Sale

[ToneDeaf]

Well you got me too. I was waiting for a check to come in so I wouldn't have to charge it. But you forced my hand. I just couldn't resist a 20% discount. Just, please, don't tell my wife I charged it.  Thanks for the push.

[adydula]

Congrats!

I did the same yesterday as well!!, Sitting here listening to my Crack w/speedball and am wondering how much better than this can it get!

Just put new pads on my beyer T90's and its just awesome...

Look forward to sharing my build experience with you as well!

Alex

[jjvornov]

Me too. This will be Bottlehead project number 7 for me. Starting with the original Foreplay and SEX mono blocks way back when.

I was looking at the new Apple HomePod for $350 ($700 for a stereo pair when they get the software worked out) and realized I'd much rather have a world class headphone amp for my system than another gadget. Just need to work out how to intergrate in the system where a BeePre is the preamp.

[Paul Birkeland]

I would split the outputs of the BeePre and just use it as a buffer between your sources and Mainline.

[adydula]

I have fallen love with my Crackw/speedball....I cant imagine how it can get any better, but I cant wait to try the mailine...I use mostly high impedance cans, T1's 2nd gen and T90's.

Glad to see several builds will be going on in about the same time!

Alex

[ToneDeaf]

Thank you everyone. This is my first Bottle Head kit. But I do have experience building electronics.  I was going to buy a set of Sennhieser HD800S. But I think I'll have to wait till the release and review of the HD820. If its as good as the 800S, and has as good a sound stage and imaging as the HD800S I'll have to get them. Simple because they are closed back, and I don't want my wife to complain. But if they are not. well the HD800S will do just fine. I hope they don't delay release. Thank you all again.

[Alonzo]

Oppo PM3's are good closed back cans...

[Adrian]

I also took advantage of this sale and this will be my eighth BH project.
I will have to shelve my modded Crack and S.E.X 2.1 to make room, but I only use these for HPs now.
I was getting itching palms and the DIY tremmors, so it's time to feed this addiction.

[adydula]

The Beyerdynamics T90 or T1's are absolutley excellent with the Crack and I am sure with the Mainline.
I have had the T90's for three years, just put new OEM Beyer pads on and its like they are "new" again.

I have nine head amps of all sorts, SS and tube, DIY etc..and the Crack never fails with these cans.

The "main" reason I bought the Mainline (pun intended)...was to play but see what BH's "best" is with these
cans and compare to the Crack....

My iron is heating up!! lol

Alex

[ToneDeaf]

  Like I said, Thank you all very much for your input. I worked for NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory for 30 years Building Test equipment. I built a Tube lab amp recently that I split the circuit Brd and built it as two units. Power supply in one box and the amp in another. Built speakers ( Madisound BK-16), and DAC, and had a custom Quasar CD transport built, two bucket subs and bought a Crown Amp for the subwoofers System sounds great, but my wife doesn't like my music. So, I only listen when she goes out.
   She saw some headphones on a shopping channel and had to tell me about all the people calling in about how great they were. And I should get a pair so I can listen whenever I wanted to. So that got me looking into Headphones and head amps. Decided on the Mainline because all the great reviews and I can build it. I love building Stereo equipment. Thanks again. Can't wait to start this build with you guy .

[adydula]

You should thank your wife!!!! Did u tell here this hobby can cost you thousnds!!! LOL.

I was in a test equipment maintenance group at IBM for years and used, buit, repaired and calibrated stuff....back when the VTVM was king and the VOM was a nicety!!

I drooled over a Crown DC300A 2 ch amp in my teens and never had the $$$ to buy one, but settled on a bunch of Hafler stuff in my twenties!
Life was good.

It still is...you will enjoy this amp and with a great set of headphones u will smile alot!

Alex

[ToneDeaf]

abydula,
       To answer your question, No I didn't tell her. But she has never asked what my stereo system cost. I think she is afraid to ask.
 I also would of died for a DC300A, back then. Of course I couldn't afford it. This Crown amp is a XLS 1500 class D amp to drive my subs. Still a really nice amp for the purpose. 

[Paul Joppa]

The first time I heard a DC300, it was in a small apartment and driving a pair of Klipschorns. It was ... loud. Very, very loud. Worse than front row at a rock concert. I think I lost some of my hearing that evening. Far too loud to make any assessment of the sound quality.

[adydula]

Paul those "BIG" klipschorns were the only speakers in the day that I thought could reproduce "thunder" in a room!!! LOL.

Those things like most horn loaded speakers were really efficient and with a tank of an amplifier like the DC300 it would be capable of playing really loud..

The audio store up in Burlington Vermont had two large Klipchs in the corners and a La Scalla in middle...a tri-array. it was previewed in the worlds fair way back when as state of the art.

I wrote Paul K. a letter and he sent me a nice letter and his "golden mean room" paper....his favorite word was "bullshit" and he hated sealed speakers....a real straight and narrow person.

Ah those early days....the louder you played was directly in proportion to how much beer we drank!!

Alex

[Mordicai]

I had two La Scalla's at my cabin at a remote location in the Colorado mountains. All we had for power was a small generator to charge a battery to run a small automobile tape player (1978). Only way in was ski's or snow mobile in the winter. I needed an efficient speaker for that set up which is how I wound up buying the La Scalla's. My family and I would lay on the floor and listen to the best sound system we had ever heard! I loved those speakers. Three months later the cabin burned down. The only thing left was speaker magnets. Made me want to cry.