All cracked up

rmryan · 1569

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline rmryan

  • Jr. Member
  • **
    • Posts: 41
on: March 07, 2015, 06:27:06 AM
I just completed my second Bottlehead kit in 10 years, the process was much smoother the second time around.  All resistances were spot on, and I had my wife spot check me while doing voltages to make sure one hand stayed the heck out of there.  All voltages spot on, and no smoke or blowing fuses (one of my issues the first time around with the SEX kit).

That's where the similarities begin....  With a source plugged in (but paused) and headphones on and volume turned up... absolute dead black silence.  Not a whisper of noise, crackling, hum, buzz.  As last time, I wondered if that meant it wasn't working... but it was.  Oh, it was.

Played a couple of songs just to get a feel, then played one of my absolute favorite tracks of all time.  "Little Girl Blue" on "Standards in Norway" by Keith Jarrett's Standards Trio.  Took off my glasses, closed my eyes and just listened.

And I cried.  I know I'm a big puss, but I cried.  Not a lot.  Some.  Good thing my wife likes a sensitive man.

This amp really sounds good.  As close to audio Nirvana as I can ever afford to get I'm sure.  And of course I still need to build the Speedball.  That's a task for later, like in a few months.  Well, weeks probably.

Picture in the gallery.  Love the hammered bronze finish from the Rustoleum paint.

Source: iPhone 5s.  Will likely end up in my home office playing flac files through cmus (Linux command line audio player)
Phones: Sennheiser HD600.  All that talk about them being a great match is true.

Thanks Doc!  I can't believe I didn't need any electronics troubleshooting help this time around.
« Last Edit: March 07, 2015, 06:57:16 AM by rmryan »

~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~
Richard Ryan
Bottlehead Customer
S.E.X. 2.0 w/ C4S w/ Blumenstein Orcas
Crack OTL w/ Speedball - Sennheiser HD600
Quickie and Quicksand
Stereomour II w/ Blumenstein Orcas & sub


Offline Doc B.

  • Administrator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
    • Posts: 9641
    • Bottlehead
Reply #1 on: March 08, 2015, 06:47:52 AM
Quote
Thanks Doc!  I can't believe I didn't need any electronics troubleshooting help this time around.

 ;) around here we call that learning. Well done!

Dan "Doc B." Schmalle
President For Life
Bottlehead Corp.


Offline porcupunctis

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
    • Posts: 386
  • 0D3
Reply #2 on: March 08, 2015, 10:11:04 AM
That's Bottlehead magic for you.  I am moved to bliss every time I listen to my Crack amp.  I don't often listen to headphones but every time I do it's like "wow", I forget just how great this thing sounds.  Congratulations on a great second build.

Randall Massey
Teacher of Mathematics
Lifetime audio-electronics junkie