Another Quickie done!

[corndog71]

This is a very cool little kit!  Very reminiscent of the old Foreplay II preamp but obviously different due to their respective power supplies.

I took my time and over the last couple of nights got it together.  The step-by-step instructions were very well done with easy to follow pictures.  It just doesn't get much easier than this.

Since it's quite late I've only played it for a little bit at a low volume.  I can already say I'm very impressed with how it sounds even just in its stock form.  I'm hearing a nice, wide soundstage and good detail right off the bench.

I'll post more tomorrow with more pics when I have a chance.

(https://forum.bottlehead.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi576.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fss207%2Fcorndog642%2FBottlehead%2520Quickie%2F7669d368.jpg&hash=14b914bb8c19b18960f72b60edc627e4bdfe9618)

[machinehead]

Very cool, I like the impromptu case! actually looks pretty cool!

I am intrigued by your interconnects and CD player, what kind are they?

Also, what tubes are you using?

[bundee1]

I Second the tubes and interconnect question.

[machinehead]

Is the CD player a Rega?

[corndog71]

The tubes are RCA and came with the quickie.  The CD player is the first generation Planet by Rega.  Amazing that it's still going strong after 10 years!

I was trying to think of a cheap base for the Quickie.  I almost went with a heavy cardboard box but then I remembered that I had a bunch of foam packing material from work that I used for moving.  I use foam under my turntable which works pretty well in blocking ground vibrations.  I remember hearing a few reports of the 3S4 tubes being sensitive to vibration and the light bulb went on!  Tapping on any part of the quickie produces a slight ringing sound but otherwise they're very quiet tubes.

Here's some assembly pics. 

(https://forum.bottlehead.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi576.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fss207%2Fcorndog642%2FBottlehead%2520Quickie%2F58f3a702.jpg&hash=8bd03980a738a43432cddd451e3684c1f7b3a5bc)

(https://forum.bottlehead.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi576.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fss207%2Fcorndog642%2FBottlehead%2520Quickie%2F6e7bdb56.jpg&hash=37fd226e9746bd4969d12da602d2ec775c8d4743)

Mounting the hardware took about an hour.

(https://forum.bottlehead.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi576.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fss207%2Fcorndog642%2FBottlehead%2520Quickie%2Fc0c87be9.jpg&hash=72cb4742df7c90a6d148ecc542978fbe5955ff9c)

(https://forum.bottlehead.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi576.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fss207%2Fcorndog642%2FBottlehead%2520Quickie%2F94fd1360.jpg&hash=f5a61ad1cbf267222d39503e23c9080681c701f3)

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Here's the block of foam.  Took me a bit to dig it out.  I'll probably have to dig out some more before adding any upgrades.

(https://forum.bottlehead.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi576.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fss207%2Fcorndog642%2FBottlehead%2520Quickie%2F942a7f76.jpg&hash=c60cc3cc9514a5a85c6154afe6aa9138b5d07c14)

(https://forum.bottlehead.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi576.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fss207%2Fcorndog642%2FBottlehead%2520Quickie%2F5036b36a.jpg&hash=be6075999a0aa94e55235a5e0eaf3612648266e8)

As for the interconnects, the white ones are Homegrownaudio Silver Lace. 

The others are home-made 4-wire braids of HGA copper and silver wire with Rat Shack RCAs.

The amp is the Bryston B60P and speakers are a pair of AV123 X-CS that have been extensively upgraded themselves.

(https://forum.bottlehead.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi576.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fss207%2Fcorndog642%2FNew%2520Apartment%25202010%2Fbb7a970e.jpg&hash=f8253f194f328f0dbca721d59ce3d0ba9db246ef)

[Paul Birkeland]

Very nice!  It looks like you got lighting white acrylic, so you might consider stuffing some small diffuse lights under your plate and making it really pop (maybe even UV).  I like the foam brick, that was  ingenuity at its best!

[Grainger49]

I have to admit my first impression of the base was that it was a massive piece of granite or some such rock.  Then my eyes focused and I saw it was foam.  That is a much better idea for isolation.

Nice build and a truly imaginative base.

[corndog71]

I broke out my old Foreplay 2 just to steal the base for this pic.  I was in a hurry and din't have time to get a better angle / setting which explains the slight fuzziness.

(https://forum.bottlehead.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi576.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fss207%2Fcorndog642%2FBottlehead%2520Quickie%2F8f408d8e.jpg&hash=6c76acf7c5d24345a46495d9589669f390618f15)

[corndog71]

Today I felt like I had a good idea of how the stock Quickie sounded.  So it was time to upgrade!

First I replaced the signal wire between the toggle switch, the volume pot and the terminal strip with homegrownaudio silver/teflon wire for my own piece of mind.  

Next went the output caps which were replaced by a pair of well burned in Sonicaps.

Finally I installed the PJCSS which went in without a problem.

Fired it all up and dang does it sound good!  I mean spooky-good!  

(https://forum.bottlehead.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi576.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fss207%2Fcorndog642%2FBottlehead%2520Quickie%2F824b2adf.jpg&hash=b4f9f006c9c651bce7f5c8ef88e1dc286b75b6e0)

(https://forum.bottlehead.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi576.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fss207%2Fcorndog642%2FBottlehead%2520Quickie%2Fef15e371.jpg&hash=53905f4a14488f79b3506198e1b61cdcdd6f91b4)

(https://forum.bottlehead.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi576.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fss207%2Fcorndog642%2FBottlehead%2520Quickie%2Ff3a73057.jpg&hash=5b72eaaadec9da75521c8a29fb96e2789043aa09)

(https://forum.bottlehead.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi576.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fss207%2Fcorndog642%2FBottlehead%2520Quickie%2F38423eaf.jpg&hash=5fceee0a5329d870e1205e62cc0fe2ed9aaede4d)

[machinehead]

Very cool!

I still have to put in my AudioCaps, and I have an Alps RK27 pot waiting also.

[corndog71]

I shot a video of one of my stereos as a demo for one of my friends and just thought maybe you guys would get a kick out of it.

I found a couple of vocal tracks from the soundtrack to O' Brother Where Art Thou that sound spooky good. I shot this with my cheap Canon and felt it captured it well.

The system being played is as follows:

Rega Planet (1st Gen.)
Bottlehead Quickie Battery-Powered Tube Preamp(with PJCSS upgrade and Sonicaps)
Dynaco ST70 with Curcio Upgrade Driver and Cap boards and Sonicaps
AV123 X-CS with Skiing Ninja Elite upgrades
Interconnects are HGA Silver Lace and home-made using HGA wire.
Speaker cables are Kimber 4VS.

[machinehead]

sounds absolutely life-like!