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Crack;Bottlehead OTL
Jun 15, 2014 at 6:44 AM Post #5,251 of 12,346
kothganesh said:
  Very very initial impressions between the Crack and the ZD on the 800. The ZD goes deeper on the bottom end. But this is not fair. I've had the ZD for months now and the Crack is literally 1 hour old !
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I'm interested in hearing more of what you think of the crack and hd800. 
 
Jun 15, 2014 at 7:27 AM Post #5,253 of 12,346
^^ How does the crack do with the treble and bass for the hd800 relatively compared to other/more expensive amps? Is it enough to bring out the best qualities of the hd800 and make it enjoyable?
 
Jun 15, 2014 at 7:34 AM Post #5,254 of 12,346
matttcg said:
^^ How does the crack do with the treble and bass for the hd800 relatively compared to other/more expensive amps? Is it enough to bring out the best qualities of the hd800 and make it enjoyable?
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In my opinion it does what you'd want from a tube amp for HD800 - with a proper tube treble is tamed down a bit without any loss of detail and bass gets fuller, less thin. Very enjoyable.
 
Jun 15, 2014 at 8:04 AM Post #5,256 of 12,346
kozmos said:
   
 
man what a masterpiece, i have some hard wax i used for my rims, i think im gonna try it on my crack, i don't know if wax is the right word to use because im a swede but you get my point :wink:
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That is absolutely beautiful 
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matttcg said:
  ^^ How does the crack do with the treble and bass for the hd800 relatively compared to other/more expensive amps? Is it enough to bring out the best qualities of the hd800 and make it enjoyable?
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The Mad does a nice job....I would imagine the BHC should do very well as it powers the 650 perfectly...correct?
 
Jun 15, 2014 at 9:34 AM Post #5,258 of 12,346
matttcg said:
   
I'm interested in hearing more of what you think of the crack and hd800. 
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Hmmmmm, actually I found the Crack does a great job driving the HD800, but I still found it a bit harsh and kind of 'boring' sometimes compared with the T1+Crack combo. The T1 sounds more enjoyable with the Crack IMHO.
 
Jun 15, 2014 at 10:19 AM Post #5,259 of 12,346
matttcg said:
  ^^ How does the crack do with the treble and bass for the hd800 relatively compared to other/more expensive amps? Is it enough to bring out the best qualities of the hd800 and make it enjoyable?
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For me the Crack addresses the main issue that plague most ill matched HD 800 - amp combinations i.e. leanness , sharp treble & anemic base. It gives  full mids, smooth treble with adequate extension & good bass. Very Musical.
aeolus kratos said:
Hmmmmm, actually I found the Crack does a great job driving the HD800, but I still found it a bit harsh and kind of 'boring' sometimes compared with the T1+Crack combo. The T1 sounds more enjoyable with the Crack IMHO.
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I actually prefer the HD 800 more  than the T1 on the Crack.
 
Jun 15, 2014 at 12:18 PM Post #5,260 of 12,346
.sup said:
matttcg said:
^^ How does the crack do with the treble and bass for the hd800 relatively compared to other/more expensive amps? Is it enough to bring out the best qualities of the hd800 and make it enjoyable?
Click to expand...

In my opinion it does what you'd want from a tube amp for HD800 - with a proper tube treble is tamed down a bit without any loss of detail and bass gets fuller, less thin. Very enjoyable.
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+1
 
Jun 15, 2014 at 8:28 PM Post #5,262 of 12,346
cheneric said:
  How bad is it to use the E80CC on a non-speedball crack?
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It's not recommended, but I believe it's more about the potential loss of sound quality due to the E80CC not receiving correct voltages, etc. rather than a risk of damaging the tube or the amp.
 
Jun 15, 2014 at 9:43 PM Post #5,263 of 12,346
I also prefer HD800 to T1 in crack for my music taste. the sounstage and instrument separation of HD800 is just out of this world to me. Paired with Audio GD PCM 1074UK dac it's definitely really2 good. Mids are clear and centered. bass is detailed (with less punch compared to T1) and high is smooth and extended. Compared to T1 the obvious strength of T1 would be better bass body and definition similar quality on the mids and even smoother treble. But the biggest issue for me soundstage on T1 is significantly smaller than HD800. the difference in sound stage is quite night and day
 
Jun 15, 2014 at 10:00 PM Post #5,264 of 12,346
The T1 is more enjotable than the HD800 for everything "involving". The HD800 may be the superior headphone technically, and may even be more refined, but the T1 does a much better job with aggressiveness and impact I think.

I use the Crack with Bendix 6080 and some RCA Clear Tops and I really enjoy it with the T1. I sold the HD800 (which I owned at the same time as the t1) because I much preferred the T1. I also like the Crack more than my DIY Ventus EZ and the Burson Soloist with the T1. I haven't heard the T1 on any other OTL's though, despite attending a few meets.

I'm working on an OTL amp from headwize now, and have designed my own OTL using a 6SN7, 2A3, and a 6080 Cathode follower, so I'm looking to build that next to compare to the Crack. I can post my schematic if you guys want to see, I'm interested in feedback since its my first design.

Anyways, that's just my $.02, that the T1 is better than the HD800 for most upbeat, engaging music.
 
Jun 16, 2014 at 2:00 AM Post #5,265 of 12,346
matttcg said:
   
I'm interested in hearing more of what you think of the crack and hd800. 
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Hi Matt:
 
How's the golf ? 
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. I spent an hour and a half with the Crack and the HD 800. Please note that my Crack is about 3 hours old by way of use. I thought the overall sound was elevated. Don't know how to say this but the bass is still not reaching the deeper extensions that my Zana Deux is achieving. In addition, I noticed the noise floor between songs which I don't have on the ZD. I have moved the Crack to a place where I believe it will be relatively free of noise due to other equipment.
 
Interestingly, I found the HD 650 to be a much better pairing from the get-go with the Crack. I am going to persist with my Crack and 800 pairing and see where it takes me.
 
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