Wow... Has it been? - yup - 17 years since I first stumbled upon the Foreplay 99$ kit. Next came the Straight 8's. The Foreplay was an unfortunate casualty in the dumpsterfire that was my divorce a few years ago, but my Straight 8's are still in the mix and sound as good as they ever did. Since the death of my Foreplay (RIP) I have been powering my speakers with a decent mid-90s Denon but while linear and quiet, there was a realism and just general pleasantness that I had forgotten. Until tonight!
Due to a strange twist of fate that lead me to a bizarre job building some audio gear for a InfoSec customer of mine - i felt it would be a good idea to warm up my soldering skills and build - anything. A $8 chip amp from Amazon didn't do it. Nope. Not at all. With A BeePree +BeeQuiet in the shipping queue, I needed to go valve, and I needed it bad!
Shipped within a week, and tucked inside a lovely stocking (great for assembling the kit on, by the way!) my Quickie went together like butter. Still have my Original Foreplay manual and I have to say that while it was the best manual in the universe back in 1999 - the instructions and color photos included in the 1.1 manual almost felt like cheating while assembling my *gasp* bright yellow Quickie.
Everything metered out fine - like perfectly. I have never, ever, ever - heard a more microphonic tube in my life, but that is why god created chassis mods and tube rolling.
After a (respectful) amount of burn in time downstairs connected to a pair of small throwaway speakers, it just went into the Lineup - SMSL 24bit DAC to Quickie, to NAD 2150 to vintage straight 8's. I won't bore you with baloney audiophile sommelier language. It is simpler than that, and it always has been for me. As soon the first note hit I had that instant grin, still hunched over the Quickie on the floor 40" from the speakers. Now I am back on the couch typing this at a more respectful 13' and I can't stop grinning. The soundstage is bigger, the mids are freakin' awesome, and while there is a bit less resolution in the bottom end, it is just so pleasurable to listen to.
Thanks for doing it again Doc, Paul and (of course) Eileen. I know the Bottlehead family has grown and has suffered loss over the years since my last dive into the world , but you haven't lost that spark. Cant wait for the power boards for the Quickie, and I don't know how I am going to be able to sleep until the BeePree arrives. Too bad I'll be (eventually) sending it on to a new home, but I bet there will be one of my own in my room before too long
Take care,
Ewing
