HD650 and possibly speakers (in the future) - Crack or SEX?

[JosephDuffy]

Hi everyone,

I'm working on building a record setup and have nothing but some HD650s, which were (very kindly) gifted to me. I was hoping to buy a Crack, and found that Massdrop were doing a good deal on the Crack. I had since missed this deal, but they then posted a deal on the SEX.

I understand that the Crack should be better my headphone, but I was thinking that, some day, I would also buy/build some speakers. I understand that the SEX is good for speakers and ok for my headphones. The SEX will be a little more expensive ($620 w/ C4S and Output Impedance Switch Kit vs $470 w/ Speedball), but is it worth the extra money/slightly worse headphone performance? I don't think I'll be able to afford both any time soon so I'm a little lost.

I'm a little new to the audiophile world, never mind building my own amp, so please go easy!

[Doc B.]

I don't think the dominant opinion is that Crack is better with HD650s. Both are good and Crack is less expensive. Though Crack and Speedball is close to the ultimate discounted Massdrop price for the S.E.X. Check out Loquah's detailed comparison on Head Fi.

https://www.head-fi.org/t/683012/bottlehead-amplifier-discussion-comparison-thread-crack-sex-mainline

[JosephDuffy]

I don't think the dominant opinion is that Crack is better with HD650s. Both are good and Crack is less expensive. Though Crack and Speedball is close to the ultimate discounted Massdrop price for the S.E.X. Check out Loquah's detailed comparison on Head Fi.

https://www.head-fi.org/t/683012/bottlehead-amplifier-discussion-comparison-thread-crack-sex-mainline

From what I have read, I am finding that specifically for the HD650s that the Crack is better in the majority of cases, but it doesn't seem to be a huge difference, some do prefer the SEX, and the SEX can power speakers.

I think with a couple more SEX + HD650 owners I might be persuaded!

Plus,

[Doc B.]

At some point I have to recuse myself from commenting on this comparison stuff because it will just be taken as a sales pitch. Hopefully one would find that the sonic quality follows the price. I'd like to think so. Perhaps you need to weigh just how important using the amp for both headphones and speakers is. It seems that is the feature that has created the question in the first place.

[Natural Sound]

Joseph, first of all, welcome to the obsession.

I have both and a pair of HD-600 (not 650). My SEX amp is the earlier 2.0 version. From what I hear the current 2.1 model is even better. Both amps sound awesome. But if there is a remote chance of running speakers in the future then your decision is simple. Get the SEX amp.

IMHO everyone should own a SEX amp. When my main system is down for repair or upgrades I put the SEX amp in its place. It never fails to amaze me how good it sounds driving headphones or speakers. The SEX amp is a very versatile piece of Bottlehead gear that everyone should own.

That's my two cents anyway.

[Loquah]

Hi Joseph,

I no longer have the HD650s but owned and listened to them for a long time before buying my current HP of choice (Beyer T1s). As I've discussed in the Head-Fi comparison thread (I'm called "Loquah" over there), the S.E.X. has a cleaner more detailed sound which I believe would lend itself beautifully to the HD650s.

As much as I loved the HD650s I always yearned for a little more top-end detail to pair with their glorious mids and bass. I think the S.E.X. is perfect for this purpose as it's slightly leaner in the bass (which won't hurt the HD650s due to their beautiful warm sound) and has incredible detail, texture and separation in the higher registers.

My 5c worth would be a strong recommendation for the versatility and performance of the S.E.X. Yes, the Crack is good, but the S.E.X. can do more and does what it does a little better in almost all areas (except bass warmth and quantity). The only reasons I would recommend the Crack would be for someone with limited budget (not an issue with the Massdrop deal) and / or someone who REALLY wants the more intimate (i.e. less spacious) presentation of the Crack compared to the S.E.X.

[Zimmer64]

FWIW, I just opted for and ordered the SEX instead of the crack. It seems to be the more versatile offer. In the longer term I think it is the better decision and well worth the additional $$. After my very positive experience with the Quickie I fully trust in BH's designs and look very much forward to the delivery :-)

Michael

[JosephDuffy]

Thanks for all the replies everyone!

With everyone's opinions/feedback and more research I ended up opting for the S.E.X and I'm really looking forward to building it (it's my first project so it'll be a bit of challenge, but I think it'll be really fun!)

It seems that it's going to be better than adequate for my HD650s and I actually wouldn't mind some good speakers (another project to build?), so overall it's the best for my needs

Feel free to keep pitching in everyone, but I've made my decision for now

[Loquah]

Hi Joseph,

I built my S.E.X. kit as a group activity with 2 friends who also built a kit each. Neither of them had built anything before. That experience taught me that anyone can build the S.E.X. so long as they take their time and read the instructions carefully. 1 of us had some troubles, but it all came down to lack of attention, not skill.

Take your time and enjoy the process. You'll love the results!! Oh, and this is an awesome community if you get stuck anywhere - there's great knowledge and people answer really promptly and at all hours of the day and night.

[JosephDuffy]

As many people have advised, I'll be taking my sweet time and watch as many videos as possible so that it goes as well as possible!

2 quick questions:

What solder does everyone recommend? My Dad has a soldering kit that I'm going to borrow next time I got home, but I still need some solder or anything "extra" that might help me out?

Have people tried a mains conditioner with the S.E.X.? I've been looking at a Tacima CS929 but I'm hearing mixed results, which seem to be based on the setup, although mainly the amp.

Thanks for everyone's replies! I'm loving the community already

[Grainger49]

Any solder that says for electronics will be good.  There are threads about solder in the Tech tools folder.  Just stay away from solder with either copper or silver in it.  Those take too much heat to become liquid for a starter.

When picking up your dad's soldering iron let him show you how to solder.  Then try it yourself several times.  You can buy some terminal strips and resistors at Radio shack.  Just jump the resistor leads from one terminal to one two away.  Make a J with the leads, crimp them on to the terminals and then solder.  Your father should show you how much solder to use.

As for conditioning, I have tried Power Wedges (good) and a PS Audio Regenerator (best for me).  If you search "power regeneration" in the General folder my post is the first hit.

[Loquah]

+1

Practicing your soldering is important. A friend of mine who hadn't soldered before struggled in the tight spaces towards the end of the S.E.X. build and left large globs of solder which actually fused 2 contacts together in a couple of places where those contacts should not be connected. Much solder-sucking later I am ready to rebuild it for him while he's off getting married overseas - consider it a wedding present I suppose 

Long story short. Do some practice work and take your time on the output transformer soldering to really get the hang of it in the open, easy soldering opportunity they offer.

[JosephDuffy]

Any solder that says for electronics will be good.  There are threads about solder in the Tech tools folder.  Just stay away from solder with either copper or silver in it.  Those take too much heat to become liquid for a starter.

When picking up your dad's soldering iron let him show you how to solder.  Then try it yourself several times.  You can buy some terminal strips and resistors at Radio shack.  Just jump the resistor leads from one terminal to one two away.  Make a J with the leads, crimp them on to the terminals and then solder.  Your father should show you how much solder to use.

As for conditioning, I have tried Power Wedges (good) and a PS Audio Regenerator (best for me).  If you search "power regeneration" in the General folder my post is the first hit.

Can you recommend any solder? The only place I know in the UK that does this sort of thing is Maplin, but they don't seem to have a great search.

I did Engineering for 2 years, and that taught me to solder. I appreciate I won't be that good at it, and it was 3 years ago, but I will get some practice in whilst I'm waiting for my order

For now, I'll just stick with the cheaper Tacima Power Conditioner since I'm slightly over budget on the system now, and take a look at your recommended options at a later date. A preliminary look seems to show that I can't get everything in the UK, though, so it might be tricky!

[Mike B]

The best stuff is 63 Tin (Sn), 37 Lead (Pb).  It is eutectic solder which means that it melts at the lowest temp and goes from liquid to solid at once avoiding phase transisition.  60-40 is fine though.  Rosin core of course.

[JosephDuffy]

The best stuff is 63 Tin (Sn), 37 Lead (Pb).  It is eutectic solder which means that it melts at the lowest temp and goes from liquid to solid at once avoiding phase transisition.  60-40 is fine though.  Rosin core of course.

So something like this would suffice? http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/63-Tin-37-Lead-Rosin-Core-Solder-Soldering-Wire-Reel-0-3mm-/350657833849
Should I buy a couple of reels (37g each) to make sure I have some spare?