Bottlehead Crack OTL Headphone Amp -TUBES baby..TUBES!!
ALL212
Posts: 1,577
I've discovered that it's possible that I have too many headphone amps. So my highly upgraded Crack is up for sale. This will work with high impedance (200 ohms or higher) cans ONLY. This is the version 1 crack and does not have the international transformer - US 115 ish voltages only. It does have the Speedball upgrade installed as well as numerous other upgrades that I will list below.
You can buy this thing in kit form direct from BH, unassembled with the stock Alder base for $430. I'm asking $500 + shipping (from Rockford, IL) and any fees. It will come with tubes, maybe more than 1 each. I need to check stock.
Tubes pictured might not be what it comes with. This is not a stock picture and is the actual unit (all pictures are of the actual unit).
1) Custom Oak Base and includes the BH badge as pictured. This base is extra high to accommodate the modifications made. There is a 1" or so Sharpy mark on the base that I'm not going to try and remove. I can provide a picture if so desired. Finish on the base is Polyurethane.
2) Changes to the power supply:
Instead of a CRCRC filter this is a CRCLC. The last resistor was replaced with an inductor. The resistor that is still in the circuit was upgraded from a sandcast to a non-inductance one. I don't remember the brand...it's "green".
The two first capacitors are RubyCon's and the last is a Nichicon. The last capacitor is also tipped with a ClarityCap film capacitor.
Diodes are Cree Shotkey replacing the IN4001's in the picture above with a board assy.
Wiring is 90% upgraded. Input wiring is Cardas, most of the rest is cloth wrapped solid copper. Input RCA's are the high end Vampire (I believe solid copper with a gold plate, note the dual red/white stripes). Volume knob is from Goldpoint and the stock volume pot replaced with Alps Blue.
Output caps are Audyne film tipped with Sonicap.
The box is tapped for pointy feet but at this time I have rubber's on it. If I can find the pointy feet I'll include them.
The popsicle grid is there to keep the output caps from bouncing around.
For those of you unfamiliar with the BH kits the top plate is NOT secured to the base. If you turn this upside down very bad and evil things will happen and I won't be fixing it for you!!
If you reach up under the base with the power cord applied you'll get shocked. So, if you have small curious children either don't buy this or keep it safely higher than they can reach.
I also own the BH Crack-a-Two-a (a fancier version of the Crack), the S.E.X. and the Mainline. The Crack and Crack-a-two-a sound similar but even with the upgrades the Crack IMHO is beaten by both the other dedicated headphone amps. The price point dictates that also.
Tubes are the 12AU7 and 6080 or derivatives thereof. With the speedball installed you can mess around with more 6080 types. DO NOT use anything other than 12AU7's or their direct replacements. Doc (the Bottlehead master) has stated that bad things happen when you do that.
Info from Bottlehead:
https://bottlehead.com/?product=crack-otl-headphone-amplifier-kit
If you're curious about what tubes you can roll there is a 125 page post on specifically that:
https://bottlehead.com/smf/index.php?topic=663.0
If you promise to be careful and not fug this up I'll throw in the 12AU7 to 6SN7 adapter. Once this is in place both the 6080 and 12AU7 sockets are IDENTICAL and if you switch tubes don't call me... No charge for the adapter (I have two).
If you have any questions please ask. I will only charge 2x shipping for local pickup.
You can buy this thing in kit form direct from BH, unassembled with the stock Alder base for $430. I'm asking $500 + shipping (from Rockford, IL) and any fees. It will come with tubes, maybe more than 1 each. I need to check stock.
Tubes pictured might not be what it comes with. This is not a stock picture and is the actual unit (all pictures are of the actual unit).
1) Custom Oak Base and includes the BH badge as pictured. This base is extra high to accommodate the modifications made. There is a 1" or so Sharpy mark on the base that I'm not going to try and remove. I can provide a picture if so desired. Finish on the base is Polyurethane.
2) Changes to the power supply:
Instead of a CRCRC filter this is a CRCLC. The last resistor was replaced with an inductor. The resistor that is still in the circuit was upgraded from a sandcast to a non-inductance one. I don't remember the brand...it's "green".
The two first capacitors are RubyCon's and the last is a Nichicon. The last capacitor is also tipped with a ClarityCap film capacitor.
Diodes are Cree Shotkey replacing the IN4001's in the picture above with a board assy.
Wiring is 90% upgraded. Input wiring is Cardas, most of the rest is cloth wrapped solid copper. Input RCA's are the high end Vampire (I believe solid copper with a gold plate, note the dual red/white stripes). Volume knob is from Goldpoint and the stock volume pot replaced with Alps Blue.
Output caps are Audyne film tipped with Sonicap.
The box is tapped for pointy feet but at this time I have rubber's on it. If I can find the pointy feet I'll include them.
The popsicle grid is there to keep the output caps from bouncing around.
For those of you unfamiliar with the BH kits the top plate is NOT secured to the base. If you turn this upside down very bad and evil things will happen and I won't be fixing it for you!!
If you reach up under the base with the power cord applied you'll get shocked. So, if you have small curious children either don't buy this or keep it safely higher than they can reach.I also own the BH Crack-a-Two-a (a fancier version of the Crack), the S.E.X. and the Mainline. The Crack and Crack-a-two-a sound similar but even with the upgrades the Crack IMHO is beaten by both the other dedicated headphone amps. The price point dictates that also.
Tubes are the 12AU7 and 6080 or derivatives thereof. With the speedball installed you can mess around with more 6080 types. DO NOT use anything other than 12AU7's or their direct replacements. Doc (the Bottlehead master) has stated that bad things happen when you do that.
Info from Bottlehead:
https://bottlehead.com/?product=crack-otl-headphone-amplifier-kit
If you're curious about what tubes you can roll there is a 125 page post on specifically that:
https://bottlehead.com/smf/index.php?topic=663.0
If you promise to be careful and not fug this up I'll throw in the 12AU7 to 6SN7 adapter. Once this is in place both the 6080 and 12AU7 sockets are IDENTICAL and if you switch tubes don't call me... No charge for the adapter (I have two).
If you have any questions please ask. I will only charge 2x shipping for local pickup.
Aaron
Enabler Extraordinaire
Enabler Extraordinaire
Comments
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I can't afford "highly upgraded crack".... only the low grade stuff
.
Whoever gets this is in for a treat!"....not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." William Bruce Cameron, Informal Sociology: A Casual Introduction to Sociological Thinking (1963) -
Not too many headphone amps -- just not enough heads.
GLWTS, as they say!
Nice piece of equipment
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I love my Bottlehead SEX 2.1 amp! Nice stuff here! Basement: Polk SDA SRS 1.2tl's, Cary SLP-05 Pre with ultimate upgrade,McIntosh MCD301 CD/SACD player, Northstar Designs Excelsio DAC, Cambridge 851N streamer, McIntosh MC300 Amp, Silnote Morpheus Ref2, Series2 Digital Cables, Silnote Morpheus Ref2 Series2 XLR's, Furman 15PFi Power Conditioner, Pangea Power Cables, MIT Shotgun S3 IC's, MIT Shotgun S1 Bi-Wire speaker cables
Office: PC, EAR Acute CD Player, EAR 834L Pre, Northstar Designs Intenso DAC, Antique Sound Labs AV8 Monoblocks, Denon UDR-F10 Cassette, Acoustic Technologies Classic FR Speakers, SVS SB12 Plus sub, MIT AVt2 speaker cables, IFI Purifier2, AQ Cinnamon USB cable, Groneberg Quatro Reference IC's
Spare Room: Dayens Ampino Integrated Amp, Tjoeb 99 tube CD player (modified Marantz CD-38), Analysis Plus Oval 9's, Zu Jumpers, AudioEngine B1 Streamer, Klipsch RB-61 v2, SVS PB1000 sub, Blue Jeans RCA IC's, Shunyata Hydra 8 Power Conditioner
Living Room: Peachtree Nova Integrated, Cambridge CXN v2 Streamer, Rotel RCD-1072 CD player, Furman 15PFi Power Conditioner, Polk RT265 In Wall Speakers, Polk DSW Pro 660wi sub
Garage #1: Cambridge Audio 640A Integrated Amp, Project Box-E BT Streamer, Polk Tsi200 Bookies, Douglas Speaker Cables, Shunyata Power Conditioner
Garage #2: Cambridge Audio EVO150 Integrated Amplifier, Polk L200's, Analysis Plus Silver Oval 2 Speaker Cables, IC's TBD. -
duh-rrrool. (I really rolled those rs for extra effect)
Seriously, beautiful piece here, Aaron. Looks like a lot of high quality components in there along with the nice case and paint work. Anyone else here besides me whose soldering looks like a buncha torn off bits of Hershey's Kisses wrappers jammed into a connection, this is your opportunity for turnkey Crack.I disabled signatures. -
Boomp.
and some sweatener.
Included:
RCA 6080
HP 6AS7G (in original box)
electro Harmonix 12AU7
GE (I think) 12AU7
12AU7 to 6SN7 adapter
electro-harmoix 6SN7
Still $500 + shipping & Fees
Aaron
Enabler Extraordinaire -
Pending payment...
Sold - Gone - no longer available.Aaron
Enabler Extraordinaire
