[Shabda]

Hi All,

I think I might take the plunge into tube amps (for the 6xx) but I’m just trying to understand what i’d be getting myself into here.

what is the general price range of replacement / upgrade tubes?

and how hard is rolling them? Do i need tools?

Thanks!

 

[Shabda]

Nevermind, i dont care, i’ve gotta get the bottlehead crack + speedball kit, seems like too much fun

 

[carlman14]

The crack is a great choice for the 6xx! I have one too and it's so much fun to build. As for your other questions:

what is the general price range of replacement / upgrade tubes?

The cost range of replacement tubes for the crack is huge. You can get tubes ranging from $10 all the way to $200-$300 or more... There's a lot out there for every price range.

and how hard is rolling them? Do i need tools?

No tools necessary for rolling tubes. Just pull out one tube and insert another one. Just make sure the upgraded/replacement tube is the same type as the tube you're replacing.

 

[Shabda]

Thanks! I havent pulled the trigger yet because i’m trying to figure out if I need a pre amp / what kind. In other words, are phones able to stream the source at line level? Does the crack require consumer line level i.e. -10 dbv or the other one, i think it’s +4 dbu? Planning on posting this in the bottlehead forums too but any info is appreciated!

 

[ProtegeManiac]

Thanks! I havent pulled the trigger yet because i’m trying to figure out if I need a pre amp / what kind. In other words, are phones able to stream the source at line level? Does the crack require consumer line level i.e. -10 dbv or the other one, i think it’s +4 dbu? Planning on posting this in the bottlehead forums too but any info is appreciated!

Headphone amps have a preamp circuit built in. Just feed it a ~2V line signal. They're not like separate preamps and power amps for speakers.

 

[Shabda]

Headphone amps have a preamp circuit built in. Just feed it a ~2V line signal. They're not like separate preamps and power amps for speakers.

Awesome thanks!

 

[DenverW]

Tubes can last a long time and can very extremely inexpensive. That being said I don’t know anyone who’s made their own crack who hasn’t wanted to upgrade both tubes and amp to see what it can do .

Building it will really give you confidence for other projects. Love Bottlehead.

 

[Shabda]

Gettin pretty pumped! Gotta get my soldering chops up, but my dad has a good set and we’d do it for plumbing sometimes so i’m feelin okay about it!

 

[carlman14]

Plumbing? Do NOT use the same solder you use for plumbing for electrical work. You'll ruin your crack. Plumbing commonly uses acid core solder. What you want for the crack is rosin core solder.

 

[Shabda]

Oh good point! I’ll be sure to check all the details before actually jumping into this one, thanks for the heads up!