[PierPP]

dukei is Master Yoda.
little padawan is you.
Obi-Wan Kenobi is paradoxper!

​

Ops!
I feel like a padawan for sure.. but I reversed Paradox and Dukei ! arrgh

 

[paradoxper]

Ops!
I feel like a padawan for sure.. but I reversed Paradox and Dukei ! arrgh

Don't forget, our Dark Sith @kevin gilmore

 

[slumberman]

Hello all!

I am parting with my CFA3. I received it a little over a month ago but unfortunately I cannot keep it. I figured I’d post here first before the classifieds…
Located in Europe! PM me for more info/specs/etc. Thanks!

 

[normie610]

I have this exact same concern which is one of the reasons why I will not add a tube pre-amp. However, from what I understand about the new hybrid- there is no softening or mushing relative to the SS and only a very very insignificant amount of noise added- which was a requirement for me to order the hybrid version. Adding a pre-amp is playing games which I don't want to play; to costly, to time consuming; to much equipment, to many tube options, to many preamp options, to much opportunity for softening of sonics, noise, microphonics, etc....; just to much opportunity to mess up in to many ways and in addition become very poor along the way. DC coupled Hybrid is the "purist" clean way to add tubes to the CFA-3.

ORDER NOW WHILE SUPPLIES LAST!

I don’t feel that my tube preamp is softening or mushing anything. The 300B tubes bring an improvement in midrange without sacrificing speed, resolution or detail.

 

[jlbrach]

obviously a tube pre amp in front the CFA3 is altering the sound in some way and it is a tube pre amp after all....

 

[MN8372]

My take - people like what they like. If they prefer the CFA3 with a tube pre-amp then all good. Clearly a tube pre alters the sound - otherwise what’s the point of using one. I haven’t tried it yet but like the idea. More a case of seasoning to taste. No audio product is perfect and there are often compromises to be had between transparency/detail/speed etc.. on the one hand and timbre, tonality, weight, richness on the other. Getting the balance is key.

I think the CFA3 does a spectacular job in getting that balance right (clearly its strenghts are power/transparency/speed etc.. but without ever sounding bright or strident to my ears). It’s very neutral and uncoloured.

I suspect a tube pre may make a small (but helpful) difference with the Susvara. But completely unnecessary for the LCD5. In fact it might be counterproductive - the LCD5 is already a little too dark in the treble for my liking and is plenty rich enough in the mid range. With well recorded material the Sus on the CFA3 edges ahead of the LCD5 for me (it closes the gap in the bass and opens up the Susvara so it is almost speaker like - it’s quite astonishing at times) but the LCD5 is more forgiving of poorly recorded material. A tube pre might just help the Sus with that aspect. Hopefully without diminishing the CFA3’s strengths.

But I’m surprised how much of an all rounder the amp is. I thought it would just be for power hungry cans like the Abyss or the Sus. I think it’s more than that. In low gain mode and running the LCD5 balanced its dead quiet. No hissing at all.

 

[chargedcapacitor]

What people seem to be misunderstanding is the fundamental reason why its preferable to use tubes in the preamp stage and not the power amp stage. Cans like the susvara and TC need lots of power in a short amount of time in order to get the most dynamic sound out of them. You'll be very hard pressed to find an affordable tube amp that can provide this kind of output, but SS amps like the CFA3 can deliver it in spades. So the desire is to get the tube like distortion that creates creamy mids and smooth treble, without leaving the dynamics behind. This is where a good tube preamp comes in. You get the desired distortion, without the downside of loss of dynamics that most tube amps will have. BTW, distortion doesn't mean loss of detail, added mush, or any sort of dip in FR. It simply means the output has a second, third, fourth, we ct.. harmonic added. The location and amplitude of these harmonics are what determines if it sounds good or not.

 

[jlbrach]

exactly you get the distortion.....nothing wrong with that but it is distortion

 

[rsbrsvp]

My take - people like what they like. If they prefer the CFA3 with a tube pre-amp then all good. Clearly a tube pre alters the sound - otherwise what’s the point of using one. I haven’t tried it yet but like the idea. More a case of seasoning to taste. No audio product is perfect and there are often compromises to be had between transparency/detail/speed etc.. on the one hand and timbre, tonality, weight, richness on the other. Getting the balance is key.

I think the CFA3 does a spectacular job in getting that balance right (clearly its strenghts are power/transparency/speed etc.. but without ever sounding bright or strident to my ears). It’s very neutral and uncoloured.

I suspect a tube pre may make a small (but helpful) difference with the Susvara. But completely unnecessary for the LCD5. In fact it might be counterproductive - the LCD5 is already a little too dark in the treble for my liking and is plenty rich enough in the mid range. With well recorded material the Sus on the CFA3 edges ahead of the LCD5 for me (it closes the gap in the bass and opens up the Susvara so it is almost speaker like - it’s quite astonishing at times) but the LCD5 is more forgiving of poorly recorded material. A tube pre might just help the Sus with that aspect. Hopefully without diminishing the CFA3’s strengths.

But I’m surprised how much of an all rounder the amp is. I thought it would just be for power hungry cans like the Abyss or the Sus. I think it’s more than that. In low gain mode and running the LCD5 balanced its dead quiet. No hissing at all.

exactly you get the distortion.....nothing wrong with that but it is distortion

I agree with both of these posts.

1. Of course it is all a matter of taste. And there is not criminal action in using a pre-amp before the CFA-3. If you like it do it.
2. Nevertheless, it involves some technical compromises in that it adds noise, distortion, coloration, etc....

I have no agenda to get people not to use a tube preamp. I just wanted to bring out that like Jibrach, I believe that it must be diminishing to some degree some of the attributes of the CFA-3 SS version that make it so special in exchange for some distortion/coloration. That is OK. Just talking it out. Sound is not always what is technically the best but what our ears find pleasant. Like a recent post mentioned, tube distortion done right can be very pleasant sounding and I believe this is an accepted perspective in the hi-fi world. If it sounds good- enjoy it!!!

I think the Hybrid version is supposed to add some of the pleasant tube characteristics you get with a preamp but without digging into the the ultra neutral attributes of the the CFA-3 SS. A more subtle, less noisy, less colored, more neutral option to a pre-amp. I have been told by many Head-fi gurus over the years that directly coupled is the best way to do tube purist; but I am very non-technically minded.

 

[fiiom11pro]

Don't forget, our Dark Sith @kevin gilmore

coudn't agree more. He's definitely on top

 

[wein07]

Sorry if I missed it, but does anyone know if there are finished bulits out there for purchase?

 

[PierPP]

Sorry if I missed it, but does anyone know if there are finished bulits out there for purchase?

@slumberman has one for sale in the classifieds

 

[paradoxper]

And be mindful whom you purchase your CFA from!

 

[PierPP]

And be mindful whom you purchase your CFA from!

I have heard that the Swedish microclimate helps a lot the build process

 

[geoffalter11]

Hey CFA3 lovers and owners... after much time and thought, I believe now is a good time to give some impressions of my CFA3.

Chain:
Roon Labs from my iMac- USBe Perfect - Denafrips Iris - I2S into Denafrips Pontus - CFA3 or Icon Audio HP8 ( I also own a Cembalo Labs Spring 1).

First things first, this amp sounds incredible. I am only using it on low gain. I am controlling gain by either using XLR or RCAs from my DAC. The 8 or so watts on low gain are more than enough for the headphones I own. Even the Code X, which loves power. Most of the CFA3 owners have a 1266 TC, Susvara, LCD-5 etc. My headphones are not in that zipcode. I currently have a Code X, Radiante 1706 and an Auteur (mostly for my Icon HP8). All 3 headphones sound blissful on the CFA3. The CFA3 throws the largest soundstage I have ever heard from an amp. Instrument placement is spot on; air between the instruments is the perfect amount, which leads to hearing all of the space between the notes. It is a visceral experience, one I am thrilled to have the opportunity to enjoy. Bass is perfect. I can hear the strike of the pick or finger against the string, the entire length of the note with the perfect decay. There is no lack of speed, or musical integrity. PRAT is the single most important quality I look for in my equipment. I want to hear my music at the right pace and time. Timing is everything as they say, and the CFA3 allows for perfect timing. Midrange is huge and articulate. It opens up like a parachute and allows you to float above the melody with guitars, pianos, wind instruments and my favorite, the hammond organ. Which sounds like falling water. I can feel the water falling onto my head from all directions. Yes, the stage is as holographic as anything I have heard. I thought the Cembalo Spring 1 was the best amp I had heard. It is still incredible, but the CFA3 is better. I didn't think I would ever say that. Treble is shimmering without any sense of etch or sibilance. Cymbals sound lifelike and forceful. But, the bass. Oh, the bass. So good!

I mostly listen to improvisational rock, jazz and funk. Phish, Panic, Goose, Xavier Rudd, Railroad Earth, Miles, Beck (Sea Change and Morning Phase), Mark Knopfler, Grant Green, and anything else with a strong bass pocket, a drummer who plays like he/she has Octupus Arms, piano/keys/organ, and a soaring guitar player with a strong sense of tone, melody and phrasing. If it is live, improvisational and delectable, I will listen to it. The CFA3 has become the perfect complement.

Big thanks to Miroslav and @paradoxper for guiding me on my journey. For those who have had Miroslav build you a CFA3, you already know what type of person he is. If you haven't and are just reading along trying to determine whether or not you want a CFA3, know that he is the best of us. One of the nicest, most talented guys I know. He only surpasses these qualities with his level of integrity. He is the real deal. Same goes for @paradoxper ... so if you are wondering whether or not I like the CFA3, hopefully I am putting the B in Subtle enough to give you a firm YES!!! I am so happy to be part of the CFA3 family. Last but not least, a big thanks to Kevin Gilmore for designing and providing us with your designs to enjoy and pass on to others. We've never met, but thank you just the same.

My review is a bit choppy, but you get the gist. The CFA3 is a beast with the sound taboot!