Built a Quickie Today

[Jamier]

I built a Quickie today. This thing is very cool! I put the tube sockets up on Silicon O-rings and spaced the retainers
with tiny bronze lockwashers to give the whole apparatus a little squishiness.I don't know if it helps the microphonics, as I didn't try it without them, but I do have to tap the chassis prettty hard, right next to the tubes to get it to ring.

 

[kgoss]

Looks great and it sounds like you have made progress on the microphonics front.

The transparent top plate is really cool!

 

[BNAL]

James,

What great idea using the o-rings. I have been thinking about how I would isolate the tubes if I was to rebuild my Quickie.

I really like the sound of mine and just upgraded the output caps and it to a great sounding preamp and gave it a little more detail and openness.

Enjoy, and would like to hear your impressions of the Quickie.

Brad

 

[Bonzo]

Those transparent Quickies are tempting...I think I'll rebuild mine soon 

Please, let us know how it performs in the context of your system!

Ciao

 

[aragorn723]

The o-ring idea is definitely a cool one, though it would probably mean de-soldering all of the socket pins to implement that on mine   Have you noticed any noise switching between inputs?  For me I get sort of a "clunky" noise.  Thanks!

Dave

 

[Bonzo]

The o-ring idea is definitely a cool one, though it would probably mean de-soldering all of the socket pins

Why? I think you can cut the o-ring, so no need to desolder anything.

 

[Leland Hankins]

To make the o-ring effective don't you need to completely isolate the bolts with o-rings top and bottom, bolts should not touch the top plate.  Wire hole insulators plugs (can not remember the exact name) could also be used.

 

[aragorn723]

Why? I think you can cut the o-ring, so no need to desolder anything.

That would be too simple!  Wish I thought of that   Where do you buy the o rings, and what size are they?

Dave

 

[Jamier]

        Leland is probably right.I think it would be more effective if the bolts were also isolated.I have not heard a Quickie with the tubes rigidly mounted to the chassis, so I think some of you would be better judges of this scheme than I. As far as the retainer ring is concerned, I did line the internal angle  with RTV silicon and allowed it to set before mounting the tubes. You can see where some of it squishes out in the close-up photo. I first tried the Quickie  in front of a Stereomour II. I was impressed with the overall tone and presence but, the SII is a fantastic sounding integrated amp. So, to really test what the Quickie brings to a lesser amp I put in front of some Class D monos that I have (IQ Audios). Wow! These don't sound like the same amps. Big improvement. However, the ringing gets more pronounced with these, so I put some pieces of Deflex under the feet of the base and that helped a lot. I also loosened the bolts on the tube retainers to get more spring from those Bronze lock washers and that also helped. It still rings, but you have to touch it pretty hard to make it ring. Before the Deflex and backing the bolts off, it would ring from a touch to the shelf  that I have it on.This approach does not cure the ringing, but I suspect it helps. It will probably turn out that a multiple tweak approach will be required to eliminate the ring (if that's even possible). I think all you need to do is adjust enough things to keep the ring from being audible while your in the listening position. I totally think it's worth the effort, this little pre- sounds phenomenal!



Jamie

 

[Jamier]

I made the O-rings. It's pretty easy. You inject 100% RTV Silicon into vinyl tubing that has a 1/8 inch internal diameter. I cut my tubing into 4 inch lengths before injecting the silicon, otherwise the back pressure gets pretty high. You let it sit for a week or so and then cut the vinyl tubing length wise with an Exacto or utility knife.Cut carefully, you want to just penetrate the vinyl but not the silicon.Hold the leading edge of the vinyl tubing with hemostats or needle nose pliers, this will keep your fingers out of the way(I, of course, learned the hard way).Usually, if you cut most of the way through, you can split the vinyl by spreading it with your fingernail.
Once you split the vinyl you peel the length of silicon out of the vinyl.DON'T throw away the cut vinyl tubing! You will need it to complete the O-ring.Cut the Silicon into lengths of 1 3/4 inch.Roll some paper up creating a tube with a 5/8 inch diameter.Take the cut vinyl tubing and cut some 5/16 inch pieces.Insert one end of your cured Silicon into the 5/16 cut vinyl. Add some fresh silicon in the other end followed by the opposite end of the cured Silicon. You'll see excess squish out.Now push the paper tube over the joined o-ring. This will keep the ends from slipping out of the splice while this whole thing cures.You will end up with an O-ring that is slightly smaller than the tube socket. I tried this with larger diameter O-rings, but when I mounted the socket and retainer, the socket was not evenly supported by the O-ring. I decided that the o-ring does need to stretch a little so that it fits tightly enough to not pinch out when the retainer is tightened. That's why I don't think that you want to cut the o-ring before you install it.You might be able to lift the socket of a completed Quickie enough to get the O-ring on,but you will have to stretch it more since the top of the socket has a larger diameter than the pin end.If there is enough interest in this, and with Doc's Blessing, I could post a step by step pictorial but I don't want to clog up the Forum with something that might turn out to be a big nothing. Remember, I haven't heard a Quickie in the stock configuration, so i can't say for sure that this improves anything.

 

[Leland Hankins]

Everyone needs to take a look at the work done by Thomas Mayer on Vinylsavor, especially how he isolates the tubes from the top plate.  Some of the most beautiful builds I have ever seen, I get a lot of ideas from him.  Used his isolation technique on my BeePre.

It just occurred to me that I had never mentioned that my custom Quickie never had a problem with microphonics but I did with the stock build, (using the same tubes).  The top plate on the custom version was 1/4" maple burl and the sides were 1 1/2" chechen wood, the legs are two inch ebony with Isonode anti-vibration feet. Because even with the stock BeePre there was microphonics, but almost none with my usual custom build, mass is the main difference here. Just an observation!   

 

[Jamier]

Leland,

Is your custom Quickie quiet with every amp that you have used it in front of? The reason I ask is that when I had it before the SII, I got the ring down to a real low level. When in front of the Class D amps,it magnified the ringing several fold.I suppose padding the inputs of the amps would help.How is that done?

Thanks for your time, Jamie

 

[BNAL]

My amp is a TDA7297 and I have no ringing problems. The input is sensitive so I can only use the the first part of my volume control, which is an eBay DACT.

 

[Leland Hankins]

Jamier, I have used the custom quickie with the following amps, no noise!

Paramounts; Yamamoto A-08S; Sex; and Diytube Get-Set-Go (great little amp).

 

[aragorn723]

I made the O-rings. It's pretty easy. You inject 100% RTV Silicon into vinyl tubing that has a 1/8 inch internal diameter. I cut my tubing into 4 inch lengths before injecting the silicon, otherwise the back pressure gets pretty high. You let it sit for a week or so and then cut the vinyl tubing length wise with an Exacto or utility knife.Cut carefully, you want to just penetrate the vinyl but not the silicon.Hold the leading edge of the vinyl tubing with hemostats or needle nose pliers, this will keep your fingers out of the way(I, of course, learned the hard way).Usually, if you cut most of the way through, you can split the vinyl by spreading it with your fingernail.
Once you split the vinyl you peel the length of silicon out of the vinyl.DON'T throw away the cut vinyl tubing! You will need it to complete the O-ring.Cut the Silicon into lengths of 1 3/4 inch.Roll some paper up creating a tube with a 5/8 inch diameter.Take the cut vinyl tubing and cut some 5/16 inch pieces.Insert one end of your cured Silicon into the 5/16 cut vinyl. Add some fresh silicon in the other end followed by the opposite end of the cured Silicon. You'll see excess squish out.Now push the paper tube over the joined o-ring. This will keep the ends from slipping out of the splice while this whole thing cures.You will end up with an O-ring that is slightly smaller than the tube socket. I tried this with larger diameter O-rings, but when I mounted the socket and retainer, the socket was not evenly supported by the O-ring. I decided that the o-ring does need to stretch a little so that it fits tightly enough to not pinch out when the retainer is tightened. That's why I don't think that you want to cut the o-ring before you install it.You might be able to lift the socket of a completed Quickie enough to get the O-ring on,but you will have to stretch it more since the top of the socket has a larger diameter than the pin end.If there is enough interest in this, and with Doc's Blessing, I could post a step by step pictorial but I don't want to clog up the Forum with something that might turn out to be a big nothing. Remember, I haven't heard a Quickie in the stock configuration, so i can't say for sure that this improves anything.

Cool thanks!  I'll have to add that to my list of Quickie mods to try

Dave

 

[Jamier]

Dave,

If you try this, or if you find some premade silicon o-rings that fit the bill, please let us know if it is an improvement. I've been thinking more about what Leland said and it gave me another idea that I think I'm going to try. It's a little more complicated than the O-rings but I think it has potential so I will update this post as it moves along. If you have any questions, etc about making the rings please post and I will respond ASAP.

Jamie

 

[Leland Hankins]

I believe the easiest way to isolate the tube socket would be to use Rubber or silicone Shock Absorber Vibration Isolator Mounts from Amazon, the small ones would be a perfect fit.

I would do this to my semi stock crack, but since last November I am no longer in the audio listening and building mode, came down with Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss, I can no longer hear music.  I do have several Bottlehead projects to finish but there just isn't a lot of motivation.

Back to woodworking (fancy rolling pins right now) and photography, have to keep busy.

Lee Hankins

 

[Jamier]

Hi Lee,

Sorry about your hearing loss. Is there any chance that it will return? I was wondering if you might post pictures of your custom Quickie, I would love to see that.

Jamie

 

[Leland Hankins]

Jamie, thank you, there is no cure, they don't even know what causes it.

There are a lot of photos of it somewhere on this forum, will try to find them for you.

Pictures are under Custom Quickie, August 18, 2010.

 

[Jamier]

Hi Lee,

      I just saw your custom Quickie. All I can say is WOW! That is just unbelievable.Did you think you would be getting praise for that seven years later? Something tells me you'll be getting praise for that seventy years from now.

Thanks for pointing me in the right direction,

Jamie