[brunk]

  For anyone looking, Frys has the Hakko FX-888D on sale for $70 free shipping. Best deal youll find anywhere on a very nice soldering iron. This is the lowest I ever recommend to anyone serious about soldering. LINK

I personally recommend this famous Hakko clone for $60 that even comes with a tweezer wand. I actually own 2 of these. They stack right on top of each other nicely too.
 
http://www.circuitspecialists.com/SMD-soldering-system.html
 
Plus you can get an assortment of tips off ebay or amazon in a pack of 10 for about $10 that works with it
 
http://www.amazon.com/Generic-Solder-Screwdriver-Soldering-Station/dp/B00EB6NJV6

 

[Shaldome]

 
 
Good luck! Let us know how it ends 

 

 
 
Thank you, I will do that (if my work is successful that is )

When did you place your order?  Are they still backed up?

 
 
I ordered mine on 27th December.

 
Congrats to you as well!! You'll love it.
 
@lolovitch and @Shaldome it's worth heading over to the Bottlehead forums if you need any help with your kits. As good as the community here is, there are some real specialists for DIY stuff over there.

 

I will definitely do that, if I run into problems. I still have to gather the parts I need to order, to have everything ready to begin the assembly once the kit arrives. And I still ave to decide, if I finish the wood and top of the Crack. I think I will follow the advice I have read and assemble it without the Speedball upgrade first and do this another time.
Still a bit bummed, that I missed that my ODAC/AMP has no line out to bypass the amp section, but oh well.

 

[ULUL]

  For anyone looking, Frys has the Hakko FX-888D on sale for $70 free shipping. Best deal youll find anywhere on a very nice soldering iron. This is the lowest I ever recommend to anyone serious about soldering. LINK

Thanks for the tip!  Just ordered. 
 
Which tip do I need to order for the Bottlehead assembly?
 
Thanks,
UL

 

[UmustBKidn]

How would you compare that to this Weller soldering station (also at Fry's)?
 
 

 

[mordicai]

Comes with a 1.6 mm which was fine for the crack. I also added small conical tip which was good for some tight places. You will need the conical for the speedball circuit boards which you will surely add to your Crack.

 

[ben_r_]

  Thanks for the tip!  Just ordered. 
 
Which tip do I need to order for the Bottlehead assembly?
 
Thanks,
UL

Yea the tip it comes with should be more than fine.

 

[JamieMcC]

   
By the way a nos e80cc input tube arrived in the post to day I forgot that I had put a bid in on ebay for it until it flagged up for payment. I have tried it with the T1's and found it a bit bright for my liking with them. However with the HD650's its a different story and the E80CC seams to suit them. I don't know if tubes have a burn in period? But will put some hours on it and see what happens.

 
Here's a funny thing that nos E80CC tube which I found unbearably bright with my T1's has really mellowed out now and is fast becoming my favourite input tube for both the T1 & HD650's. In fact my much loved Mullard has not been in place since the e80cc arrival!
 
I am going to have to roll the ECC82 Mullard back in at some point for some critical listening.

 

[DefQon]

E80CC? Are they them tall 12AU7 and half sized tubes? If so think I've had a few in the past they needed like 400 hours of burn in to sound right, that's early 40's NOS for ya.

 

[FlySweep]

  E80CC? Are they them tall 12AU7 and half sized tubes? If so think I've had a few in the past they needed like 400 hours of burn in to sound right, that's early 40's NOS for ya.

 
Yep.. they're the tall bottles.. and yes, they need an assload of time to burn in (IME).

 

[Nic Rhodes]

much later, I thought E80CCs started in 1957....

 

[DefQon]

   
Yep.. they're the tall bottles.. and yes, they need an assload of time to burn in (IME).

Ah guess my memory served me right. They are good tubes though, more linear sounding with more meat than the regular 12AU7's till you hit the big boy's vintage NOS Telefunken ECC82 diamond etch bottom, Valvo and Siemens from 1950-60's NOS, Holland factory Mullards with the flashing top getter. Good thing is the the E80CC are not that expensive too.
 

  much later, I thought E80CCs started in 1957....

Not sure? I got it from a supplier which stated it's from late 1940's forgot the date code and don't have the original box. Bought a carton of 20 or so mixed pairs for cheap so it was awesome to play around with, some of them were shoddy with humming, stored away for nearly half a century.

 

[mordicai]

Been running a Hungarian Trugstam E80cc for the past six weeks. Very bright.  I love it for vocals, but it sure gets rough with the high notes. Its biggest drawback for me is it's real lack of a good bass.  Don't care for it with most of my classical. It probably has 150 hrs on it and hasn't mellowed much in that time. If anyones interested I like to sell it. Fabulous tube with some albums.........Legend ( bob marley) needs a bright tube and this one works great. Do people actually start tube rolling for specific albums? Must wear out the sockets!

 

[bigfatpaulie]

Not to flog a dead horse, but I can't say enough good about the Telefunken (plus, the box is really nice).  

 

 

[DefQon]

  Not to flog a dead horse, but I can't say enough good about the Telefunken (plus, the box is really nice).  

 

 
Well they do come at a premium due to there rarity much like GEC brown base 6AS7G's. You can get a Psvane grade A 12AU7 and it is 95% as good as the Telefunken. There's a strong following behind these tubes online at various forums. 

 

[FlySweep]

  Ah guess my memory served me right. They are good tubes though, more linear sounding with more meat than the regular 12AU7's till you hit the big boy's vintage NOS Telefunken ECC82 diamond etch bottom, Valvo and Siemens from 1950-60's NOS, Holland factory Mullards with the flashing top getter. Good thing is the the E80CC are not that expensive too.
 
Not sure? I got it from a supplier which stated it's from late 1940's forgot the date code and don't have the original box. Bought a carton of 20 or so mixed pairs for cheap so it was awesome to play around with, some of them were shoddy with humming, stored away for nearly half a century.

 
One of my favorite E80CC's is the Amperex PQ 6085.. lovely sound that tube has.. plenty of speed, detail, and dynamics.  Only thing with 12BH7s is, IME, they tend to sound slightly forward through the mids.. not really a drawback, just an observation.
 

  Been running a Hungarian Trugstam E80cc for the past six weeks. Very bright.  I love it for vocals, but it sure gets rough with the high notes. Its biggest drawback for me is it's real lack of a good bass.  Don't care for it with most of my classical. It probably has 150 hrs on it and hasn't mellowed much in that time. If anyones interested I like to sell it. Fabulous tube with some albums.........Legend ( bob marley) needs a bright tube and this one works great. Do people actually start tube rolling for specific albums? Must wear out the sockets!

 
Interesting I have that tube.. and commented on it a while back (in this thread or another thread somewhere, I think)... and I'm listening with the it right now.  Yeah, it was bright.. for a long time.. I'm talking months (and I used it pretty regularly from when it arrived to when I heard it noticeably change).  Believe it or not, that tube will eventually balance out.. and sound very very good.  It will have really nice bass.  Not the throbbing, subwoofer type.. but a hefty, full, punchy bass response that's natural.  The mids will sound wonderfully detailed and tonally neutral.. but not clinical or thin.  They'll have a hint of that delicious liquidity that its younger 12AU7 brethren has (but the E80CC isn't quite as rich and liquid).  The treble will smooth out too, btw.  Again, it won't ever sound as warm and laid back as it's 12AU7 sibling, but the E80CC is more resolving and better extended.  It'll have a slightly brighter overall tone, but it won't sound as thin, lean or harsh as it might sound now.  Give it more time (a lot more time) if you're up for it.  Also, its one one the best built tubes I've seen... that sucker is rugged!