[DenverW]

Just a random thought - a fun project could be to buy two Cracks, parallel the sections of both the 12AU7 and 6AS7G, and run them as headphone monoblocks. Would cut the output impedance in half, I bet it would sound pretty good! Wonder if anyone has done it.

When you volunteer your friends, you volunteer yourself!

Woot! I’m anxious to hear how this project goes!

 

[jonathan c]

When you volunteer your friends, you volunteer yourself!

The corollary: “it’s easy to be generous with others’ time”……

 

[L0rdGwyn]

I'd love to work on it, but I don't have time! Got a queue of projects to work on already. Maybe some time in the next few years of things slow down.

 

[smodtactical]

Sorry I'm a bit behind with this reply, but I have a few of the options you're considering in the house right now, so maybe I can provide some insight. I have a Cayin-HA300, and a Crackatwoa (after building a Crack w/Speedball, now gone awhile ago), as well as a ZMF Pendant on hand, with HD800S and Atticus.

To my ears, if you want lush, warm, euphonic, etc., the best option at least of those 3 is the HA-300. It does a great job of being detailed and natural without being too harsh.

The Crackatwoa is definitely a big step up from the Crack, but as you guessed, it goes further away from that warm euphonic sound - I would say it's actually on the brighter side, with an incredibly open, wide sound.

The Pendant is one you should consider with the Atticus - the sound is very fast and punchy compared to the others, which pairs great with the smoothness of the Atticus. Tubes are still fairly cheap and plentiful, and can be used to make it just about as warm as the Cayin, though maybe not as detailed and smooth. I'm sure the Kenzie is also great, I'd love to get ears on one one day.

And if cost is an issue, obviously the Cayin is quite a bit more expensive while not necessarily being better, just different.

Really helpful thank you so much. At the end you said Cayin is more expensive but not better than what? Crack OTL ?

Ya I wish you had Kenzie OG or Ovation. Tylers eclectic did a recent video on the kenzie 2 (I think og) and found that its not as euphonic as OTL crack but its still quite warm.

Also @Maxx134 did a mod to ha300 involving i think adding or replacing 1 cap and apparently makes a huge difference in technical performance while maintaining tone.

 

[steve468]

Really helpful thank you so much. At the end you said Cayin is more expensive but not better than what? Crack OTL ?

Ya I wish you had Kenzie OG or Ovation. Tylers eclectic did a recent video on the kenzie 2 (I think og) and found that its not as euphonic as OTL crack but its still quite warm.

Also @Maxx134 did a mod to ha300 involving i think adding or replacing 1 cap and apparently makes a huge difference in technical performance while maintaining tone.

I just meant the Cayin is more of a different flavour (a warm, rich, detailed and yummy flavour mind you) compared to the Crackatwoa and the Pendant. They all have their strengths and weaknesses.

I'll try and track down that Kenzie video, thanks. As if I need another amp on my radar...

 

[Maxx134]

Also @Maxx134 did a mod to ha300 involving i think adding or replacing 1 cap and apparently makes a huge difference in technical performance while maintaining tone

To clarify, it was one "area", not one cap. It was fhe coupling cap stage (2caps in single ended amps like Cayin).

The coupling cap stage is the most important and most universal spot to upgrade on every tube amp.
Absolutely every manufacturer uses "lower-tier" cost savings cap here, for practicality and profit margins.
It is not any CCS stage (speedball name, ha) or PSU stage.

Also, adding a CCC (constant current source) circuit to your tube does not increase resolution. That is a fallacy. It mainly cleansup tube sound, by eliminating thse chosen bias curve of a resistor bias design, with instead some "optimal" neutral bias curve.

It changes the operation of the bias curve. So say goodbye to your tube sounds with a "speedball" circuit. Nothing is "speeded up" lol. Just a reduction of harmonics.
Harmonics is not "bad". It is in all sounds and what differentiates and personalize sounds.

Transparency and resolve are always present, but the there are always one or two "bottleneck" (pun intended) areas, and they are always the "coupling " stage.
Either coupling between the amp stages (driver &output), OR...
Coupling between the output stage (transformer or capacitor output).

Designer's do not like to give out their secrets, but as builders we need to know and not just build a kit because it's supposed to sound better. Learn to design.

It is up to the consumer to choose wether to upgrade their amp to a higher resolve level, if they choose. Maybe you like the sound or don't have headphones that would take advantage of that "higher resolve" .
To me, after a long journey into this, I come full circle to realize that "musicality" should be of top concern. That is the key for musical enjoyment.

" Nirvana", is to have both the "resolve" and the "musicality/euphorics" at same league.

The excuses today of gear being described as "unapologetic" or harsh at a higher resolve is why synergy with gear is more important. Get a good source and mate with your euphoric tube amp and you eliminate much spending.
Then just upgrade your existing chosen amp. Choose wisely..

I just meant the Cayin is more of a different flavour (a warm, rich, detailed and yummy flavour mind you) compared to the Crackatwoa and the Pendant. They all have their strengths and weaknesses

Totally agree here.

 

[smodtactical]

Listening to arc + pass / atc scm7. And its sounding really good. The Tung sol I put in the ref5se is helping but.... when I go to HD650 (black silk) + Crack OTL.... :O.... Its over. The smoothness, richness, depth... you just sink into the music and really relax. Its like the singers voice is just caressing your soul! :O

Lot of people overlook Crack OG (without speedball)... its insane magic. This is one of the darkest head chains you can get but its still remains enthralling and detailed.

 

[bagwell359]

Listening to arc + pass / atc scm7. And its sounding really good. The Tung sol I put in the ref5se is helping but.... when I go to HD650 (black silk) + Crack OTL.... :O.... Its over. The smoothness, richness, depth... you just sink into the music and really relax. Its like the singers voice is just caressing your soul! :O

Lot of people overlook Crack OG (without speedball)... its insane magic. This is one of the darkest head chains you can get but its still remains enthralling and detailed.

That's true. I have a bias towards tube amps that are more contiguous from top to bottom - like SS amps. In OG form the bass is more tube like. With the Speedball and upgraded output film caps, bypass caps, volume pot, cree diodes, power cable, etc... The bass and mids are not one but notably better and it doesn't dominate my attention as the stock does.

 

[smodtactical]

I got a Crack with speedball in so I can directly A-B, my notes:

So far
OG wins
speedball is more clear and crisper
a bit more detailed
but it loses some of the midrange magic and the emotion
and the texture in the singers voice
OG is smoother, more liquid... i think more bassy
speedball reminds me of elekit a bit
ya OG wins hands down... it sounds bigger, more 3d, more holographic... its amazing
the way the mids come forward in such an incredible way... like the singer steps forward out of the music to sing to you personally... its hard to describe
to be fair not the same tubes in each amp so i will try to swap tubes and compare further

 

[smodtactical]

That's true. I have a bias towards tube amps that are more contiguous from top to bottom - like SS amps. In OG form the bass is more tube like. With the Speedball and upgraded output film caps, bypass caps, volume pot, cree diodes, power cable, etc... The bass and mids are not one but notably better and it doesn't dominate my attention as the stock does.

I respect that. I think I am looking for a different sound. I think I love rich, 3d, tubey, euphonic sound. SS is good or ss like tube sounds but I greatly prefer the former.

I guess I am weird

 

[Galapac]

That's true. I have a bias towards tube amps that are more contiguous from top to bottom - like SS amps. In OG form the bass is more tube like. With the Speedball and upgraded output film caps, bypass caps, volume pot, cree diodes, power cable, etc... The bass and mids are not one but notably better and it doesn't dominate my attention as the stock does.

That’s interesting because I prefer the speedball upgrade as it appeared quieter overall where there was the lack of music, at least to me.
I enjoyed both versions, and for me, the speedball edged out.
I also own an Elekit TU-8200 and prefer that overall to all of my amps and is my workhorse amp but I did heavily modify it with all upgraded components including Lundahl transformers so there is that.

My music genres do you listen to the most and what headphones do you primarily use with the OG BHC?
That may be a factor why you prefer the the original as your whole chain works for you best.

 

[smodtactical]

maybe its also the tubes or something ?
i just did some more AB
when i go to OG Crack
its so 3d sounding
im surrounded by the music'
it pulls me into it
whereas speedball kind has me at a distance
and im watching it
OG is just more engaging
speedball is flatter sounding like elekit
honestly im not even sure speedball is more detailed... id say its 'crisper' maybe
but OG is more natural and has much better flow... the music just pours and spills around you

 

[GreenNeedle]

maybe its also the tubes or something ?
i just did some more AB
when i go to OG Crack
its so 3d sounding
im surrounded by the music'
it pulls me into it
whereas speedball kind has me at a distance
and im watching it
OG is just more engaging
speedball is flatter sounding like elekit
honestly im not even sure speedball is more detailed... id say its 'crisper' maybe
but OG is more natural and has much better flow... the music just pours and spills around you

This is pretty much where I am at and have been pondering reverting back to non speedball. i want(ed) to like it with Speedball; 1 because it cost money, 2 because "everyone" says it is a night and day improvement but I find I lost some of the magic.

however. with all the upgrades I've done I'm not sure whether I can run it non speedball with the upgrades. Can I use the 6SN7 in the 12AU7 spot without speedball? I am guessing that the choke, diodes, film caps will work fine?

 

[GPJ7]

Instead of dismantling, why not just buy another Crack? That's exactly what I am doing. I see that you are in the UK. You could probably get your money back on a resale after a thorough tryout? Or just keep both like I will

 

[dstarr3]

Suppose I wanted to build a Crack with a brass plate instead of the usual one. Is there an easy place to get my hands on a brass plate with the proper cutouts, or would I have to commission/make one myself?