How Did You Get Here?

[Doc B.]

Fun thread, folks, thanks for all the kind words.

[Natural Sound]

When I was a teen back in the 70's I took a 2 year electronics course. It was far enough back that we learned tube technology as a springboard for learning transistors. Part of that class was a lab where we each built a two tube mono amp consisting of a 12AX7 and a 6V6. I used that amp for years using a cheap cassette player as a source and an open baffle Altec Lancing speaker salvaged from a console HiFi setup that was destined for the landfill. Later a friend of mine used that amp as a practice amplifier for his electric guitar. As a person that likes to stay on the cutting edge I abandoned tube technology in favor of solid state. I also sold all my vinyl records and replaced most of them with CD's. I continued on this path for nearly 20 years and then stumbled on a few DIY headphone amp articles on the WEB. Since I've never been all that impressed with Solid State I decided that I would build a tube based headphone amplifier. In the process of narrowing down which circuit to use and sourcing parts I discovered the Bottlehead SEX amp. I was intrigued by the 6DN7 dissimilar triode design. Having a small and large tube circuit in the same glass envelope seemed really cool! And what was this "parafeed" thing anyway? By then I was hooked. I was a "tube guy" again. I ordered the SEX amp and have been very happy with it ever since. Of course it doesn't stop there. I bought a Seduction/FPIII "package deal" and some Paramour II's to build my main system. And recently I purchaced a Quickie and Crack (I hate that name BTW). Those amps are not built yet but are on the agenda after the spring chores are done. I'll build the quickie first to swap into the main system as a backup while I "raise the hood" on the FPIII and install some mods.

Thats my story to date. I'm sure there will be more to come. I'm anxiously but patiently waiting for some type of DAC to come from Bottlehead.

[ToolGuyFred]

Bought a Parasex amp after reading the ad in Sound Practices (sometime in the last century). Keep coming back. Well impressed with the Bottlehead team.

(Lost my Audio Asylum login and have just registered here.)

[HF9]

Ages ago I stumbled upon a post at AudioAsylum mentioning Bottlehead. Back then I didn't know the greatness behind vacuum tubes, the enjoyment behind building a kit or appreciate the vintage style of the plate on wooden base look.

More recently, I decided that building an amp was on the bucket list, and I put together a Millet MiniMAX kit. While the build was enjoyable, there really wasn't much opportunity to tweak the design. I then decided that I would take a crack at the Crack headphone amp. Now that I've gotten a bit older, I've grown to appreciate the Bottlehead look, old-school vacuum tube designs and building my own equipment, and oddly enough, shun the minimalist-looking SS equipment I listened to when I was younger.

The Crack build was enjoyable and sounds excellent... which led me to build the Seduction and I'm now planning on building the S.E.X. when time permits. Bottlehead gear is just far too addictive

[Maxwell_E]

I was talking to my friend one day in my 12th grade English class and mentioned that I was a fan of tube guitar gear and was looking for the modern equivalent of a Heathkit stereo. He mentioned that his dad (Doc B) does stuff like that, and that I should check out the website. I logged on, and I was hooked. I must have read every review on every forum about these things. I couldn't be happier with the product, and the people who make it. Thanks.

[Grainger49]

I was talking to my friend one day in my 12th grade English class and mentioned that I was a fan of tube guitar gear and was looking for the modern equivalent of a Heathkit stereo. He mentioned that his dad (Doc B) does stuff like that, and that I should check out the website. I logged on, and I was hooked. I must have read every review on every forum about these things. I couldn't be happier with the product, and the people who make it. Thanks.

As a tribute to my bad eyesight and addled brain I thought that this read that you were teaching the English class.  You are a classmate to Shawn. 

D'Oh!

[Maxwell_E]

Colin actually. I'm a young guy in this forum, I suppose. Only a sophomore in college. People my age give me blank stares when I say things about tubes and vinyls. They also tend to say things like "You're kinda weird, aren't you?"

[Grainger49]

Cool!  I tried to raise my 3 nephews to like vinyl and tubes, but to no avail.  All three are still in their 20s.

[Paully]

You may not have infected your lucky nephews, but if it is any consolation, you can remember that I wouldn't be nearly as far gone into this hobby as I am if it weren't for you.

[Grainger49]

Paul, Paully, and I met through the Bottlehead site.  He has built a FP 2, FP III, SEX, Seduction, Eros and Paramounts.  That is more Bottlehead kits than I have built.

[Oberst Oswald]

Somehow I got here through Head Fi...

[Thoburn]

From surfing the net looking for tube amps. Lurked around for several years before buying a Stereomour. Great amp. Great company.

[Mr. Davis]

Through Head-Fi.

[Grainger49]

Recent posts show a number of Head-Fi.  Bottlehead must have some good talk going on over there.

[porcupunctis]

Not sure I can say exactly but the story is something like this:

I've always loved music and had a great SS system when I was in High school back in the late 70s.  Bang & Olufsen TT, TEAC Real to Real, JVC amp and Bose 901 SII back when it all was new.  For a High School kid that was quite a system.

Then there was the real life phase and I found myself about 10 years ago listening to my computer through cheap speakers and realized there was something wrong with this picture.

Initially, I tried re-creating the great SS gear of my youth and got into some old Phase Linear gear.  Love the look but maintenance became a night-mare.  The Bottlehead site kept coming up when I surfed the net and I haunted the site quite a bit for years.

Then my boss came by one day and we realized we had a common interest in audio gear and he asked if I'd ever tried any tube gear.  Neither of us had but I told him that I was strongly considering some of the bottlehead kits.  I went home that night and bought a Quickie just to check it out.

The Quickie had a solid feel and great sound and Now I'm hooked.  Built a Foreplay, found a Paramour kit that was still unassembled (still is but won't be for long), orded a Seduction and I'm considering a S.E.X.

I'll have to say that combination of great gear and awesome community make this a wonderful place to be.  I wish I had started sooner.