Waiting on phones.

[ToneDeaf]

  Finished my build last night. Today I went over the wiring instructions from the beginning and went through each step to recheck and make sure I didn't make any mistakes. Everything checked out OK. Did the resistance check, and the voltage check. All good. Biased the tubes to 145. Now it waits.
  I am saving for HD820's if they turn out well. So I ordered a pair of Senn. 280 Pro's To test the unit with. They should be here in a few days.
  I want to thank everyone at Bottlehead's for the great instructions. They made the kit go together without a hitch. Can't wait to hear  what it sounds like. I'll post again soon with my impressions.

 

[adydula]

Congrats on your build!!

Forgive me if you have stated this, but is this your first headphone amp?

How did you finish your wood base?

Post some pix!!

All the best
Alex

 

[ToneDeaf]

I hope this works. I guess it did. I used Min Wax Poly shade. Polyurethane with stain in it. They had at Lowes, Pecan, and walnut, in gloss,or satin. I took the Pecan in satin. Real easy to use. Sand and spray. Let dry over night, and then start putting on coats. the more coats the darker it gets. Sprayed the plate metallic copper. The transformer bell end I did metallic blue. I used blue anodized tube shields, and one of those gold plated tube cage/shields, on the 12au7. Hope you all like.
  This is my first headphone amp, and my first Bottlehead kit. I hope I can get down to Can Jam, next weekend. I'm saving now for good headphones. Interested in the Senn. HD820's.

 

[AllanMarcus]

very nice!

 

[kgoss]

Wow, very nice job on the finish especially for your first kit!
Don't forget to put some kind of feet on the base for air circulation.

 

[Doc B]

Looks nice!

 

[ToneDeaf]

    This is my first bottlehead kit. Not my first kit. Plus I built electronic test equipment for NASA for 30 years. Thank you all.

 

[Karl5150]

Well this DIY stuff isn't rocket science (although the circuit design might as well be to me) but your background certainly didn't hurt. Good work.

 

[ToneDeaf]

  Well, the credit should go to the team at Bottlehead, for making such a great kit with great instructions that goes together so easy. I just dressed it up a bit. Other then cosmetics the kit is built totally stock.

 

[adydula]

Congrats on your build!!

Looks great!

Enjoy the music now..

Alex

 

[ToneDeaf]

  O.K.  My Senn. 280 pro's came today, so I could test my Mainline. Worked just fine. Now, it's still in my shop. I hooked it us to a 25 year old Denon CD player, with some Kimber Cable PBJ's. The phone are new, and not broken in yet. So the sound wasn't great at first.
But after 4 or 5 hours they loosened up a bit, and it sound really good now. Tomorrow I'll put it in my main system. Can't wait to get some headphone that are worthy of this amp. Because of the budget phones, and it not being in my main system. I will not make any judgments until I get better headphones. The only thing I'll say now, is anyone that's changing coupling caps, and want to use a higher value hoping to get more bass, don't bother. Use the value it was designed for. This amp make lots of bass when needed. And has plenty of bass slam.

  Tony

 

[Karl5150]

Tony, we can see your attention to detail on the plate and the embellishments, and we know this isn't your first electronics rodeo, so how about a peak under the skirt before she moves into the main system?

 

[ToneDeaf]

    I warmed the Mainline up today for 10 min. and then played music for 20 min. Then I readjusted the bias settings, and brought it into the house. Sorry, I forgot to take pictures of the insides, but it looked just like the picture in the manual. Completely stock under the hood.
    It really sounds nice in my main system. Even with these lowly HD 280's. That old Denon CDP I have had a darker presentation. Really emphasized the bass. Sounds a lot better in my main system. Now to get some great headphone to go with it. But in the meantime I'll enjoy the music with what I have.

 

[adydula]

I was listening to several cuts today and one in particular made my jaw drop to the flow...Jennifer Warrens "The Hunter" and the first song is "Rock You Gently"...the bass line when cranked up with the mainline is absolutley superb!

The entire album is a real "gem" and many other cuts have marvelous drum beats and they did a marvelous job recording and mixing this one for sure.

With the T1's its strong and precise, the additional drum "whacks are stacotto, crisp and tight. I havent heard bass like this in a lng time....

Alex

 

[ToneDeaf]

Well, I'm still waiting on the HD820 to be released. But, for now, as I get a little time on the mainline, and the HD280's, Things are starting to sound pretty amazing. If anything, this combo is bass heavy. Not that it makes everything bassy, jut that when it is called on to produce bass, it does so very deeply and with a lot of slam. Not a bad thing. It makes me want to try this as a preamp for my main speaker amp to see if it adds some warmth to it. I always thought of my system as accurate, but not analytical, but maybe a little bright. I hate adding anything into my system that's not necessary, but if this will brings a little warmth and some more bass slam to my system, I'm all for it. I noticed today that female vocals sounded much better with that little extra warmth. It sounded fuller and more life like. And I was happy with my main system, until I heard the mainline.Thanks a lot! I really mean that. If this improves my main system also, when used as a preamp then that's another extra bonus. I thought about headphones because although I really like my main system, it is in the world's worst room for an audio system, and I figured maybe it would sound better then my system in my den. However, I think I can also hear further into the instruments, if you know what I mean. Now I really can't wait to get some audiophile quality headphones. Thank you Bottlehead.