Bottlehead Mainline Kit Tube Amp Review

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Subscribe and comment to be in the running for the iBasso DC01 or DC02 (drawn beginning of March 2020)
Patreon patrons get extra chances to win ALL giveaways: / passionforsound
Here's the thread I started on Head-Fi to compare the Bottlehead amps: www.head-fi.org/threads/bottl...
Bottlehead headphone amplifier kits: bottlehead.com/product-catego...
Mainline-specific page: bottlehead.com/product/mainli...
PASSION FOR SOUND GEAR LIST
Desktop Sources
Playback software: Roon roonlabs.com/r/St5em2YsbUqGXc...
Primary DAC: Chord Qutest amzn.to/303FAL7
Secondary DAC for active speakers: Topping D50s massdrop.7eer.net/AVbG1 or amzn.to/2T2GExr upgraded with Muses02 op-amp amzn.to/2FtPmNj
USB cables: AudioQuest Diamond amzn.to/35AX4Qf and AudioQuest Coffee amzn.to/3059qiA
Active Speakers
Bang & Olufsen BeoLab 3 Speakers
Amps
Massdrop x THX AAA 789 Amplifier massdrop.7eer.net/J0xWa OR amzn.to/3205IHY
Bottlehead Mainline DIY kit tube amplifier bottlehead.com/product/mainli...
Headphones
Open: Meze Audio Empyrean (may or may not be available at this link) amzn.to/2tDs19h
Open: Focal Clear amzn.to/37Ihgky
Closed: AudioQuest NightOwl Carbon (these may have been discontinued)
Closed: Meze Audio 99 Neo amzn.to/2FxOHKQ
Portable
Phone: Samsung Galaxy S10+ amzn.to/37MzTUA
DAC for phone: Audioquest Dragonfly Cobalt amzn.to/36AzpAB
Digital audio player: Pioneer XDP-300R amzn.to/2FwGnL5
Earphones
Noble Kaiser 10 custom IEM (discontinued) - universal version available via Drop massdrop.7eer.net/vkaWy
Campfire Audio Andromeda (may or may not be available at this link) amzn.to/39WFxpd
SIMGOT EN700 PRO amzn.to/304xO3R

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30 июл 2024

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Комментарии : 96

@joetori8356 4 года назад

Outstanding review, Loquah! Like you, I really enjoy the Mainline and I doubt it will leave my collection. With regard to the giveaway, I would welcome the chance to win the DC01.

@PassionforSound 4 года назад

Thanks Joe! Good luck with the giveaway. Did you customise your Mainline in any way?

@joetori8356 4 года назад

@@PassionforSound Thanks, Loquah! The only mod I've made is to swap out the original output caps for a pair of 10uF Mundorf Supremes. Your research and experience was an influencing factor. Before-and-after photos here: forum.bottlehead.com/index.php?topic=11447.0

@PassionforSound 4 года назад

Nice! Thanks for sharing the link!!!

@charlesclifton1006 Год назад

I realize that it is 2 years after you posted this but I just discovered Bottlehead and it turns out they are only about 150 miles away adjacent to Seattle (I'm in Vancouver/Canada). Your endorsement here has just added to my already high level of enthusiasm relevant to purchasing one of their kits. Now.... which amp? Big thanks for this review ..."thumbs way up"

@PassionforSound Год назад

Glad I could help draw your attention to a great company. I've got the Crack-a-twoa kit coming up for review soon if that's of any help. Not sure exact timing yet.

@-nepherim 4 года назад

Still love your measured thorough reviews. Still just lost my headphone DAC so a DC02 would be great!

@PassionforSound 4 года назад

Thank you! Good luck in the giveaway

@adeadcrab 4 года назад

love your videos, recent fav was for the Empyreans!

@PassionforSound 4 года назад

Thanks Alain!

@madarcturian 4 года назад

Subbed! good stuff!

@PassionforSound 4 года назад

Thanks Chris!

@kcg7861 Год назад

German maestro's back there you know you know quality amazing products amazing car speakers amazing home speakers most of them are all made in Germany cannot beat that

@PassionforSound Год назад

Yes, the GMs are nice. Not particularly comfortable or pretty, but the sound was solid

@kcg7861 Год назад

@@PassionforSound I have the same ones but they're just under the well they're different they're the MB. Name remember MB used to be made in the same facility with some of the same people. I do have that one too though that you have in the back I enjoy all of them. Very affordable products for reasonable prices all made in Germany they're loud speakers are amazing for what they cost

@MrPsyUNIT 4 года назад

Great review. Any tube upgrade options for the Mainline ?

@PassionforSound 4 года назад

Hi Punit, no there aren't. All 6C45s are basically the same (except for things like cryo treatments). Check out my interviews with Dan from Bottlehead for a bit more discussion on this, but the only "major" upgrades to sound quality are the coupling capacitors and then it's really minor tweaks like tube shielding and vibration damping.

@dmarcus1260 4 года назад

I oftened wondered about your Bottlehead Mainline amp you had off to the side, the story behind it and what not. Seems a bit challenging to build one but it certainly would have it rewards. BTW I love that instrumental music playing during the segue at 5:07-5:56. What's the name of the track/artist?

@PassionforSound 4 года назад

It's not actually as challenging as it looks. It just requires the ability to solder competently and to follow instructions. If you take your time and don't rush, it's a very achievable and super-rewarding build. Glad you like the tunes - that track is by Arc De Soleil and is called Chameleon Sunday. I've just started a subscription with Epidemic Sounds so my video music will be more varied from now on :) Maybe I should put the track credits in the descriptions for you all.

@HoomanR17 4 года назад

Thanks for sharing this review and giving your impression compared to the THX amps. I'm wondering what is the capacitor brand and value used? Are there any other components of this amp you would consider changing and/or upgrading in the near future?

@PassionforSound 4 года назад

Hi Hooman, I've tried some Auricaps (15 or 18uF from memory) and the currently installed caps are Jantzen Superior Z-Caps. They're slightly better than the Auricaps in my opinion. I'm planning on asking the Bottlehead forum for suggestions on additional upgrades, but the amp is just amazing as is

@HoomanR17 4 года назад

@@PassionforSound Thanks much. What is the uF of the current cap?

@PassionforSound 4 года назад

15uF (and 800V, but anything around 400+ is fine from memory)

@denteomd 2 года назад

Hi, I will be building my kit soon. I noticed your wood chasis had allen screws on them , that is not part of the instructions manual. Did you add right angle brackets to increase strength? I am also thinking about adding something, not yet sure what will work around it. I am not comfortable with just wood glue, but don't want to do something that could be too conspicuous or even breeak the chasis.

@PassionforSound 2 года назад

The cases are really solid if you just glue them. I used decking screws which have the square socket for driver. I chose to add them partly for the look, but also as a way of bypassing the need to clamp the timber while waiting for the glue to dry. I glued, screwed and moved on with the build 🙂

@charlierodman5054 4 года назад

Considering getting one of these, though am a little concerned about the impedance of my headphones. I've got the Audeze LCD MX-4, with an impedance of just 20ohms. Would the mainline be "too much" do you think, is it right on the cusp, or do you suspect given the planar magnetic design that it could be ok? Happy to look elsewhere, but this just seems like such a fun amplifier. Thanks for the review.

@PassionforSound 4 года назад

Hi Charlie, the planars behave pretty well with higher output impedances. (The Empyreans don't change sound at all with the impedance switch on the Mainline). I don't know the MX-4 specifically, but I'd definitely say you can't go wrong with the Mainline. Do it! You'll love it

@charlierodman5054 4 года назад

@@PassionforSound thank you. I've appreciated your taking the time to write such detailed reviews and offering the video. Has helped guide my consideration.

@beluv Год назад

Hi, Lachlan. I purchased a Mainline kit due to your high praise in this video and I must say I am not disappointed! Could you tell me what headphones you use with it these days? I'm currently using the Sennheiser HD650 and I was wondering if I should get something higher end.

@PassionforSound Год назад

That's great news, beluv! The beauty of the Mainline is that it will drive pretty much anything (except Susvara and Abyss 1266). If you're looking for a great upgrade from the HD650, the new HD660S2 is great or there are higher options like the Meze 109 Pro, ZMF Auteur Classic, ZMF Atrium and Meze Empyreans or Elites that are also all brilliant.

@beluv Год назад

@@PassionforSound Thank you so much for the recommendations!

@miggeld.1537 3 года назад

I’d like to know your opinion about one thing. I need a tube amplifier for Beyerdynamic dt 990 600 Ohm. And there are choices with transformer output and otl options, with 2 tubes on channel and with single tube on channel. In your opinion, which options from mentioned above would give the best sound quality ? Since some people tell, I need an output transformers because of driving high impedance headphones and other tell I need an OTL version. In which cases do we actually need this transformer in output and what influence do they have on sound?

@PassionforSound 3 года назад

Hi Miggel, the exact combination of tubes won't tell you anything about performance because it all depends on which tubes and the design of the circuit. What I can tell you is this and on this I'm 100% certain: OTL amps connect the headphones direct to the tubes (maybe via a capacitor). The result is high output impedance, but a very pure, clean connection. This means that they can sound absolutely amazing, but will generally work best with high impedance headphones like yours. They generally don't work well with lower impedance dynamic driver headphones (with some exceptions) and difficult-to-drive planars Amps with output transformers are much more versatile because the transformer significantly lowers the output impedance to work with a wider range of headphones. The trade-off is either a drop in sound quality if it uses cheap transformers or an increase in price if it's using very good transformers. To help with your decision making I'd say this: if you're sticking to your headphones or are at least happy to stay with high impedance headphones, grab an OTL amp. If you want versatility in the future, grab an amp with output transformers. Hope that helps 🙂

@samk.871 2 года назад

What is the brand and model number of the upgraded capacitors you got? Is higher quality/upgrade over the once you upgraded? What other parts to upgrade you recommend? Thanks,

@PassionforSound 2 года назад

On the Mainline, the caps are the only worthwhile upgrade I can find. I've installed Jantzen caps (I can't recall the name, but they're the premium, non-silver model). I've also used Auricaps with good success. The specs are all in the manual if you buy one so you can choose the right voltage and capacitance by checking that.

@banani4000 6 месяцев назад

Hi Lachlan! I'm a bit late to the DIY (or tubes in general) game, but would you think that the new Arya Organic, with it's 16 ohm impedance, would run to it's potential with the Mainline or are they too low impedance? If not, which tube-amp would you recommend that could play nicely with the Organics?

@PassionforSound 6 месяцев назад

The Mainline will do great with the Aryas and would be a great option for both DIYing and for driving the Aryas.

@illusineer 4 года назад

What DAC do you use with this amp? Also how do the hd650s and hd800s compare to each other with it?

@PassionforSound 4 года назад

Hi illusineer, I've used the Schiit Gungnir Multibit, Chord Qutest and Chord TT2 with the Mainline. I haven't had the HD650 and HD800 with it, but what's nice is that the output impedance switch gives you a little bit of control over the sound and the Mainline is very neutral as far as tube amps go so it's not really going to colour the sound too much beyond the effects of the output impedance (high output impedance will make the sound a little richer and fuller in most dynamic driver headphones)

@johnnycoax Год назад

Hey dude, I know this video is a few years old but I'm curious if you've ever auditioned the ZMF Verite Closed with this amp? I recently got a VC (partly because of yours and others glowing reviews) and I've got it paired with a Crack w/ speedball. Loving the sound! But I'm curious what your thoughts are with the mainline and VC paired (assuming you've used them together). Thanks for your help, love the channel!

@PassionforSound Год назад

Sure have! It's a great combination, particularly on the high impedance mode setting of the Mainline. One of the reasons I still rate the Mainline so highly is its ability to play so well with both low impedance AND high impedance headphones.

@johnnycoax Год назад

@@PassionforSound cool! Thanks for your help

@Europhile 11 месяцев назад

I was thinking exactly the same as I have bought a pair of VC. I have built a couple of valve kits - a phono amp and a preamp - the latter using 6SN7s in Aikido format. Both were a pleasure to build. I'm wondering however about a DHT headphone amp using something like 45, 2A3 or 300b valves. Something magical about directly heated triodes.

@PassionforSound 11 месяцев назад

I can't comment on the DHT options as I've not built those (unless the S.E.X. kit is DHT)

@nperry77 3 года назад

I'm looking forward to the challenge of this build. The main objective is to learn.

@PassionforSound 3 года назад

It's a great way to get a sense of how the amps work and what matters in a design to improve sound quality, whether it's power filtering, a transparent volume attenuator or the careful management of the power to the tubes. It's a wonderful journey with an amazing destination. Enjoy!

@nperry77 3 года назад

@@PassionforSound Thank you sir.

@nperry77 3 года назад

Do I need hi sensitivity speakers for this amp?

@PassionforSound 3 года назад

Hi Neil, the Mainline is a headphone only amp. The S.E.X. is the Bottlehead amp for both headphones and speakers

@nperry77 3 года назад

@@PassionforSound how about speaker type for the S.E.X?

@stefanhansen5882 3 года назад

Beautiful build and amp. However, it seems somewhat expensive. Have you ever tried the Rupert Neve RNHP (which is about half the price of the Bottlehead Mainline Kit)?

@PassionforSound 3 года назад

Hi Stefan, I haven't yet tried the RNHP, but I have put the Mainline up against some very stiff competition and it's only really been bested (subjectively) by the Hugo TT2

@stefanhansen5882 3 года назад

@@PassionforSound Thanks. I would really like to hear it! :)

@PassionforSound 3 года назад

It's pretty special! And a fun build too!

@rango_unchained 4 года назад

I understand the higher output impedance of the Bottlehead Crack amp is great for certain headphones, but is the higher output bad for headphones needing much less?

@PassionforSound 4 года назад

Hi Ron, the general rule is that you want to keep output impedance (OI) significantly lower than headphone impedance (HI), but it's not always that simple. One challenge is that some headphones have vastly different impedance at different frequencies so having OI and HI too close together can change the frequency response because of the amount of power delivered to the headphone at different frequencies due to the changing HI. The other factor is damping - how much control the amp has over the headphone. This is what leads to a slightly warmer, fuller sound when using higher OI amps. It's one of those things you need to test to see what works well, but generally I tend to stick to low OI amps to be safe. I might do a sound decisions episode to explain more about this so stay tuned. (And I hope this helps)

@rango_unchained 4 года назад

@@PassionforSound Thank you for your reply. I do understand your response in terms of sound, but I'm curious if a high output amp connected to low impedance headphones will cause damage to the headphones. My comparable would be damaging a car or home speaker due to over-driving them with too much power. I'm not sure "power" is the correct term in this scenario, but I'm guessing you know what I'm getting at. While you would stick to low OI amps to be safe, my much younger nieces and nephews don't understand the premise. They've learned not to crank up the volume on my living room speakers, but when unsupervised, the same cannot be said for my many headphones and amps.

@PassionforSound 4 года назад

No risks there at all, Ron. The impedance matching won't cause any direct damage to a headphone. Obviously, if they turn the volume WAY up it may cause damage, but that's true regardless of the impedances.

@rango_unchained 4 года назад

@@PassionforSound I appreciate your explanations greatly. Currently, the pandemic is keeping the younger family members from visiting, but for the sake of my harmonic balance, that excuse won't last nearly long enough.

@munlive5130 2 года назад

Which amp do you recommend for Beyerdynamic DT880 (600ohm) between Bottlehead Mainline and Elekit TU-8200?

@PassionforSound 2 года назад

Mainline for sure. The Elekit requires too much modification to work with lots of headphones. Both will be good with the DT880s, but the Mainline will also work with any other headphone you buy in the future too

@munlive5130 2 года назад

mailine is quite different from crack?

@runeandersen9935 3 года назад

Is Topping D90 a good match for the Mainline 1.1?

@PassionforSound 3 года назад

Hi Rune, I answered on your other question about this 🙂

@lilapple6124 4 года назад

i prefer the DC02

@samk.871 2 года назад

couple of more questions please, how long these tubes last? This bottlehead amp you own or any other one they offer will power floor speakers in respect of more power need?

@PassionforSound 2 года назад

Tubes last for thousands or hours so depending on how much you use the amp, that's years of use before changing tubes. Bottlehead make one speaker AND headphone amp (the S.E.X.) but also make dedicated speaker amps.

@ensignofindustry1033 Год назад

Hey there. I see you also have experience with the Meze 109’s. Thoughts on the Mojo 2(as a DAC) into S.E.X. or Mainline into the 109’s?

@PassionforSound Год назад

It would be magic! Great choice 🙂🙂

@brandonyong301 Год назад

How are you getting line out from the mojo 2? I thought you can't bypass the amp stage

@ensignofindustry1033 Год назад

@@brandonyong301 I don’t have the Bottlehead yet but my understanding is that using a headphone out on the MJ2 with the volume at 3 volts, which would be violet color, is equivalent to running line level. This setting would be the same output level as the OG Mojo’s default line level, which technically doesn’t bypass the amp. In this case, the path would be Mojo 2DAC ->Mojo2 amp -> S3x to phones. 🤷‍♂️

@brandonyong301 Год назад

@@ensignofindustry1033 thanks for the quick reply, I'll give it a try!

@PassionforSound Год назад

As EoI said, there's no way to bypass the amp stage on the Mojo 2, but it works more like a preamp than a full amp in the context of connection to a separate amp/headphone amp. You also don't have to drive the Mojo 2 at the full output level if you don't want to - just find a good balance between the amp and the Mojo 2 so that you have a good range of volume control on the main amp.

@denteomd 3 года назад

Can it be plugged to 220 volts, since it is a USA amp not sure if the transformer is switchable?

@PassionforSound 3 года назад

Hi Dennis, if I'm remembering correctly, the old versions had to be ordered based on the local voltage (i.e. I ordered the 240V version). I think they have a new transformer that can work across multiple voltages depending on how you wire it. All the necessary info is on the Bottlehead site and they are definitely available for all voltages

@denteomd 3 года назад

Thanks, for the reply, planning to get the BeePre2 pre amp once I listen or read reviews. Looks really good. Your review on the Mainline makes me want to try soldering, last time did that was in high school.

@PassionforSound 3 года назад

It's a lot of fun - very relaxing I find (if you take your time). The BeePre2 should be excellent!

@mikecambridge5493 4 года назад

Very interesting video. I would like to win the DC01.

@PassionforSound 4 года назад

Just got in on time, Mike. Good luck in the draw!!

@wric01 2 года назад

R core power is now abundant and less noise + cheaper, how come no tube amps adopt it? Rivals decware, how it do against them.

@PassionforSound 2 года назад

I can't answer that one - sorry. I'm not a designer, just a reviewer

@rcobsesssed 2 года назад

I see your Bottlehead badge is silver (not gold as usual). What did you use to make that happen?

@PassionforSound 2 года назад

Hi Mark, it's been ages, but I think I just lightly sanded it.

@jamesrobinson9176 2 года назад

I'm sure it's a good product. the names guarantee that most will never consider the gear. Not surprised they're from Seattle.

@PassionforSound 2 года назад

They're definitely quirky names and do make it a little tricky to discuss with some people. Personally I do prefer these names over the "B235JT" type names on so many other amps, but someone like Schiit might have found a better middle ground that's not quite so extreme in the references.

@jamesrobinson9176 2 года назад

@@PassionforSound that's pretty accurate.