First Kaiju: Slight hum and somewhat low volume

[Paul Birkeland]

Ok, so far that's a well balanced amp.  Now you should see somewhere between 4V and 8V when you measure AC voltage between the black and red post on each speaker output.

[aPodz]

Ok, i’m getting ~6.2V in both channels with the trim pots fully open. Should I conclude the Kaiju is operating exactly as it should?

[Doc B.]

It all sounds about right. Try a preamp if you have one.

[aPodz]

Ok, I'll give the preamp a try!

I realize this might not be the best thread to discuss the topic, but what would be the pros and cons of the Smash vs the Bee? I realize that you recommend the Bee as a great pairing for the Kaiju, but if I don't have $1200 burning a hole in my pocket, what would be the drawbacks of the more cost conscientious choice of the Smash? 

[Doc B.]

The BeePre has more resolution and of course it has the 300B body and weight. With the upgrades the Smash has a similar Bottlehead house sound, just a little bit less refined. It's always surprising to me to listen to a Quickie, Smash and BeePre in sequence. They are different, but since they are all DHT the differences are not as extreme as one might assume.

Now the Neothoriator as a preamp, that's a whole 'nother level.