Description
We consider this a skill level 2 kit, meaning that it is intended for someone who has construction of a kit under their belt (like the basic Crack kit). The new skills you might acquire will be those of stuffing and soldering a PC board, and removing a few components to allow installation of the upgrade. Assembly and installation is an easy one evening session, requiring only the removal of four resistors from the previously assembled Crack kit.
So what does it do for the sound? The most immediate thing you will notice is a better sense of clarity. Things get tighter and quicker, bass and midrange get cleaner and more dynamic sounding, and the background gets more quiet. As with all of our upgrade kits, the improvement is easily heard.
Customer Impressions
Heart of England Crack – to go with the geographical naming theme, here’s my completed Crack from Northamptonshire England. It’s my first BH project, many thanks to Doc and the gang for an awesome kit, and members on the forum for inspiration on the upgrades (especially Mr. Davis’ Puget Sound Crack for the Axon caps idea). I use it with my DT770 600ohm, and it sounds superb. Totally black background, really deft mids and highs, and it pushes just the right amount of well-controlled bass into the 770s, which can be a bit bass-light, even with a solid amp. Case in point; to my ears, it sounds better into these ‘phones than my Schiit Lyr.
–gh0st on the Bottlehead Forum
WOW! thought it was silent before… it is dead quiet, and insanely resolving…doc, this thing is SICK at this price point!!!
–c_hatfield on the Bottlehead Forum
Guys, Grab the Speedball upgrade too. I listened for 6 hrs straight after I got it installed, a real good sign that something is sounding very right!
–Todd R, on Head-fi.org
I rec’d my built Crack with the Speedball upgrade and I’m really impressed with the sound. My T1s sound GREAT with it, it drives them with no problem at all.
–Canuck57, on Head-fi.org
Wow! Speedball!
–grufti, on the Bottlehead Forum
Yes, WOW Speedball. I used to feel that my Enhanced Sex/Hammer Dynamics speaker setup was a more involving listening experience, but now with the speedball upgrade the Crack /DT770(600 ohm) combo comes much closer to being in the “listening room”.
–nsorens, on the Bottlehead Forum
I have taken possession of the Crack w/Speedball prototype and I will not be relinquishing it any time soon. I love it even more than when I first heard it @ CanJam, dropped now into my humble little system. Fed by a netbook running Ubuntu/Amarok & an Audinst DAC driving my Beyerdynamic DT990 600 ohm cans with a sweetness.
–Levlhed, on the Bottlehead Forum
