First Crack build..

M

m@tty

New member
Just started putting my first Crack together...
Haven't done the point to point wiring yet only all the cosmetic stuff..
I used wrinkle paint on the aluminium plate and had the bell chrome plated..
The wood base was finished with teak oil then polished..
I used some Valab rhodium plated RCA sockets and a machined and knurled aluminium volume control and machined aluminium feet.
I also decided to build with a Valab Stepped attenuator but other than that will build the crack as standard.

4C0D959D-EA2F-4812-A354-1C0253D91FFB_zpsv6glhiyp.jpg
 
Looks like you are off to a good start. Chrome on black is a nice classic and classy look. I really like what you did with the base too. You really got the wood grain to come out nicely. Keep us updated on the rest of the build.
 
I see you have a DAC3, i recently picked one up from his auction listings on ebay.  Would be interested to hear your thoughts on it?
 
I haven't had it long and have been listening to it through my HD650s with an Objective2 amp with my iPhone playing Spotify as the source.
Before using it I was using an Arcam Rdock Uni with the same source.
It has a nice very natural and forgiving sound and is quite a versatile little Dac that would also be ideal for travelling with my laptop as it can draw power from its USB port or the batteries or from a 12 - 15 volt DC power supply.
The maker suggested using a 15 volt power supply to get the best out of it so I'm considering an Ifi ipower power supply or making one with a large toroidal..
 
I was very surprised with it as i was expecting a warm sounding dac with rolled off high and low end but its not like that at all.  Granted it doesn't have the last bit of resolution and detail of a modern dac, but i can happily listen to it for hours and hours as it just sounds great.  Probably measures terrible if you are into that kind of thing, but subjectively its great.

I am a little confused about its power circuitry. It runs fine off the USB interface and keeps the batteries topped up so i am little unsure of what is going on under the hood, i.e. when does it use the batteries vs charging them from the USB power source.  If i leave it plugged into a USB source overnight, then connect a bench power supply at 15volts it draws an additional 100ma for an hour or two, which i assume is topping off the batteries at a higher voltage.  I spoke to Christoph briefly and he confirmed that was the case,  and also advised a 15v supply was optimal. He also said the DAC chip is powered from the battery source all the time, and the power circuitry is only there to charge the batteries, but i cant figure out how that works myself.  To be honest i don't really see the need for a dedicated DC supply if you are using a USB source so i'm not going to bother building one.
 
I'm using it with my iPhone as the source through USB with a lightning to USB 3 connector and an iPad charger plugged into the Lightning to USB3 connector to charge the phone.
I had some difficulty getting it to connect and play from my phone with USB power alone so I'm using a 12 volt wall wart I had kicking around but could do with getting a dedicated power supply for it as I borrowed this one from something else..

Really enjoying listening to the Crack so think I will use it for a while before adding the speedball..
 
Recently completed my first Crack. Waited about a month to add the Speedball. It's a treat as as is, but you're in for a most pleasant surprise. Enjoy!!

Where did you get the chrome feet?
 
Thanks for the info. Just ordered them. Think they'll look great on mine. Might post some before and after pics whenever they arrive from China.
 
What did you use on the top of that?  Looks like a mat of some kind???  Very nice wiring job.  8)
 
To answer people's questions I used VHT Wrinkle Plus Paint on the top plate.
Four coats and then used a heat gun to wrinkle it up..
For the wood base I sanded it to about 400 grit and used maybe 4 or 5 applications of Teak Oil just rubbed in with a lint free cloth ( an old shirt was used for this) and then left it a few days and then a few coatings of Wax Polish again rubbed in with a lint free cloth and buffed up with another lint free cloth..
 
I like the support you made for the choke and caps. Kind of reminds me of the erector set I had when I was a kid. Is that perforated metal something you bought off the shelf?
 
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