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vikingtap · 15166

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Offline adamct

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Reply #30 on: February 16, 2013, 04:18:05 PM
Holy crap! That's awesome!  :o :P ;) ;D


Offline earwaxxer

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Reply #31 on: February 16, 2013, 05:16:46 PM
Cool macro pics. Nothing accentuating the curves of a nice tube or cap.

Eric
Emotiva XPA-2, Magnepan MMG (mod), Quickie (mod), JRiver, Wyrd4sound uLink, Schiit Gungnir, JPS Digital power cord, MIT power cord, JPS Labs ultraconductor wire throughout, HSU sub. powered by Crown.

Offline Chris

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Reply #32 on: February 16, 2013, 07:36:00 PM
That IS cool....


Offline vikingtap

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Reply #33 on: March 22, 2013, 04:19:59 AM
It's been a while and whilst i do love my crack (ahem!) as is i am a bit of a tinkerer so i thought i might as well build me another one.......so here she is.

(https://forum.bottlehead.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg845.imageshack.us%2Fimg845%2F3390%2Fdsc01131go.jpg&hash=1d2953231e1ac6b4c72766aa4a4267589e5c0de6)

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Offline vikingtap

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Reply #34 on: March 22, 2013, 04:30:32 AM
I have only had her up and running for a few hours but i am really liking what i am hearing. Though i haven't (yet) installed a speedball (on order) i can turn the volume pot up to full (obviously with no music playing) and hear no hum what so ever. with this one i have just 3 inputs switching between them is done via a USSR rotary selector which i picked up from a guy in the UKRAINE for peanuts! (yet to find a knob for it)  the volume pot is a VALAB 100k stepped pot which i think is a bargain for what they go for. I have already made up a rather lovely sieden's/Takman stepped attenuator which i will no doubt install in the near future.
(https://forum.bottlehead.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg708.imageshack.us%2Fimg708%2F6678%2Fdsc00966rb.jpg&hash=6a00907bdebe9f627ff5d6a8c7528e898cfaa6e4)


Offline vikingtap

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Reply #35 on: March 22, 2013, 04:40:02 AM
Just in case anyone was wondering the audio chain goes as follows;

ipod classic 160g---Pure i20---audio gd DI-v3---Valab Chameleon dac----STAX interconnect----crack amp---Beyer T1's.

The DI is battery powered...pure i20 is powered via a Valab linea power supply.

(https://forum.bottlehead.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg819.imageshack.us%2Fimg819%2F2883%2Fdsc01115yb.jpg&hash=ce5104858f16195d1f52ae482c2be934ae9af9b7)
« Last Edit: March 22, 2013, 04:42:48 AM by vikingtap »


Offline adamct

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Reply #36 on: March 22, 2013, 05:30:02 AM
What are you using the DI for? Why not just use the coaxial out on the Pure i-20 to feed the Chameleon?

I'm using a similar setup. See here: https://www.head-fi.org/t/476650/crack-bottlehead-otl/1605#post_9259612.


Offline vikingtap

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Reply #37 on: March 22, 2013, 05:42:01 AM
To my ears with the Di in the chain it just sounds better. I don't really know what the Di does but for me it is worthwhile. The Valab power supply for the i20 is also a worthwhile addition. With the original wall-wart power supply when you turned the volume up to full (no music playing) you can hear a hiss. I then powered it via a li-ion battery and the hiss disappeared. Problem was i kept having to re-charge the battery quite frequently. The valab power supply is a good compromise. i shall be ordering one for the Di soon.
   hope this helps.


Offline adamct

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Reply #38 on: March 22, 2013, 07:34:30 AM
Thanks. Fortunately, I don't have that problem with my Pure i-20. Actually, I have three of them, and haven't experienced that with any of them. And since I'm only using the digital signal via coaxial and running it through an external DAC, rather than using the i-20s internal DAC and the analog RCA outs, it seems odd that the Pure i-20 could induce hiss. I wonder if maybe the issue is related to the non-USB inputs on your DAC?


Offline vikingtap

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Reply #39 on: March 22, 2013, 07:52:41 AM
I only ever really heard the hiss, and i am talking very quiet hiss when the i20 was plugged into the supplied wall-wart power supply. That hiss disappears when the i20 is run off a battery, or from the valab power supply. Anyways i am much happier now with the better power supply. To be honest i am not going to be completely happy until i get myself a dedicated cd transport. A few days ago i had the pleasure of listing to a North star 192 feeding a Metrum Octave. All i can say is WOW.


Offline earwaxxer

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Reply #40 on: March 22, 2013, 05:04:45 PM
Quote from: vikingtap on March 22, 2013, 07:52:41 AM
To be honest i am not going to be completely happy until i get myself a ......

How many time have I said that......?!

Eric
Emotiva XPA-2, Magnepan MMG (mod), Quickie (mod), JRiver, Wyrd4sound uLink, Schiit Gungnir, JPS Digital power cord, MIT power cord, JPS Labs ultraconductor wire throughout, HSU sub. powered by Crown.

Offline vikingtap

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Reply #41 on: May 31, 2013, 02:14:25 AM
Here we go again. Here are some pictures of my latest crack build. With this one i have built in a TDA1543x4 mini dac with a toggle switch to supply power to it-or not. I only have one set of rca plugs which are fed by my main source a turntable. I find myself listening to this much more than anything else. A toggle switch on the left hand side takes care of the input selection. You probably will notice the addition of a second octal socket. This gives me the ability to use a 6SN7 tube instead of the 12AU7. I should stress that NEVER! should both the 6SN7 and 12AU7 have a tube connected in both at the same time. Perhaps in time i might find an appropriate break before make switch so i can switch back and forth. Perhaps even a bank of 3x6080 sockets, 3x6SN7 sockets and 3x12AU7 sockets, all selectable via rotary switches a real tube rollers delight. Also i decided to add a second plate onto which all the components are connected. I did this because i didn't want bolts and screws populating the top plate.
  enjoy.

(https://forum.bottlehead.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg5.imageshack.us%2Fimg5%2F7329%2Fdsc01471j.jpg&hash=b9fcefc3a2cc81986dc4da7906b9cb95fa9e272f)

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Offline earwaxxer

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Reply #42 on: May 31, 2013, 03:59:57 AM
I see you have the new Mundorf EVO's in service! I was wondering what you think of their sound. I have been pondering them for a spell, for speaker crossovers. Great pics and a great build BTW!

Eric
Emotiva XPA-2, Magnepan MMG (mod), Quickie (mod), JRiver, Wyrd4sound uLink, Schiit Gungnir, JPS Digital power cord, MIT power cord, JPS Labs ultraconductor wire throughout, HSU sub. powered by Crown.

Offline vikingtap

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Reply #43 on: May 31, 2013, 04:31:21 AM
Thank you:

   As for the Mundorf evo aluminium/oil, well to be honest im not sure i could tell the difference between them and the Mundorf MKP i had previous. I occasionally swap out the tubes which certainly does change the sound signature, so trying to pinpoint the evo's sound signature for me at least is very hard.
   One thing i can tell you about them is that they are huge! I thought that the MKP's were big, in comparison they look rather small!
   Sorry i cant be of more help.


Offline Paul Birkeland

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Reply #44 on: May 31, 2013, 04:37:19 AM
Nice build!  The extra octal socket is a great idea, and should be a lot of fun to roll tubes.

If you wanted to leave a tube in both sockets, a SPDT switch could be used to switch power between pin 9 on the 9 pin socket and pin 8 on the octal driver socket (note - you may have pin 9 going to pin 7 on the octal socket, which is also OK).

If two tubes are plugged in but only one is heated, the dark tube will not draw any current and shouldn't cause you any problems.

-PB

Paul "PB" Birkeland

Bottlehead Grunt & The Repro Man

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