Cayin HA-3A Review

Cayin HA-3A

Sound Intro

 

The setup used for this review, unless mentioned otherwise, is the following: EarMen Tradutto/PSU-3/CH-AMP as DAC & PREAMP, with ROON & Tidal as source. We have used the HA-3A with a whole series of headphones as you will see later. The EarMen stack as well as the Cayin HA-3A are hooked up to an AudioQuest PowerQuest 3, using AQ’s NRG-Z3 power cables. Both tube sets have over 100 hours on them. We used the XLR output for this test, unless differently mentioned.

Cayin HA-3A

Sound Original Tubes

The Cayin HA-3A with the stock tubes is a clean and very clear sounding amplifier with an excellent pace. Its tuning is more to the neutral side, especially for a tube amplifier.

The HA-3A has a good amount of body from top to bottom and it’s a full sounding amplifier. It’s never exaggerated, and the amplifier is always perfectly in control. The HA-3A’s delivery is precise, and it comes with a nice level of tube smoothness but not too much. All-in-all the Cayin HA-3A combines a good technical level with good musicality.

Sound stage-wise the HA-3A scores well in both width and depth. The layering all-round is really nice and there’s a good amount of space and airiness from lows to highs. The HA-3A has a natural tone and it are especially the mids with the vocals that really impress. Note extension and decay are also good, especially at this price level. Precision and detail-wise the Cayin HA-3A also impresses.

Cayin HA-3A

The amount of bass is a bit bigger than in a fully neutral amp. Bass has a great kick and punch, and the delivery is with good impact. Bass control is good, and bass reaches down low to sub levels with an excellent rumble down low. I don’t find the bass to be overly present, but it can’t be ignored either, luckily the quality is good.

The mids, as said, are spacious and airy and the vocals here are slightly more focused and too the front, but not too much. Mids perfectly connect to the bass section for what body is concerned. The mid presentation has that lovely tube smoothness but not too much. It makes the mid timbre really addictive and special.

The treble section is energetic and airy, and it extends well. The tube smoothness here is less audible, making the treble section quite lively and fast. At the same time treble never is sharp or fatiguing. This tuning nicely works with the typical bass presentation and the vocal mid focus.

Keywords here are neutral, clarity, precision, speed, control

Cayin HA-3A

Sound Aftermarket Tubes

If you want the Cayin H-Aa-3A to sound warmer and smoother (more tubier) then a good set of NOS tubes will help you on the way.

With both tube sets the amount of body from top to bottom is the same. There is a small difference in bass body depending on the set of 6V6 and ECC82 used, but the difference in this regard isn’t very big. The difference is more in the delivery where you now get more warmth and smoothness. It makes the HA-3A less neutral, but softer and more relaxed on the ears. The treble section is softer and less energetic and easier on the ears. The NOS tubes also smoothen down the vocal energy of the stock tube set somewhat, making the vocals sweeter and even more natural.

Look at it this way: say you like the Sennheiser HD 800 (S) for its typical speed, precision and clarity, go for the stock tube set. If you want a softer, warmer HD 800 (S) with a more relaxed top end, a warmer NOS set of tubes will be your go to. Both the stock set as the NOS set have an excellent technical level, but I do find the NOS sets to produce better note extension

Keywords here are warmth, smoothness and extension.

If you’re not planning on rolling tubes, that’s perfectly ok. As said in this review, the HA-3A with the stock tubes performs really well.

Cayin HA-3A

Sound – Headphones

The headphones chosen for the evaluation are the following: Meze Audio ELITE, Sennheiser HD800S, Beyerdynamic DT1990PRO, Hifiman Arya Stealth, Audeze LCD-2 Classic. I added the LCD-2 as Cayin is using this headphone in their official marketing material (pictures). The tube set used for this evaluation is the stock one, as most people will start with this combo. I have used the XLR balanced output wherever possible.

The Meze Audio ELITE (low gain setting) on the Cayin amplifier sounds fast, with excellent PRaT. One of the first things you notice with this combo is how spacious it sounds, giving you an excellent left-right balance and 3-dimensionality. Bass reaches deep but the combo is always in perfect control. The level of detail and layering in the lower regions are good. The mids are very clean, spacious and the vocals are a little more to the front, but all in a natural way. This combo really makes vocals shine. Body-wise the mids connect perfectly to the bass, and the amount of weight is neutrally natural. Nothing gets added. The treble section is spacious, energetic, and extended but easy on the ears. From top to bottom the clarity level also is very good. If you like the ELITE, I think you will like it with this amplifier. It’s musical, always controlled and it never exaggerates. Just don’t expect the ELITE to sound warmer, smoother, or bass heavier as this with the stock tubes won’t ever be the case.

We all know the high impedance Sennheisers like OTL tube amps, but even though this amplifier isn’t on OTL one, the HD 800 S plays very nice with it. I prefer the mid impedance setting for the HD 800 S, as it brings the best balance between power, natural sound and musicality. The HD 800 S gets just enough tube smoothness from the HA-3A to notice you’re listening to a tube amp. In general, the HD 800 S and Cayin combo sounds tight and precise. It’s not as fast and energetic as a higher end solid state amp, but of course that isn’t the goal of this amplifier either. The amount of body here is neutral but the HA-3A has great control of the drivers. Bass is neutral in weight, but it has enough body and good impact, delivery comes with a punch. The layering and technical level in this combo is not as impressive as with the ELITE. For a lot of people, the HD 800 (S) treble is too “present”, but this isn’t the case here, as the tubes do a nice job in softening down the upper region. Treble is still good and energetic, but it’s softer on the ears, the way tube amps do that. All-in-all it’s not the best performing HD 800 S ever, but the combo is really enjoyable, and I have spent a lot of hours with it.

Cayin HA-3A

Another high impedance headphone I like a lot is the Beyerdynamic DT1990 PRO. With the HA-3A I prefer it in the medium impedance setting in single-ended mode. You could also use it in the high setting, but I prefer the slightly softer vocals from the mid setting. You get neutral but good amount of body as you expect from the DT199PRO. Bass is tight, punchy, and fast. It reaches down low with good sub rumble. The mids share the same type of presentation with great layering and natural vocals. Mid timbre is vibrant and very engaging. The treble section is energetic and lively without ever becoming sharp or harsh. Like with the Senn, the HA-3A is doing a great job here. I love the DT1990PRO and Cayin combo, it’s detailed, lively, punchy and natural. Great synergy and an absolutely recommended combo.

The Hifiman Arya Stealth is a headphone that is very easy to love. It works well with the HA-3A in both the low and medium impedance setting. If you like more airy, energetic vocals the mid setting is the one to go for. The Stealth and HA-3A combo is very musical and the slightly more forward vocals play an important roll here. The Stealth and Cayin combo sounds very natural, spacious and relaxed. The Cayin HA-3A doesn’t make the Stealth sound overly warm but a little tube warmth is there. It’s a natural sound with a soft, smooth delivery. Bass is there when needed (but not too much) and it reaches down very low. Again, the HA-3A is in perfect control and the overall depth and layering are impressive. Treble extends nicely but is very easy and soft on the ears. If you like a more clean and typical solid state sound, this combo is not the one for you. It’s not the best technical performing combo but if I must describe it in a short way, I will say the combo is musical, smoothly soft and a pure pleasure to the ear. If you like orthodynamic drivers with a smooth, musical presentation, this combo will blow you away.

The good old Audeze LCD-2 (Classic) is surprisingly good with the HA-3A. I didn’t expect it, but Cayin probably found out and then decided to use the LCD in their photography. This combo takes me back to when the LCD-2 first came out around 2010. This combo brings a great bass performance, openness, and energetic vibe and all that with a super musical delivery. The LCD-2 in 2022 will never win any prizes for its technical performance, but this combo really makes the LCD-2 shine. The difference between the low and mid impedance setting, can mostly be translated in a bigger bass impact and an overall more energetic presentation. I seem to quite like the mid setting myself. Note extension in timbre in the mids here are impressive, as well as the excellent left-right balance. It’s maybe not the most modern or technically strong combo, but if you like the LCD-2’s typical sound, you will easily like the synergy between these 2 units.

Cayin HA-3A

I have been listening to the HA-3A with many more headphones, and in general it’s easy to get good synergy with the Cayin amp. Cayin clearly states that the HA-3A is not built to drive the most demanding headphone but with most of the normal to drive headphones in my office, the HA-3A had no issues at all. Cayin doesn’t make it a secret that it’s not the very best amplifier for headphones such as the Susvara and HEDDphone, so let’s check out those combos.

More combos and more on sound can be found on page 4. Simply click here.

Page 1: Cayin, HA-3A intro, HA-3A Features, Tubes

Page 2: Box & Packaging & Usability, Design & Layout, Specifications 

Page 3: Sound intro, Sound Original Tubes, Sound Aftermarket Tubes, Sound Headphones Pt. 1

Page 4: Sound Headphones Pt. 2, Comparisons, Conclusions

4.4/5 - (122 votes)
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Lieven is living in Europe and he's the leader of the gang. He's running Headfonia as a side project next to his full time day job in Digital Marketing & Consultancy. He's a big fan of tube amps and custom inear monitors and has published hundreds of product reviews over the years.

26 Comments

  • Reply August 30, 2022

    Mike

    HA-3A vs C9 for driving LCD-5: Any advise? The price of both amps are in the same range.

    • Reply August 30, 2022

      Lieven

      C9 is dead atm, batteries have given up

  • Reply August 30, 2022

    James

    How’s the heat output? If I sit next to this amp, will I feel too warm?

    • Reply August 30, 2022

      Lieven

      next to it no, on top of it, yes. At the back op the cage. In fact, it’s only the 6V6 that will make it hot, it’s a tube amp after all.

  • Reply August 30, 2022

    jaz

    cmon, no shots of the rear ports? You gave me like 34 photos of the front…I want to know what Im working with if I am gonna integrate this into my system…

  • Reply September 1, 2022

    Brendan

    Thanks very much for the review. I have Sennheiser HD 800S headphones and am looking for my next amp. Currently using a Chord Mojo, however looking to upgrade to either this or a Woo Audio WA2. Looking at pairing it with a Denafrips Pontus II DAC. In your opinion for Classical, Jazz, some Rock and Electronic, which amp will perform better?

    • Reply September 1, 2022

      Lieven

      It’s been a very long time since I listened to the WA2, so I couldn’t really say. sorry

  • Reply September 11, 2022

    Albert G

    Thanks for the review. I’ve been looking at the HA-6A for some time now and looks this could be like a cheaper (and much smaller) alternative. Do you have any low impedance dynamic driver headphones like Fostex TH900/909? Those are really easy to drive but kinda amp picky…

  • Reply September 12, 2022

    MARC

    “Last but not least is the 22DE4 rectifier tube. It’s a Half-Wave Rectifier Diode Tube of the glass-octal type and it is identical to 6DE4 and 17DE4”

    May I know if that sentence implies that 6DE4 and 17DE4 are substitutes for 22DE4?

    • Reply September 12, 2022

      Lieven

      The heater is different. So I would stick to the 22de4

      • Reply December 3, 2022

        Thomas

        Hi

        Have you tried hifiman ha-1000v2 with the ha-3a?

        //Thomas

        • Reply January 25, 2023

          Hume

          I’d like to know how the HE1000v2 work with this too.

          • Reply January 25, 2023

            Lieven

            I will try the combo if I find some time

            • Reply January 25, 2023

              Hume

              Much thanks! I’m on the “edge” (haha) of buying this for mainly IEM use, but it’d be nice to know if the HE1000v2 sounds at least good with it.

              • Reply February 18, 2023

                Hume

                I’m going to reply to my own comment since I have now purchased the HA-3A and have had some time to listen to it.

                To my surprise, this amp drives the HE1000v2 well, very well. In comparison to my Ferrum Oor, it gives the HE1000v2 an even bigger sound stage and gives it more body and bass punch/overall impact. The bass, and overall sound, might not be as tight and articulate as with the Oor, but it’s more vivid and realistic with a nice softness that takes off any edge (the HE1000v2 can be intense) even more than the Oor does. At the same time, the HA-3A is very revealing, resolving and has great technicalities so this is no overly warm/fuzzy tube amp. It’s powerful, lively, engaging and a pleasure to listen to. It really does rival my Oor: these are both top tier amps that have different strengths and will match better with different cans.

                The HA-3A also makes my Odin IEMs sound fantastic, the best I’ve heard them yet, especially in terms of sound stage “bigness” since the HA-3A has a big, immersive sound stage. Using the low impedance setting on the 4.4 out I hear no noise with the Odins at normal listening volumes. It might not be the solid state black background, but it’s not far off: no nasty hiss or interference I can hear.

                This is an fantastic amp and I’m glad I bought it. I will be keeping it for sure. All these impressions are with the stock tubes fwiw.

  • Reply December 28, 2022

    Célio

    How does this amp compare to the Crack w/speedball with high impedance headphones?

    • Reply December 29, 2022

      Lieven

      I don’t have a speedball mod, sorry

  • Reply February 5, 2023

    Dave

    Any good with focal clear mg?

  • Reply April 25, 2023

    Kate Timmons

    “The HA-3A was sent to me to be featured on Headfonia.com and doesn’t need to be returned as far as I know” …….. you hope 😉

  • Reply September 17, 2023

    Oscar

    Thanks so much for this review. For the Meze Audio Elite with the Cayin HA3A, is it better the 4 pin XLR output or the 6.3mm? Or the difference is unsubstantial?
    Thanks again

    • Reply September 17, 2023

      Lieven

      You’re welcome. I always go for balanced but just try and see which you like most

      • Reply September 17, 2023

        Oscar

        Thanks! I will try both since a 4 pin XLR is on the way

  • Reply December 27, 2023

    entiskg

    Great written review!

    I was wondering, how does the Cayin HA-3A pair with the Sennheiser HD 660S2?

    • Reply December 29, 2023

      Lieven

      Thank you. Good combo, though it scales up even better with higher end amps. Do also try OTL for Sennheiser

  • Reply August 14, 2024

    Bernardo

    Hi,Any good with Audeze LCD X (2021)?
    Thanx.

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