TeNeT
New Head-Fier
Hello, 
!
I am a new member who has been reading mostly.
Please help me decide between an Auris HA2 SF and a Cayin HA-6A.
I am not new at all to audio, but I have a very light collection at the moment, and I am looking to expand. I recently got back into it with a pair of Beyers DT880 Pro. And while I know these are not the most TOTL headphone; I still enjoy them very much and has inspired me to give them some juice with a nice headphone amp... (note) I wont be stopping with the Beyers. I would very much like a set of ZMF and Meze.
Path so far to purchase:
I stared out buying a Mayflower 02 amp. This amp was so neutral it made no change at all to my signal, lol. I am sure it is a great amp for the price for some phones, but for mine it just did not drive them at all, even after a patch cord upgrade.
Then I became interested in the Schiit Mjonir 2. But unfortunately Schiit has discontinued production of this amp. My attempts to acquire one on eBay went beyond the price I was willing to pay on that particular amp. Also the contact I made with Schiit left kinda a bad taste in my mouth, lol. No pun intended.
I was looking at a Woo WA-22 on the classifieds here. And I even made a full price offer that the seller then sat on for 4 days, only to come back to say it was sold a while ago to someone else,
. Ultimately I am glad I didn't get this amp. I am sure it is great, but I think I found better options. And the disappointment of trying to buy used just pushed me to buy new, which I much prefer anyway...
The first amp I decided to try to buy outright was the Decware Zen Taboo Mk 4. I really like this amp a lot. I spoke to the owner there, and enjoyed our conversation very much! If it was not for the extended wait times on these builds; I would have stopped my search here and bought this amp. I would still possible even pick this amp if I could buy one new today...
At this point I started looking at Auris HA-2SF. I also really like this amp a lot, if I had not seen somebody when talking about the HA-2SF, also mention the HA-6A; I would probably have an Auris on it's way to my house today... I have not talked to any Auris reps, although the communication involving gain switch I saw did concern me slightly. But that is hard to judge since it was not even my communication, but I did take note of it.
Then I saw the Cayin HA-6A. It most certainly wowed me! It has a very nice look to it, and it did not end there. Going down all the checkmarks, and the HA-6A was waaaay ahead of the HA-2SF all the way down the list... In fact The HA-6A was more a comparison to the Nirvana than the HA-2SF (IMHO). I kind of consider the HA-6A a Nirvana+. They seem very similar right down to the tubes and duel output transistor design. But the HA-6A has more tube choices and rolling options along with stock option to switch between EL34 and KT88 tubes, with a switch on the back to also switch mode to match the new tubes. To me this is huge! It is almost like having 2 amps in one. No need to listen on another amp for a specific music type! But that is not all! it also has the ability to switch from triode mode to ultra-linear mode,,, on the fly... If the Cayin works as advertised; with some relatively easy changes you can do it all on just this one amp.
I also had some communication by email with both John (Cayin) and Andrew (MusicTeck), and while I was not offered the discount I asked for, lol; it was very prompt, pleasant, with no pressure sales tactics and informative.
Disclaimer: While I compared the HA-6A to the Nirvana (which costs more than twice as much); I actually have never listened to either... So my judgement is based purely on what I have read, and by comparing the specs and components on paper. By those measures; a HA-6A does come out ahead of a Nirvana for me. But having not listened to either, I know that is somewhat meaningless... But not totally, because we all have to use the specs, components, topology, whatever, etc. to factor into decisions to some degree. Obviously it is better if I can actually listen to them, but I will not be able to. That is why I am here asking for the help from people who have
lol.
I have read all pages (on head-fi) for each amps perspective forum. Based on what I read there and on each products website I have formulated the following pros and cons on each amp (for me).
Auris HA-2SF
Pros:
An update to HA-2SE which looks to be fairly significant.
Reviewers and owners seem to love it.
Looks awesome. (I really like the brown one, it is after my 1970's heart lol)
Balanced input and output.
Output impedance selector.
Preamp output.
Gain switch on new builds.
Vu meters.
Separate power block.
Cons:
Tube rolling options rather limited.
I REALLY don't like the idea of putting LEDs under the tubes. Please either do away with or provide an off switch.
Don't like the brightness of the VUs. Reminds me of vintage Sennheiser ear pads (HD-424). Perhaps intentionally.
Single output transformer. Not sure this is really a con, but when compared to the HA-6A, it is.
Less power when compared to HA-6A. I image the HA-2SF can still drive most HP. Also imagine HA-6A can drive more.
Some vagueness from manufacturer regarding gain switch.
It is actually hard to come up with cons for this amp, and my tastes in lighting are individual lol, don't let my poking fun at them bother you. I am sure I would be very very happy with an Auris HA-2SF as my amp.
Cayin HA-6A
Pros:
Very versatile. Tube rolling options with mode change can obtain wider range of sound for individual music types.
Reviewers seemed to love it.
Owners stuck with it, to their delight.
Looks are top notch.
Build quality beyond anything in this price range. Tube reflections in autopaint sublime. (although only seen pictures).
Triode mode and ultra-linear. With the tube rolling modes, adding this is beyond what I have seen from any other amp.
Balanced input and output.
Output impedance selector.
Here is one I have not seen in many "Pros" listed for this amp. I am impressed by the 4.4mm balanced jack. OPTIONS!
Components quality are high end. Fairly certain most components on the HA-6A, are nicer than what is on the HA-2SF.
Dual output transformers. Single end topo which is good, but dual transformers should bring full balance type benefits.
Good communication with manufacturer and seller. Manufacturer dealt with hiss issue (last year) with respect effectively.
VU Meters. The lighting on these and overall quality appears much nicer than on the HA-2SF.
Cons:
This amp had growing pains (hiss). Some owners couldn't take it (boo), But those who stuck it out are happy (yay!).
It probably would benefit from a gain switch. Although it may not actually need it. It would have only masked noisy tube.
I am worried about the amount of usable volume from what others have said. Although the DAC I want has adjust out.
No preamp out.
Power transformer on unit. This is not really a con, unless it creates noise, which I have not heard it does.
Again, it is really hard to come up with cons for this amp. The largest issue was the hiss it seems, and that was narrowed down to a noisy tube choice. Manufacturer handled situation best they could for those with problem. They also fixed the problem, and probably had to eat the cost of a lot of tubes they could no longer use. New order I have been told by John from Cayin will come with JJ input tubes. Given the choice, I would probably rather have my PSU separate, but if it creates no issues I am fine with it on the unit. Most amps have onboard PSU. As with the Auris, I am sure I would be very very happy with this Cayin HA-6A amp.
Conclusions:
Maybe you can tell I am leaning towards the HA-6A?
. Yes, I am. I think the overall value is much higher. I may be wrong, but I think the HA-6A is more of a comparison to the Nirvana than it is the HA-2SF. The HA-6A just obliterates the HA-2SF on paper. And when compared to the Nirvana (again, just on paper); The HA-6A still holds it's own, and in many ways also beats the Nirvana.
Please provide me with your feedback! Believe it or not I have not totally decided. I could still be convinced to choose the Auris over the Cayin. If enough owners of each made that suggestion. I also could be swayed to another. I didn't even mention a few amps I like. Who knows, maybe a Dragon Inspire could swoop in and get me. Although I think these newer amps have shown their owners why they probably are better than an amp like the Inspire.
Thank you for reading, and in advance for any input. I look forward to having one of these and seeing, (hearing) how it performs in RL.
note: pictures are linked from actual owners posts, and not taken by myself.
Auris could take example from Cayin in the use of reflections to enhance tube glow, rather than LEDs. reflections are far more pleasing to the eye.
Please don't put LED's under your tubes.
Need I say more, lol
Don't do it. Resist putting LED's under tubes...
I love that Cayin shows us.
!I am a new member who has been reading mostly.
Please help me decide between an Auris HA2 SF and a Cayin HA-6A.
I am not new at all to audio, but I have a very light collection at the moment, and I am looking to expand. I recently got back into it with a pair of Beyers DT880 Pro. And while I know these are not the most TOTL headphone; I still enjoy them very much and has inspired me to give them some juice with a nice headphone amp... (note) I wont be stopping with the Beyers. I would very much like a set of ZMF and Meze.
Path so far to purchase:
I stared out buying a Mayflower 02 amp. This amp was so neutral it made no change at all to my signal, lol. I am sure it is a great amp for the price for some phones, but for mine it just did not drive them at all, even after a patch cord upgrade.
Then I became interested in the Schiit Mjonir 2. But unfortunately Schiit has discontinued production of this amp. My attempts to acquire one on eBay went beyond the price I was willing to pay on that particular amp. Also the contact I made with Schiit left kinda a bad taste in my mouth, lol. No pun intended.
I was looking at a Woo WA-22 on the classifieds here. And I even made a full price offer that the seller then sat on for 4 days, only to come back to say it was sold a while ago to someone else,
. Ultimately I am glad I didn't get this amp. I am sure it is great, but I think I found better options. And the disappointment of trying to buy used just pushed me to buy new, which I much prefer anyway...The first amp I decided to try to buy outright was the Decware Zen Taboo Mk 4. I really like this amp a lot. I spoke to the owner there, and enjoyed our conversation very much! If it was not for the extended wait times on these builds; I would have stopped my search here and bought this amp. I would still possible even pick this amp if I could buy one new today...
At this point I started looking at Auris HA-2SF. I also really like this amp a lot, if I had not seen somebody when talking about the HA-2SF, also mention the HA-6A; I would probably have an Auris on it's way to my house today... I have not talked to any Auris reps, although the communication involving gain switch I saw did concern me slightly. But that is hard to judge since it was not even my communication, but I did take note of it.
Then I saw the Cayin HA-6A. It most certainly wowed me! It has a very nice look to it, and it did not end there. Going down all the checkmarks, and the HA-6A was waaaay ahead of the HA-2SF all the way down the list... In fact The HA-6A was more a comparison to the Nirvana than the HA-2SF (IMHO). I kind of consider the HA-6A a Nirvana+. They seem very similar right down to the tubes and duel output transistor design. But the HA-6A has more tube choices and rolling options along with stock option to switch between EL34 and KT88 tubes, with a switch on the back to also switch mode to match the new tubes. To me this is huge! It is almost like having 2 amps in one. No need to listen on another amp for a specific music type! But that is not all! it also has the ability to switch from triode mode to ultra-linear mode,,, on the fly... If the Cayin works as advertised; with some relatively easy changes you can do it all on just this one amp.
I also had some communication by email with both John (Cayin) and Andrew (MusicTeck), and while I was not offered the discount I asked for, lol; it was very prompt, pleasant, with no pressure sales tactics and informative.
Disclaimer: While I compared the HA-6A to the Nirvana (which costs more than twice as much); I actually have never listened to either... So my judgement is based purely on what I have read, and by comparing the specs and components on paper. By those measures; a HA-6A does come out ahead of a Nirvana for me. But having not listened to either, I know that is somewhat meaningless... But not totally, because we all have to use the specs, components, topology, whatever, etc. to factor into decisions to some degree. Obviously it is better if I can actually listen to them, but I will not be able to. That is why I am here asking for the help from people who have
lol. I have read all pages (on head-fi) for each amps perspective forum. Based on what I read there and on each products website I have formulated the following pros and cons on each amp (for me).
Auris HA-2SF
Pros:
An update to HA-2SE which looks to be fairly significant.
Reviewers and owners seem to love it.
Looks awesome. (I really like the brown one, it is after my 1970's heart lol)
Balanced input and output.
Output impedance selector.
Preamp output.
Gain switch on new builds.
Vu meters.
Separate power block.
Cons:
Tube rolling options rather limited.
I REALLY don't like the idea of putting LEDs under the tubes. Please either do away with or provide an off switch.
Don't like the brightness of the VUs. Reminds me of vintage Sennheiser ear pads (HD-424)
. Perhaps intentionally.Single output transformer. Not sure this is really a con, but when compared to the HA-6A, it is.
Less power when compared to HA-6A. I image the HA-2SF can still drive most HP. Also imagine HA-6A can drive more.
Some vagueness from manufacturer regarding gain switch.
It is actually hard to come up with cons for this amp, and my tastes in lighting are individual lol, don't let my poking fun at them bother you. I am sure I would be very very happy with an Auris HA-2SF as my amp.
Cayin HA-6A
Pros:
Very versatile. Tube rolling options with mode change can obtain wider range of sound for individual music types.
Reviewers seemed to love it.
Owners stuck with it, to their delight.
Looks are top notch.
Build quality beyond anything in this price range. Tube reflections in autopaint sublime. (although only seen pictures).
Triode mode and ultra-linear. With the tube rolling modes, adding this is beyond what I have seen from any other amp.
Balanced input and output.
Output impedance selector.
Here is one I have not seen in many "Pros" listed for this amp. I am impressed by the 4.4mm balanced jack.
OPTIONS!Components quality are high end. Fairly certain most components on the HA-6A, are nicer than what is on the HA-2SF.
Dual output transformers. Single end topo which is good, but dual transformers should bring full balance type benefits.
Good communication with manufacturer and seller. Manufacturer dealt with hiss issue (last year) with respect effectively.
VU Meters. The lighting on these and overall quality appears much nicer than on the HA-2SF.
Cons:
This amp had growing pains (hiss). Some owners couldn't take it (boo), But those who stuck it out are happy (yay!).
It probably would benefit from a gain switch. Although it may not actually need it. It would have only masked noisy tube.
I am worried about the amount of usable volume from what others have said. Although the DAC I want has adjust out.
No preamp out.
Power transformer on unit. This is not really a con, unless it creates noise, which I have not heard it does.
Again, it is really hard to come up with cons for this amp. The largest issue was the hiss it seems, and that was narrowed down to a noisy tube choice. Manufacturer handled situation best they could for those with problem. They also fixed the problem, and probably had to eat the cost of a lot of tubes they could no longer use. New order I have been told by John from Cayin will come with JJ input tubes. Given the choice, I would probably rather have my PSU separate, but if it creates no issues I am fine with it on the unit. Most amps have onboard PSU. As with the Auris, I am sure I would be very very happy with this Cayin HA-6A amp.
Conclusions:
Maybe you can tell I am leaning towards the HA-6A?
. Yes, I am. I think the overall value is much higher. I may be wrong, but I think the HA-6A is more of a comparison to the Nirvana than it is the HA-2SF. The HA-6A just obliterates the HA-2SF on paper. And when compared to the Nirvana (again, just on paper); The HA-6A still holds it's own, and in many ways also beats the Nirvana. Please provide me with your feedback! Believe it or not I have not totally decided. I could still be convinced to choose the Auris over the Cayin. If enough owners of each made that suggestion. I also could be swayed to another. I didn't even mention a few amps I like. Who knows, maybe a Dragon Inspire could swoop in and get me. Although I think these newer amps have shown their owners why they probably are better than an amp like the Inspire.
Thank you for reading, and in advance for any input. I look forward to having one of these and seeing, (hearing
) how it performs in RL. note: pictures are linked from actual owners posts, and not taken by myself.
Auris could take example from Cayin in the use of reflections to enhance tube glow, rather than LEDs. reflections are far more pleasing to the eye.
Please don't put LED's under your tubes.
Need I say more, lol
Don't do it. Resist putting LED's under tubes...
I love that Cayin shows us.
