My take on the BeePre

[HF9]

Well you've got me drinking the Kool-aid Aaron I just ordered some 50mil Butyl sound damping sheets for my BeePre base I'm assembling now.

[johnsonad]

This morning I replaced the 4 Ohm resistors with 3.3 Ohm.  It was the only other value available from Mouser in this type of resistor and I got lucky.  Here are the before and after measurements with the Russian 6C4C tube.

Before (4 Ohm):
5.76v/5.79v (8%)

After (3.3 Ohm):
6.27v/6.22v (1%)

Can't ask for better than that!  As long as I stick with this tube, I should be golden.  I'm done with BeePre updates for the foreseeable future.  Now to get my Paramount-ish amps up to speed.   

[johnsonad]

Well you've got me drinking the Kool-aid Aaron I just ordered some 50mil Butyl sound damping sheets for my BeePre base I'm assembling now.

Report back on this when finished.  I would like to see how it looks when you consider this from the beginning and not an after thought as was my case. 

[johnsonad]

A pic of the new cap installation.

[wullymc]

Hey Aaron,

Very nice thread about your build.   I have noticed that the last two images with the V-Caps you have installed them 2 different ways (looking at the left side).  Eg. the green wire to the right, then the green wire to the left.

I have read them following installation instructions but don't know if you have taken this into consideration:

http://www.v-cap.com/installation-notes.php

You know better than me though!  I will be eventually using V-Caps but don't know how to determine which soldering location would be the lowest impedance path to ground.

Take care...Dave

[johnsonad]

Dave,

They are installed correctly in the second photo (with larger caps) though it looks odd. The BeePre's outputs run down the center of the chassis this why you see both reds in the center and the green/black ends on the outsides of the chassis.

I had to look it up myself and had them installed backward the first time around. I'm not sure it makes much of a difference having not compared them wired both ways but I'm happy with it wired this way.

[johnsonad]

A little update.  I purchased a pair of Elrog 300B's and I briefly put them into the BeePre today.  With very little listening time I was impressed by the sound, so much so that if I can sell off some extra gear, I may consider buying a second pair for the BeePre (this pair is for the Paramounts). 

Compared to the Russian tubes in their now, the Elrog's are significantly more microphonic.  The Russians I can beat on the top plate and have very little ring.  The Elrog's on the other hand ring like a bell.  I might add, it's a beautiful sounding bell but they ring none the less.  I find they are a little noisy too in the Paramount but I couldn't get a feel for the amount of noise increase their would be with them in BeePre and the EML's in the Paramounts.  It's a very small increase but an increase none the less. 

BTW, the red rings sit on the tubes just fine for about 2 seconds.  Once they heat up a little they become slick and they slide off the side of the tubes. 

[KevO]

Congratulations on getting Elrog 300b's. I am glad you are enjoying them.

Thanks for the feedback on their microphony too. Nothing is perfect unfortunately.

I was just changing music and sneezed toward the BeePre. An amplified sneeze is scary sounding. The EH's are like microphones. Time for more damping.

Kevin

[johnsonad]

Every little bit helps Kevin. The efforts are worth it though!