Bottlehead Stereomour

[ebag4]

Hey guys.  I don't know if you typically post on kit builds here but I just finished a Bottlehead Stereomour that turned out fairly decent.  This is my first forray into SET amps and specifically the 2a3 tube.  

The amp is basically stock although it is built as a power amp (if you can call 3.5 watts "power") and not an integrated. I hav replaced the parafeed caps with Obbligatos and I have a Mundorf Silver/Oil on order to replace the stock coupling caps.  I have also installed a JJ ECC1 gold pin for the stock 12AT7, this made a nice improvement in clarity although the amp is still braking in so that comes into play as well.

The Bottlehead will drive the coaxes of my GR Research V1s.  My Dodd buffer hi-passes the signal to the amp at about 140 Hz.  The 2a3 drives this load with zero issues, it will play louder than I will need to and I do jam from time to time.  One of the cool things about this design that I was unaware of until I heard it is that it has fantastic dynamics even at low volumes (less than 60dB!).  I have since been told that this is one of the strengths of the parafeed ckt..

I am still at low hours on the unit, around 120 hrs, but this thing plays great ith my speakers.  My amps have historically been the bottleneck in my system, no longer!  Here are a few pics (please excuse my poor photography):








System pic:

Best,
Ed

[richidoo]

Really sweet Ed! I love the transformer "house".  It looks like a very simple design, only two stages, 2 triodes per channel. No wonder it sounds so dynamic. Is there any feedback in the design? I've used that JJ gold 12AT7, it's an excellent tube.  I just noticed that the amp matches the speakers and diffusor too. 

[ebag4]

Thanks Rich.  

This amp uses zero feedback.  I have a pair of JJ 2a3-40s on order, a nice step up according to those who have heard them.

I built the amp to have a similar look to the speakers but the diffusor is simply incomplete   as are the bass traps.  The acoustic treatment and a equipment rack are next in the queue although the acoustic treatments have been on that list for a few years now.  Good thing my wife seldom comes in here!

Best,
Ed

[StereoNut]

Nice, Ed!

Even it sounds like a 45 year old transistor radio with bad batteries, she sure is pretty enough to look at!



The woodwork and workmanship is gorgeous and having it match your speakers is just puts it "over the top" for me!  I hope it's all you thought it would be and more.

Happy listening and enjoy it!

[ebag4]

Nice, Ed!

Even it sounds like a 45 year old transistor radio with bad batteries, she sure is pretty enough to look at!



The woodwork and workmanship is gorgeous and having it match your speakers is just puts it "over the top" for me!  I hope it's all you thought it would be and more.

Happy listening and enjoy it!

Thanks SN, the amp is really coming into it's own now, it's low level detail and dynamics are like nothing I have ever heard.  Too bad I am almost always jamming!!

Best,
Ed

[Triode Pete]

Hey guys.  I don't know if you typically post on kit builds here but I just finished a Bottlehead Stereomour that turned out fairly decent.  This is my first forray into SET amps and specifically the 2a3 tube.  

The amp is basically stock although it is built as a power amp (if you can call 3.5 watts "power") and not an integrated. I hav replaced the parafeed caps with Obbligatos and I have a Mundorf Silver/Oil on order to replace the stock coupling caps.  I have also installed a JJ ECC1 gold pin for the stock 12AT7, this made a nice improvement in clarity although the amp is still braking in so that comes into play as well.

The Bottlehead will drive the coaxes of my GR Research V1s.  My Dodd buffer hi-passes the signal to the amp at about 140 Hz.  The 2a3 drives this load with zero issues, it will play louder than I will need to and I do jam from time to time.  One of the cool things about this design that I was unaware of until I heard it is that it has fantastic dynamics even at low volumes (less than 60dB!).  I have since been told that this is one of the strengths of the parafeed ckt..

I am still at low hours on the unit, around 120 hrs, but this thing plays great ith my speakers.  My amps have historically been the bottleneck in my system, no longer!  Here are a few pics (please excuse my poor photography):








System pic:

Best,
Ed

Supersweet Ed! Now time to try out some vintage 2A3's on that baby! You won't regret it!

Pete

[ebag4]

Supersweet Ed! Now time to try out some vintage 2A3's on that baby! You won't regret it!

Pete

Thanks Pete.  I will be keeping an eye out for those Sylvanias you mentioned in my 2a3 thread on AC.  There was a guy over there who had a pair of Sylvanias for sale but they did not have the coil spring filament tops.  I have some JJ 2a3-40s on order, I will use those until I come across a pair of the Sylvanias I can afford.

Best,
Ed

[Triode Pete]

Supersweet Ed! Now time to try out some vintage 2A3's on that baby! You won't regret it!

Pete

Thanks Pete.  I will be keeping an eye out for those Sylvanias you mentioned in my 2a3 thread on AC.  There was a guy over there who had a pair of Sylvanias for sale but they did not have the coil spring filament tops.  I have some JJ 2a3-40s on order, I will use those until I come across a pair of the Sylvanias I can afford.

Best,
Ed

The regular black plate Sylvania's with the "suspension top" are nice sounding as well... & the vintage RCA's are hard to beat as well... even the "smoked glass" Ken Rad's are very good... very cool looking too!

[richidoo]

This amp uses zero feedback.  

Hmmm... That is very interesting. Very interesting indeed. Well your speakers are plenty sensitive for the new amps, that's for sure.

The acoustic treatment and a equipment rack are next in the queue although the acoustic treatments have been on that list for a few years now.  

Ditto on this end. Some half done, some 3/4 done, some still to be built. Acoustic treatments take extra time and effort.

[ebag4]

This amp uses zero feedback.  

Hmmm... That is very interesting. Very interesting indeed. Well your speakers are plenty sensitive for the new amps, that's for sure.

Rich, this a link to the Bottlehead Stereomour page in case you are interested.

Best,
Ed

[lonewolfny42]

Happy listening Ed...  

[ebag4]

Happy listening Ed...  

Thanks Chris, I am enjoying it all! 

Best,
Ed

[richidoo]

http://www.bottlehead.com/store.php?crn=44&rn=447&action=show_detail

Looks like a great kit. Heard nothing but good things about Bottlehead.

I am glad to see that the recommended sensitivity is 96dB. My new speakers should make 95. 

[rollo]

  Wow!!! Absolutely beautiful. The choice of woods, the overall look. I'm a big on wood. Now all ya need is a Triode Labs powercord.
  You are a talented guy enjoy your workmanship.


charles
 

[ebag4]

 Wow!!! Absolutely beautiful. The choice of woods, the overall look. I'm a big on wood. Now all ya need is a Triode Labs powercord.
  You are a talented guy enjoy your workmanship.


charles
  

Thanks Charles, much appreciated.

Up until now I have been trying to sort out the major components including acoustic treatments.  I have upgraded interconnects (nothing too fancy but solid non-the-less) which is the most tweaky thing I have done, not counting capacitor/tube/etc. changes although I guess that could be considered tweaky as well.  Now that I have things sounding pretty great by my standards I will probably start messing with PCs.  Pete's are the PCs I will start with simply because every mention of them has been extremely positive (even by other manufacturers that offer cables!).

Best,
Ed