Quickie vs. Foreplay III?

[Sugar Man]

Hello Bottleheads:

I was a full-fledged Bottlehead addict a few years back and then the stork dropped off a beautiful little girl and my kits started collecting dust.  Well, its hard to stay off the Bottlehead wagon, so I'm back and ready to build a couple of new kits to go with the Orcas and Sub combo I just ordered from Clark.  I've got a set of Paraglows that I'm sending into Doc for some maintenance.  I also have an upgraded Foreplay II built.  While I was over at Clark's, he was running the Quickie and he said it was the bomb.  Paul at Bottlehead says the same thing.

Here's where it gets interesting.  I've got a Foreplay III new in the box (unbuilt).  What is going to sound better with my tuned-up Paraglows and Orcas?  Foreplay III or Quickie?  If the consensus is the Quickie, I'm open to selling my FIII kit to any interested Bottlehead vintage enthusiast (Note: Doc B has okayed this) who can give it a good home.  If no one wants it, I'll build it myself even if I go the Quickie route.

Super excited to be back.  I'll never forget the thrill of building the original $99 Foreplay, surviving the live voltage tests, and having it transform my already good SS system.

Peace Out,
Stein (aka Mike, but that's kinda boring)

[Grainger49]

Stein/Mike,

Welcome back!  What was your old Moniker?

Sorry, I'm no help on the Quickie vs. FP III question, I'm still running my hopped up FP 2.

[Sugar Man]

Thanks Grainger.  I believe my old moniker was Zenaudio, but it wasn't working when I tried to log back in.  I'll definitely be A/Bing my upgraded Foreplay II with whichever option I choose.  As I noted in my first post, it is all Win-Win with Bottlehead gear, considering my first $99 Foreplay seriously improved my system!

[Grainger49]

I see your moniker changed today.  I didn't know you could do that.  Maybe I could go underground,  well, maybe not.

I bought the Full Meal Deal FP 2.  I know it wasn't much considering it replaced an Audio Research preamp.

[4krow]

I can't readily compare these two products, since I have only heard the Foreplay briefly. I WILL tell you that after building a few different types/kinds/brands of kits, I can't even come close to what an honest achiever I found the Quickie to be. I sold the Quickie(Bride of Quickie) that I built, thinking that the other kit would sound at least as good. The 'other' kit is a high quality one at that, and I didn't cheap out on parts. Let me say it this way, I am planning on building another Quickie. Now that I have heard it, I can't get it off my mind. I think it might have something to do with the tubes used, and being directly heated.

[saildoctor]

My 2 cents is for the FPIII.  Although my unit has the extended shunt regulated upgrade.  I preferred it during a Orca demo session at Blumenstein HQ last month.  I'm guessing that what I liked was the way it handled dynamic passages but remained very detailed and smooth.

Thought I should add also that I use 6SN7's in my FPIII.  So not quite an apples to apples comparison. 

[RPMac]

Can't make a comparison, but I know the stock FPIII sounds good with Paraglow II.
I like the idea of a DHT preamp...that's why I bought a BeePre. Now waiting for PJ to develop a DHT driver circuit so I can have an all DHT BottleHead system.

Is Doc going to Soft Start your Paraglows? I hope so, then he can show us how to fit it under the hood.

[4krow]

This question is kinda related since it is about the Quickie. It was stated the only power switch needed in the Quickie would be for the filament voltage. Does this also apply to other circuits?,i.e. would most any tube not conduct until the heater was on?

[Grainger49]

All the tubes I know of will not conduct without the heater being hot.  The exception is gas regulators since they have no heater.

[Doc B.]

It does not apply universally - for example - the Paramount with its soft start circuit, which holds the B+ back until the filament and heater is warmed up first. Plus there is a safety risk in leaving the B+ on all the time on high voltage tube circuits. Obviously this is not an issue with a battery powered quickie.

[4krow]

Doc, That would be the second part of my question. I have a circuit using 6NS7 tubes. Since the transformer is inclosed in a separate box and placed behind the rack, on the floor, it makes it more difficult to switch on/off. I thought, if the transformer switch were left on, then a filament power switch could be used on the other box that includes the hi/lo voltage circuits. But perhaps, leaving the high voltage live is a safety concern.

[Doc B.]

When we did the system in Paul Stubblebine's mastering room the power switch on a lot of the gear was on the back. Paul had outlets and a light switch built into the rack so that a single switch turned everything on. Worked nicely. I should do the same, as I have to throw about 22 switches to fire up our main system.

[Jim R.]

I should do the
same, as I have to throw about 22 switches to fire up our main system.

Theree's just something hilarious and impressive about that statement! :-)

-- Jim

[Sugar Man]

Is Doc going to Soft Start your Paraglows? I hope so, then he can show us how to fit it under the hood.

RPMac:

Soft start will be a game-time decision once Paul gets under the hood.

Stein

[Paul Joppa]

Technically, it is better to switch the high voltage on after the cathodes are hot, and off before they cool down. That's because having high voltage when the filaments are partially warm leaves them exposed to poisoning, which is high velocity ions impacting the cathode without a fully-developed protective layer of electrons.

In the Quickie, the low voltage (36 volts with new batteries) means the ion velocity is not that high, so I don't think it's a problem. In old-style battery radios (for which the 3S4 was developed) switching the filament supply only was commonly done. Presumably the sacrifice in tube lifetime was fairly small even with the 67.5 or 90 volt batteries commonly used.