Cayin Jazz 80 EL34 silver

The Cayin Jazz 80 EL34 is an integrated tube amplifier designed to celebrate Cayin’s 30 years of expertise in tube amplification. Available in black or silver finishes, it uses EL34 tubes to deliver a sound that is both warm and nuanced. It offers two listening modes—triode and ultralinear—to suit different musical styles and listening preferences. High-resolution Bluetooth connectivity allows for easy integration into modern audio systems.

Uncompromising Construction

The Cayin Jazz 80 EL34 follows in the footsteps of the amplifiers that have built the brand’s reputation over the past three decades. Its robust construction is evident in its substantial 17 kg weight, justified by the presence of three oversized transformers: one power transformer and two output transformers. This architecture ensures a stable and generous power supply, essential for fully exploiting the potential of the tubes.

The amplifier is equipped with eight high-quality tubes: four EL34 power tubes, two 12AX7 preamp tubes, and two 12AU7 tubes that act as phase splitters to control the power tubes. This proven configuration ensures a perfect balance between power and sonic finesse. The chassis, available in black or silver, features a design that is both classic and contemporary, with backlit VU meters that also serve as bias monitors.

The gold-plated speaker terminals accept all types of connectors (banana plugs, spades, or bare wires) and offer outputs for 4 and 8 ohm impedances, ensuring compatibility with most speakers on the market. The vibration-damping feet complete this meticulous construction by isolating the sensitive electronics from external disturbances.

Dual Sonic Personality On Demand

The true magic of the Cayin Jazz 80 EL34 lies in its ability to offer two distinct sonic signatures thanks to its triode/ultralinear mode switch on the front panel. This rare feature allows you to tailor the amplifier to your listening preferences or musical genre.

In ultralinear mode, the amplifier harnesses almost the full capacity of the tubes, delivering 36 watts per channel. This mode favors energetic and dynamic reproduction, with particularly generous bass. It is ideal for musical genres that demand impact and authority, such as rock or large orchestral works.

Triode mode reduces the power to 18 watts per channel but emphasizes warmth, texture, and spaciousness. In this mode, you get better transparency, more nuanced bass, and a better-defined stereo image. The soundstage gains depth and the highs become more natural. The bandwidth extends, offering a full harmonic range. This mode excels with acoustic music, jazz, or chamber music, where the richness of timbre takes precedence over sheer power.

This flexibility is a major asset, virtually transforming the Jazz 80 EL34 into two distinct amplifiers, adaptable to your mood or musical repertoire.

A Natural Listening Experience

The Cayin Jazz 80 EL34 requires a warm-up period to fully reveal its potential. While performance is already excellent after the first fifteen minutes, it is after an hour of use that its qualities truly shine. The soundstage then opens up considerably, with a broader and denser reproduction.

The EL34 version demonstrates remarkable richness and smoothness, never falling into the trap of artificial over-interpretation, a common pitfall of some tube amplifiers. The listening experience remains clear, direct, and transparent, ensuring faithful reproduction of nuances and harmonics. The midrange benefits from a fleshy texture, while the highs retain their finesse without ever becoming aggressive.

The dynamics are excellent, with crisp attacks and perfectly controlled rhythm, making every musical performance palpable and vibrant. This ability to juggle between smoothness and dynamics to suit each track is the true strength of the Jazz 80 EL34. On vocals like Sade’s, the amplifier highlights every nuance with delectable warmth and smoothness, while instruments like the saxophone are rendered with great realism.

The reproduction becomes truly three-dimensional, with a remarkable ability to materialize instruments holographically in space. This quality, rare at this price point, turns listening into a true immersion at the heart of the recording.

Accessible and User-Friendly Tube Technology

Contrary to the sometimes intimidating image of tube amplifiers, the Cayin Jazz 80 EL34 stands out for its ease of use. The included aluminum remote control allows you to adjust volume, select sources, and mute from a distance. The gradual start-up with a flashing LED indicator during preheating protects the tubes and extends their lifespan.

Bias adjustment, often a complex operation on tube amplifiers, is simplified here thanks to the VU meters, which also serve as bias monitors. This feature allows you to optimize tube performance and extend their lifespan without the need for external measuring instruments.

Connectivity is also well thought out, with three RCA line inputs and a headphone output compatible with impedances from 16 to 300 ohms. But it’s the integration of high-resolution Bluetooth that truly sets the Jazz 80 EL34 apart from the competition. Equipped with the Qualcomm QCC5125 chip and SABRE ES9018K2M DAC, the amplifier supports audiophile codecs such as LDAC, UAT, aptX HD, and aptX Low Latency, enabling near-CD quality wireless streaming from your mobile devices.

This combination of traditional tube technology and modern connectivity makes the Jazz 80 EL34 a bridge between two worlds, satisfying both purist audiophiles and music lovers who favor contemporary digital sources.

Compatibility and Versatility

With 36 watts per channel in ultralinear mode, the Cayin Jazz 80 EL34 can efficiently drive many pairs of speakers, especially those with a sensitivity of 88 dB or higher. The operating principle of tube amplifiers gives them greater efficiency than transistor models of equivalent power, making it feel like you’re using a much more powerful amplifier.

The extended frequency response of 8 Hz to 60 kHz (-3 dB) ensures faithful reproduction of the entire audible spectrum and beyond, while harmonic distortion is limited to 0.2% (1W/1kHz), guaranteeing exemplary clarity. The signal-to-noise ratio of 90 dB (A-weighted) allows for silent listening, with no perceptible background noise.

The front-panel headphone output, compatible with impedances from 16 to 300 ohms, also transforms the Jazz 80 EL34 into an excellent headphone amplifier, offering high-end headphones the characteristic charm of tube amplification.

Technical Specifications

• Authentic and powerful tube sound, with KT88 or EL34
• Dual sonic character: Ultralinear or Triode, on demand
• Hi-Res Bluetooth streaming with LDAC & SABRE DAC
• Precise, accessible, and visual bias adjustments
• Compact, elegant, and robust chassis
• Broad compatibility with headphones and speakers

Amplification and Audio Performance

• Output power (RMS)
  • Ultralinear mode: 36 W + 36 W (EL34)
  • Triode mode: 18 W + 18 W (EL34)
• Frequency response: 8 Hz – 60 kHz (–3 dB)
• Harmonic distortion (THD): 0.2% at 1 W / 1 kHz
• Signal-to-noise ratio: 90 dB (A-weighted)
• Input sensitivity: 300 mV
• Input impedance: 100 kΩ

Tube Configuration

• Power tubes: 4 × KT88 or 4 × EL34
• Preamplification tubes: 2 × 12AX7
• Phase inverter / driver stage tubes: 2 × 12AU7

Connectivity and Inputs

• Analog inputs: 3 × RCA (Line 1 to 3)
• Headphone output
  • Supported impedance: 16 Ω to 300 Ω
  • Connector: 6.35 mm front-panel jack
• High-resolution Bluetooth
  • Version: Bluetooth 5.0
  • Chip: Qualcomm QCC5125
  • DAC: SABRE ES9018K2M
  • Supported formats: LDAC, UAT, aptX, aptX HD, aptX Low Latency, AAC, SBC
  • Device name: Cayin HD BT
  • Range: up to 10 m

Operating Modes and Settings

• Amplification modes
  • Ultralinear mode: increased power, dynamic sound
  • Triode mode: finesse, harmonic richness
  • Switching via physical front-panel switch
• Custom settings
  • Manually adjustable bias for each power tube
  • Dual backlit VU meters also serve as bias monitors
  • Soft start with LED indicator (blinking during warm-up)
• Controls
  • Included aluminum remote: source selection, volume, mute
  • Manual input selector on front panel
  • Volume adjustment via potentiometer or remote

Construction and Design

• Premium finish: lacquered metal chassis
• Power transformer with PI filter (with choke)
• Gold-plated speaker terminals (compatible with banana plugs, spades, bare wire)
• Speaker outputs: 4 Ω / 8 Ω
• Matching metal protective cage
• Vibration-damping feet

Physical Characteristics

• Maximum power consumption: 280 W
• Dimensions (W × D × H): 300 × 385 × 190 mm
• Weight: 16.8 kg