HD800S - Cadenza Black

[znerken]

Hi everyone!

Totally new to Bottlehead, but they look so damn sexy. I am considering getting someone to build a setup for me, and was wondering what you recommend for HD800S with a Cadenza black (MC) cartridge as the source?  I was thinking Mainline 1.1 and Eros2.


No budget limitations. Also, what do people with HD800S and bottlehead use for DAC/Streaming?





Can you be a Bottlehead owner, if you don't care for modding and lots of maintenance? I just like listening to music.

[Paul Birkeland]

The Eros and Mainline would be a great combo!  With the Cadenza Black, you'll want to populate the holes in the front of the Eros with step-up transformers.  I also use an Ortofon moving coil cartridge with about the same output voltage, and I use a pair of 1:20 Sowter step-ups.  I use Sowter 1990s for this which allow for some extra flexibility down the road if I decide to change cartridges. 

[znerken]

The Eros and Mainline would be a great combo!  With the Cadenza Black, you'll want to populate the holes in the front of the Eros with step-up transformers.  I also use an Ortofon moving coil cartridge with about the same output voltage, and I use a pair of 1:20 Sowter step-ups.  I use Sowter 1990s for this which allow for some extra flexibility down the road if I decide to change cartridges.

Can that be mounted on the eros or do I need a separate box?

[Paul Birkeland]

If you order the step-ups with the threaded bushing, they mount to the holes we provide in the chassis.

[znerken]

If you order the step-ups with the threaded bushing, they mount to the holes we provide in the chassis.

Awesome. Do you offer a building/assembly service, or should I look elsehwhere for that?  Also, does it exist a DAC that can be made to look like the Bottlehead "style"?

[Paul Birkeland]

Yup, I am the factory builder.  More info on that is here:
https://forum.bottlehead.com/index.php?topic=11207.0

Sowter is a little backed up at the moment, so I would order the SUTs ASAP to get that ball rolling.

There are oodles of DAC PC boards on Ali Express that could be built into a metal panel/wood base, and that is also something I could do for you.

[jtori]

I'll step in on the digital side.  I've got a pair of the Sennheiser HD800S headphones, which I enjoy with the Mainline and the Crack-a-two-a (C2A).  In fact, the C2A has become my new favorite with the 800S.  If, going forward, you see yourself wanting to drive headphones of lower impedance, go with the Mainline.  With regard to digital, I'm feeding the amps with the Benchmark DAC3-DX, which is an extremely capable performer.  As a plus, it's got a nice SS headphone amp, should you feel the need for some of that SS punch.  If you don't want to spend quite as much, consider the Schiit Bitfrost Multibit. 

Best,

Joe.

[Hank Murrow]

Dear Znerken;

I Collected MQ trannies and other sorts of wonderful parts for years, but never got near the blue smoke, so I asked Dan Smalle(BH owner) who might help me put it all together. I was introduced to Paul Birkeland, who builds all the Custom stuff, and between us he cooked up  my Final Music System, with custom enclosures and boutique parts. The result married the BH DAC, a custom EROS phono pre, a JJ 2A3-40 Stereo Amp, and he is building a pair of Jägers for me to replace(or add to) my present Blumenstein speaker system. I have Sennheiser 600 HPs, and VPI/Hana SH cartridge. The system works very well together, and is all BH, which I like, even though it does not resemble the standard kit. But given the BH community and its propensity for mods and cleverness in chassis ideas, there is a lot of choice in building ones own idea. I am a potter and good with my hands, but only with soft, malleable clay____ otherwise, I am butterfingers! So Paul did me a grand favor in building the bits for me, and they are beautiful indeed, and have been bulletproof. Ask me for some pics if you like: [email protected]

Cheers, Hank in Eugene, OR