Bottlehead Crack with Speedball upgrade

[musicbuff]

Just received my Bottlehead Crack with the Speedball upgrade. I must admit it sounds better than the music played through my computer to my DAC headphone jack, but I must also say it does not sound better than the headphone jack in my Sony 5 CD changer (which is probably close to 10 years old). I've rolled a couple of different tube combinations but still hear marginal improvement (tighter bass) over my CD player. Has anyone else had this experience? With all the Speedball hype I thought I was going to be "WOWED" out of my socks. Not the case and I'm very disappointed. It's hard to find which tubes are supposed to make what improvements. Anybody know a site where they tell you what differences in sound each tube is supposed to make? This is too expensive of a hobby to be buying blind. And please don't refer me to Bottlehead's website, been there and done that, and the info is still too limited. Thanks a bunch.

[flatmap]

I'm afraid I don't know anything about which tubes are best. Are you using Sennheiser HD 650 or similar high impedance model? I've heard such is the best match for the Crack and that's what I've been using with mine.

 

No Speedball upgrade in my case, however. I was too lazy.

[musicbuff]

Yes, I'm using the HD 650's. So did you hear a "WOW-factor" difference with your Bottlehead and if so would you please describe it? Are you using the stock tubes sent with your Crack?

[flatmap]

Yes, I'm using the HD 650's. So did you hear a "WOW-factor" difference with your Bottlehead and if so would you please describe it? Are you using the stock tubes sent with your Crack?

 

Not very good at descriptions, but what I like about the amp is "refined delivery" and "all notes well supported throughout the gamut." Just plugging my HD 650s into any old source, the music seems rougher and while some notes may be well supported, others seem thin or half-hearted.

 

I'm mostly a classical listener but with daily pinches of jazz, pop, experimental, etc.

[Blake]

I used to own HD600's and used them with my crack + speedball for a while. So, not quite apples to apples as compared to the HD650, but close. I thought the HD600/crack combo was nice. I was not 'blown away', but still, I was rather happy with the sound.

 

I am perhaps a little bit surprised that you are finding it no better than the headphone out of your Sony CD changer, but we all hear things differently. It simply may not be a synergistic match for your subjective sound preferences.

 

For my ears, rolling tubes in and out of the crack makes important sonic differences. A few tube combos were unlistenable to me, while other combos provide sonic bliss.

 

Counter that with some forum posts I've read where the poster states that they hear no differences between tubes when rolling tubes in and out of the crack. You may be in this camp and if so, there is nothing wrong with that... I would say sell the crack and move on to something else.

[musicbuff]

"Counter that with some forum posts I've read where the poster states that they hear no differences between tubes when rolling tubes in and out of the crack. You may be in this camp and if so, there is nothing wrong with that... I would say sell the crack and move on to something else."

 

I'm gonna dig a little deeper in the tube world and try a few more combinations of tube rolling (give it the benefit of the doubt). If that doesn't do it for me, I will sell. Like you said, it may just be that the Crack doesn't compliment the kind of music I listen to. Listening this morning (I listen to a lot of choirs and groups with soloists; aka lead singers) and the choir or group seems to drown out the lead singer. It sounds like the lead is standing behind the group. Weird, hunh and not pleasant at all?

[Blake]

Since you are using HD650, which I view as definitely being on the darker/warmer side of the scale, you might try a NOS RCA 12AU7 "Clear Top". These have a more prominent treble and add some sparkle that might compliment the HD650's darker sound signature (I think the HD650 are great cans).

 

They are inexpensive, which is a bonus. They will often be labeled "Conn" or "Hammond" (for use in organs), but they are, in fact, made by RCA.

 

Best of luck.

[astrotoy]

Have you called Dan (Doc Bottlehead) Schmalle or Paul Joppa at Bottlehead with your issue. They are a pretty small company, and have always been quite responsive to me (I have three of their products.) I have asked them about recommendations on replacement tubes, various settings, etc.

 

Larry

[mjm6]

You really need to go to the Head-Fi site for (very) detailed discussion of this preamp.

 

I don't have it, so I can't help you specifically, but there is the thread:

 

Crack;Bottlehead OTL

 

I'm not about to dig through it, but if you don't find what you want there, that would be the best place to ask, because there are a lot of Crack users that follow that thread.

 

---Michael

[musicbuff]

I've done some tube rolling this morning and found that the 6H13C combined with the RCA 12AU7A, or CBS JHY 5814A, or the Tung-Sol 6SN7GT are very much to my liking. There's plenty of detail. The soundstage is wide enough though I'm not very good with precise imaging through headphones. I know this because I've listened to Dr. Chesky's Ultimate Headphone Demonstration CD and had difficulty discerning some side and rear placement of the voices. So my next project will be acquiring a new integrated amp to satisfy the desire for 3D holographic imaging. I did search the Crack Bottlehead threads. Lots of people talk about the tubes they like but not so much about why they like them and what each tube sounds like. Well let me get back to listening to my "reborn" music. Thanks to all who contributed.

[Blake]

So my next project will be acquiring a new integrated amp to satisfy the desire for 3D holographic imaging.

 

Good to hear you sorted it out. By using my separate preamp for volume control, rather than the Crack's volume control, I found a significant improvement in the 3D holography department.