[LepakVT]

  Did you send to the right address? I just emailed last week about replacement parts after fubar-ing a speedball board and they sent them out 2 days later.

 
Yeah. When I first e-mailed Eileen, she actually immediately replied and said she'd prepare me a Paypal invoice for parts and shipping. But I never got one and haven't heard back. E-mailed her again last night with no response yet today.
 
Then I got a separate mass e-mail from Josh (replacementparts) about some faulty transistors Bottlehead received, and how they are sending out replacement transistors. So I replied back over the weekend and asked him if he could just bundle the other replacement parts I need in that same shipment. Haven't heard back yet on Tuesday.
 
 
Edit: I'm just venting my minor disappointments. I want to clear off the part of my table covered with a soldering iron and various tools. And listen to the Crack of course! 

 

[DDDamian]

   
Yeah. When I first e-mailed Eileen, she actually immediately replied and said she'd prepare me a Paypal invoice for parts and shipping. But I never got one and haven't heard back. E-mailed her again last night with no response yet today.
 
Then I got a separate mass e-mail from Josh (replacementparts) about some faulty transistors Bottlehead received, and how they are sending out replacement transistors. So I replied back over the weekend and asked him if he could just bundle the other replacement parts I need in that same shipment. Haven't heard back yet on Tuesday.
 
 
Edit: I'm just venting my minor disappointments. I want to clear off the part of my table covered with a soldering iron and various tools. And listen to the Crack of course! 

I just ordered an S.E.X iron upgrade and replacement A/C rocker switch yesterday - Eileen was all over it in minutes. Guessing it was the show that slowed things up for ya. Happy soldering

 

[coastal1]

   
My 2c here on this topic.
 
I can't account for it... perhaps its because the crack doesn't have a regulated power supply - but I found it definitely benefits from a heavier gauge power cord.  I found 14AWG for me was nearly as revealing as swapping out the stock pot with a switched network. I've been warned away from even higher gauge like 10AWG, the potential result being the amp sounding more dark and sloppy.
 
My guess is that this effect would be mitigated somewhat by swapping out the stock bridge rectifier with Cree replacements... Just a shot in the dark, but I definitely have that lined up as my next mod. I would like to hear what a Crack can do with better power supply like the Mainline.

Is your 14AWG cord still 10amp/125volt? Any benefit (or risk) to using a 14awg cord thats 15amp/125volt?

 

[NightFlight]

  Is your 14AWG cord still 10amp/125volt? Any benefit (or risk) to using a 14awg cord thats 15amp/125volt?

 
The current carrying capacity goes up with the gauge. Or in the electrical world, if you require a longer extension cord, say 100+ feet, you would want to increase the gauge/diameter to reduce the overall resistance accumulated with total length (correct me if I'm wrong here). The current pulled by your headphone amp is completely moot in this respect and ratings do not even really come into play. What is happening to clean up the signal by changing out the power cord is a subject which will polarize participants in the discussion and inevitably end in argument between subjectivists and objectivists. I do not have physics or maths to convincingly explain what happens, other than say I hear a change. *shrug*.  Having recently joined the subjectivist club, I no longer care. If I hear it, I go with it.

 

[coastal1]

   
The current carrying capacity goes up with the gauge. Or in the electrical world, if you require a longer extension cord, say 100+ feet, you would want to increase the gauge/diameter to reduce the overall resistance accumulated with total length (correct me if I'm wrong here). The current pulled by your headphone amp is completely moot in this respect and ratings do not even really come into play. What is happening to clean up the signal by changing out the power cord is a subject which will polarize participants in the discussion and inevitably end in argument between subjectivists and objectivists. I do not have physics or maths to convincingly explain what happens, other than say I hear a change. *shrug*.  Having recently joined the subjectivist club, I no longer care. If I hear it, I go with it.

Works for me.  Thanks

 

[Mich4lle]

Hello everyone,


 


I am having a problem with the nut that holds down my RCA jacks. They keep coming loose and it is at the point now where I can't get a signal through my amp. Is it possible that I just buy two new nuts to screw them on with? If it is, what size and material should they be.


 


Thank you in advance for the help.

 

[DDDamian]

  Hello everyone,
   
  I am having a problem with the nut that holds down my RCA jacks. They keep coming loose and it is at the point now where I can't get a signal through my amp. Is it possible that I just buy two new nuts to screw them on with? If it is, what size and material should they be.
   
  Thank you in advance for the help.

Haven't measured the threads but two options: contact Bottlehead or use a dab of Loctite and re-tighten. Hope either one helps.

 

[dreame77]

Hello everyone!
 
For about a year I am happy with Beyerdynamic T1 on Bottlehead Crack!!!
Thanks to everyone who suggested me to buy T1 for Crack!
Although recently I feel the amount and impact of bass for me is not enough. 
I wander will Speedball Upgrade fix it?
 
 
And... what do you think or know about AKG k612 Pro paired with Crack?
 
Thanks in advance!

 

[DDDamian]

Not sure what you mean by "fixing" the bass, but post-Speedball it seemed a bit tighter to me,

 

[JamieMcC]

  Hello everyone!
 
For about a year I am happy with Beyerdynamic T1 on Bottlehead Crack!!!
Thanks to everyone who suggested me to buy T1 for Crack!
Although recently I feel the amount and impact of bass for me is not enough. 
I wander will Speedball Upgrade fix it?
 
 
And... what do you think or know about AKG k612 Pro paired with Crack?
 
Thanks in advance!

 
A inexpensive thing to try here is adding the Triad C7X choke mod it has a noticeable effect on the bass costs about $15 or less and is easily reversible. It offers a easily implemented, inexpensive and effective improvement imo.  Some discussion and instructions here.
 
http://bottlehead.com/smf/index.php?topic=6030.0
 
A Google search of Crack c7x  has some other links as well

 

[PETEREK]

I'm putting my Crack up for sale today. I need only one amp that will power my dynamics AND orthos, so the Crack+speedball has got to go. Keeping the Gustard H10.

 

[coastal1]

  I'm putting my Crack up for sale today. I need only one amp that will power my dynamics AND orthos, so the Crack+speedball has got to go. Keeping the Gustard H10.

 
Is your decision to go with the Gustard H10 purely compatibility with other HP vs. the Crack, or are there other things you like better about the H10?  Curious as the H10 is on Massdrop this week.

 

[PETEREK]

Is your decision to go with the Gustard H10 purely compatibility with other HP vs. the Crack, or are there other things you like better about the H10?  Curious as the H10 is on Massdrop this week.

It's mainly for compatibility, but they are both great amps that deliver quality well above their price points. I think the Gustard is better in the mid range, the Crack seems a bit empty there, but it makes the stage slightly wider sounding. I'd be happy with either amp if they both powered all my headphones.

 

[Koolpep]

I have the H10 as well. And it's an amazing allrounder amp. If I could only have one amp, it would be the H10. Thankfully I can keep the Crack & SB as well and use it for the HD650, T90 and currently for a borrowed T1
 
Love the crack to bits. But the H10 is equally amazing....
 
Cheers,
K

 

[coastal1]

   
Yeah NAD stuff is pretty awesome! I scored a vintage NAD 7020 receiver on craigslist a while back and it sounds phenomenal with bookshelf speakers and HD650's. Doing an A/B test between it and the Crack and its almost uncanny how similar they sound.
 
Also did an A/B test with the Crack and a friend's Asgard a few weeks ago and they sound fairly similar as well. Asgard is a tad brighter with cleaner highs, but missing some of the gorgeous low-mids the crack offers.

 
Interesting.  Any other vintage receivers that anyone's compared that sound like the Crack when paired with the HD650s?