Bottlehead Forum

Bottlehead Kits => Legacy Kit Products => Submissive => Topic started by: Doc B. on May 07, 2013, 06:22:38 AM

Title: First kits shipping soon
Post by: Doc B. on May 07, 2013, 06:22:38 AM
PB and Josh got the assembly of the production prototype photographed yesterday, and Josh is working on the write up this week. I think we have all or at least almost all the parts on hand, so we ought to be shipping the first kit by next week at the latest.
Title: Re: First kits shipping soon
Post by: Doc B. on May 29, 2013, 11:32:40 AM
We encountered a hang up on the input selector switches used in this kit and several others. It's a rare bird and we had to commit to buying a custom run of them, which has finally materialized. So the first kits should be shipping by tomorrow.
Title: Re: First kits shipping soon
Post by: InfernoSTi on May 31, 2013, 04:29:12 PM
Submissive passive controller kit: orders through 5/30 shipped

Scheduled Delivery: Friday, 06/07/2013, By End of Day

Arrived a day early!!!

Surround glued...Saturday for soldering!!!

Yay!!!
Title: Re: First kits shipping soon
Post by: InfernoSTi on June 08, 2013, 11:02:43 AM
Doc,

You may want to review the parts list...it seems that the list itself is missing some components (mine is, anyway: RCA jacks, ground plug/lug) so they don't appear as missing when packing the kit but they certainly are needed to complete the project!  ;) 

I'm going to build mine with some Cardas RCA jacks (bypassing the selector switch) but would like to get the ground plug/lug so I can add that if needed.  I think I'll use some silver plated copper in teflon wire, too.

What are the chances I could get a second plastic face plate that I could trim to only show the volume (and not the selector)?  Perhaps trade for the RCA jacks and I can PayPal the difference (assuming you would want to sell one of those)?

Overall, the kit is very nicely put together...the switches are very nice quality! 

Thanks,
John
Title: Re: First kits shipping soon
Post by: InfernoSTi on June 08, 2013, 03:10:28 PM
Built!  Burning in but the controls are very nice to use...I like the course/fine adjustments.  It is more intuitive than I thought it would be.  The sound is very clean (yeah, not much there to color anything)...exactly what I was hoping for!

Best,
John
Title: Re: First kits shipping soon
Post by: Paul Birkeland on June 08, 2013, 04:33:05 PM
Hello John,

I have notified our technical writer about the errors on the bill of materials.

We will get the missing parts shipped to you shortly.

I believe we do have some extra label plates floating around, though they are a serious pain to trim (I tried to do just what you're considering, and it ended up looking pretty yucky).

-PB
Title: Re: First kits shipping soon
Post by: fullheadofnothing on June 08, 2013, 06:50:13 PM
Well... crap.

Sorry 'bout that. I know what I'll be packing on Monday.
Title: Re: First kits shipping soon
Post by: InfernoSTi on June 09, 2013, 05:08:28 AM
Joshua, no worries...I built the kit with what came and what I had at home already...easy enough to modify later.  I'm enjoying it so far.

Paul,  I wonder if one were to scribe the final line with a knife, they cut back from that line and use a file to smooth it if it would look better than going for the cut exactly the first time?

EDIT: one early impression of note is the balances stays good at low volumes...something we've all had trouble with from time to time, I suspect.  That is a good sign.   
Title: Re: First kits shipping soon
Post by: wullymc on June 09, 2013, 02:03:09 PM
Enjoy your Submissive John.  Looking forward to more listening impressions.

Take care...Dave
Title: Re: First kits shipping soon
Post by: Paul Birkeland on June 11, 2013, 07:23:24 PM
Paul,  I wonder if one were to scribe the final line with a knife, they cut back from that line and use a file to smooth it if it would look better than going for the cut exactly the first time?

I think the only way to get a clean cut would be to use a router table, CNC, or a laser.  I haven't tried sanding the material, and from what it looks like, I believe it is a styrene laminate, which is a bugger to sand (but which is very difficult to crack or break, especially when mounted on the aluminum).

-PB
Title: Re: First kits shipping soon
Post by: 4krow on June 26, 2013, 11:02:25 AM
I sure do hope that people catch on to what a great idea this is. There is a lot that you might not expect to be done with this kind of control.
Title: Re: First kits shipping soon
Post by: InfernoSTi on July 03, 2013, 08:09:38 PM
The longer I use my Submission, the more I love it!  I have zero balance issues at any volume...I already have "favorite" volume settings that are now intuitive (click one, click the other, just right sound level).  The transparency is really there...it took a while to really settle into it but I'm enjoying the absolutely pure sound quality.  Dynamics and tone are really good.

Of course I've got some ideas for a tube buffer that I'm assembling parts for...mostly for fun but I'll see what that does to the dynamics and tone.  I suspect I could do more harm than good but we'll see.

It doesn't hurt that I've recently built a simple linear power supply for my digital front end (CAPS server) and that has helped a lot, too.  Just when I thought I was there, I'm finding another round of improvements, starting with the Submissive. 

Best,
John