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Here are three Bottlehead headphone amps I have assembled for others. The two smaller kits have the Speedball upgrade and the larger kit has twin regulators tubes - 6AQ5. The Crackatowa is excellent sounding. All base finishing and top plate spraying is done by me as well assembly.
| retro-thermionic |
Edits: 07/09/16 07/09/16Follow Ups:
In your "about me" profile at your website you state your occupation as Retail Electronics. From where we sit, that means you are a member of the trade. As such, we ask that you update your registration to reflect this.
From the AA rules:
"All "members of the trade" (manufacturers, dealers, distributors, manufacturer's reps, importers, magazine and e-zine writers and others) shall identify themselves as such in the login profile that posters can access by the "profile info" link (M, D or R). That way any reader who wants to know if the poster has any special expertise - or vested interest - in the subject of the post can find that information."
and:
"All members of the trade must register and create an inmate profile that identifies them as such and identifies the specific business in which they are engaged."
Thank you.
Fax mentis incendium gloria cultum, et cetera, et cetera...
Memo bis punitor delicatum! It's all there, black and white,
clear as crystal! Blah, blah, and so on and so forth ...
Refreshing to see love 'n care expended on a build.
Do be aware that the Bottlehead 'gear' is erm Average.. at best.
Despite all the gratifications that building their kits gives one, these are price constrained designs using the least expensive components possible.. Just Like Dynaco :-)
Been there Done that... not just winging.
Only to eventually discover that MAJOR sound quality upgrades were easily found in other gear.
Just saying.
I always wanted to build a Bottlehead. However I realized that their design and kits are a process. Build, tweak, DIY, upgrade, repair, tweak again, etc.... They are a wonderful hobby product. Sure there's better but the fun is in the building and tweaking.However please don't bundle VTA in that category. Bob uses the right high quality part were it counts. Better parts than most any production tube amp.
Edits: 07/11/16
I just built my first kit in 30-years. DIY is very satisifying, isn't it?
Now that you built that you need a smoking hot tube amp to go with it.
Look into Bob Latino's ST-70 with Gold Lion KT66 output tubes. It REALLY doesn't get much better!!!!
I build it about a year ago and honestly can't see buying any more amp type gear. Sure I like to look. In the end I find myself not really wanting to buy.
I think I'm going to stick with my Parasound Halo A21 because I would need a lot more power than the ST-70 to drive my Thiel CS3.7 speakers. I was thinking the minimum would be 125-wpc with something like the VTA M-125 Monoblocks.
These will be my next amps. I love the look of the monoblocks and the power rating should be able to handle most speakers I throw at them. Price is right as well.
Some pretty sweet amps. I had the original versions with upgrade boards and KT-88's. They were fabulous. I can only imagine with Bob Latino's full blown out modern version how nice they must sound.
I didn't need that much power so I went for the 70 and never looked back. One of the best amps I have ever heard. Both in SS and tube form. Read my review somewhere on this forum. I described the amps as follows. If you were blind folded and walking into a room, you couldn't tell if they were tubes or a $15k SS amp. These are NOT your fathers dynaco amps.
Crack / speedball
...matching Eros phono stage
Bottlehead are very pretty when the builder puts a little extra love into the design. I still rue the day i sold my Paramours.
Edits: 07/11/16
Can you post a picture with a clearer view of the cabinetwork? What wood is that? I want to see more of that wood!!!!
It's ebony. I have a closeup somewhere but I have to look for it. I don't have the amps or Foreplay anymore. I chromed the caps on the transformers at a local chrome shop and polished the outside brackets of the chokes. The boxes were "easy" to veneer after first failing at a piano black finish and one expensive set of burl veneer. I finally gave it and had a cabinetmaker apply the finish and correct some small errors I made. The end result was totally worth the effort. Had I kept them I probably would have had the aluminum chassis anodized.
Unfortunately the new kits are way above my budget but if you want to make a kit, few have better instructions and support than bottlehead. Plus for under $600 at the time, nothing could touch the 2A3 sound this setup had paired with my Hornshoppe horns.
EBONY! Wow.. Hardwood or veneer? That much Gaboon ebony lumber would cost a FORTUNE! So I am guessing veneer.
Yes veneer. The birchwood cabinets were veneered with the ebony. Turned out very nice. Sounded even better than they looked!
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