New "old" Foreplay!

[Bern1]

Hi all,
Earlier this year I resolved to build a "vintage" "American" stereo system based on a pair of JBL 4311B speakers that I had always wanted.  The hardest component to source was going to be the preamp and I looked at a few vintage tube preamps.  Finally one of the guys on the JBL forum proposed that I buy his new in box Foreplay kit from 10 years ago that he had never put together.  Problem solved!

It had all the instructions, Anticipation upgrade and no wooden box.  So, here's what I came up with: (hope the pics post!) 

 

[Bern1]

ok, I'll try the pics one at a time:

 

[Bern1]

The inside, lacks the geometrical precision of some kit builders I've seen on these shores, but it works great!  Actually, when I first fired it up one of the RCA tubes was bad but I was able to source another one and it's quiet as a mouse....noisewise anyway.

 

[Bern1]

Sorry for the double pic.  I should add that I used advice from this forum on shielding.  I built all the cables using Canare Star Quad 4E6 cable, connecting the foil shield on the outbound signal side only.  I grounded all the chassis in a daisy chain all the way to the outlet.  Very low noise.

 

[Bern1]

Ok, last post: sound?

Let me just say I'm blown away by the sound of this simple device!  Thanks to Doc and Eileen, who were kind enough to advise me on a couple of things about this old kit they had already sold to somebody else!

I built it first without Anticipation and listened to it, then installed Anticipation.  As expected, it is a lot livelier, and I mean a LOT!

Thanks for making such a great product....I'm sure it exceeds the level of everything else in the system so far.  I enjoyed building it and I'm really enjoying listening to it.

Cheers all,
Bernie

 

[Grainger49]

Bernie,

A truly ROBUST build.  These sound way too good for the price.  Just shows what value Bottlehead gives.

Congratulations!

 

[randy@matrixq.com]

Innovative and well done!  I really like what you did with the case. 

How did you get the metal-work done?  Do you have a break and bender in your garage?

 

[Grainger49]

I am helping a buddy, Keith, in Penn. to come up with a schematic for his friend's Response Audio One preamp.  It is a Foreplay 1 clone, but not as well executed.  Keith has a FP 1.  In a shootout the FP 1 beat out the Response Audio.  Let's not mention that the Response is a $2000 preamp.  It is just sad.

Just goes to prove that Dan and Paul really have it together.

 

[Paul Joppa]

Haha! Fair is fair, the original Foreplay design is by the late George Wright. The FP-III is my take on that design.

 

[Bern1]

Innovative and well done!  I really like what you did with the case. 

How did you get the metal-work done?  Do you have a break and bender in your garage?

I can't take any credit for the case.  I do have access to a break and bender but this was just something off the shelf at Fry's Electronics that just happened to have the perfect dimensions.

 

[Bern1]

Bernie,

A truly ROBUST build.  These sound way too good for the price.  Just shows what value Bottlehead gives.

Congratulations!

Thanks and congratulations to Dan, Paul and George and whoever else is associated with this school of design.  I've been around sound all my life and though I have no idea what goes into designing one of these things, I can hear quality and this delivers.  I'm still flabbergasted at the sound this has and for sure the turntable/cartridge I'm using is not at the level of the preamp.

This was more of a nostalgia driven project than an out and out quest for quality.  I wanted a vinyl playback system and I wanted to recall an era when we in the United States made quality gear, the Foreplay fits right in and even exceeds the quality threshold, all at a modest price!