For my to-be-build S.E.X. 3.0 I’m trying a write-up / product review. Started on this because both my ordered S3X and Mainline took 6 weeks to arrive. And now have been at some anodizing company for almost a month with no clear window on when I get them back.
This preview will be the start of my product review once the kit’s been build / tested / compared. Feel free to comment with tips and tricks! It’s my first try, but here it goes!
Introduction:
The Single Ended eXpermimenters kit 3.0 (S.E.X.) or S3X is a DIY kit from the Seattle based Bottlehead Corporation. With two single ended watts to power both headphones and speakers it’s meant to drive even the most power-hungry headphones or most efficient speakers. The 6FJ7 tubes are put to work in such a way that even the most sensitive IEM are supposed to work with this kit. Being a DIY kit, although it’s not the cheapest option with 539$, it probably has a very good price/performance ratio compared to a lot of amps you can buy build at this price (even second hand). There’s a C4S upgrade (see upgrades) for a modest 45$ when included with the kit. If you’re a student like me, definitely look into DIY kits to save some money, listen to “the best” sound you can afford and still be able to breathe financially.
My reason for buying this kit weren’t headphones; instead it will be used with speakers most of the time. As an almost full time headphone user this amp seemed the best way to venture into the world of single ended triode with high efficiency speakers (and as a first tube amp for living room duty). Powering a pair of Klipsch Heresy III speakers with 99dB/w sensitivity to modest 102dB peaks will be fine for both easy listening and movies.
S3X is the second Bottlehead kit I put my hands on. Having build Crack about five years ago and making it
FrankenCrack before convincing myself i needed to step up. Next to S3X I’m building a Bottlehead Mainline kit at the same time. Bought both of them to save the environment a bit and save my wallet from extra shipping costs.
The order:
When ordering a Bottlehead kit you have to be kind of patient. It took my kits about 6 weeks to get across the Atlantic. So this time was spent reading the manual, debating what components would be worth upgrading and ordering parts to implement them (and re-reading / memorizing the manual..).
The kits arrive neatly and thoroughly packed, with a good amount of bubble wrap and Styrofoam to protect the hefty precious parts inside. As an European buyer, I got the full monty at customs for both kits. So it is a lot cheaper to have multiple kits shipped in one go.
The manual and support forum:
This is the most important thing with these Bottlehead kits and this is what makes them “easy” DIY kits for me. Their manuals are among the best manuals I’ve ever found with a DIY kit (at this moment working on 4 in total). It makes the kit accessible to be built by everyone. The PDF format manual is very thorough and I would recommend these kits to almost all ages (that can safely handle a soldering iron) and especially for those wanting to build their first DIY quality audio kit. The manual takes you trough the whole process step by step. Being 67 pages long, it contains everything you need from start to finish. Aside from the actual build it will guide a complete novice kit builder with everything you need to know about safety when building such a kit and clear soldering lessons for both point-to-point and PC-board wiring/soldering.
There’s also enough advice on the best way to complete the woodwork and how to get a good-looking finish on the chokes, transformer bell and top plate.
When you’ve completed your kit there’s another five pages on the most common mistakes and how to troubleshoot your kit. I’ve found these tips also come in very handy for troubleshooting non-Bottlehead gear.
The Bottlehead forum is the place to be when you’re not confident about a part of your build, when you get freaky voltages, or other troubleshooting errors with your build. Apart from that it’s also the place to be if you’re thinking of eXperimenting a bit with upgrades like I did (more on this later). On this forum every question, whatever it is, is taken seriously and answered so that you’ll be able to continue your kit building journey and enjoy your product the most. This support forum is the part that got me confident enough to buy Crack (now 5-6 years ago). Be sure to have a look on it! Older topics are full of tips and tricks that might spare you some headaches with your future kit.
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