Bottlehead Kits > Reduction

Newbie with a green field

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SammyJ:
Hello Folks,
So I've been looking around for some time and I'm really excited to dive into the Bottlehead world.  I'm relatively new to getting serious about hi-fi audio but have been dabbling for years.  I'm quite green with electronics, though I do plan on completing some simple kits from Adafruit to help shore up my soldering skills.  Until now, I've managed to put a mod chip into a Playstation (as a teen) and have managed to fry an XBox trying to do the same thing.  Still though, I'm a maker at heart, so I'm excited at the possibilities.

OK, so, a couple of questions.  Being that I'm quite green in both DIY electronics and I was hoping for some guidance.  Currently, I'm running a Pro-Ject RPM 1.3 with a Sumiko Pearl cartridge.  It's feeding directly into a Kenwood AR404 stereo reciever phono input, which then powers two soon-to-be Focal 706's.  I'd like to start putting together a system to replace the Kenwood at the heart of my system.  Rather than buying off the rack, I figured I'd start building.  Here's the current setup:

Sources:
Macbook Pro (eventually it'll have a proper DAC on it, but right now, it's the stock DAC on the MBP)
Pro-Ject Turntable

Output:
Focal 706 Bookshelves (rated at 90db sensitivity)
Either HD598, HD650 or a lower end pair of Grado's

I was thinking I'd start off with a Reduction and hook it into a line-in on the Kenwood.  Afterwards, I'd replace the Kenwood altogether with maybe a Stereomour?  What are your thoughts on that? 

Reduction questions:
1. Does this approach sound reasonable?
2. Does this thing output enough power to power some headphones or is that crazy talk?

A couple of Stereomour questions (didn't want to crosspost into that forum, but may if this isn't the right place):

1. How easy is it to mod to use a decent entry-mid range set of headphones?
2. Any thoughts on how it'll perform with those Focal's?
3. I should be able to MBP -> Stereomour, right?

I realize I probably sound like a complete newbie, but hey, gotta start somewhere, right?  I really really appreciate the help and advice, looking forward to your thoughts.

Doc B.:
The crux of the matter is how loud you want to play your speakers. If you want them to be able to play at high volume you would need the Paramounts. If you listen at more average levels and want to use headphones too, the S.E.X. amp would be the best choice. The Stereomour falls somewhere in between power-wise, but the AC filaments mean it could be a little too noisy for sensitive headphones.

Paul Birkeland:

--- Quote from: SammyJ on January 08, 2014, 08:31:42 AM --- Reduction questions:
2. Does this thing output enough power to power some headphones or is that crazy talk?

--- End quote ---
Yeah, that is crazy talk.  The Reduction is happiest driving a load that is 25,000 Ohms or higher, while most headphones are 16-600 Ohms.  This would basically have nearly all possible problems (not enough voltage, poor frequency response, high distortion, etc). 

I would recommend trying the Reduction and SEX amp.  The SEX amp won't give you ear bleeding SPL levels out of your speakers, but it may end up being enough.  It will, however, be able to deliver the goods into headphones. 

-PB

Evan:
Just an opinion from a lurker:
I've only used a 2.0 version of the SEX amp, but I am a big fan. If your budget is relatively modest and you prefer having an "all in one" type package it is a fantastic amp. It will drive a very broad selection of headphones, and with the right speakers it makes a lot of music.

I played 91db sensitive KEF bookshelf speakers through my SEX 2.0 for some time and found it sufficiently loud for most of the listening I do. But I am very good at managing my expectations and I listen at modest volumes in a smaller space. I've since built 98db sensitive speakers using a 12" pro audio woofer and a compression driver to get more "POWER". I've also transitioned to a Stereomour/Crack combo - but not because of any deficiencies with the SEX.

I don't want to presume too much, but considering you have a Playstation/Xbox I am guessing you are relatively younger. I'm just shy of 30 and personally found the 91db sensitive speakers with the SEX or Stereomour a little quiet for those times I wanted to "feel" the music. The 98db speakers I have now will go louder than I can handle in the smallish listening space I have. But with either speaker the Stereomour makes some very nice music.

I've never hooked my MBP directly to my Stereomour, so I can't answer as to how well that will work. The input impedance of the amp is around 270k, so the headphone out might not have enough oomph. I'd try it, but I don't have a 3.5mm to RCA cable. Others here will know more about this than me.

All that aside, I absolutely love my Bottlehead amps. I think they look great, sound fantastic, and I have a personal connection to them knowing that I made every solder joint. Warming up with some Adafruit or Make projects will make the build that much easier. And the directions are excellent. I recommend looking through the gallery subsection and deciding exactly how you want your amp to look before you start building. It is much easier to do any painting before you start!

corndog71:

--- Quote from: Evan link=topic=5533.msg53275#msg53275 :P date=1389240553 ---I don't want to presume too much, but considering you have a Playstation/Xbox I am guessing you are relatively younger.

--- End quote ---

I have 2 xbox 360's and I'm over 40.  8)

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