2. amps-preamps
  3. 1290738047

cayinA100 T tube amp

i recently purchased this amp and became interested in the fact that there is the ability to add a preamp, bypassing the factory amp......i was pursuaded to buy a solid state preamp with assurances that this combination would significantly inhance the sound.......turns out this was a very bad mistake,and the combination was much worse than just using the cayin alone.....still, the idea of adding perhaps a high end tube preamp still intrigues me and and i wonder if anyone has any sugestions on any products that would "significantly" upgrade the cayin as a stand alone integrated amp......thanks
128x128rrfrerichs1950
kiwi_1282001
312 posts
 
Out of interest did you try the Cayin A88 before buying the A100? The reason I ask is I've heard both side by side and despite the A100 being more powerful the A88 was a far more engaging and musically pleasing listen, particularly in triode mode. If an integrated is a good match for the rest of your system then a separate pre-amp should not be needed
newbee
4,767 posts
 
Kiwi, You should have listened to these integrated amps with your excellent pre-amp before you made your observations. You might be surprised.

BTW, do you think your preferences may have been more the result of speaker matching than any anything else? Or, a difference in the tubes used in either amp? A cooler tube in the A88 and a warmer tube in the A100T might have resulted in comparable tone, if not power.
kiwi_1282001
312 posts
 
Hi Newbee,

I listened to the A88 and A100 in the same system which used Monitor Audio GS20 speakers. In that system I would have bought the A88 over the A100 in a heart beat.

To the OP's question a decent power cable (I used Nordost Vishnu), a set of Sort Kones and entry level Nordost IC's really opened up both amplifiers.
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