A tube amp with versatility in mind. Cayin HA6A. 

Thanks for the review ... specially appreciated your feedback in terms of tubes rolling ☺

Thanks for all the help with this amp! I 100% agree, the Telefunken 12au7 + KT88 combo is incredible. Best mix of technicalities + punch, with that tube warmth and harmonics, full of organic richness. The imaging is beautiful too. It's the sound I've been looking for all these years

Another great one, thanks a million!

I love your honest take about sound quality, this is what we want to hear before investing any money in this hobby, Thank you!

Wow another review for us. You're going strong in 2023 Koji. Very nice.

One of the best looking headphone amps I’ve seen. If the right tubes are available this seems like a great amp to pursue.

Hey dude!!! I didn't realise you have a channel. 🙂 I watch you closely on the on the headphone page. Haha. Awesome to see you here!!!

Yes it is crazy how tube rolling can make such a bid difference. I have the Envy. Elrog MO is very solid state sounding. Driver tubes make such a big difference on how it will sound. I used to own a TT2, AHB2, Ferrum Stack ... Dave + Envy + Elrog MOs is amazing. I never heard the Susvara sounding this good. It is squeezing the most of what this driver can deliver. Chain: Matrix X-SPDIF 2, Chord Dave + Farad 3 w/ Furutech Inlets & SR Purple fuses, Feliks Envy w/ SR Purple fuses Tubes: Elrog ER300B-Mo, Elrog ER300B, WE 300B, Melz 1578 6SN7, Brimar CV1988 6SN7, RCA VT231 Smoked Glass 6SN7, TS 6F8G VT99 RP, Sylvania 6F8G VT99, TS 6J5GT (quad), Raytheon 6J5GT (quad)

Damn nice video! I prefer my 650’s on tubes ..now I can’t afford something like this …but my Xduoo 604 tube amp works great with those headphones 😋

Yep tubes are the way to go. I was on solid state amps until I got my Schiit Lyr + and with some tube rolling I now have more detail, soundstage and better imaging. The vocals are also much warmer and the clarity is unbelievable in comparison to the thin sounding A90D. The 800S now has what seems like endless soundstage and detail and the LCD 4 got a big kick in its bass and the A90D cannot even compare.

Sub'd...nice review, thank you. I really enjoy your presentation style. I hope you might get a chance to review the Cayin HA-3A one day...Keep up the good work!

I have both the ha-6a and the Feliks Euforia , they both offer something different. I have some 1950’s Sylvania pre amp tubes and some vintage tung-sol 5881’s coming . Can’t wait to see how that sounds compared to the Muller E34 and Genlax kt88s I have now.

Danke!

Nice review. I have this amp and enjoy it quite a bit. Would like to clarify things from your narrative. The front of the unit has an impedance switch for low, medium, and high impedance headphones. You mentioned a gain switch, which does not exist on this amp. You also mentioned an external impedance matching device that you used with ZMF headphones. The impedance switch built into the amp, and indeed a reason for the transformers, is so you can tailor the amp to whatever headphone. I use mine with the ZMF Verite Closed with high impedance selected on the switch. You also mention linear and tri-linear modes. I assume you mean triode and ultralinear. Usually, I prefer the amp with triode mode. The stock tubes are alright for me. I have switched to KT88 tubes and some Baldwin drivers but never for long. I'd be interested to try the tubes you mention. In my experimenting it seemed best to compliment a more solid state sounding power tube (KT88) with a more tubey driver tube. You seemed to prefer a more solid state sound overall, but maybe I'm not totally sure what the Telefunken tubes sound like. I also have the ZMF Caldera and don't necessarily prefer it as much on tubes since those crave current, which solid state provides.

Nice review! Will you review the Envy?

I so want to see your comparison head to head of The Ha300mkII vs The Envy :)

Hope I'm not being offensive, but I have read in the past that being blind heightens your sense of hearing. I've noticed that when you ask people to concentrate whilst listening/comparing headphones etc that they automatically close their eyes. I also find that whilst listening at night in bed it lets me hear more into the music. The way you describe gear is excellent keep up the great reviews 👍

Hello, nice rewiev indeed. I currently own, he-1000 v2, Focal Utopia, and some mid-hifi Sennheisers like hd600. Im using Vioelectric 550 solid state amp. Currently thinking getting my first tube amp for these headphones. Which one would You recommend if budget is around 1.5-3k mark. Ty

Nice job. I do wonder how Mogwai REV2 SE stacks up 🤔. Not sure though, if you have heard that model or not..But yeah, I'm kinda looking for a tube amp in this range give or take a lil 🤔..

when you say trilinear do you mean ultralinear or triode mode? im very confused. Other than that I always enjoy your content because of its rich descriptions and comparisons. TY!

Any plans on taking the HA-3A for a spin?

Hi Koji, I'm about to make a big purchase and I can really use your opinion. I want to buy the Meze Elite but I think it's a ton of money. How do you feel the Letshuoer s12 or the s12pro compete against the Meze Elite in terms of performance %? If it's like 80% vs 100% I don't mind to save 4 grand. Thank you for all that you do.

Interesting, I always thought that the Pendant was at the same level as the Cayin HA 300. But if it is not even at the level of the HA6A, then I have really been wrong.

Where can I find that impedance adapter? thank you

Could you please write down your prefered tube setup with this thing?

This is one of the most underrated amps on the market imo. It has issues, and you have to treat it as a power amp pretty much with the volume set around noon and a pre-amp or a DAC with volume ... but as you pair it with for example Spring 3 with Pre-Amp module or May + Serene (or any other good pre) or Chord dacs, load it with good low noise tubes, feed it clean power, it is a trully a TOTL amp in every sense with some pretty unique features. I don't think there is a straight upgrade from HA6a in the HP world.