[eclein]

I recently picked up an ibasso DX90 digital audio player with dual ESS Sabre chips and a pair of original Grado PS500's from a great friend on here and I'm in Heaven!!!

So relaxed and free sounding it blows me away on a daily basis......I've been dreaming about this combo for months and finally got it.

Do any of you guys have a dream setup you put together in your mind and finally made happen. Is it what you thought or no?

[Tyson]

Oh yes, I've been at my dream level for a while now and there's just something very relaxing about knowing with certainty that there's nothing out there that's better (at least for my tastes).  That confidence in the system and the sound is pretty rare in this hobby, IMO.

[adydula]

Yup....this is good, contentment at last!!! Until I get bored again!!! Ha!! Smiling here!!

I really like the new Crack Bottlehead with my T90's ....stellar and very happy hear!

Now I spend $$$$ on tubes made before I was born!!!

Ha!

All the best
Alex

[eclein]

I've been listening to this little rig way more than any other setup I've owned.
When I walk I use Sennheiser momentum or Havi Pro iems then while home i use my ps500's and stuff the extra cord lengths in my pockets....I absolutely love this sound!

[milford3]

 

I'm into the grail too.   Found it with the Schiit LYR and the Audeze LCD2's.   Enjoy Ed.  Finding the grail is tons of fun. 

[adydula]

Yup grail is good:





Alex

[milford3]

Yup grail is good:





Alex

Alex, that amp is cool as hell.  How does it sound?

[adydula]

Oh gosh..... with high impedance cans like mine and Senn 650's its as good as it gets.

Its scary real... just absolutely all around wonderful performance.
Totally dead silent, soundstage is surreal.

Bass drum, kick drums are so so tight, taunt...

There are other good amps but this crack from bottlehead is one of the best.

I don't want to get all mushy on this one, but a real lover of listening to music will be in audio heaven here.

It always sounds good to me, just as good as it was for the first time...

I just put a upgrade in it this am..a speedball kit which is a constant current source, more power supply isolation etc...

Another step up...

To me it sounds like a 10 out of a 10.

A beautiful pairing with the beyers...and senns.

Alex

Note: I had a Lyr and LCD 2's as well!

[Guy 13]

Oh gosh..... with high impedance cans like mine and Senn 650's its as good as it gets.

Its scary real... just absolutely all around wonderful performance.
Totally dead silent, soundstage is surreal.

Bass drum, kick drums are so so tight, taunt...

There are other good amps but this crack from bottlehead is one of the best.

I don't want to get all mushy on this one, but a real lover of listening to music will be in audio heaven here.

It always sounds good to me, just as good as it was for the first time...

I just put a upgrade in it this am..a speedball kit which is a constant current source, more power supply isolation etc...

Another step up...

To me it sounds like a 10 out of a 10.

A beautiful pairing with the beyers...and senns.

Alex

Note: I had a Lyr and LCD 2's as well!

Hi Alex,
I have exactly the same set up.
Bottlehead Crack with Sennheiser HD650.
For me, it's good, very good, but not as good as the Stax I use to own,
but then that's comparing apples with oranges.
My source is Rega Apollo.
I've tried different type/brand of tubes,
but did not hear much difference/improvement.
What's the brand and model of tube you use.
(6080 + 12AT7)

Guy 13

[adydula]

Hi Guy!

I followed your adventures with the Crack....

I have several tubes I have tried and to tell you the truth their isnt much difference in them to me.

They all sound good.

I usually run a NOS RCA 6AS7G coke bottle and a RCA 12AU7 that came with the kit...
I tried a EH 12AU7 but their is no real dramatic difference!!.

The speedball upgrade made a nice difference, dead silent and very nice openess, sounstage, but I would have been happy with
the normal crack as well....but for $20 deal it was a no-brainer to buy and install.

I like soldering and building and have built several DIY amps in the past...even a desktop version of the O2, my ODA by AGDR over at diyaudio.com

I am listeng to to it as i type..still a wonderful amp for what it is, simple, so very simple...for high impedance cans.

Alex

[Guy 13]

Hi Guy!

I followed your adventures with the Crack....

I have several tubes I have tried and to tell you the truth their isnt much difference in them to me.

They all sound good.

I usually run a NOS RCA 6AS7G coke bottle and a RCA 12AU7 that came with the kit...
I tried a EH 12AU7 but their is no real dramatic difference!!.

The speedball upgrade made a nice difference, dead silent and very nice openess, sounstage, but I would have been happy with
the normal crack as well....but for $20 deal it was a no-brainer to buy and install.

I like soldering and building and have built several DIY amps in the past...even a desktop version of the O2, my ODA by AGDR over at diyaudio.com

I am listeng to to it as i type..still a wonderful amp for what it is, simple, so very simple...for high impedance cans.

Alex

Alex, thanks for your comments.

Guy 13

[adydula]

I have 7 power tubes now and all of them play well, I have tried the A/B thing for days and its always confusing...hard to really tell if one is any real world diffference than the others...that in itself should tell ussomething!! Lots of tubes out there that are ridiculous in price just because they are old and have magical properties...hard to believe being an electrical engineer type.

I like those tall coke bottle tubes because of the cosmetics and they look "cool"...LOL ah vanity!

I have A/B's my O2 and ODA with the crack several times and the ODA holds it own and is a "clearer" amp to me..it has that three dimensional sound stage stuff with the right material as well as the crack, and it doesnt get "hot"!!

Ok now what to build next?

Alex

[hibuckhobby]

I have found that I prefer the Chatham 5998 as the power tube, although I have several 6080's
that sound nice.  I have tried several different drivers and have settled on an RCA cleartop for a
sweet, laid back sound.  When I want the highs to be a bit more extended and the bass to be
a bit less warm, I have a 12BH7 that I use...although that's in my DecWare Taboo II right now
and sounding very good.
Hibuck....

[adydula]

I have  Thompson - CSF 6080WA its a straight bottle. solid, stable and sounds great....
Parts Connexion had a sale! Only $10.....I hate spending tons of cash for NOS tubes that when you get them they dont sound
that much difference at all.

I went thru a dozen tubes and gosh they all play very well on the crack to me....

Alex

[adydula]

I just got two old sylvania 5963's and they work extremely well with the crack and the 6AS7G coke bottle power tube...stunning holographic sound, depth, soundstage is very very good.

The tubes came from good ole eBay for a whopping $15 for the matched pair!!

LOL

Alex

[Guy 13]

Hi,
I tried three different brands of 6080 and 6AS7G
and five different brands of 12AU7
and to me, there was very little different
or maybe there was no differences
and I was just imagining better sound...
50% of my NOS tubes were given to be free of charge
from AudioCircle members/friends.

Guy 13

[adydula]

Hi Guy....

Basically I agree with you.... if a tube is in spec and not at the end of life electrically its pretty much the same in a circuit.... but many folks will argue this one to death!! For me I like a good deal on good stuff and do experiment and I know there are some combinations to me that just make me feel like they are the best "sounding" to me.... if you blind folded me I most likely would not tell the difference.

That said for the past few days each and every time I turned on the Crack with these particular  tubes I smile a lot!! So who really knows... its all about the music anyhow and the crack has made me very lazy lately and I find myself listening too much!!

LOL!!

Alex