[bloodhawk]

I believe the newer transformers are 120v and 240v capable and Bottlehead may well sell you one. They are having a sale on some product so this would certainly be a time to check. If they will sell you one, they should fit without modification but you would have to get the 1.1 build info that covers the transformer wiring. Doc Bottlehead is on here on occasion and I am sure he can easily answer this for you or just go to the website and look under their spare part section.

Gotcha. Yeach ill shoot Doc and email today. Ill be travelling to Asia for a few months soon, and would like to take my Crack along. Plus i can implement a flip switch to change between the voltages. Plus im planning on re-doing the wiring along with upgrading the caps etc. So might as well do this in one go as well. At least the Transformer swap and adding a choke at atleast along with adding the E80CC switch.

 

[Paladin79]

Unless you are going to be going back to Asia a lot you could just get a step down transformer for $35 or so and save yourself a lot of time and money. Just another option for you.

Tom

 

[bloodhawk]

Unless you are going to be going back to Asia a lot you could just get a step down transformer for $35 or so and save yourself a lot of time and money. Just another option for you.

Tom

Yeah thats what Doc also suggested. BUT BUT BUT... the tinkerer in me.... the idiot has this itch......

 

[Paladin79]

lol, Another option is sell the one you have, get a newer model on sale and convert that one. Good luck in your endeavor though.

 

[bloodhawk]

lol, Another option is sell the one you have, get a newer model on sale and convert that one. Good luck in your endeavor though.

Neah im actually fine with the current one.
Its not too big of a deal tbh. The only reason i started looking into the transformer was because im tearing the whole thing down this weekend to upgrade a bunch of components and figured why not swap the transformer and the necessary parts from the Crack 1.1 as well, plus im working on a new face plate cut out, so its easy to accommodate for difference in dimensions.. Unfortunately its not possible to get the transformer, since it wont work in the Crack 1.0 (As i have been told... )
What i think about it not working , is a totally different story. But i respect Doc's decision, so all good. Ill turn it into a universal crack one way or the other

 

[Paladin79]

One source of happiness is working toward a goal and you definitely have a goal, good luck.

 

[Paladin79]

I do have another Crack kit arriving today but what with the holidays coming up it may be a while before I do much on the build. I have begun work on the cabinet and will start to cut copper plate when I can. It will be in this basic shape but the oak and copper will look very different.

 

[bloodhawk]

Anyone have a picture of the Cree Diode Rectifier Board? (Both sides)
Would highly appreciate it.

Underside of this board to be exact - http://www.partsconnexion.com/media/product/kits/77727-1.jpg

 

[bloodhawk]

Finished some upgrades, while i wait for the TKD pot to come in along with the parts connexxion rectifier PCB. -

Spoiler: Pikchur

Still debating if i should add a bypass cap to the last power supply cap or just replace it out right with a better 100uF cap.

A main question - How do i reduce the RFI going from the USB port to the DAC? Specially the coil whine from my GPU. My Crack picks up a lot of of that coil noise when the GPU is under load and hooked up to the desktop with the Origen +. I have a NFB11.28 coming in tomorrow, going to see if the interference persists with that.

Also i have 3 x extra 2.2uF 250VDC Mundorf MKP Caps and 2 x extra 1uF 250VDC Mundorf MKP Caps coming in on Wednesday and since i dont need these at all as they are extras. If someone else wants them, Just send me a shipping label and ill be happy to give them to you. First come First Serve.

 

[Faber65]

Finished some upgrades, while i wait for the TKD pot to come in along with the parts connexxion rectifier PCB. -

A main question - How do i reduce the RFI going from the USB port to the DAC? Specially the coil whine from my GPU. My Crack picks up a lot of of that coil noise when the GPU is under load and hooked up to the desktop with the Origen +. I have a NFB11.28 coming in tomorrow, going to see if the interference persists with that.

I don't know about your mods, but what if the noise would be generated in the power line?
Did you consider to use a filtered power entry module like this?

https://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/schaffner-emc-inc/FN261S-1-06-10/817-1912-ND/1997733

 

[bloodhawk]

I don't know about your mods, but what if the noise would be generated in the power line?
Did you consider to use a filtered power entry module like this?

https://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/schaffner-emc-inc/FN261S-1-06-10/817-1912-ND/1997733

Interesting, i haven't tried one of those before.

But i kind off ruled out the crack or the power line, because when i connect the DAC feeding the Crack to anything other than my desktop any and all interference goes away. I didnt expect the DAC to pick up the interference over USB tbh., specially since when the headphones are connected to the Origen+ the background is pitch black. But using it as a Pre out the Crack, results in the coil whine being literally amplified.

 

[SeNNsational]

Hi, newly purchased Crack+Speedball owner here (unit is 9 months old, proffesionally assembled). Thanks for all the help in this thread for helping me decide to get it.

I have a question though that is niggling me on it. So I have a Titanium HD soundcard in my computer which I was using prior to this purchase and enjoying. It has a Burr-Brown PCM1794 inside it.
Now, I've routed it's DAC to the Crack with LC-1 3 ft cables and listening to it after warmup and using a few different 12AU7 tubes (6080 power) and I think I enjoy the output of the soundcard's headphone out on most songs, except high lyrics songs which I'll give to the Crack just about.

This seems wrong to me given all the suggestions that this would pair excellently with my HD6XX phones, which are about a week old with about 30 hrs in.

The "tube sound" seems to me a little bit muddled, rounded is all I can explain it as. The detail is there but I can hear that detail more clearly/cleanly and brighter out of the headphone jack of a 7 year old, now $70 soundcard that according to people in reviews shouldn't even be able to drive a 300ohm set of cans well.
I don't know if it's sign but the Crack also needs turning up to around 75% to what I consider "loud", with 100% output from the sc lineout. The Crack's 100% is louder than the sc 100% though.
There is no hum or other such noise from my Crack at 100% with silence coming from the sc lineout.


The Crack sounds good, and I wasn't expecting MASSIVE improvement but I thought it would at least beat the soundcard jack for the price and people's opinion it pairs so well with the HD650/6XX.

So what's the deal in your opinion? I know it's a tough question but am I just not used to or a fan of "tube sound" or is there something else going on?


I am contemplating a separate DAC but I dunno, I'm skeptical.

 

[bloodhawk]

Hi, newly purchased Crack+Speedball owner here (unit is 9 months old, proffesionally assembled). Thanks for all the help in this thread for helping me decide to get it.

I have a question though that is niggling me on it. So I have a Titanium HD soundcard in my computer which I was using prior to this purchase and enjoying. It has a Burr-Brown PCM1794 inside it.
Now, I've routed it's DAC to the Crack with LC-1 3 ft cables and listening to it after warmup and using a few different 12AU7 tubes (6080 power) and I think I enjoy the output of the soundcard's headphone out on most songs, except high lyrics songs which I'll give to the Crack just about.

This seems wrong to me given all the suggestions that this would pair excellently with my HD6XX phones, which are about a week old with about 30 hrs in.

The "tube sound" seems to me a little bit muddled, rounded is all I can explain it as. The detail is there but I can hear that detail more clearly/cleanly and brighter out of the headphone jack of a 7 year old, now $70 soundcard that according to people in reviews shouldn't even be able to drive a 300ohm set of cans well.
I don't know if it's sign but the Crack also needs turning up to around 75% to what I consider "loud", with 100% output from the sc lineout. The Crack's 100% is louder than the sc 100% though.
There is no hum or other such noise from my Crack at 100% with silence coming from the sc lineout.


The Crack sounds good, and I wasn't expecting MASSIVE improvement but I thought it would at least beat the soundcard jack for the price and people's opinion it pairs so well with the HD650/6XX.

So what's the deal in your opinion? I know it's a tough question but am I just not used to or a fan of "tube sound" or is there something else going on?


I am contemplating a separate DAC but I dunno, I'm skeptical.

You might want to try out a 5998 tube with a 6sn7 . Another option is a 5687 tube, but that will require a bit of modification for the correct plate voltage.

As for the DAC, i switched from the STX 2 to the Origen+ (still use the STX 2 for games) , and now to the NFB 11.28. The NFB 11.28 is the best out of the lot and really helps with improving the muddyness that you are referring to.

Im using this - Audio GD 11.28 -> Crack (JAN CTL 5998 Catham + RCA 6sn7) -> HD6XX/HD800.

 

[SeNNsational]

Thanks. I do have a 6sn7 adaptor that came with it, but no tubes as yet. In Canada it seems hard to source them. I'll have to import.

 

[i luvmusic 2]

Hi, newly purchased Crack+Speedball owner here (unit is 9 months old, proffesionally assembled). Thanks for all the help in this thread for helping me decide to get it.

I have a question though that is niggling me on it. So I have a Titanium HD soundcard in my computer which I was using prior to this purchase and enjoying. It has a Burr-Brown PCM1794 inside it.
Now, I've routed it's DAC to the Crack with LC-1 3 ft cables and listening to it after warmup and using a few different 12AU7 tubes (6080 power) and I think I enjoy the output of the soundcard's headphone out on most songs, except high lyrics songs which I'll give to the Crack just about.

This seems wrong to me given all the suggestions that this would pair excellently with my HD6XX phones, which are about a week old with about 30 hrs in.

The "tube sound" seems to me a little bit muddled, rounded is all I can explain it as. The detail is there but I can hear that detail more clearly/cleanly and brighter out of the headphone jack of a 7 year old, now $70 soundcard that according to people in reviews shouldn't even be able to drive a 300ohm set of cans well.
I don't know if it's sign but the Crack also needs turning up to around 75% to what I consider "loud", with 100% output from the sc lineout. The Crack's 100% is louder than the sc 100% though.
There is no hum or other such noise from my Crack at 100% with silence coming from the sc lineout.


The Crack sounds good, and I wasn't expecting MASSIVE improvement but I thought it would at least beat the soundcard jack for the price and people's opinion it pairs so well with the HD650/6XX.

So what's the deal in your opinion? I know it's a tough question but am I just not used to or a fan of "tube sound" or is there something else going on?


I am contemplating a separate DAC but I dunno, I'm skeptical.

My CRACK amp at 1/4 turn it's loud at 3/4 turn too loud it can probably blow my eardrum(Unlistenable),Do you have the resistor mod in the volume pot,Are you from GTA?