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Cayin HA-300 mk iii Headphone Amplifier Review - My New Reference Tube Head Amp?

Reviews By WaveTheory

5,243 views

Thanks to Cayin and ZMF for sending the HA-300iii for review!

Buy from ZMF: https://shop.zmfheadphones.com/produc...

Buy from Mimic Audio (affiliate link): https://www.mimic-audio.com/products/...

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300b: https://amzn.to/4xa3GCR

Test Gear...

My Systems Tour: WaveTheory's Systems Tour! What My Setups ...

All music was digital in lossless or hi-rez FLAC or DSD formats either played locally or streamed from Qobuz (FLAC only), all through Roon.

Chain 1...

Sonore ultraRendu v1.3 (Sonore ultraRendu Network Audio Streamer R...) USB output into Singxer SU-6 DDC (Singxer SU-6 DDC Review - Strong Sonics & ...). 2 I2S outputs, one into Ferrum WANDLA GSE w/ Hypsos power supply (Ferrum WANDLA GSE DAC Review - Are the New...) directly into Ferrum Oor amp (Oor Else! Ferrum Oor Headphone Amp RE-Revi...), the other into LAiV Harmony DAC (LAiV Harmony DAC Review - An R2R DAC That ...), both Harmony's XLR lineout and Oor's XLR preout through a switch and then into HA-300iii's XLR input

Speakers Driven...

MartinLogan Motion B10: MartinLogan Motion B10 Bookshelf Speakers ...

Headphones Driven...

Audio Technica ATH-ADX7000 (New Flagship Hi-Z Dynamic Driver Headphone...)
Focal Utopia OG (1): Focal Utopia Headphone Review
(2): What Gear is My Gear? Part 4: Focal Utopia...
Fostex TH-910: Fostex TH910 & TH919 Headphones Review - S...
Fostex TH-919: Fostex TH910 & TH919 Headphones Review - S...
Fostex TH-1000rpmk2: Fostex TH1000RP mk2 & TH1100RP mk2 Headpho...
Fostex TH-1100rpmk2: Fostex TH1000RP mk2 & TH1100RP mk2 Headpho...
HiFiMan HE1000 Unveiled: HiFiMan HE1000 Unveiled Headphone Review -...
HiFiMan Susvara OG (1): HiFiMan Susvara - Summit-Fi Headphone Review
(2): What Gear is My Gear? Part 3: HiFiMan Susv...
HiFiMan Susvara Unveiled: HiFiMan Susvara Unveiled Headphone Review ...
Lily Audio Genesis One (review coming!)
ZMF Tessidera (review coming!)

Compared Amps...

LTA Z10e: Linear Tube Audio Z10e Review - WGiMG? 11 ...
Niimbus HPA US5 Pro: Niimbus HPA US5 Pro Headphone Amp Review -...

Timestamps...

00:00 Intro, Pricing, Disclaimer
01:22 Shameless Self Promotion
01:54 About HA-300iii
05:44 Build, Feature, I/O
13:38 Gets Warm!
14:50 Sound
21:32 Tube Rolling
26:17 Comparison with LTA Z10e
32:55 Wrap Up
34:44 Dancing VU Meters!

16 Comments

@Feliciano12v 1 month ago

A quick bathroom trip turned into a full 3 AM tube amp rabbit hole—no regrets.

@ggdfggdfgdffgfddg34 1 month ago

Could you please send the Cayin HA-6A Mk2 Reviews By WaveTheory to the YouTube channel? We're all eagerly awaiting his review! Trust me, this guy will change all the turrets and truly reveal what this amp is capable of!

@KingFiercer_zip 1 month ago

Watching this through Cayin HA-2A, great!

@Madhuvish1 1 month ago

Share that "Heafthy Discount!" with your subscribers too. 😅

@JMAudioEditions 1 month ago

awesome review as always

@ReverendDr.Thomas 1 month ago

Nice, Brian! 🎉

@ace2246 3 days ago

Can we apply those tube rolling recomendation to the cayin 6a mk2 as well?

@johnnyparker2128 1 month ago (edited)

This is so beautiful. Good review. My Flux Labs M-Field Balanced Stack mimics a warm tube sound but I've been thinking about trying an actual tube amp. I can't decide which Cayin to try. Any suggestions? I have ZMF Caldera Closed, Modhouse Tungsten DS V2, Dunu Arashi, and Linsoul INAWAKEN Twilight-DS as my mains.

@RichardMathieson-j3l 1 month ago

I did extensive A/B between this amp and the ZMF Aegis - quick changes because I could run both - XRL to the Cayin and RCA to the ZMF from a Rockna Wavedream Signature DAC with matched volume. Both amps are the same price here and I ended up buying the ZMF. The Cayin in good but I found the ZMF to be more dynamic (despite lower power on paper) and it had greater musical engagement. The other issue, which may not affect everyone, is the Cayin requires considerable investment in desk structure and real estate.

@Xpace1497 1 month ago

Can you do a review on the cayin iha 8?

@fatdoi003 1 month ago

people buy the cayin is for the 300B sound...... not comparing to EL84

@nickkarach76 1 month ago (edited)

I had to return mine, loudest tube amp I’ve heard with dynamic driver headphones. Cayin said it may have been a bad resistor in the right 6sn7 circuit. Consistent hiss noisefloor at all impedance levels with any headphones.

Exchanged recently for a dna supernaut which has actually been silent, just like my zmf aegis was along with every cheap otl I’ve owned.

@fabriziosiano7210 1 month ago

with such good ability to hear details in components, would you be able to make a comment regarding the stage position or distance. do you feel like sitting in the first row or maybe further back like the 5th row with this amp?
I like further back myself and been looking for a good tube amp.

@soumyajitdeb3943 1 month ago (edited)

Try GEC or Mullard rectifiers. I have the smaller HA6A MK2 with kt88 tubes but the same power supply and these both made a massive difference over the stock JJ tubes. I

f you want a modern rectifier, try emission labs 5U4.

For 6SN7, I would recommend ray reserve 6sn7

For 300b, there is really two choices - western electric and takatsuki. Rest are nowhere in the same league.