That’s why I never visited something like CanJam, but bought gear after reading reviews and forums. Then, you can do inexpensive modifications e.g. caps, changing firmware and so on:)

It seems to be the game you can never lose.

A samurai has no goal, only a path

With all respect to HA-3A, I have to mention that the manufacturer claims it’s not suitable for the most inefficient headphones like Susvara. For the vast majority of headphones it’s quite sufficient. Andykong can confirm it unless he’s not busy. Sorry, it’s all because some people prefer asking...

For me too:) I just haven’t heard of other tube amps with preamp out. There is another option: using 4,4 to 2 XLR cable.

I guess you already considered Feliks Envy?

The Envy seems to be more powerful (from what I read).

I’ve forgot we’re living in computer era:)

Your second hobby means you are living far from any source of the light pollution, i.e. cities. Good optics and tripods with equatorial mounts aren’t cheap. I took pictures (terrestrial) with shutter speed as long as 30 sec and more using neutral filters. Magical effects! Recently I considered...

Yes, I’m another one living happily in the warehouse:)

You should definitely try the Cayin HA-3A. Even with the stock tubes it sounds great. Now I’m using some inexpensive NOS tubes that made it much more enjoyable, almost to the level of my 300b speaker amp with the really good tubes. My only headphone is HE1000SE, but HA-3A can drive almost any...

I think it’s hopeless like Don Quixote’s fighting with windmills. Some people prefer reading, some asking, but most of them like to answer the simple questions from the newbies.

Oh, that’s really tangled scheme (Russians say about things like this “you can’t sort it out without the glass (of vodka)”)))

I never heard of headphone amp with no volume control, the HA-300 is not an exclusion. It’s an integrated (pre+power) amplifier for headphones and speakers. It’s all because you never used speakers :) It reminds me those scary sea legends from Phoenicians to prevent others from exploring the...

There’s separate winding for the speaker out in the output transformer.

Most likely.

Could it be that you have changed input signal (PCM to DSD) or anything else?

Yes, now these rectifiers are cheap although not easy to get. If I had at least one spare set of them, I most likely already bought the HA-300. My current speaker amp can use different rectifiers available worldwide. That’s why I’m not going to purchase another one. Anyway we’ll see how the...

Well, it seems that driver tubes are not the source of an issue. Maybe power tubes or anything else? I’m not that knowledgeable to define.

Have you kept the stock tubes? Try them for the comparison.

I’ve read some about the ZMF Aegis. It seems to be a great amp for headphones alone, but HA-300 is better for speaker users like me. Interestingly, even American users don’t want “oddball” 22DE4. Since the actual manufacturer of the Aegis is Cayin, I strongly believe they will learn the lesson.

IMHO it’s not an issue at all.

Many thanks to The Abyss 2022 for the tube recommendation. I planned to purchase the HA-300 next, but feel quite content with the HA-3A so far. I’ve bought some beautiful things instead. While listening to beautiful music you want see the beauty around you.

It definitely is, since whole chassis is grounded (connected to ground).

I never heard any noise from my HA-3A as well as from my other gear with exception of the speaker tube amp, but that very faint hum seems inherent to my unit. I always plugged the whole setup into one inexpensive Supra distributor.