Bottlehead crack vs o2

Are you tired of worrying if youre getting the best sound from your headphones. Full disclosure, i used the jds labs o2 amplifier kit to build a hybrid amplifier tube buffer input feeding the o2, but for this test, the tube section was removed from the circuit so i was using the original o2 3. Discussion in audio hardware started by twodawgzz, nov 19, 20. Bottlehead crack, electronics by ramicio on thursday, october 04, 2012, at 08. Bottlehead foreplay preamplifier w anticipation upgrade kit yes unbuilt. I bought the crack and its speedball upgrade after i got my hands on a pair of massdrop x sennheiser hd 6xx headphones. Best headphone amp for the sennheiser hd 600 and 650. Get the latest info on special deals and new products. As it happens, builders rarely part with their amps. The o2 is a small unique headphone amp that compares well in listening tests with much more expensive gear. However, in stock form the bass is a little on the flabby side with the hd650. I am not inclined towards tube rolling and i dont leave my computer on 247. Discussion in audio hardware started by gov, jan 5, 2017. O2 and modi kind of suck they suck in different way, modi is lean and grainy, o2 is flabby and nasty but they are cheap and way better sounding than any auzentech or line output.

The sennheiser hd6xx line can require high voltage 36v at the spike, making it a poor pairing for many lower powered mobile devices, but an ideal match for the bottlehead crack otl tube amplifier characteristics 120 ohm output impedance and high voltage. Solid state, so you can also check that out for some good information though it probably does need an update. Ive mostly been using hd600 because it seems to sound better with most music i listen to edm. Bottlehead stereomour kit thinking about building a 2a3. If youre interested in some more options, i go over a bunch in my comparison article. Here you will find vacuum tube based amplifier, preamplifier and headphone amplifier kits, speaker kits, finished high end tube audio products, reel to reel tape machine upgrades, parts, and one of the finest support communities on the web. Bottlehead crack i will probably purchase one of these in the future.

I have the bottlehead crack otl headphone amp, its amazing, i also have the speedball upgrade, by far the best headphone amp ive heard. Hello lieven, have you tried planar magnetic headphone on bottlehead crack. Use these links to ensure a small donation to hifishark upon your purchase. Tube amps have a tendency of just failing after awhile, but as far as pure synergy and warmth with the hd650, the bottlehead crack is probably the best overall pairing. The bottlehead crack is a lovely little puretube amp and it pairs particularly well with the sennhesier hd600, hd650 and hd800. I do prefer the sound of the crack compared to the o2, but there is no denying the o2 is better value for money. I really enjoyed putting this together, and i was skeptical of the posts for the heat sinks being able to be soldered. High impedance headphones require higher voltage sources. Bottleheads basic headphone amplifier kit, the crack, is probably the most well known, and best regarded, kitbaseddiy headphone amplifier there is. Does anyone have a suggested amp dac for the massdrop x sennheiser hd 6xx. A great little tube headphone amplifier at a pricepoint nearly anyone can afford that sounds very good for the money, its really hard to go wrong here. Bottlehead chassis, wood bases and speaker cabinets, transformers, pc boards and even that nifty little bottlehead badge are all made to order in the usa. There are various modifications possible, most involving either different extra capacitors or different volume pots and attenuators, but the sage advice offered by many.

I love the vali but in comparison, the crack is way above anything the vali can put out. Its more of an introduction to what i think is not only a fantastic sounding headphone amplifier, but also a deeply satisfying diy project. Im currently using the audioengine d3 for my dac but i dont have an amplifier. Driving things bottlehead crack, g1217 polaris, lake people g109p. We ordered a couple of cracks right before the price increase was announced more on that later. Whether youre setting up a home studio or want superior sound while listening to music, amplifiers and preamps can help you get the results you want. After thoroughly enjoying the crack for over a year, i decided it was time to enjoy the next step up in the bottlehead range for both a challenge and a new step towards audio nirvana. Bottlehead crack coppermine edition im going to guess that the crack is bottleheads all time most popular kit. I am not afraid of a little diy and the price of the crack is attractive, but i really like the design of the valhalla and have heard. My first was a bottlehead foreplay 2 that had been my preamp at.

Preamps clean up and sometimes add detail to raw voice and digital music files. A quick tour of the web shows that the cracks basic metal plate design lends itself well to wannabe woodworkers. And the valhalla 2 is a serious competitor gain switch, preamp out especially if you are looking for a more transparent sound, as is the woo audio wa3 although that. Crack owners display pride of craftsmanship and ownership. The performs well outside of its price but again is an otl diy. It is basically one beast headphone amp that will power practically any headphone. The bottlehead crack, of course, although the crack is a diy otl tube amp. The search result contains affiliate links to partners of hifishark. Bottlehead crack otl tube amplifier for headphones with speedball upgrade and tweaks to let certain tubes work. The crack comes with the most userfriendly instruction manual i have ever seen for any product. Step by step one is walked through the process in language that any layperson can understand.

Its at least as good as the o2, but with a more laid back and relaxing sound, maybe with ever so slightly less detail. The standard bottlehead crack is a very good headphone amplifier for high impedance headphones like the senn hd650. Bottlehead stereomour kit thinking about building a 2a345 set. I am offering for sale a newly completed bottlehead crack 1. Looking for anyone who might have both to share their experience with these 2 models with comparisons between the two. There are people who will build it for you at an extra. The bottlehead crack is a superb introduction into the world of diy audio. A forum for discussing kit assembly by bottlehead s factory authorized technician, paul birkeland. If you own a pair of sennheiser hd600, hd650 or even the hd800 flagship model, this is what many will recommend you to buy. Im going though phases of getting different types of tube amp pp, set, hybrid, otl and comparing them to one anoher. So ive been looking forward to stepping my game up, and after a month of.

The bottlehead crack is a diy kit sold by bottlehead in america. Two amps that will have more of a tube sound than the valhalla would be the bottlehead crack or woo wa3. It is an alltube outputtransformerless otl design, intended to. Unless you plan to assemble several diy kits, i cannot understand why anyone would sell their bottlehead creation. Bottlehead crack headphone amplifier tube mazetube maze. I knew the hd650 truly scaled but i thought it was exaggerated, now im a believer. The bottlehead crack otl headphone amplifier diy audio.

So i am in the market for an amp to power my beyerdynamic dt990 600 ohm, and i have mostly decided between either the schiit valhalla or the bottlehead crack. Superlative performance with crack upgrade but is again aimed at the 800 650 600 phones 300 and 600 ohm types. Recommend amp dac for the hd 6xx drop formerly massdrop. Bottlehead crack wspeedball 4 tubes amplifier tube. Im not going to start with the normal list of specifications for the crack because its so variable due to the. I also travel frequently and am thinking i want to get a more portable headphone amp that i can use on the road.

The bottlehead crack otl headphone amplifier bottlehead has been known to me many years before i purchased my first kit from them. This is a quick build log of bottlehead crack otl tube amplifier with some pictures and little stories. I never played around with modding or tube rolling too much, but i have many fond memories of my crack. Ok, ive purchased a bottlehead crack that i intend to use either at home, or in the office along with some hd650s. The bottlehead crack is an outstanding first project for the novice audio diyer. By designed and built in california this is what we mean.