[Loquah]

Please leave this thread now...

 

[skeptic]

FYI - there's a discount through the end of T.H.E. Show this weekend on mainline kits if anyone has been sitting on the fence waiting for a sale to push them over.    

 

[Loquah]

Do it! You won't regret it

 

[NightFlight]

Updates
 
Anaxilus
So I went ahead and started to play with a hybrid of the Anaxilus mod. Not because I wanted to tame anything, but because I wanted to get rid of the dust cover.  Why? Do you listen to high end speakers with the grills on? Really? No. You just don't. I realized this early when I got the HD800s, but just now got serious about addressing the issue.
 
Getting rid of the dust covers brings up the detail yet again with the HD800. They are not sonically transparent. The mainline on its own still doesn't allow you to listen to the HD800 with no dust covers at all. The reflections in there are brutal without them and they serve to tame the walls of the earspeaker. Thus they must not be sonically transparent to do their job. Thus, why do they cover up the transducer area? Aesthetics and simplification of the design I guess.
 
So, just using rug liner alone, I made a pair of circles that cover only the metal ring around the driver. Adhered with Scott's removal adhesive. Using the creatology materials outlined in the mod, I used it to tame the trapezoid area as it was designed to do. Then rug liner again for the remainder of the area. This took some time to get a good pattern, the original mod guide isn't so good.
 
Anyhow, what I've got here is completely brilliant with the mainline. The sound signature is still the same, but the detail went up yet again +1.
 
 
Tubes
Also with 80hrs on the Gold Lions I'm finding they have tamed a lot and have pretty much gained the same signature of the stock tube, but by now my auditory memory of the stock tubes is gone. So I'll put a couple months on these and switch back and see if there is any jarring nature returning to stock.
 
Golden Ears
I completed the Phillips Golden Ears Challenge. Whoop-dee doo...  

 

[ZachPtheDude]

Ugh, all this talk about Bottlehead Gear makes it harder to wait for my first 'crack' at the s.e.x.! Already ordered the triad chokes, mundorf supreme caps to replace the stock solen and orange drops, some extra resistors to see if all the fuss about audible sound differences between koa speers and dale and etc. Resistor manufacturer is anything more than noise.

As always, will be building it stock, with one exception; an upgraded attenuator. Debating between a khozmos, goldpoint, DACT, or sticking with the classic Alps blue velvet to start.

Question on which upgrades to do first; would installing the C4S board before changing capacitors better allow me to hear the subtle differences between capacitors? Or would I be better off building stock, then upgrading capacitors, add the chokes, and then wire up the c4s?

Looking for whichever path would best allow me to hear the subtle, individual differences brought about by different components.

 

[DDDamian]

Ugh, all this talk about Bottlehead Gear makes it harder to wait for my first 'crack' at the s.e.x.! Already ordered the triad chokes, mundorf supreme caps to replace the stock solen and orange drops, some extra resistors to see if all the fuss about audible sound differences between koa speers and dale and etc. Resistor manufacturer is anything more than noise.

As always, will be building it stock, with one exception; an upgraded attenuator. Debating between a khozmos, goldpoint, DACT, or sticking with the classic Alps blue velvet to start.

Question on which upgrades to do first; would installing the C4S board before changing capacitors better allow me to hear the subtle differences between capacitors? Or would I be better off building stock, then upgrading capacitors, add the chokes, and then wire up the c4s?

Looking for whichever path would best allow me to hear the subtle, individual differences brought about by different components.

My Mundorf Supremes just hit the post office (replacing the stage-coupling and parafeed caps) and I'm waiting for new iron to ship, so sorta in the same boat although I have the C4S in now.
 
I would follow the standard advice given on the Bottlehead forums and start with stock, then start your modding once you've adjusted to that signature. I would probably do all the non-C4S mods first but plan your space around putting those boards in later. I think the C4S will be the biggest difference of them all, and you may lose the subtleties of the others upgrades if you do that first.
 
Just my take - there's no right way

 

[ZachPtheDude]

I'm with you 100%. I think fitting the 4 supremes in there first, and figuring how to mount them, if they need extra mounting at all, is only possible without the CCCS installed in place.

 

[DDDamian]

I'm with you 100%. I think fitting the 4 supremes in there first, and figuring how to mount them, if they need extra mounting at all, is only possible without the CCCS installed in place.

+1. I've also seen some big-ass caps used for the final filtering stage of the power supply. Maybe have a look at some of the more extreme mods in the Bottlehead forum gallery? Might help with avoiding space issues or de-soldering later. BTW, I love my Crack with the 650's, but the S.E.X is just so flexible and has a nicer soundstage with a little more air to my ears. Being able to plug in just about any can on the market is a huge bonus. At very high-levels my HE-400's and LCD's trip up a little bit, so I don't think you'd drive HE-6's with it, but everything short of those will play very nicely.
 
Hope it lands on your doorstep soon! 

 

[ZachPtheDude]

+1. I've also seen some big-ass caps used for the final filtering stage of the power supply. Maybe have a look at some of the more extreme mods in the Bottlehead forum gallery? Might help with avoiding space issues or de-soldering later. BTW, I love my Crack with the 650's, but the S.E.X is just so flexible and has a nicer soundstage with a little more air to my ears. Being able to plug in just about any can on the market is a huge bonus. At very high-levels my HE-400's and LCD's trip up a little bit, so I don't think you'd drive HE-6's with it, but everything short of those will play very nicely.

Hope it lands on your doorstep soon! 

I should be receiving my Alpha Dogs today, can't wait to try them with the SEX.

Oh, I've been looking! My birthday is this July actually and one of my dad's best friends, like an uncle to me, does woodwork and he has a beautiful piecs of walnut he's planning on making into a case for my SEX, just finished with a linseed oil. Planning to build it deeper and half an inch wider in all directions to provide extra space for any zany ideas.

Though for now I'm happy with replacing two of the resistors with chokes, 100r resistor heater supply mod, upgraded film caps, c4s. Maybe replace all the electrolytics with new audio note "blackgate inspired" line of electrolytics and spend close to the cost of a kit on the power suppy roflmao

 

[DDDamian]

I should be receiving my Alpha Dogs today, can't wait to try them with the SEX.

Oh, I've been looking! My birthday is this July actually and one of my dad's best friends, like an uncle to me, does woodwork and he has a beautiful piecs of walnut he's planning on making into a case for my SEX, just finished with a linseed oil. Planning to build it deeper and half an inch wider in all directions to provide extra space for any zany ideas.

Though for now I'm happy with replacing two of the resistors with chokes, 100r resistor heater supply mod, upgraded film caps, c4s. Maybe replace all the electrolytics with new audio note "blackgate inspired" line of electrolytics and spend close to the cost of a kit on the power suppy roflmao

Walnut with linseed oil will be beautiful (would recommend boiled linseed oil for drying and observe safe disposal practices of any rags used to prevent self-combustion). Tung oil is another nice alternative and I like the smell I assume you'll use some type of internal rails to make the inner dimensions wider. When I re-did the base of my Crack I made it taller to accommodate upgraded caps:
 

 

 

 

[ZachPtheDude]

Walnut with linseed oil will be beautiful (would recommend boiled linseed oil for drying and observe safe disposal practices of any rags used to prevent self-combustion). I assume you'll use some type of internal rails to make the inner dimensions wider.

Boiled is assumed hehe, always safe! If we can't dispose of combustible rags lets stay away from point to point wired tube amp currents

As far as the inner dimensions we had a few ideas in mind. It's hard to describe, but the most functional and good looking sketch had the case look like a rooftop. Wider at the bottom and as it slopes up it gets less wide. Gives me room for different mounting ideas, feels less cramped, better ventilation, etc.

 

[DDDamian]

Boiled is assumed

hehe, always safe! If we can't dispose of combustible rags lets stay away from point to point wired tube amp currents

As far as the inner dimensions we had a few ideas in mind. It's hard to describe, but the most functional and good looking sketch had the case look like a rooftop. Wider at the bottom and as it slopes up it gets less wide. Gives me room for different mounting ideas, feels less cramped, better ventilation, etc.

Very cool - take pics!

 

[JamieMcC]

Finally scratched the planar itch and the HE-6 is sounding pretty nice using the Sex 

 
 

 

[rogerthatmand]

Guys, I'm about to get my Crack (with Speedball) to pair with my HD800. But I'm really not sure whether I should or shouldn't add the Speedball option.
What do you think?

 

[Loquah]

Definitely get it. It can be fun to try the kit without it first, but buy it now to get the discount because you'll definitely want to install it later if not straight away.