[DeweyCH]

Im going to be using my Bendix 6080WB but don't know which driver to choose. Any driver recommendations?

I've been having good success with a RCA clear-top 12AU7. I'll probably end up using 6SN7s with an adapter mostly, but that's more about the tubes I have.

 

[jonathan c]

I've been having good success with a RCA clear-top 12AU7. I'll probably end up using 6SN7s with an adapter mostly, but that's more about the tubes I have.

Ditto Dewey! The RCA clear-top is an excellent 12AU7 tube and does not cost limbs totaling ten digits. Two more suggestions: Philips BEL 12AU7 and Lansdale 12AU7 (long plate). These match very well, to my ears, with a variety of 6080s: Brimar CV5008, Philips, Raytheon in the BHC and Woo WA3 (w/adapter).

 

[CaptainFantastic]

[deleted]

 

[GreenNeedle]

It's begun (no the staining process isn't finished yet, yes I'll be adding a clear-coat when it's done with stain, yes I probably need to do another coat on the top plate b/c my wife dropped it while it was drying)

What have you finished the top with. looks nice. Wood case looks excellent. Nicely done.

 

[GreenNeedle]

Hey all,

What kind of DACs are you guys pairing with the BHC? I’m hot rodding mines as a majority of you are but curious what is considered a good or bad pairing with it or if that depends entirely on the tubes used. I plan on getting a NOS DAC like the Menuet or Morpheus but don’t know if that would sound too warm with the BHC. Are neutral or brighter DACs a better pairing?

I'm using Topping D30. It is linked to my Denon and is a marginal improvement, maybe placebo but sounds good.

 

[DenverW]

I do not know the seller, so perhaps someone with experience with him can chime in, but in my opinion these are the best of the best tubes for the crack. 45 degree slanted D getter welded plate amperex 12au7. Sorry, 6SN7, but this tube beats ya .

https://www.ebay.com/itm/373508207981

Seller has another pair that tests lower for less. If he tests them at all .

 

[Bonddam]

Crack? I think the new name for xtcy MOLLY. Never felt euphoria on crack. I'd build one when I get older. For the one I have I'll stain or automotive paint it. Leaning towards a shinny white paint job.

Put in Bendix 6080wb and Baldwin. Don't let the Euforia people hear this but this is so much better. Aeolus just sounding so alive tons of detail crisp highs on silky smooth side with the right amount of bite. Currently judgement will be placed against WA2. As for WA33 Elite that wins hands down if it's 1266 TC but when Aeolus the Crack wins

Wires if interested are Wire World.

Oh forgot the amp is dead silent.

hands down no questions asked.

 

[Bonddam]

This is what's in my crack

Crack + Speedball + Solen output caps + power supply shunt + cree diode rectifier bridge + Alps pot + 4 pin XLR plug (for balanced headphone cables) + shielded case + copper shield between PSU and signal electronics + 1% resistors

 

[cddc]

This is what's in my crack

Crack + Speedball + Solen output caps + power supply shunt + cree diode rectifier bridge + Alps pot + 4 pin XLR plug (for balanced headphone cables) + shielded case + copper shield between PSU and signal electronics + 1% resistors

From the additional screws on the chassis I can imagine it's stuffed with lots of goodies. Just curious to see what's under the hood, any pics?

The Bendix 6080 on your Crack is a very nice tube, but the Baldwin 12AU7 is just a run-of-the-mill tube, nothing spectacular, it's actually a rebranded Sylvania 12AU7 made for Baldwin organs. So you'll have at least 20% more improvement if you were to replace the stock 12AU7 with some premium driver tubes. One good thing about Crack is that it has endless flavors of driver tubes, from the 12AU7 family to the 6SN7 familiar and their derivative families. You'll need some time to find out your favorite combo.

 

[Bonddam]

Here's under the hood. The one transformer was connected with plastic parts so even though it was super packed it still broke off. So I had to crazy glue it back to the posts and solder 3 wires back on. I can't wait to go home.
In my chain I'm using a Wells Audio Cipher lvl 1 tube dac that further improves holographic and euphonic qualities of the amp. I'm most likely the only one with this setup. Put a pic of the dac internals it's built by hand so board components are hole to hole soldering. Price tag don't laugh because I have compared it to cheaper DAC's

 

[cddc]

Very nice, it's stuffed with almost all the mods I've seen on Crack, plus the shielding between the PSU and amplification compartments.

It's a pity that the plastic rods broke off during shipping, the builder should have used some metal standoffs, but glad you were able to fix it. The transformer is actually a choke, and I noticed one connection on it might not be solid (circled in red rectangular - not too sure on this, maybe just bad viewing angle), if so, add some solder, or cut the black wire, strip it and make a new connection. The choke is normally mounted in the red battery-shaped area behind the power transformer, but side mount is also okay as long as it's appropriately arranged.

It's actually the first time I saw a Wells Audio Cipher lvl 1 tube dac, very nice, quite complicated, lots of goodies inside, I can imagine it will sound sublime. It's a tough job for hand building though, lots of surface-mount components, hard to solder them by hand with iron (unless of course these SMD were soldered by machines).

 

[Bonddam]

Very nice, it's stuffed with almost all the mods I've seen on Crack, plus the shielding between the PSU and amplification compartments.

It's a pity that the plastic rods broke off during shipping, the builder should have used some metal standoffs, but glad you were able to fix it. The transformer is actually a choke, and I noticed one connection on it might not be solid (circled in red rectangular - not too sure on this, maybe just bad viewing angle), if so, add some solder, or cut the black wire, strip it and make a new connection. The choke is normally mounted in the red battery-shaped area behind the power transformer, but side mount is also okay as long as it's appropriately arranged.

It's actually the first time I saw a Wells Audio Cipher lvl 1 tube dac, very nice, quite complicated, lots of goodies inside, I can imagine it will sound sublime. It's a tough job for hand building though, lots of surface-mount components, hard to solder them by hand with iron (unless of course these SMD were soldered by machines).

I took the picture before I fixed it I was running around with my kids and finding bad tubes on my WA33 while setting up a make shift soldering area on my pool table.
I wasn’t mad about it coming off as I like fixing things. I need to add some metal rods right now I super glued the crap out of the choke then taped it just in case the glue breaks. The first tube combo I did was perfect. Now I put a rca 6as7g in had a matched pair but the Filament or connection on the D getter Separated.

 

[cddc]

Lots of heat around the PSU area, so definitely go with the metal rods, I suspect tape or glue won't last long.

Just noticed the 2 x 2.49K 1/8W resistors on the stock headphone jack seem missing from the replacement XLR jack, not sure how it will impact the system, someone with better knowledge about circuitry can possibly chime in...@Doc B., @Tom-s


---------------
Edit: maybe not missing, there seem to be 2 black resistors hiding in the shade of the bottom-left prong.

 

[Bonddam]

I like the sound I'm happy. There where other mods that the builder got rid of, said they made no difference. What I did was use a spray that metals the plastic. Don't remember the name but it super dries the super glue and creates high temperature. Used this all the time in custom car audio. I know it works better because I glued my fingers together and the ass hole behind me thought it be funny to really super glue them together. It burned and luckily had the liquid that breaks apart superglue bonds boy did my hand stink.

 

[PsilocybinCube]

I do not know the seller, so perhaps someone with experience with him can chime in, but in my opinion these are the best of the best tubes for the crack. 45 degree slanted D getter welded plate amperex 12au7. Sorry, 6SN7, but this tube beats ya .

https://www.ebay.com/itm/373508207981

Seller has another pair that tests lower for less. If he tests them at all .

You know you like the 6sn7, give in to the dark side. Stop fighting the allure of the beautiful octal base.

I'm a 12bh7 advocate for the BHC. It's an unsung hero. The Brimar is relatively cheap and sounds delicious.