Bottlehead Forum
General Category => General Discussion => Topic started by: Doc B. on January 03, 2017, 09:41:42 AM
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It's time for our monthly DIY meet at Bottleheadquarters. The meet runs this Saturday, January 7th, from 1-4 p.m. All audiophiles, current or potential, (a little electronics nerd humor there) are welcome. Bring your latest DIY audio project to demo in our system, bring friends, or just show up and hang out. There's lots of interesting gear, good music and lots of interesting conversation. And there is a brewery and also a winery right next door.
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Since I am getting the new kit speaker prototypes set up in our room, I thought it would be appropriate to give a little talk on room measurement, modeling and treatment. We'll use some really good software that you can demo for free and show the process of finding the 'best' position for the speakers.
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Doc, you should definitely record that. I bet many people would like to see that talk...John
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Well, I'll be the guy talking, so maybe someone else can record it.
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Wow, that's 5X what we paid for it 17 years ago.
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That was a fun meet! Doc B has gotten the placement of the new kit speaker well dialed in, and the presentation on room simulation was interesting and quite useful.
We listened to the new 6550 monoblocks and their prodigious bass, as well as a variety of Kaiju configurations.
We got Rob's Eros all sorted out, and we're entertained by just how much stuff Aaron was able to fit into his SEX amp!
-PB
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The next meet is this Saturday, February 4th, 12-3. I plan to talk a little about yearly system tune up. There's a lot of stuff you can do to optimize the sound of your system for little or no outlay, and I'll go over some things that don't take much to do but can have a very notable impact.
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I'll be there and am looking forward to your talk. No projects from me this month though I'm closer to finishing a couple.
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Hi,
Is there a link somewhere to the January meet video? I'm curious about the speaker placement software. Thanks,
Dave
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Room Equalization Wizard. (http://www.roomeqwizard.com/)
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Please make the system tuneup talk a "sticky" or a video.
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Next month we will be attending the Port Townsend Record Show on March 4th, so that will be our official March meeting. Apparently past shows have been quite successful with a good crowd and lots of vendors. We will have a table there and be demoing a phono rig and headphone amps. Admission is free, and vendor tables are reasonably priced.
http://ptrecordshow.com/
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Hi There,
When and where is the April DIY meetup? Thank you.
Andrew
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April 1, 12-3PM. Bottleheadquarters.
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The next meet will be here at Bottleheadquarters on Saturday May 6th at 1 p.m. We will be hosting the Puget Sound CAN meets - the local WA Head Fi users group. These are awesome meets! Most attendees bring their headphones and their rigs, and set up listening stations all around the building. You can spend the afternoon listening to all of those headphones and amps you read about but can't get your ears on, and find out if they are your dream gear.
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Just a bump for the Head Fi meet this Saturday. Sounds like we will have a few new attendees, a Schitt Yggi, and probably some surprises. I also will have the completed Neothoriator Serial No. 2 for demo, which has some nice improvements in the level metering circuit. And of course we will have a Mainline running for those who want to listen to it before you take advantage of this week's Mainline kit sale. See you Saturday!
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It's time for the June meeting! This Saturday from 12-3 we will meet up at Bottleheadquarters. The focal point will be our new speaker kit, which is very close to production. The latest part we have completed is getting the impedance compensation network and the passive crossover off the breadboard and into the format they will be in the kit. This latest step has been interesting in that, even though the circuit values are the same as were in the prototype, the sound took a big jump up in quality when Kelvin installed the new network boards inside the cabinets. They are sounding the best they ever have. You just never really know what will make an improvement! We'll have the speakers set up so that you can bring your own amp to try with them.
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Holy crap. The Bainbridge Island Rotary Auction is happening down the block from us today. It is a giant cluster f***. Luckily I came in on my bike so I could weave thru the madness of a two way street turned one way, with cars being pulled out of ditches by tow trucks, people wandering out if front of cars and a huge line of traffic trying to get into the schoolyard to collect their junk.
Honestly you might want to skip this one. If you are on your way, I am here. You will have to turn from highway 305 onto Madison Ave, one signal before Sportsman Club Road. Once on Madison turn right on to New Brooklyn. Then turn right onto Sportsman Club Road.
God help you. It's supposed to lighten up around 2.
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This Saturday is the next meetup here at Bottleheadquarters, from 12-3. We will be focusing on vinyl, playing with an experimental all tube moving coil cartridge stepup preamp we built a couple of years ago. The result was a modest success - modest only because it has an ever so slight noise floor that I deemed just a little too loud for a commercial product. But man, every time I put it in the system the dynamics and natural sound just knocks me out. So I thought it would be fun to let others hear it even if it isn't "perfect". We will compare it with a Peerless 20-20 style stepup transformer built by Mike LaFevre, using a Haniwa HTCR01 cartridge, SME3009 tonearm, Analog Engineering AE-2008 turntable, and a Bottlehead Eros phono preamp. Bring your favorite record!
(https://bottlehead.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/20170801_1301341-e1501621066168.jpg)
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DIY meetup Saturday, September 2nd, 12-3 at Bottleheadquarters
I thought it was time to show what the Neothoriator SE845 headphone amp can do as a 4 watt per channel speaker amp. So we will be using a Neo to run our speakers at the next meet. While the Neo has a definite Bottlehead house sound to it, it's quite interesting to hear what the stereo 845 amp does differently than our usual 300B setup. Can you say "resolution"?
What the heck, we'll also demo the Neo as a preamp with a Kaiju 300B amp. And if there is time folks can listen to the neo driving AKG K1000s too.
(https://bottlehead.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/20170810_1704361-e1502409775920.jpg)
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Bump for Saturday's meetup. It's here at Bottleheadquarters from 12-3. I have the Neothoriator 845 headphone amp running as a preamp (wow), a pair of strapped Kaiju monoblocks on the Jäger speakers, and I have found a couple of new artists whose music I'm excited to share. Bring you favorite music, your latest project, and a friend!
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This Saturday is the next meetup here at Bottleheadquarters, from 12-3. We will be focusing on vinyl, playing with an experimental all tube moving coil cartridge stepup preamp we built a couple of years ago. The result was a modest success - modest only because it has an ever so slight noise floor that I deemed just a little too loud for a commercial product. But man, every time I put it in the system the dynamics and natural sound just knocks me out. So I thought it would be fun to let others hear it even if it isn't "perfect". We will compare it with a Peerless 20-20 style stepup transformer built by Mike LaFevre, using a Haniwa HTCR01 cartridge, SME3009 tonearm, Analog Engineering AE-2008 turntable, and a Bottlehead Eros phono preamp. Bring your favorite record!
(https://bottlehead.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/20170801_1301341-e1501621066168.jpg)
Doc,
That's a lot of transformers there! I'm assuming this would be part of the premium line if it makes it to production?
Dave
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That's a lot of transformers there! I'm assuming this would be part of the premium line if it makes it to production?
Modest successes don't go into production.
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I figured the mc preamp wasn't done yet. Just needed some extra Bottlehead magic :)
Dave
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The next meetup is this Saturday, October 7th, from 12-3 at Bottleheadquarters. I have the Jägers biamped, with the 50wpc Big Betty PSEP 6550 amps on the woofers and strapped Kaiju SET 300B monoblocks on the tweeters. The preamp is my Neothoriator, which I think sounds even better than a BeePre. In fact I think this setup is the best sound we have had in our room yet. You really ought to hop on the ferry and come by to hear it. Rumor has it a bunch of VALVE OGs will be there, which always adds to the merriment. And I have a Nagra 7 digital recorder we can listen to as well.
See you Saturday!
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If I come, I'll have to bring Blackplate Jr.
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I'm sure the gang would like to meet him!
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So far as I know Paul Joppa and I are coming and trying to drag another. :D
Richard
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I will be at work for 24 hours and unable to attend....
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Pooh!
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Something's wrong with your priorities Aaron
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I guess PJ can't make it tomorrow. Is anyone else still planning on coming? Please let me know if you are or I will say let's meet up next month.
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I've got to wait a month also. The flu has been going around the neighborhood, and though I'm recovered, I know Richard will be extra annoyed if I get him sick again!
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I need to check the mail today so I will head in and plan to stick around until 12:30 if no one shows up at noon.
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I'll be there! So will Richard and Dave.
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OK, cool!
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Looks like the others might make the earlier ferry; I'm aiming for the 11:25 boat.
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OK, I'm on my way to the shop in a few.
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Dave and I came over and had a great time. It was wonderful to see you again. Say hi to Eileen and the gang when they get back from various places. System was sounding excellent and the Neothoriator looks very promising as a high end preamp which is very cool.
Richard
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Thanks Richard. I was great to see you guys and catch up. Kinda like the old days!
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Hi,
I just moved to the Seattle area, and would love to go to one of the meetUps! When do you expect the next one to be?
Thanks!
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We will be traveling a bit the next few weeks, but I seem to have found an open weekend when we will be home. How about a meetup on Saturday, February 3rd?
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The holidays have come and gone, it's a new year and so it's time to get together and do some audio stuff! We'll have a special guest this time: Jim Laurel. Jim has been a Bottlehead for many years and his latest venture has been focused on capturing recordings of traditional Cuban artists. Several months ago Jim brought by a recording of Trova music he and his partners made, that was so beautiful it brought a few of us to tears. He's been back to Cuba a couple of times since and will be bringing by some hi-res samples from the most recent recording session. And if we're extra lucky his partners Lee Lockwood and Andrew Spindor will be here too.
This will be a great opportunity to hear some truly inspiring music recorded with great care and consideration for the artists, and to learn about the challenges involved in getting the recordings made.
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This is a bump to remind everyone that we have a very special meetup tomorrow from 12-3 here at Bottleheadquarters, in which Jim Laurel and his partners will present some recent (and beautiful) recordings they captured in Cuba, and discuss the very unique project they have been working on for the past couple of years.
I spent some time dialing in the system today and it's sounding awfully good...
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Oops I forgot to update this. Next meet here at BHQ is tomorrow, May 5th, 1-4. We will be hosting the Seattle Head Fi group. If you're interested in cans this will be the place to be - lots of things to audition.