[Guy 13]

Hi all.
In one more week and I will be able to share with all of you my impressions
of the combo Bottlehead Crack and Sennheiser HD-650.
My Crack with spare tubes will arrive safely (I hope) in Vietnam.
These days, I can't sleep thinking about it and when I do sleep, I dream of it.

Guy 13

[Guy 13]

Hi all.
My wife’s aunt from Chicago brought me my Bottlehead Crack this last Friday and it did not take me long before it was connected and producing some heat and wonderful music.
More music than heat…
Both my Crack and my HD-650 have almost no millage on them,
therefore my comments are preliminary ones.
The Crack and the HD-650 are both what reviewers and owners wrote about them, which is:
A perfect match.
My only comments and it’s not a negative one, is that I find the HD-650 to be a little dark and by using the word dark,
I hope it’s the right word and it’s in no way a negative comment, that’s what makes their sound not being aggressive and I like that.
I did some tube rolling from the Raytheon 6080, the RCA 6080 and the 7AS7G RCA with several 12AU7 ranging from Sylvania/Thomas, RCA clear top, Tung Sol and GE.
To my ears (At this early stage of my listening) there are very slight differences in sound.
For now, they all sound good to me.
I’ve played Chet Atkins guitar, Krall voice, Chesky Binaural and much, much more.
From bass to highs, they are all very good, but like I mentioned above a little dark. If someone can find a better word to describe the sound, please share with me the right word that describes the sound of that combo.
One more thing, I will have to find a way to cool down the amplifier, because the top plate is quite hot, however, the main transformer is just a little warm, which is good to me.
In super hot Vietnam, you have to control the heat of all the electrical units so that they don’t melt down like Chernobyl and/or self destruct.
When doing some listening, I must air conditioned my listening room down to 30C otherwise it will easily go up to 34C that’s about 95F and listening to music to relax at 95F is not relaxation at all, plus while listening to music I have to worry about my equipment not catching on fire.
More to come in about a week
or in 50 hours, which ever comes first.
In the mean time, here are a few pictures of my set up.

Guy 13














 

[bardamu]

Hello Guy,
I have been polluting the virtue circle with my post to convince people to use batteries for power supply for their Virtue babies.
During my visit to you i did tell you about my Oppo blu ray 95 model that i did buy a bit to early because now they have 105 which has a dac input so can be used to connect audio out from my seperate tv decoder . This decoder is a 350$ samsung so i expect the Oppo to be much better. The price of the 105 is rather steep and the 95 is still new so i must wait some time to justify buying a new one.
The headphone looks really nice reminds me of my first Stax that i did buy 35 years ago. That one was really good.
I did do some digging in my electronic room. I did find 2 6AS7G manufactured in 1974 by RCA. They have boxes that looks like army surplus. No bright colours, plain carton, with some printing on it.
Probably will visit Vietnam end this year again. I can bring them for you if you like.
Sincere greetings to you and your wife, Edward

[Guy 13]

Hello Guy,
I have been polluting the virtue circle with my post to convince people to use batteries for power supply for their Virtue babies.
During my visit to you i did tell you about my Oppo blu ray 95 model that i did buy a bit to early because now they have 105 which has a dac input so can be used to connect audio out from my seperate tv decoder . This decoder is a 350$ samsung so i expect the Oppo to be much better. The price of the 105 is rather steep and the 95 is still new so i must wait some time to justify buying a new one.
The headphone looks really nice reminds me of my first Stax that i did buy 35 years ago. That one was really good.
I did do some digging in my electronic room. I did find 2 6AS7G manufactured in 1974 by RCA. They have boxes that looks like army surplus. No bright colours, plain carton, with some printing on it.
Probably will visit Vietnam end this year again. I can bring them for you if you like.
Sincere greetings to you and your wife, Edward

Hi Edward.
Nice hearing from you again.
I would sure like to put my hands on the OPPO 105,
mainly because of it's separate good audio section.
It's almost impossible to find here in Vietnam BluRay players,
lots of DVD player, well maybe in ten years from now they will have some.
Thirty years ago, I also had a pair of Stax and even after all that time,
I still kick my butt for selling them.
You know that you are always welcome to visit me and this time,
I will bring you to my house and we will do some music listening
with beer, wine or whatever liquid you want with some Vietnamese food
and you can bring your two RCA 6AS7G
and a CD you know and like so we can play it on my system.
I would sure like to have a second opinion on how my system sounds.
Please let me know in advance when you will come so that my wife
and I can unroll the red carpet.
Thanks.

Guy 13

[hibuckhobby]

Guy...my experience in owning two of the Crack amplifiers and several
sets of Senns over the years tells me that you need to give that amp time
to break in as well as the headphones.  Some combinations of tubes can
sound a bit bright (accentuated upper mids and lower highs) others, more
smooth or even laid back through that region.

As far as heat, it is going to run warm and in fact, tubes sound best when
running at a certain temperature.  The top plate will always be warm/hot
and the transformer warm.  It might help to have some small legs 1/2 to 3/4"
or spikes under it to allow airflow in through the bottom of case and out the
slots on the top. 
Enjoy...that's a great combo!
Hibuck....

[mresseguie]

Hello, Guy!

I like your set up in the pics. I, too, own a pair of HD650s. I really like them, but I seldom use them. Every time I try to use them....and just start relaxing into the music, my dear wife decides she absolutely needs to ask me a question or get me to help her.  Her timing is magical.

If my wife and I ever get to Vietnam, I'd sure like to visit you and your wife.

Can you see me in my avatar picture? It may not be very clear.

Michael

[Guy 13]

Guy...my experience in owning two of the Crack amplifiers and several
sets of Senns over the years tells me that you need to give that amp time
to break in as well as the headphones.  Some combinations of tubes can
sound a bit bright (accentuated upper mids and lower highs) others, more
smooth or even laid back through that region.

As far as heat, it is going to run warm and in fact, tubes sound best when
running at a certain temperature.  The top plate will always be warm/hot
and the transformer warm.  It might help to have some small legs 1/2 to 3/4"
or spikes under it to allow airflow in through the bottom of case and out the
slots on the top. 
Enjoy...that's a great combo!
Hibuck....

Hi Hibuckhobby.
Yes, I know, I have to put some hours on my combo
so that it sounds better.
As far as cooling my Crack, thanks for the advice,
I will see what is the easiest and what most effective way.
I have just finished a one hour listening session
and I have noticed that if it looks like the Crack
does not run as hot as the first time.
Anyway, will do something about it soon,
because I hate heat,
I hate Vietnam, because it's hot.
Thanks.

Guy 13

[Guy 13]

Hello, Guy!

I like your set up in the pics. I, too, own a pair of HD650s. I really like them, but I seldom use them. Every time I try to use them....and just start relaxing into the music, my dear wife decides she absolutely needs to ask me a question or get me to help her.  Her timing is magical.

If my wife and I ever get to Vietnam, I'd sure like to visit you and your wife.

Can you see me in my avatar picture? It may not be very clear.

Michael

Hi Michael.
I’m glad you like my set up, because for me, I don’t like it too much.
For me it’s too crowded and the IKEA furniture is way too low,
even after raising it with some metal legs.
I know what I want to do to improve it, but like everything I want to do,
it cost money and money I don’t have right now.
Well, after mentioning that, I will say that my system set up
is not that bad, I’ve seen worst…
With my wife I don’t have the same problem that you have with your wife, because my wife she's never with me, she’s always with her family.
You know what they say about marrying a Vietnamese?
Well, when you marry a Vietnamese, you marry her family.
My problem with headphones, regardless of the type of music I listen,
ia that I always fall asleep within 15 minutes.
My wife never disturbs me, because I always listen to music with my headphones in my man’s cave, but I call it:
My penthouse, because it’s on the fourth floor or on the roof.
Now that you have mentioned about Vietnam or coming to Vietnam,
you cannot change your mind or back up,
you MUST come to Vietnam
or I will never write to you again 
and even worst, I won’t like you…:?
You are more than welcome to come visit me
and my dear sweet and loving wife.
I won’t put far away the red carpet for special guests.
Your avatar of you and your wife is way too small to appreciate.
How about sending me a picture on this e-mail address:
guyleduc@hcm.vnn.vn
I sure hope to see you before I die, after all, I am 66 years old or
at the door step of heaven or hell which ever is the closest
to planet Vietnam.

Guy 13

[Guy 13]

Hi all.
I did some more listening and burn-in of my Bottlehead Crack and Sennheiser HD-650 combo.
I think I already mentioned that my listening room could also be called an oven with 33C/92F in it and that the Crack runs pretty hot, even in a cooler ambiance.
Therefore, I did the following set up.
I have two fans in parallel blowing cold air 33C/92F under the hood or more correctly called the chassis.
It does make a big difference on the top plate, it’s hardly hot and what I like about the Crack compared to my Decware SE84C+ is that the transformer runs almost cold.
I had it running for about two hours with my iPod (Far from a hi-end source, but that’s what I had near by and easy to set up.)
I still find the sound to be… I am using the word dark, because I don’t know any other word to describe the sound from my combo.
After two hours of listening, maybe it was a little less dark, maybe my imagination, maybe I am getting use to the dark sound or maybe it’s getting more broken-in ? ? ?
Sorry about my limited English audio vocabulary.
Even if I use the French language, which is my native language, I am still at loss when it comes to find the right words to describe the characteristics of the sound.
Maybe other members can help me with my limited vocabulary, if they have experience with the same combo as mine.
Don’t get me wrong, the sound is good, but it looks as if the top layer of harmonics has been shaved off.
It’s missing the ambiance of my Omega 7F extended range driver
And I am not talking about the sound stage; it’s the ambiance, the reverberation, the micro details, the harmonics…
Let’s see who agrees or disagree with me.

Guy 13
 

[adydula]

Hi Guy...

Congrats on the Crack and the HD 650s....

I don't these at the moment, but have a set of Beyer t90s, 1350s , LCD2 and AKG q701...and have tired many amps both solid state and tubes...

The dark adjective you use is familiar, that is the Dark sound like there is something missing....or shaved off.

On particulary bright headphones like the T90s many people really like the Crack with them because the amp takes off the edge and makes them a little less bright hence more dark....On my soild state Objective 2 amps the parining is very very accurate but on some recordings that are not that great the combination sounds very harsh...but that's what is in the recording...garbage in garbage out.

So people use a tube amp like this and others to help tame that harsh sounding stuff to them but at the expense of losing stuff and getting a darker sound....

Seems like there are compromise everywhere.

Does it sound any worse or accurate with your amps you have been using since the crack?

I had a Schitt Lyr and a SOHA II I built but after hearing the dark sound I sold them both for a more neutral transparent amp that at least would show me what my headphones really sound like with good material.

If I think I am hearing anything less than what I am used to  I always go back to my standards to see if I am just imaging it or is the new part of the chain really affecting the sound like I think.

All the best
Stay Cool!!

Alex

[Guy 13]

Hi Guy...

Congrats on the Crack and the HD 650s....

I don't these at the moment, but have a set of Beyer t90s, 1350s , LCD2 and AKG q701...and have tired many amps both solid state and tubes...

The dark adjective you use is familiar, that is the Dark sound like there is something missing....or shaved off.

On particulary bright headphones like the T90s many people really like the Crack with them because the amp takes off the edge and makes them a little less bright hence more dark....On my soild state Objective 2 amps the parining is very very accurate but on some recordings that are not that great the combination sounds very harsh...but that's what is in the recording...garbage in garbage out.

So people use a tube amp like this and others to help tame that harsh sounding stuff to them but at the expense of losing stuff and getting a darker sound....

Seems like there are compromise everywhere.

Does it sound any worse or accurate with your amps you have been using since the crack?

I had a Schitt Lyr and a SOHA II I built but after hearing the dark sound I sold them both for a more neutral transparent amp that at least would show me what my headphones really sound like with good material.

If I think I am hearing anything less than what I am used to  I always go back to my standards to see if I am just imaging it or is the new part of the chain really affecting the sound like I think.

All the best
Stay Cool!!

Alex

Hi Alex.
I wish I could own different makes and models of headphones/amplifiers like you have; it would make my audiophile life easier when it comes to choose the right combo for my ears.
I’m glad to see that my use of the word “ Dark “ for the sound of the HD-650 is what a few other HD-650 owners share/agree with and by the way, this is in no way something negative.
Dark or bright, there always some one for each type of sound.
If I would be looking for a brighter pair of headphones, I would have to go for something more expensive, read maybe double the price of the HD-650.
Minds you, I got a good price on my HD-650.
(400 USD, brand new with a 2 years warranty
and replacement if they are defective the first 6 months.)
As a replacement for the HD-650, I was thinking about the HiFiMan or the Audeze, but I would have to buy a new amplifier, because the Crack cannot drive low impedance headphones.
By the way, I did try my HD-570 (60 Ohms) headphones and they works and the sound is not too bad, but not enough juice to drive them at a normal listening level.
Next week, I will bring my combo to the store from who I bought my HD-650 and the sales man agreed to let me listen to the HD-800 and any other headphones with my Crack.
I don’t know why I want to listen to the HD-800 when they are 1400 USD and I don’t even have 100 USD to spare…
Well, I guess it’s just to have fun for a few minutes in this boring country, that I call:
Planet Vietnam…
I’ve only used my HD-650 with the Crack.
I’ve could have used the HD-650 with my Sony receiver,
but it’s an 8 Ohms output, therefore I don’t see why I should try it.
However, I did try my HD-570 (60 Ohms) and my HD-650 (300 Ohms) with my iPod, I was surprise to ear that it’s not bad at all; of course they will sound better with something better.
I often listen to my iPod with my HD-570 (60 Ohms) and its good enough for me.
When you have a good system, the bead recorded stuff sounds bad and the good recorded stuff sound great. I have both on CD and vinyl.
I have to admit that the HD-650 make the older recordings (LPs) sound more listenable.
Look as if I will have to make a compromise since I cannot afford anything else or brighter.
Today I did some more listening and the sound is good, but there is something missing and that something counts for 50% of the good sound.
When I was shopping for a headphone amplifier I was considering the WOO, the Schiit Valhalla and the Crack.
I did not liked the army tank look of the WOO,
the Schiit Vahalla is a PCB unit and runs very hot
and the Crack was simple, big chassis and point to point wiring
and lots of tube rolling and that’s why I choose the Crack.
I did not want to buy a solid state amplifier because my past experience with solid state amplifiers is that I cannot listen to them for very long, I guess it’s because of the odd harmonics that irritate me…
Regardless of what will happen in the days, weeks to come, I am stuck with my combo, (Because no money to up-grade) therefore
might as well enjoy what it throws at me.
By the way, I cannot really stay cool with close top 100F every day, but I try to stay cool in my head.
Thanks for your comments.

Guy 13

[hibuckhobby]

guy...
Everyone hears differently.  I don't find my 650's and Crack at all dark...but then I don't like
"forward" or bright sound, so that may well be the difference.  You can experiment a bit with the
driver tubes without spending much money and change the tonal palette just a bit.  I tried a
12BH7 for awhile and that was a bit more forward than I preferred, so went back to a NOS
12AU7 and the 6SA7 variant I am using as a final.
good luck...
Bob

[Guy 13]

guy...
Everyone hears differently.  I don't find my 650's and Crack at all dark...but then I don't like
"forward" or bright sound, so that may well be the difference.  You can experiment a bit with the
driver tubes without spending much money and change the tonal palette just a bit.  I tried a
12BH7 for awhile and that was a bit more forward than I preferred, so went back to a NOS
12AU7 and the 6SA7 variant I am using as a final.
good luck...
Bob

Hi Bob.
What ?
You write your name with a capital letter
and you write my name without a capital letter !
What am I ?
A nobody !
For that BIG mistake you will be spread with honey and thrown in a pit filled to the rim with red ants.
(Yes, it’s a joke… and I forgive you for that BIG mistake.)
When I first set up my Crack, I did some switcheroo with the 12AU7 and the 6080/6SA7G but could not ear any differences, but I have to admit, that I was not paying attention, too anxious to see what the combo sounded like.
Since everything is closed for the next five days (National Holidays) I will take the time to see which 12AU7 and 6080/6AS7 sounds the best and I will use my Rega Apollo as my source, not the iPod.
See below the choice of tubes I have, so I will have fun for at least one hour or maybe more.
Thanks for the suggestion.

Guy 13




By the way, I've learned not too long ago that different brands and models of tubes can make a BIG difference on sound.
My Decware SE84C+ main amplifier is at the hospital and I set up my substitute the Niteshade Audio NS-10 SE pentode) and at first it sounded very aggressive
with the Sovtek 5881/6L6WGC I then switch to Sovtek 6L6WXT+ and it was night and day. Before that experience, I never thought different tubes could make such a big difference.
Well, tonight I will go to bed less ignorant, because I have learned something new.

[adydula]

Guy...

Understand your solid state amp concerns....but you could try an Objective 2 amp which I have 2 of and really enjoy them.

They are really inexpensive!

They would drive your 650's and I think the sound will not be as "dark" as your now experiencing....

$129 fully assembled!! Just have to buy an AC to AC adapter....www.jdslabs.com

All the best and stay cool in planet VietNam..

Alex

[Guy 13]

Guy...

Understand your solid state amp concerns....but you could try an Objective 2 amp which I have 2 of and really enjoy them.

They are really inexpensive!

They would drive your 650's and I think the sound will not be as "dark" as your now experiencing....

$129 fully assembled!! Just have to buy an AC to AC adapter....www.jdslabs.com

All the best and stay cool in planet VietNam..

Alex

Hi Alex.
Thanks for the link,
I will keep that in mind,
but for now,
I will do some tube rolling
and see if I can improve the sound to my liking.

Guy 13

I have all day to play and get my pinkies burnt with the hot tubes,
that looks like fun, doesn't it ?
 
 

[Guy 13]

Hi Alex.
This afternoon or should I say:
All afternoon, I did some tube rolling on my Bottlehead Crack.
I did rolling on both tubes, the 6080/6AS7G and 12AU7
I could not say for sure if there was a difference and/or improvement in the sound by switching from one make to the other.
I think, I am not sure, but I think the combo RCA 6AS7G and the RCA 12AU7 Clear top maybe sound better than the others.
Anyway, they all sound good, minus the fact that the overall sound is dark.
Anyway, I have enough spares to last me until I kick the bucket.
Thanks all for your suggestions.

Guy 13

[megabigeye]

Hi Guy,
If tubes get too hot for you, the guys at Headfonia.com really liked the HiFiMeDIY tk2050 with the HD650s.  Mike, the author of that article, is a big fan of the HD650s and is a tube guy, too, if I'm not mistaken.  I think the whole thing costs about $100USD...  Of course, then you'd have to find a balanced cable, which could cost a lot.

[Guy 13]

Hi Guy,
If tubes get too hot for you, the guys at Headfonia.com really liked the HiFiMeDIY tk2050 with the HD650s.  Mike, the author of that article, is a big fan of the HD650s and is a tube guy, too, if I'm not mistaken.  I think the whole thing costs about $100USD...  Of course, then you'd have to find a balanced cable, which could cost a lot.

Hi megabigeye.
Thanks for the link.
Interesting, but as time goes by, I want more Plug and Play stuff.
As for the heat, I will be installing a small fan into the Crack body, for now, I use a floor fan on LO speed, it's quiet enough, cool down the Crack and mix the cold air
of the air conditioner.
So, I am good for now.
Thanks again.

Guy 13

[Guy 13]

Hi all.
I am not sure if I posted the 50Hz humm problem I had with my Crack.
I was loud enough to be annoying.
After some investigation and posting of under the hood pictures, some one at Bottlehead from noticed that a capacitor was missing, after another nation wide investigation involving my wife (Colombo type detective) and me the assistant, found out that the capacitor had fell off during the shipping via my wife's aunt.
Let's say that the auntie is not a certified carrier.
Anyway, I found a capacitor that could do the job and hook it up temporarily with a set of jumpers and the humm is gone, no more humm, hum is a thing of the past. I can now fully enjoy my Crack/HD-650 combo.
I will get the capacitor soldered permanently on Monday my a certified and licensed solderer, not me with my shaking hands and clumsy fingers.
End of the frustrating story and the beginning of a (More or less) joyful music listening happy ending story.

Guy 13

[Guy 13]

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