New Crack Build - First Headphone amp build

[Urshurak776]

Yes, you might also find that it helps to take your needle nose pliers and push those wraps up against the diode body so there's more thin lead available to slide into the holes to get those into position.

Great! I’ll do this. Thanks Paul.

 

[Urshurak776]

Got the power wiring done. Voltages so far good and tube glow test was fine. Stopping for the evening. We have a big snow storm here in Charlotte. Weird!!!

 

[Paul Birkeland]

The green wire going to A4/5 is stripped too far/not inserted into the socket terminals enough.

If that wire touches the chassis plate, it will end your power transformer pretty quickly.

You might just cut it where it meets the terminal strip and slide the cut end into A5 a bit more so the jacket is closer to the socket pin.

 

[Urshurak776]

The green wire going to A4/5 is stripped too far/not inserted into the socket terminals enough.

If that wire touches the chassis plate, it will end your power transformer pretty quickly.

You might just cut it where it meets the terminal strip and slide the cut end into A5 a bit more so the jacket is closer to the socket pin.

Thanks Paul. I tightened it up a bit. Not perfect but it’s a long way from chassis plate. I’ll get some alcohol on a cotton swap and clean that socket up a bit. That solid core wire is pretty tough to bend in small places!

 

[Urshurak776]

Just finished the step for installation of the (3) 220uf caps. Getting three wires/leads is tricky getting them in the same hole.

Added resistors to volume pot (75k) and (33K) across the top and bottom outer legs.

 

[Urshurak776]

Something interesting happened today. A guy from work, that I barely know, saw me over at the factory (I work for a large HVAC manufacturer) and said he had something for me. He and I had a conversation around Christmas time about tube amps. Went to his office with him and he pulled these out and said Merry Christmas! February, but he meant it! Lol

Not sure if these are good or not, but he said they should all work fine. I can’t tell what brands they all are, but two of them are Baldwins. The National and GE he said are brand new. Never used.

 

[Paul Birkeland]

The 6211 isn't a good choice to use the Crack.

The Baldwins look like RCAs, you also have an RCA cleartop, and a Shuguang 12AU7.

 

[Urshurak776]

The 6211 isn't a good choice to use the Crack.

The Baldwins look like RCAs, you also have an RCA cleartop, and a Shuguang 12AU7.

Oh cool, I have heard good things about the RCA clear top. Never heard of the Shuguang 12AU7 before though. Thanks Paul. I'll sell the 6211's, I have no use for them.

 

[Paul Birkeland]

You could hold onto them in case you end up with a Stereomour.

 

[Urshurak776]

Finished! Holy smokes!

Well, not smokes, bad choice of words. lol.

This thing sounds incredible! Resistance checks and voltage checks were right on where they should be. Hooked everything up and plugged in my HD650’s. Turned it on with volume at zero. Let the amp warm up a couple minutes. Hooked up directly to iPhone without a DAC, so using my DAC will be better, but even for the test, sounded glorious!

Thanks Paul and everyone else that chimed in!

 

[Urshurak776]

My goal was to clean up the breakfast nook where I built the crack. Been sitting here for two hours just listening. Wife’s pissed.

Philco 6AS7G and RCA Cleartop. Very nice. Listened to the Eagles live (Hell Freezes Over.). The imaging is unlike anything I have ever heard before.