Tonight, installed some Mundorf Supreme EVO SilverGoldOil 2.2 micro farad 800VDC caps. Going into a Bottlehead Crack OTL with the speedball upgrade, HD600s. Spent $230 on the pair, but it has really brought out lots of details, lowered the noise floor, increased headroom. Bass is real tight...

Basically, yes. Mine has the JAN-CTL-6080 designation. 62-16. I'm assuming that's a date code? Year and week of year? 1962, 16th week?

I'm not sure what it is, but I've tried a Russian 6H13CC 8702 winged tube, and also an RCA 6AS7G tube, and they sound fairly bright. Don't get me wrong, they have more detail and separation than the stock Tung-Sol 6080 tube I received with the kit, but they are just too bright for me, even when...

How soon? :)  Looking forward to pics on the main site!

I think so too.  A co-worker of mine let me try (and eventually have) a 6H13C, 8702 printed directly below it, and it sounds great compared to a 6AS7G and 6080 that I've tried.  The clarity is still there, but provides a nice warmer tone and I think is very well balanced throughout the lows...

Not to sound like an advertisement, but Bottlehead states this front and center (well, right justified) on their main page of their website.  I hadn't soldered in my life, and have very little experience with DIY in general.  I completed the Crack amp in two evenings (roughly 10 hours total)...

I will start off by saying that the poll doesn't mention anything regarding quality of devices. Now that that's out of the way, I bought a dozen cheap Sennheiser ear buds that were on a huge discount a while back for my wife and I to use. This is in addition to my decent set of headphones...

It's been about 3-4 years now with the Crack amp since I had built it.  I noticed some infrequent and random crackling in the left channel over the past few months.  Switched out tubes and that didn't make a difference.  So I decided to take a paint brush and touch all of the connection points...

  The HD-600 and Bottlehead Crack amplifier has been my setup since I ever got into Hi-Fi audio.  I haven't really heard a need to change.  It's been said that the Crack amp is one of the best value:price ratios in the range you're looking at.  Then again, it's a kit that may take you a couple...

I think it's worth a visit to the Bottlehead Crack thread with 200+ pages.  Some good information, reviews, and feedback in there.   Tons of positive feedback for the Crack amplifier when used with HD-600s or HD-650s.

The Bottlehead Crack is simply an amplifier, unlike your Fiio E10, which is a combo.  In that case, I'm sure you are aware you will need a converter of some type, which means you will need a dedicated DAC or accomplish this with your source.   If you're getting serious into audio, and by...

If you don't mind a great value/price ratio and would be willing to try DIY with tubes, check out the Bottlehead Crack amplifier.  Many positive results with HD-600s and HD-650s.

Quote: I don't believe changing the headphones changes the resistance of the amp.  I'm not knowledgeable when it comes to this stuff, but I do believe that changing what the amp outputs to, doesn't affect the performance of the amp, but only the output device.

darrellpratt - Looking good.  Would like to see more shots from different angles!  Maybe one from under the hood too!  

Brent Jesse Recording Inc. might have some?   http://www.audiotubes.com/bjtubes.htm