BeePre Ordered today!

[marantzfan]

I have been looking forward to making the move to the Paramounts and BeePre for a loooooong time.  Well, today I bought the BeePre kit so I am one step closer.  I bought it without 300b tubes as I think I'd like to try something different any recommendations from other BeePre owners? 

Also, any recommendations on capacitor upgrades?  I can't wait for this kit to arrive!

Anthony

[Doc B.]

Thanks Anthony!

[Natural Sound]

Sweet! Did you get the "Doctober" deal?
http://bottlehead.com/smf/index.php?topic=6845.0

I don't have the BeePre (yet) so I cant comment on your other questions. But rest assured there will be BeePre owners jumping in shortly with recommendations.  As always its recommended to build the kit in its stock form first. Let us know how it works out!

[marantzfan]

Thanks Anthony!

Absolutely.  Thank you for doing what you do Doc.  This will be my fourth Bottlehead kit! 

[marantzfan]

Sweet! Did you get the "Doctober" deal?
http://bottlehead.com/smf/index.php?topic=6845.0

I don't have the BeePre (yet) so I cant comment on your other questions. But rest assured there will be BeePre owners jumping in shortly with recommendations.  As always its recommended to build the kit in its stock form first. Let us know how it works out!

I did.  I was debating which to buy first, the Paramounts or the BeePre and when I saw the Doctober deal, it was a no brainer.   

[Paul Birkeland]

You might consider buying two of these:

http://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/UKA1C103MHD/493-4604-ND/2786979

There is already a really nice pair of 10,000uF 16V caps included with the kit, these came out after we released the kit and may be just a smidge better.  They are also a bit easier to put in place during the build. 

[RPMac]

I can't make any upgrade recommendations because I haven't made any...sounds great bone stock.
Same goes for tubes...all I've tried sound good including OS 6A3 tubes.
I would recommend an inexpensive pair at start-up, just in case!
The BeePre makes my system so quiet, I have turned off my source and forgot to turn off the amps because there is no hum.
You will love it!

I have a pair of 605b's I want to try in OB...have you used yours in Open Baffle?

[marantzfan]

I can't make any upgrade recommendations because I haven't made any...sounds great bone stock.
Same goes for tubes...all I've tried sound good including OS 6A3 tubes.
I would recommend an inexpensive pair at start-up, just in case!
The BeePre makes my system so quiet, I have turned off my source and forgot to turn off the amps because there is no hum.
You will love it!

I have a pair of 605b's I want to try in OB...have you used yours in Open Baffle?

I never did try them OB, actually.  I have read of others using them in that way with a helper woofer and having great results.  In my experience, they sound awfully good in the 620 cabinets, especially with the markwart crossover with eq that he has posted the schematic for on his website.  I built my crossovers using Kimber Kaps and Jantzen inductors as he suggests and they were a dramatic improvement over the stock crossovers.

Now, back to the BeePre, have many users found advantages to using 6A3 tubes instead of 300b?  Also, what are the value of the two film capacitors?  EDIT: Found it, they're 10uf.

[Paully]

Funny getting older, I would have to flip the chassis to see what we used but sure seems like we went to our old standby with Obligatto for the 10uf.  If it made a difference I couldn't tell you, I did what Doc says not to and built it with them.  On a $1K preamp I wanted to set it and forget it.

For the 300B I went with JJ 300B after doing a lot of reading.  Nothing to compare them to so far as I haven't bothered to swap.  Usually that is a good sign.

[Skip Pack]

Off Topic!! If Dan wants to move this to the Speaker section to continue, that works.

I have been using Altec 605Bs in open baffles for five years now and love them. They were inspired by John Busch's efforts at the Lone Star Audio Fest in 2007 (Dallas). The following is a link to my initial working version using the simpler of  Jeff Markwart's 605 crossovers:

Crossovers:
 http://home.earthlink.net/~jmarkwart/id3.html

My speakers at top of thread:
http://www.hawthorneaudio.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=3307&p=45468&sid=42fc92adedc0296d3c3b084ab8245168#p45468

I have since upgraded the crossover with mods that John or Michael Martis (Panomaniac) used on Johns speakers. It adds high frequency compensation to the basic 2-way in the original:

http://www.hawthorneaudio.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=3307&p=45468&sid=42fc92adedc0296d3c3b084ab8245168#p45468

a couple of years ago, I added pro 18" woofers in open backed boxes to extend the LF.

Finally, I have opened up the back of the HF compression drivers so they are acting like dipoles. I'll get some pictures, and post those in the Altec forum and link here.

Happy to answer questions and bloviate on this topic, But let's put any extended discussion in a more appropriate place.

Skip

Happy to share

[STURMJ]

Regarding the 6A3 tubes: I am using them for two reasons. They are cheap! and they are not a tall as 300Bs, and allows me to put the unit on a lower shelf on my rack. They sound fine, not any worse than my 300Bs, different but different tubes sound different. BTW I have Sylvania nos 6A3s

[marantzfan]

Well, one capacitor I've always wanted to try are the Jantzen Z-Superior caps.  Price wise they aren't too expensive and aren't too cheap and my experience with other Jantzen caps has shown them to be a good value.  Any opinions on how they would sound in the BeePre or has anyone tried them?

[STURMJ]

I have Jantzen silver z caps in my BeePree (bypassed by Russian teflons)  And this is the combination I'll be sticking with.  I had these laying around unused, and in 10uF. I imagine tje will be simular to those you posted above.

[marantzfan]

I have Jantzen silver z caps in my BeePree (bypassed by Russian teflons)  And this is the combination I'll be sticking with.  I had these laying around unused, and in 10uF. I imagine tje will be simular to those you posted above.

Do you happen to have any photos of them installed?  I just got the Jantzen caps and the BeePre kit and this is looking like a really tight fit. 

[STURMJ]

Sorry I was busy the last few days and just saw your request. There is a lot of room at that end, but to help keep the caps out of the way I put a block of wood behind each terminal strip to raise them up and away from the other components. (super glued, drill holes and zip tie the caps)