Review is up: https://bytes-bull.com/2024/04/04/cayin-8-stack-iha-8-idac-8/ - overall a great system with a couple of flaws. Excellent value for what it offers though.
Cayin iHA-8: Fully Balanced "Hyper" Class-A Headphone Amplifier
- Thread starter Andykong
- Start date
Really good review.
I'm not sure if it was in the review but did you try running the amp and the dac their pre amp mode?
The i-Series iHA-8 is in action at Canjam Singapore 2024. If you were attending the event, you can check them out at booth F11-F14.
I have them both. The 2x as expensive Ferrum stack didn't bring much extra to the table other than a better user interface, more power, a smaller/cooler form factor, and amp speaker outputs. Sound quality is pretty similar. I guess it's up to you if that worth $4k instead of $2k.
Last edited:
droptables
New Head-Fier
@HiFiWar are there any of your headphones that don’t synergize with the iha-8?
@Andykong Any update on the black finishes?
If there are, I have yet to find it. The Cayin-8 stack is highly competent and the tubes on the iDAC-8 allow sharper headphones to be tuned warmer. That said, the Cayins are currently boxed up while I test the RME ADI for review. Therefor, they haven't gotten a ton of play time lately with some of my newer headphones like the R10, Redphone, or Grado. I'm not sure when my Caldera will come in either, but if I still have the Cayin stack then, I'll run it off them. Pendant SE will be interesting to try tubes from the RME and the iDAC-8 as sources as well.
I find this part very strange for a reviewer to say
“Oddly, the RCA outputs are on the iDAC-8, not the iHA-8, despite it being a DAC without any headphone outputs. ”
DAC is a digital to analog converter, so it should have RCA and/or XLR output, or is it just me? I had to stop there cause that’s a big question mark on my head lol
Last edited:
ThanatosVI
Headphoneus Supremus
Seems like the Reviewer is a newbie that didn't grasp the functionality of DACs and amplifiers yet.
RCA outputs certainly should be on the DAC.
Only if the headamp also has preamp functionality it would have RCA pre outs
I was just about to order the iHA-6 just before hearing about it's successor the iHA-8. I only need to know the difference in sound characteristics between the two amplifiers, I'm planning on only using the Sennheiser HD 650 and the Sony MDR EX1000. My source at the moment is Qobuz off my PC feeding my Denafrips 12th-1 .
Last edited:
It'll be a few weeks, but I've got the iHA8 incoming so I can do a review and comparison to my iha6. I can keep you posted along the way if you'd like.
I'll greatly appreciate your input, thank you.
I jumped the gun and ordered the iHA-8 last week and just arrived today, and so far, my only complain is soundstage collapse when I stack the it together with my Denafrips Ares 12th-1 on top. An another note, does anyone have any idea how long Caylin amplifiers take to break in?
The Schraeer
New Head-Fier
The soundstage collapses when you physically put Ares on top of IHA-8?
...
...
Correct. Instrument separation becomes less apparent, the depth sounds flatter. But it was late last night, my attention may have not been all there, and the Amp needs proper burn-in so this may change down the line, maybe. But I'll keep them separated for now and checking every night for the next few weeks after continues play.The soundstage collapses when you physically put Ares on top of IHA-8?
...
Users who are viewing this thread
