Tube Amp for DT990/600? - Page 2

Finished the build earlier today - building it was a breeze! For anyone worried about soldering, I can attest that even the worst of solderers (like me) can create a fully functional Crack! And if you do encounter any problems, the regular folks at the Bottlehead forums will help you!

The build itself was very easy, in retrospect. I skimmed the 2nd half of the manual and only got by with one issue, which was easily diagnosed and fixed by Bottlehead forum members. You'll see a lot of people recommending to buy a decent digital multimeter for the project, like Flukes, but I got by without any problems using a $5 multimeter from Harbor Freight Tools.

These are some tools you'll need for sure to build the Crack:

Wire-cutters/strippers (needs to be able to strip 20 gauge)

Tape measure (a ruler works too, except you will need to measure 30" of wire, twice)

Pliers (very useful in bending leads, holding components while soldering, grabbing things in tight spaces, etc.)

Screwdriver set

Soldering iron (I used a 60w, but found that my smaller 20w was easier to use because of the small spaces)

Solder

Paper towels (wet them and use it as a sponge to clean the tip of the iron)

Digital multimeter

0.5A 250v fuses (only if your fuse blows out during the first power-up!)

Wood glue (for wood base)

I'm not too good with describing sound, so I'm not going to write up a whole review and mistakenly mislead someone about the Crack. But I will say that the Crack definitely smooths the highs and brings out the mids - these are very obvious the first time you plug them into the amp. The next thing is the bass impact, it's stronger and punchier! Overall, it sounds clear, crispy, and a little warm, definitely worth the money spent. The build was fun, too, partially because the instructions are so well written and because when you pull that multimeter out at the end and start getting readings that you should be, it puts a smile on your face!
 

Quote:

Originally Posted by duetta 

It's the thought of all that soldering that's scared me off so far, especially once I start thinking about the Speedball.  But I may spend some time over the next week or so watching "how to solder" videos on the web. 

 

Having lived with DT-990s now for close to twenty years (my pair was manufactured in 1992), I will say that they tend to be extremely fun headphones in the right repertoire - but IMHO too bassy / recessed in the mids for classical.  But they're great for anything with a beat. 

Definitely watch some videos. You'll want to look up how to solder leads that have been bent around a circular terminal. All the terminals you'll be soldering cables and leads to are circular, or at least they have holes so you hook the leads and cables to them. You'll also want to look up how to solder into a pin socket - you'll only be doing this twice for the RCA jacks, but it's a little tricky.

Don't be scared by the soldering, you can't mess up because you can always undo a connection.