[Paladin79]

In my opinion, yes.

 

[buke9]

Just been trying to warm up my Freya .

 

[Paladin79]

I like them better than the stock tubes but like I said I am listening through the Crack so that probably helps. Tomorrow i will try the Freya with a Whammy amp for a better comparison. Saturday some friends come over for some testing so I need to set some things up anyway.

 

[chuckwheat]

Sounds like a problem with the powertube. Replace it with another and test again.
Bottle shaped or larger glass envelope powertubes are more suspectable for microphonics in my experience.

Hey, I got a "WINGED C 6H13C / 6AS7G" and the annoying sounds were immediately relieved. It also sounds much better overall. Thanks for the advice.

 

[larcenasb]

This Crack journey continues to be amazing! I've been at this the past 4 years now, upgrading literally one thing at a time. Now, I really don't have room! My latest upgrade is the Valab 23-step attenuator (coming from a padded Alps 100KAX2). There is no need to pad the Valab, the 23 steps provide fantastic range without getting too loud too early, with plenty of headroom towards the end of the range. With the padded Alps, some vinyl albums didn't quite get loud enough with the pot turned to max--only to 9 out of the the Spinal Tap 11 range. Also, clarity is noticeably improved, as is instrument separation. YAY!

 

[Rhamnetin]

 

[larcenasb]

LOL, if you mean me Rhamnetin, I cannot refute your claim.

 

[Rhamnetin]

LOL, if you mean me Rhamnetin, I cannot refute your claim.

Yes you! That inspires me though, lovely work. I think I will also use my Bottlehead Crack as an ongoing project like that, for fun and to improve my DIY skills. I probably won't go as far as you though.

 

[larcenasb]

Yes you! That inspires me though, lovely work. I think I will also use my Bottlehead Crack as an ongoing project like that, for fun and to improve my DIY skills. I probably won't go as far as you though.

Thanks so much! This feeling right now--listening and relaxing after building--is just the best. I hope you get to this point soon as well with your build. However far you go, at least you can look at an example that really stuffed the limited dimensions to give you a baseline.

FYI, I believe the most important upgrades are tubes (IMO 6SN7 or 6F8G w/ adapters), the Speedball kit, and a new pot/attenuator to fix the stock low-volume channel imbalance (Alps or Valab were my choices). The caps and the rest added to an overall smoother, high-end sound, but it's very subtle. Cheers and take care!

 

[attmci]

This Crack journey continues to be amazing! I've been at this the past 4 years now, upgrading literally one thing at a time. Now, I really don't have room! My latest upgrade is the Valab 23-step attenuator (coming from a padded Alps 100KAX2). There is no need to pad the Valab, the 23 steps provide fantastic range without getting too loud too early, with plenty of headroom towards the end of the range. With the padded Alps, some vinyl albums didn't quite get loud enough with the pot turned to max--only to 9 out of the the Spinal Tap 11 range. Also, clarity is noticeably improved, as is instrument separation. YAY!

You used 6F8G or 6C8G? Both should work on the Crack (with adapter https://www.ebay.com/itm/1pc-Gold-p...388446?hash=item2c8398c5de:g:NCwAAOSwu4BVwu6v), and better than most of the 12AU7.

 

[larcenasb]

Yeah, I use the 6F8G and 6SN7GT. I prefer their sound much more than any 12AU7. The Mullard 12AU7 long plate was the best I've heard of that miniature 9-pin family, but it still can't compare to the octals IMO.

EDIT: I should be specific...I much prefer the octals for their wider, deeper soundscape. And for the fat, weighty tones that are much more lifelike than the thin, restrained sounds that I hear from 12AU7s. Just my two cents. However, I did read about audio engineers and radio enthusiasts complaining about the 12AU7 in the 50s, saying it was an obvious sonic compromise to the octals of the 40s. I just so happen to agree.

 

[attmci]

Yeah, I use the 6F8G and 6SN7GT. I prefer their sound much more than any 12AU7. The Mullard 12AU7 long plate was the best I've heard of that miniature 9-pin family, but it still can't compare to the octals IMO.

You are neighbor of the Bottlehead.

Enjoy and get a HD-6XX later.

 

[larcenasb]

You are neighbor of the Bottlehead.

Enjoy and get a HD-6XX later.

Yeah, I've been meaning to take the ferry to their headquarters for a meet--hopefully the next one! I absolutely love my K240 collection(!), but I should hear what the fuss about the Sennheisers is all about. Maybe around the holidays! Cheers!

 

[S3nsoryDeprivati0n]

Just had to post: On my Bottlehead Crack with Speedball, I have an RCA 6080 NOS, and it was paired with a GE 12AU7. I'm using DT 770 Pro 250, which I expect to be bright. Even so, the sound was muddy. Well, I put in an RCA Clear Top 12AU7, and the improvement was ridiculous. Now, I know this combo probably is a 5/10 from what I've read, that a RCA Clear Top is a side-grade, so imagine what it was like before. Seriously stoked. Now, its still too smooth on the HD 650s for my liking, and I really want to brighten them up, so I've ordered a Tung Sol 12AU7 re-issue, and was sly enough to secure a NOS Tung Sol 6AS7G, and a Thomson CSF 6080. Not sure which combo will be best, but looking forward to finding out.

 

[larcenasb]

Just had to post: On my Bottlehead Crack with Speedball, I have an RCA 6080 NOS, and it was paired with a GE 12AU7. I'm using DT 770 Pro 250, which I expect to be bright. Even so, the sound was muddy. Well, I put in an RCA Clear Top 12AU7, and the improvement was ridiculous. Now, I know this combo probably is a 5/10 from what I've read, that a RCA Clear Top is a side-grade, so imagine what it was like before. Seriously stoked. Now, its still too smooth on the HD 650s for my liking, and I really want to brighten them up, so I've ordered a Tung Sol 12AU7 re-issue, and was sly enough to secure a NOS Tung Sol 6AS7G, and a Thomson CSF 6080. Not sure which combo will be best, but looking forward to finding out.

You might want to try a Tung-Sol 7236 to replace your 6080. I think most around here would agree that swapping the output tube makes the most noticeable difference to your sound (although the input tube really fine-tunes the sound to your liking). The 7236 is lively and very dynamic, with clarity comparable to the coveted 5998/421A--I imagine it will wake up your HD 650s. I got my 7236 from someone on eBay who has a whole lot of them from storage and--although untested--is selling them at $35 a piece, so it may be worth it for you to try. My tube was in great condition and worked great.