Avalon BT2 Preamp - Build Thread

I read somewhere that the world we grew up in is the one that we will always regard as 'normal' and so the older we get and the more things change, the more alien it all seems to us.

We're fish out of water. A bit like 'Back To The Future', only in reverse.

Hahahaha, so true!!!

Reminds me of a photo I saw of the front entrance to a gym in the states, California most likely and could have San Francisco due to the steep road, you actually used and escalator rather than stairs to get from the pavement to the door.

Remarkably, I've now got three of these to build, and I haven't even built the full version of my own yet.

I have been trying (and failing) to locate some PC-TRIPLE C or DUCC wire to use in the builds as I thought it would absolutely epic.

However, it seems that unless you have some help from Japan, there is little chance of finding anything of a suitable gauge at a reasonable cost.

I could use the internal wire from the SAEC or Acoustic Revive interconnects, but at £200 for 2m, it's seems a little excessive.

From recent feedback, I have decided to ditch the gold plated OCC and return to Normal bare OCC copper, so unless something of interest turns up, that part of the R&D is done.

Yeah, it's hard to fault it, isn't it.

It's my go to wire generally but I do have some OCC from Furukawa too. That's nice but the jacket doesn't always strip nicely.

28AWG, is that a single strand?  

No, I'm happy to share, but you'll laugh because we're butchering headphone cables for it 🤣

There is no depth i will not plumb!

As soon as i know all is well, i'll share a link, and how to buy it

Why did you not buy a larger case, or does this come in on size fits all?

Few pics of today's graft.

Decided to start by building my own preamp first. This is so I can get any niggles out of the way and make any changes before I make one for anyone else. I'd rather make any adjustments in my own!

The input wires are a little long as I made them long enough for CMC sockets and a mini selector switch. When I decided to change the build to mine, i hadn't realised how much bigger the Switch was and also that the WBT sockets are much longer.

I won't be taking them out to cut 10mm off. I'll leave them for now. I can't get my fingers in that tiny gap as it is!

I'll 2nd the above post, well done Oli, and the case does look a 'good un'.

Thanks Al

How close does the traffo bolt come to the lid Oli? Gonna need some clearance so it doesn't act as a shorted turn.