[amcananey]

See here: http://www.bottlehead.com/smf/index.php/topic,4775.0.html

 

[GrindingThud]

I feel so inadequate...

See here: http://www.bottlehead.com/smf/index.php/topic,4775.0.html

 

[amcananey]

If it makes you feel better, you can diss my creation (or not) here: http://www.head-fi.org/t/679064/maxxximum-capacity-crack



Best regards,
Adam

 

[palmfish]

I was thinking of you when I commented on people who recommend the Speedball first.

Reading the rest of your response, it seems the power supply caps are really the only thing that made a significant change (besides the Speedball).

I am very happy with the stock sound, but do note that bass is bigger than neutral. Im deciding if I like it that way, or if I want to address it. My fear is that if I "fix" the bass, then it will sound just like all the solid state amps Ive owned. I mean, right now, switching back and forth between the Crack and Essence One, the bass is really the only difference I notice between them. I like the added "body" of the crack with most over-produced pop and studio recordings, but on some of my close-miked jazz recordings, double bass can sound bloated and I prefer the Essence One.

 

[amcananey]

I'll just throw this out there: I see you are using HD800s. In my view, the HD800s don't have bigger than neutral bass with the Crack. Instead, I would argue that the Crack is one of the few amps that can give the HD800s accurate bass. Other amps (especially solid state or WOT tube amps) result in "less than neutral" bass when paired with the HD800s. If you have been using the HD800s with a solid state amp for a while, I can understand how you might perceive the Crack as having boosted bass initially. Give the Crack some time so your ears can adjust. I suspect that you will soon find that you prefer the Crack for all genres.

Also: try an RCA 12AU7 clear top as your input tube. They are cheap, and they seem to yield a very neutral sound. What do you have in their right now?

And yes, the film caps in the power supply made the biggest difference after the Speedball, although I'm willing to bet the 100uf coupling caps were also pretty important. Coupling caps take time to burn in, which also makes A/B comparisons difficult,even under the best of circumstances.

Best regards,
Adam

 

[palmfish]

You make a very good point about the HD800. I will give it more time Adam - my Crack isn't going anywhere! Like I said, I am really enjoying my Crack and I have already told people it is the best sounding headphone amp I have ever owned. I will also check out the RCA clear top - I have read about them in a number of places...
 
I'm using a CBS Hytron 5814A and matching CBS Hytron 6AS7G

 

[DefQon]

Quote:

Any of you guys have good tips on wood finish/varnish?  I'm hoping to get my BH crack lookin slick and shiny as glass =p

Seal the wood before oil stain or you can just use multiple layers of oil stain (dark colour). Polyutherane (lacquer) spray or brushed on, but sprayed on promotes a finer finish. Buff between each coat (dried) with 200 grit sand paper (preferably wet under the tap) just kiss the previous layer so the next layer sticks on. The more layers you put on the more finer finish you end up with. I have 4 coats on mine and still unfinished. Can also polish it after the layers to have a fine acrylic like ultra gloss sheen to it.

 

[dxanex]

hey guys quick question:
 
I've built a couple of Crack amps, but for the first time I am having issues with loud popping/hissing. I've ruled out the tubes and I believe I've narrowed it down to the Speedball transistors (need resolder)
 
I'm just wondering how long I should wait before it's safe to poke around in there... does the Crack/Speedball need a long time to dump it's electrical charge after being unplugged?

 

[amcananey]

No. What you need to worry about are the capacitors, but if you built it properly, then there are bleeder resistors that drain the charge pretty quickly. If you wait a minute or so, you should be fine.
 
Best regards,
Adam

 

[dxanex]

Thank you for the quick response, amcananey.

 

[Zashoomin]

Quote:

hey guys quick question:
 
I've built a couple of Crack amps, but for the first time I am having issues with loud popping/hissing. I've ruled out the tubes and I believe I've narrowed it down to the Speedball transistors (need resolder)
 
I'm just wondering how long I should wait before it's safe to poke around in there... does the Crack/Speedball need a long time to dump it's electrical charge after being unplugged?

I wouldn't put my hand down there with lightning speed but give it like 30sec to let the caps drain and you should bee in the all clear. 

 

[drizek]

So after taking a bit of a break from audio, I decided I wanted to upgrade my setup.
 
I currently have a nuForce uDAC (first generation) that I use to drive my Triple.Fi 10s and Sennheiser HD 580s. 
 
I picked up the Crack w/ Speedball from massdrop yesterday and am pretty excited. It will be my first real build.
 
Of course, this being head-fi, I'm now thinking I need to upgrade my DAC. Any recs for some that will go well with my 580s?
 
Currently the plan is to get HD 800s a year from now (when I will hopefully have an actual job) so I want something that works well with them, too.
 
Any tips? Also, I notice a ton of people in here have 800s. Did you all pay full price for them or have there been some promotions going on?
 
Also, I can't believe I've been on this site for 7 years now. Damn.

 

[amcananey]

For DACs, it is tough to beat the ODAC or the Schiit Modi for value, as long as you only need USB. If you go above that, I find the Audio-Gd DACs are well implemented and offer excellent value for money, although the array of options can be tough to decipher...

 

[drizek]

I was actually just looking at the Gd 3.33. Is that overkill?

 

[sjeffrey]

For DACs, it is tough to beat the ODAC or the Schiit Modi for value, as long as you only need USB. If you go above that, I find the Audio-Gd DACs are well implemented and offer excellent value for money, although the array of options can be tough to decipher...

If drizek plans to upgrade to HD800 then I would suggest getting the next step up for a DAC to keep the price ratio closer.  Maybe a Schiit Bifrost?
Or wait to see how much you'll like to build the Crack and get the Bottlehead DAC once they release it?