Audiophile-quality kits since 1995
We're home to vacuum tube based amplifier, preamplifier and headphone amplifier kits, speaker kits, finished high end tube audio products, and one of the finest support communities on the web.
Bottlehead chassis, wood bases and speaker cabinets, transformers, and even that nifty little Bottlehead badge are all made to order in the USA.
The majority of Bottlehead kit builders are first timers – and many go on to build an entire system!
Come join the ranks of DIY audiophiles and find out how much better your system can sound when you invest your money in excellent design and high parts quality without having to pay for factory assembly. The Bottlehead Forum has hundreds of members ready to answer questions and offer support to your first kit build.
Crackatwoa Headphone Amplifier Kit
Crackatwoa is a premium version of the direct coupled Crack circuit - it takes everything you love about the original Crack and dials it up. With an upgraded power supply and the Speedball constant current source built in, it delivers greater dynamic impact, tighter bass, and improved resolution—while maintaining the OTL magic that made the original a classic. Perfect for high-impedance headphones (200 ohms or higher - think Sennheiser HD600/650/800, Beyerdynamic 250 and 600 ohms headphones, etc.) and experienced builders seeking even more from their tube amp.
Our kits do not come with a badge, but you can buy one here. Because of a weird quirk in Shopify's shipping, international customers will need to drop a request in their amp's order notes instead of adding one to cart.
Blog posts
Which Bottlehead headphone amplifier is right for me?
We've created an easy-to-use chart to show how our headphone amplifiers compare to one another. Check it out to help decide which is right for you.
Read moreabout Which Bottlehead headphone amplifier is right for me?
Which Bottlehead speaker amplifier is right for me?
We've created an easy-to-use chart to show how our speaker amplifiers compare to one another. Check it out to help decide which is right for you.
Read moreabout Which Bottlehead speaker amplifier is right for me?
What comes in a Bottlehead kit?
Ever wonder what comes in a Bottlehead kit? We'll show you.