Anyone here have the Cayin H80-A hybrid integrated amplifier and tell me about their experience with it? One specific question I have is about how much heat it puts out. It's tall, 8", plus some rubber footers. While my equipment rack is open on all sides, there's only 8 1/2" between shelves, so there won't be much clearance on top. Thoughts on sound quality, build quality, and my above question? Thanks in advance.
Your question is almost one year so you must have made you decision. Maybe this will help someone. - I own a Cayin H80a (second hand) for few years and it sound Wonderfull . The quality of sound can be compared to a macintosh MA352 (made the comparison on my system) - I feed it with a Auralic aries G2 (streaming) and a Denafrip terminator I dac (last version). Use also a SACD/CD player Marantz SA17 S1 ( On Harbeth SHL5 or BW 804 D3 - depend of my taste) - The build quality is very good. - Of course, it becomes hot but not that much. My rack is open on all side but only 2cm from the upper shelve. No problem. Side part is more important. - the H80 is a power house. Pure class A, 80W, with 120.000 microfarads power reserve. The BW 804D3 need this authority dramatically to run at their best. Most of all, this power gives at any volume a sound that has "weight" - Changed the tube of the pre-amp with 12AU7 Genalex Golden Lion. Perfect match to my ears. IMO this amp is a very good deal.
Thanks so much! I did end up buying another amp, the Pathos Classic Remix, which is based on the Classic One MK III, but tweaked, and includes a headphone amp which utilises the tubed, preamp stage. It's sweet and musical. I would have gone for the Cayin, but I wouldn't have had a chance to preview it, and a full class-A amp in my small living room would have made summer probably unbearable.
