[DavidA]

  I am at work and we have restrictions on searching some sites so I was curious if the Bottlehead Crack is still being sold in kit form and what the approximate price was at this time?
 
I have plenty of experience in electronics and soldering so the assembly would not be an issue for me and I am apt to make some of the modifications listed here.
 
If that amp has been replaced, is there a current model I should look for?
 
thanks

Still available in kit form, currently on sale for $249 + shipping, and its in stock, $364 with speedball option.

 

[Paladin79]

  Still available in kit form, currently on sale for $249 + shipping, and its in stock, $364 with speedball option.

Thanks David, I meant to look it up when I got home last night and forgot. I do have a complete electronics shop at home and still have some precision resistors and such  I could swap into one of the units. I also have some top quality wire that I could use for some of the hook ups so it should be a fun project for me. There is a wealth of info in this thread and I look forward to reading some of it as I build one of the amps. 

 

[DavidA]

  Thanks David, I meant to look it up when I got home last night and forgot. I do have a complete electronics shop at home and still have some precision resistors and such  I could swap into one of the units. I also have some top quality wire that I could use for some of the hook ups so it should be a fun project for me. There is a wealth of info in this thread and I look forward to reading some of it as I build one of the amps. 

It was a great project for my GF and I, started at 4pm and finished at 9am, enjoyed 4 bottles of wine and some great pupu's (local word for horderves) during the build.

 

[Paladin79]

  It was a great project for my GF and I, started at 4pm and finished at 9am, enjoyed 4 bottles of wine and some great pupu's (local word for horderves) during the build.

very cool. Did you do the Speedball option? I am likely to build it quickly and then go back and upgrade portions of it as time allows. It looks like it has great accessibility and lends itself to upgrades. 

 

[DavidA]

  very cool. Did you do the Speedball option? I am likely to build it quickly and then go back and upgrade portions of it as time allows. It looks like it has great accessibility and lends itself to upgrades. 

Built it first without the speedball, used it for a few months and then installed the speedball but to me its better without it so took it out.

 

[Paladin79]

  Built it first without the speedball, used it for a few months and then installed the speedball but to me its better without it so took it out.

Ok I will probably build it without and add it later on as I read more.

 

[notphilip]

Hi all,
I just finished my first BHC build, but it looks like I have some weird resistances popping up. 
 
Any ideas on what to check for first? 
Here are some pics: http://imgur.com/a/tpOml

Below are my measurements:
Terminal    Target            Measure
1               *                    Starts at 20Mohm and slowly decreases
2               *                    Starts at 20Mohm and slowly decreases
3               0                    0
4               *                    Starts at 10MOhm and slowly decreases
5               *                    Starts at 8MOhm and slowly decreases
6               2.4KOhm    2.49KOhm
7               2.9KOhm    37MOhm and slowly climbs 
8               0                    35MOhm and slowly decreases
9               2.9KOhm    37MOhm and slowly climbs 
10               2.4KOhm    2.49 Kohm
12               0                    0
13               * climb towards 270KOhm    6MOhm and decreasing
14               0                    0
20               0                    0
22               0                    0
B3               2.9KOhm    35MOhm 
B6               2.9KOhm    35MOhm
RCA ground red    0            0
RCA center pin red    90-100KOhm    110.1KOhm
RCA center pin black    90-100KOhm    38MOhm
RCA ground black    0    0

 

[Paladin79]

  Hi all,
I just finished my first BHC build, but it looks like I have some weird resistances popping up. 
 
Any ideas on what to check for first? 
Here are some pics: http://imgur.com/a/tpOml

Below are my measurements:
Terminal    Target            Measure
1               *                    Starts at 20Mohm and slowly decreases
2               *                    Starts at 20Mohm and slowly decreases
3               0                    0
4               *                    Starts at 10MOhm and slowly decreases
5               *                    Starts at 8MOhm and slowly decreases
6               2.4KOhm    2.49KOhm
7               2.9KOhm    37MOhm and slowly climbs 
8               0                    35MOhm and slowly decreases
9               2.9KOhm    37MOhm and slowly climbs 
10               2.4KOhm    2.49 Kohm
12               0                    0
13               * climb towards 270KOhm    6MOhm and decreasing
14               0                    0
20               0                    0
22               0                    0
B3               2.9KOhm    35MOhm 
B6               2.9KOhm    35MOhm
RCA ground red    0            0
RCA center pin red    90-100KOhm    110.1KOhm
RCA center pin black    90-100KOhm    38MOhm
RCA ground black    0    0

If resistors were the only things in the circuit or by themselves you might indeed wonder what is up. You are also dealing with inductors and capacitors in series and parallel circuits. An ohmmeter induces a small amount of volage and current into a circuit and what you were reading is the reactance of said circuits. 

 

[mordicai]

You'll have more luck with this if you go on the Bottlehead.com site and post in the forums under Crack

 

[notphilip]

It turned out to be a bad solder joint at terminal 13. 
 Once I fixed that, everything else downstream measured correctly. 
Voltage checks went well too and it finally works! It sounds awesome 

 

[deserat]

Took my Crack home to do some work on it. Now all I have at work is this amazingly resolving, highly dynamic, accurate imaging,  much more expensive HDVA 600. I miss my Crack. I think I like it more. 

 

[HiGHFLYiN9]

Glad you're following your own ears. Sometimes the best performing (on paper), most detailed amp isn't what sounds the most enjoyable. 

 

[gwitzel]

Hello,
 
I have recently build my first headphone amp, the Bottlehead crack. I tremedously enjoyed it, everything worked right away, all parts were there, and it sounds fantastic.
 
I inlcuded a step attenuator from the beginning, and later the Speedball upgrade. Then I added some film caps, the choke, and the Cree diodes. I am using an input tube from Tube Amp Doctor (12AU7WA / E82CC TAD Premium Selected). This together with the stock power tube sounds incredibly nice. I tried an inexpensive Chinese tube (6AS7G / 6N5P Shuguang, see picture below), but that didn't sound good. So I wanted to see what all the fuss is about the Tung Sol 5998, despite the high price.
 
Yesterday, the tube was delivered from a seller with spottless reputation, and I had some time to listen to it before leaving for a trip. It is indeed more detailed and stages better, right in the first minutes of use. But I realized that if you carefully tap the tube with the fingernail you hear some 'tink' sound. The tube seems to be perfectly quite while playing music.
 
My questions are: Is this a microphonic tube? Would you be ok with using this one if it does not make noises while playing music. I found very different opinions about if this is a problem with microphony or inavoidable. Also, some people expect microphony from the input tubes, but not from output tubes. Some say, tapping a hot tube with the fingernail might even harm the tube.
 
I would appreciate some advice. I am very new to DIY tube gear, and I have payed almost $200 for this tube and want to make sure that it is a solid investment.
 
Thank you!
 

 
 



 

 

 

 

[vintinfinity]

  Hello,
 
I have recently build my first headphone amp, the Bottlehead crack. I tremedously enjoyed it, everything worked right away, all parts were there, and it sounds fantastic.
 
I inlcuded a step attenuator from the beginning, and later the Speedball upgrade. Then I added some film caps, the choke, and the Cree diodes. I am using an input tube from Tube Amp Doctor (12AU7WA / E82CC TAD Premium Selected). This together with the stock power tube sounds incredibly nice. I tried an inexpensive Chinese tube (6AS7G / 6N5P Shuguang, see picture below), but that didn't sound good. So I wanted to see what all the fuss is about the Tung Sol 5998, despite the high price.
 
Yesterday, the tube was delivered from a seller with spottless reputation, and I had some time to listen to it before leaving for a trip. It is indeed more detailed and stages better, right in the first minutes of use. But I realized that if you carefully tap the tube with the fingernail you hear some 'tink' sound. The tube seems to be perfectly quite while playing music.
 
My questions are: Is this a microphonic tube? Would you be ok with using this one if it does not make noises while playing music. I found very different opinions about if this is a problem with microphony or inavoidable. Also, some people expect microphony from the input tubes, but not from output tubes. Some say, tapping a hot tube with the fingernail might even harm the tube.
 
I would appreciate some advice. I am very new to DIY tube gear, and I have payed almost $200 for this tube and want to make sure that it is a solid investment.
 
Thank you!
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

My amp is microphonic to some extent with many of the tubes I've tried for input and output.  My 5998 is a bit microphonic like that too. It's fine for listening. I only paid $60 for mine though. 

 

[Maxhawk]

I wouldn't worry about the microphonics unless you're in an environment where the amp gets bumped often and you can hear it.
 
As far as the sound goes, the 5998 sound signature is very subjective. It's got a lower output impedance so bass typically is tighter and better controlled. I also think it sounds more analytical than other tubes and results in a more detail. It also means it sounds more like solid state than other tubes which some people like and other don't. I've worked with solid state most of my life so I can appreciate what the 5998 brings to the table, but it also distances you from what most like about tubes. I've grown to like the warm signature and musicality of tubes and these days my favorite output tube is the Bendix 6080WB slotted graphite. A close second are the Sylvania Gold Brand GB6080 and Cetron 7236. These tubes all offer a warmer sound with a fat sounding bass, which I think pairs well with the HD800 which are known to be quite analytical and a little thin in the bass.