affected as "compression like". As usual it's quite hard to describe sounds and the way things sounds with words.