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Tubes Asylum: REVIEW: Bottlehead products Foreplay, Anticipation Modifcation C4S Preamplifier (Tube) by badman

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REVIEW: Bottlehead products Foreplay, Anticipation Modifcation C4S Preamplifier (Tube)

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Model: Foreplay, Anticipation Modifcation C4S
Category: Preamplifier (Tube)
Suggested Retail Price: $75.00 For the Modification
Description: C4S (Camille Cascode Constant Current Source)
Manufacturer URL: Bottlehead products
Model Picture: View

Review by badman ( A ) on April 01, 2002 at 10:23:05
IP Address: 128.6.175.122
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for the Foreplay, Anticipation Modifcation C4S


This is the C4s Modification in my Foreplay. YMMV, everythings IMHO.

This is a constant current source for the Bottlehead Foreplay. While working with this device, I've managed to screw many things up, make some things very,very nice (Outboard PS, attenuators, etc) and basically learn a lot. The Anticipation upgrade is supposed to be a Nitrous Bottle for tube gear. Cool, but I liked my FP! smooth, powerful, engrossing! So, from the occasional description from a user of "hardness, thinness" I kept my very nice FP doing it's tube thing. Eventually, I got to the point where I could do no more without trying Anticipation, which I had burned to hell during a failed build of the FP, and din't want to shell out for another set.

I ordered another set, and eventually, it got installed. At first I noticed some very cool control and speed, but the hardness and thinness were there. Everyone says 50 hours is enough to loosen this thing up, and after about 42, the thing went silly on me. There was less distortion. period. The tubey warmth (which was not overblown or severe) had lifted further, making a very neutral sounding preamp, with speed and dynamics out the Wazoo. Images stabilized, a sense of reality increased, and movies got the whole treatment. It's now able to do some of the very crazy ambient effects at very low levels, which required more volume to get before. The dynamics are almost too much with this, I don't know the right level to listen to DVDs at- it's either too quiet at the conversation level, and too loud at explosions! (how it should be, BTW)

In short, this upgrade is great, though an all SS/digital system may disagree with the neutrality. But this thing is sweet.


Product Weakness: not quite as tubey- a little TOO good at revealing components sometimes....
Product Strengths: dynamics, neutrality, speed, imaging


Associated Equipment for this Review:
Amplifier: Acurus A100
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated): Tweaked out Foreplay
Sources (CDP/Turntable): EAD DSP-1000 DAC, Toshiba SD-3109 DVD player
Speakers: B&W DM 605 s2
Cables/Interconnects: DIY, Kimber
Music Used (Genre/Selections): various
Room Size (LxWxH): 20 x 10 x 8
Time Period/Length of Audition: 4 days
Other (Power Conditioner etc.): Jon Risch line filter, my own PCs
Type of Audition/Review: Home Audition




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Topic - REVIEW: Bottlehead products Foreplay, Anticipation Modifcation C4S Preamplifier (Tube) - badman 10:23:05 04/1/02 ( 2)