Double trouble

[JamieMcC]

A ha, well I had so much fun building my Crack I couldn't resist building a couple more. With a few kits under the belt now I am starting to really enjoy the building process rather than being just plain terrified as I was to start. And am already thinking about what to build next!

The intention was to build a stock Crack to use as reference against my original and now hot rodded Crack and my newly built Sex amp. While I only really needed one combining postage with the Sex made sense.  Having assembled the bases and covered the top plates a couple of months ago progress stopped due to work commitments and then a much needed holiday for the family and I actually forgot about finishing them completely until talking about build projects on headfi recently jogged my memory!

Its been really enjoyable to hear that original Crack sound once again which is so engaging and starts the toes tapping straight away.

Thanks once again to the Bottlehead team for yet a another first class customer experience. 

 

[mcandmar]

Here is what you need to do, flip one of the chassis plates to make it a mirror image, then convert them both to monoblocks

 

[JamieMcC]

Here is what you need to do, flip one of the chassis plates to make it a mirror image, then convert them both to monoblocks

Nooooo. don't go putting ideas like that in my head. While its been a bit of a distraction and fun building them it dawned on me last night I have to many amps the two Cracks have pushed the total to seven headphone amps in the house! Time for a big ruthless clear out. The Sex being the only guaranteed keeper!

 

[Strikkflypilot]

Wow. So much space in the stock Crack

 

[Grainger49]

That is nice tidy work on the stock build.  How about a belly picture of the two side by side?

 

[Karl5150]

Wow, 7? I got looks from the boss at home when I built the Crack, as in "wasn't that other one (S.E.X.) made to work with headphones?"
Seriously, nice work!
3 kits in I know the feeling of enjoying the build instead of just getting through it. My recent plate-up rebuild & upgrade of my Reduction was that relaxed, enjoyable experience. (I'll post on that soon)
When (and if) you do part with some of your inventory you will create a void. Nature hates a vacuum
Karl

 

[JamieMcC]

That is nice tidy work on the stock build.  How about a belly picture of the two side by side?

Just for you can you..

 

[Grainger49]

Jamie,

I'm confused now.  Which one is hot rodded?  They look identical to me.  Except the one on the left looks a bit tidier.

 

[Chris65]

He built two more  ;D:

A ha, well I had so much fun building my Crack I couldn't resist building a couple more. 

 

[Grainger49]

D'Oh! 

 

[JamieMcC]

Ah ha, I see one of these 

 

[Grainger49]

Jamie,

Thanks, that is one jam packed Crack.  I'm particularly impressed with the table at the back holding the PS choke and final PS capacitor.

 

[JamieMcC]

Jamie,

Thanks, that is one jam packed Crack.  I'm particularly impressed with the table at the back holding the PS choke and final PS capacitor.

Thanks it seemed like a good solution to fitting it all in, one thing that continues to surprised me is over the last year I have become really used to the weight of the hot-rodded Crack it was getting moved back and fourth up and down stairs to use either in the bed room or with my turntable downstairs on a pretty regular basis, now every time I pick up the stock Crack to flip the top plate it always feels unexpectedly  light.

 

[grausch]

Jamie,

I would be very interested in hearing your thoughts now on the stock vs hot-rodded Crack.

Cheers,

Gunter

 

[aragorn723]

Holy crap there's a lot in that crack circuit!

 

[JamieMcC]

Jamie,

I would be very interested in hearing your thoughts now on the stock vs hot-rodded Crack.

Cheers,

Gunter

There really is no comparison and side by side, its a bit of a eye opener really. The Crack really responds well to modification throw in a top tier tube and its a very different listening experience to the stock Crack with my T1's.

But the extra mods do add up substantially, some rough costs.

Film Caps 3 off $150 for budget audio ones if Mundorfs or exotic double that
Attenuator $40 (basic valab) Goldpoint $250
Choke + mounting bracket $25
Teflons bypasses $20
Top tier tubes $150

What has been surprising is how close you can get if on a tight budget and your not put off by using Russian or non audio branded film capacitors.

I found some new 89uf +/- 2% Epcos on Aliexpress they cost $21 for three delivered! They sounded surprisingly good. You can find similar deals with Russian caps and pre owned ones on fleebay.

 

[HF9]

Very nice! You could bypass those larger EPCOS with the cheapie small Russian Teflons for more fun upgrades on a budget

 

[JamieMcC]

I like what the tefon brings and tried the epcos as a bit of a experiment they sound very similar to Solen or JFX but are a fraction of the cost. They are out now and being saved for power supply duty.