Another Quickie done!

[corndog71]

This is a very cool little kit!  Very reminiscent of the old Foreplay II preamp but obviously different due to their respective power supplies.

I took my time and over the last couple of nights got it together.  The step-by-step instructions were very well done with easy to follow pictures.  It just doesn't get much easier than this.

Since it's quite late I've only played it for a little bit at a low volume.  I can already say I'm very impressed with how it sounds even just in its stock form.  I'm hearing a nice, wide soundstage and good detail right off the bench.

I'll post more tomorrow with more pics when I have a chance.

 

[machinehead]

Very cool, I like the impromptu case! actually looks pretty cool!

I am intrigued by your interconnects and CD player, what kind are they?

Also, what tubes are you using?

 

[bundee1]

I Second the tubes and interconnect question.

 

[machinehead]

Is the CD player a Rega?

 

[corndog71]

The tubes are RCA and came with the quickie.  The CD player is the first generation Planet by Rega.  Amazing that it's still going strong after 10 years!

I was trying to think of a cheap base for the Quickie.  I almost went with a heavy cardboard box but then I remembered that I had a bunch of foam packing material from work that I used for moving.  I use foam under my turntable which works pretty well in blocking ground vibrations.  I remember hearing a few reports of the 3S4 tubes being sensitive to vibration and the light bulb went on!  Tapping on any part of the quickie produces a slight ringing sound but otherwise they're very quiet tubes.

Here's some assembly pics. 

Mounting the hardware took about an hour.

Here's the block of foam.  Took me a bit to dig it out.  I'll probably have to dig out some more before adding any upgrades.

As for the interconnects, the white ones are Homegrownaudio Silver Lace. 

The others are home-made 4-wire braids of HGA copper and silver wire with Rat Shack RCAs.

The amp is the Bryston B60P and speakers are a pair of AV123 X-CS that have been extensively upgraded themselves.

 

[Paul Birkeland]

Very nice!  It looks like you got lighting white acrylic, so you might consider stuffing some small diffuse lights under your plate and making it really pop (maybe even UV).  I like the foam brick, that was  ingenuity at its best!

 

[Grainger49]

I have to admit my first impression of the base was that it was a massive piece of granite or some such rock.  Then my eyes focused and I saw it was foam.  That is a much better idea for isolation.

Nice build and a truly imaginative base.

 

[corndog71]

I broke out my old Foreplay 2 just to steal the base for this pic.  I was in a hurry and din't have time to get a better angle / setting which explains the slight fuzziness.

 

[corndog71]

Today I felt like I had a good idea of how the stock Quickie sounded.  So it was time to upgrade!

First I replaced the signal wire between the toggle switch, the volume pot and the terminal strip with homegrownaudio silver/teflon wire for my own piece of mind.  

Next went the output caps which were replaced by a pair of well burned in Sonicaps.

Finally I installed the PJCSS which went in without a problem.

Fired it all up and dang does it sound good!  I mean spooky-good!  

 

[machinehead]

Very cool!

I still have to put in my AudioCaps, and I have an Alps RK27 pot waiting also.

 

[corndog71]

I shot a video of one of my stereos as a demo for one of my friends and just thought maybe you guys would get a kick out of it.

I found a couple of vocal tracks from the soundtrack to O' Brother Where Art Thou that sound spooky good. I shot this with my cheap Canon and felt it captured it well.

The system being played is as follows:

Rega Planet (1st Gen.)
Bottlehead Quickie Battery-Powered Tube Preamp(with PJCSS upgrade and Sonicaps)
Dynaco ST70 with Curcio Upgrade Driver and Cap boards and Sonicaps
AV123 X-CS with Skiing Ninja Elite upgrades
Interconnects are HGA Silver Lace and home-made using HGA wire.
Speaker cables are Kimber 4VS.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yi-lmFVA2l4

 

[machinehead]

sounds absolutely life-like!