Cayin HA-300 User Manual

HA-300

DIRECT HEATED TRIODE TUBE
HEADPHONE AMPLIFIER

User Manual

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Thank you for choosing Cayin HA-300 Direct Heated Triode Tube Headphone Amplifier

Table of Content ……………………………………………………………………………

Package Contents …………………………………….……………………………………

Product Features …………………………………………………………………………...

Safety Precautions …………………………………………………………………………

Specifications ……………………………………………………………………………….

Daily Care …………………………………………………………………………………...

Warranty Service …………………………………………………………………………...

Preparation ………………………………………………………………………………….

Front Panel Functional Description ……………………………………………………….

Rear Panel Functional Description ……………………………………………………….

Top Panel Functional Description ………………………………………………………...

Installation …………………………………………………………………………………...

Vacuum Tube Substitution ………………………………………………………………...

Connect to Audio Equipment ……………………………………………………………...

Connect to Headphones …………………………………………………………………...

Connect to Speakers ……………………………………………………………………….

Basic Operation …………………………………………………………………………….

Maintenance ………………………………………………………………………………...

Troubleshooting …………………………………………………………………………….

Follow us …………………………………………………………………………………….

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We have inserted protective foam inside the Vacuum Tube Cage in order to protect the
vacuum tubes during transportation. Please remove these foams before you connect the
amplifier into your sound system. Fail to do so might cause serious damage to the amplifier or
disaster such as fire accident.

We have prepared this user manual to help you understand the features and get familiar with
the operation of the amplifier. We suggest all customers read through this manual before they
start to use the device.

Table of Content

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Recommendation

Please keep all packaging materials for future use as you may need to
repackage the amplifier in the future. Please fill in the product warranty card
immediately and mail it to authorized dealer to safeguard your after-sales
service.

Note: Please make sure the AC voltage of your local power supply match the

voltage information printed on the back panel before you power up the
amplifier. Incorrect input voltage setting will cause damage to the machine or
might even lead to serious household accident. Cayin reserves the right to
refuse service or responsibility on related instances. If the marked voltage is
different from your local power supply voltage, please contact your authorized
dealer or Zhuhai Spark Electronic Equipment Co., Ltd.

Attention: the product package should include only the items in the list above.

Notice

This amplifier is designed, optimized and manufactured by factory designated components.
Cayin reserves the right to void the warranty of the product in case of unauthorized repair,
modification or change to the product, and we shall not responsible to any failure or damage
caused by replacement of non-designated components.

_Package Contents_

Please place the box in upright position according to the marking of the package. Please
examine the product package before you open it, the package should be free from any
physical damage or water stain. You should find the following items when you open the
package:

1. Cayin HA-300 x1

2. Product User Manual (Chinese) x1

3. Warranty Card x1

4. AC Power Cord x1

5. Umbilical Power cable x1

6. Replacement Fuse x2

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_Product Features_

1. Single-ended amplification approach brings out the charm of the tubes with natural and
realistic music playback.

2. Voltage Amplification: one piece of Shuguang WE6SN7 (replica of Western Electric) per
channel

3. Power Amplification: one piece of Full Music gold pins ceramic base 300B per channel

4. Support Balanced (XLR) and single-ended (RCA) input. To maintain single-ended
amplification, balanced input will transform to single-ended through a pair of input
transformer.

5. The output from 300B will feed into a pair of custom design in-house manufactured high
quality EI output transformer for single-ended (6.35mm) or balanced (4-pins XLR)
headphone output.

6. To make sure HA-300 can handle vast variety of headphones satisfactory, the output
transformers are designed to support three sets of impedance matched output (L, M and H).

7. Powerful headphone output, can handle demanding low sensitivity current hungry planar
headphone with ease..

8. Excellent vacuum tube shock absorber implementation provides quiet and realistic playback
from sensitive headphones

9. One set of speaker terminal as alternative output, can be used as an integrated speaker
amplifier with 8W+8W Class A output

10. Outboard power supply provides pure and steady power for the amplification circuit with
minimum interference from power transformer

11. Custom design in-house manufactured high quality toroidal power transformer

12. High voltage power rectification with set of four NOS RCA 22DE4 tubes

13. Exotic multi-stage dedicated power supply approach, reduce interference to signal
amplification effectively through independently regulated power supply for voltage
amplification circuit. Optimize power provision to all circuit and enhance audio performance
significantly

14. Effective design with sensible layout and effective shielding and isolation, the corner stone
for excellent overall performance.

15. Handmade, point-to-point wielding on all circuit,

16. High-Precision 24 steps potentiometer

17. MUNDORF MCap RELY SilverGold premium grade coupling capacitor

18. High quality shielded silver-plated cable for internal wiring, minimize interference during
internal transmission.

19. Detachable vacuum tube shielding cage, easy to detach and install

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WARNING

High Voltage Components

Do not open the cabinet

 To avoid electrical shock, please do not remove the cover or back

panel

 All repair can only be carried out by qualified technician for repair
 To avoid fire or electrical shock, please keep away from water spill

or moisture environment

WARNING

High Voltage Components

Do not open the cabinet

This symbol warns the users that uninsulated voltage within the unit may be sufficient to cause
electrical shock. It is dangerous to make any kind of contact with any part inside the unit.

WARNING

High Voltage Components

Do not open the cabinet

This symbol alerts the users that important information concerning the operation and maintenance
of this unit has been provided. The information should be read carefully to avoid problems.

We recommend customers to use this amplifier under 2000 meters
above sea level and non-tropical climate environment

Safety Precautions_

1. Unplug the power cord if you are not going to use the amplifier for an extended period of time, and
keep the machine in proper condition

2. Tube amplifier will built-up it operation temperature after long hours of operation. Please keep the
amplifier at a well-ventilated environment and do not cover the amplifier or blocked the vents.
Poor ventilation will lead to excessively high operation temperature and can cause malfunction or
fire

3. To avoid damaging the amplifier, you must connect a source device to the input terminals before
you select that as the active input of your HA-300.

4. To avoid damaging the amplifier, short circuit among the output terminals are strictly forbidden.

5. Do not attempt to service this product yourself. Opening the cover may expose you to electric
shock or other hazards.

6. Do not attempt to disassemble the machine. Cayin reserves the right to void the warranty of the
product in case of unauthorized repair, modification or change to the product. All service and
maintenance must be conducted by authorized service technician.

7. The amplifier must be keep away from water dripping or water splitting, do not place any objects
filled with liquids such as vases or some others on the top or around the amplifier.

8. Please disconnect power cable before you attempt to clean the machine. Please use soft clean cloth
to wipe clean the chassis, do not use volatile solution or corrosive to clean product.

9. Please handle with care, avoid tempering to the machine

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_Specifications_

Rated Output (Balanced)

1800mW+1800mW(L), 2200mW+2200mW(M), 3700mW+3700mW(H)

Rated Output (Single Ended)

1100mW+1100mW(L), 2400mW+2400mW(M), 5000mW+5000mW(H)

Frequency Range

10Hz～50kHz ±3dB

TH+D

1%(1kHz)

Sensitivity

200mV ~ 440mV

S/N Ratio

100dB (A-weighted)

Headphone Impedance

L : 8~64Ω; M : 65~250Ω; H : 251~600Ω

Headphone Connectors

4pin XLR x1, 6.35mm x1

Rated Output

8W + 8W Class A

Frequency Range

10Hz~60kHz ±3dB

TH+D

1%(1kHz)

S/N Ratio

100dB (A-weighted)

Input Sensitivity

440mV

Output Impedance

4~8Ω

Input Impedance

100kΩ

Input Connector

XLR, RCA

Tubes used

300B x 2, 6SN7x2, 22DE4×4

Dimension

Amplifier: 286mm×368mm×210mm;
Power Supply: 286mm×368mm×210mm

Weight

Amplifier: 20Kg;
Power Supply: 9.5Kg

Fuse

~220V-240V: T1.6AL250V; ~100V-120V: T3.15AL250V

Power Consumption

185W

Working Condition

Temp: 0oC~40oC; Humidity: 20% - 80%

Storage Condition

Temp: -20oC~70oC; Humidity: 20% - 90%

Headphone output

Speaker Output

Others

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_Daily Care_

Notice

 Please use soft clean cloth to clean the chassis regularly
 Do not use volatile solution or corrosive cleaning product or pre-treated cloth

_Warranty Service_

1. The Product is warranted for a period of twelve (12) months from the date of original
purchase (the “Warranty Period”). Replacement Products are warranted for the
remainder of the original twelve (12) month warranty period.

2. The defective product must be returned to our authorized agent or Zhuhai Spark
Electronic Equipment Co., Ltd (the “Company”) for service. You must receive
approval from our authorized dealer or the “Company” before you send out the
defective product.

3. Do not attempt to disassemble the machine without prior approval of the “Company”
otherwise we reserves the right to void the warranty of the product

Note: The information in this manual is subject to change without prior notice.

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_Preparation_

Connect to AC

Power Supply

Screw-threaded

connector

Umbilical Power cable

 Connecting Umbilical Power cable and AC Power cord

After connecting the speaker and source equipment, connect the AC power cord and
umbilical power cord to the Amplifier

 Umbilical Power Cord Connection

Position the alignment groove of screw-threaded connector on the umbilical power cord
against the alignment pin of power input/output connector of the amplifier/power supply unit,
push the umbilical power cord into the connector and start to turn the screw-threaded
connector clockwise until the connector is secured and is difficult to turn further with bare
hand. Complete the connection by repeating the process with the other end of the screw­thread connector on the umbilical power cord.

 Please leave ample space around the power socket so that the power cord can be

easily disconnected.

Attention

 Connect power cord after all equipment and speakers are connected p.
 It is normal that the transformers will emit heat when the amplifier is used for long hours

 Please unplug the power plug if you won’t use the amplifier for a long time。

 Please make sure the AC voltage of your local power supply match the voltage of the

amplifier. Cayin will not be responsible for the damage or accidents such as fire caused by
incorrect input voltage

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_Front Panel Functional Description_

① Power On/Off: Turn on and off the

amplifier. Press “down” the button to turn
on the amplifier, Press again the button will
resume to original position and the
amplifier will power off.

② Power Indicator: Indicate the working

status: The indicator will remain always on
when the amplifier is in regular operation

③ Headphone Output Selector: Select

Balanced or Single-ended headphone
output

④ STANDARD: Output for headphones

terminated in 6.35mm TRS connector

⑤ BALANCE: Output for headphones

terminated in 4pins XLR connector

⑥ IMPEDANCE: Select the most

desirable impedance-matched output
from the amplifier, three options were
offered: (L:8~64Ω; M:65~250Ω; H:
251~600Ω)

⑦ VU meter: monitor output level of the

amplifier

⑧ OUTPUT: select headphone or speaker

output

⑨ SOURCES: select balanced or single-

ended input

⑩ VOLUME: Control volume of amplifier,

turn the knob clockwise to increase
volume, and turn the knob
counterclockwise to reduce the volume.

Diagram 1: HA-300 Front Panel

 If your want to connect a 3.5mm terminated headphone to the amplifier, you need a 3.5mm to

6.3mm adapter (not included in the package).

 Listening through headphones at a high volume for extended periods of time can result in

hearing impairments.

 Please do not use mono (TS) phone plug with this amplifier as this might cause serious

damage such as short circuit in the amplifier.

 Please unplug the power plug from AC power circuit if the amplifier is not used for a long time

Attention

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_Rear Panel Functional Description_

①. Balanced input (XLR)

Connect a balanced audio input to the
amplifier. Please make sure the left and
right channel is connected correctly

②. Single-ended input (RCA)

Connect a single-ended audio input to
the amplifier. Please make sure the left
and right channel is connected correctly

③. Right Channel Speaker Terminal connect

to the right channel speaker

④. Left Channel Speaker Terminal connect

to the left channel speaker

⑤. Power Input for Amplifier chassis

⑥. Power Output from power supply unit

⑦. AC Power Input with Fuse Holder: please

replace fuse with the same specification

Diagram 2: HA-300 Rear Panel

Please make sure the AC voltage of your local power supply match the voltage of the
amplifier. Cayin will not be responsible for the damage or accidents such as fire caused
by incorrect input voltage

Attention

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_Top Panel Functional Description_

Diagram 3: HA-300 Top Panel

① V5、V6、V7、V8: 22DE4 Vacuum Tube
② V1、V2: 6SN7 Vacuum Tube
③ V3、V4: 300B Vacuum Tube

Attention

 The vacuum tube will become very hot during operation, please be careful and don’t

get burned.

 Please turn off the amplifier for 20 minutes before replacing the vacuum tube. Hold the

base of vacuum tube firmly and to avoid damaging the fragile part of the vacuum tube.

 When install vacuum tube to the amplifier, position the vacuum tube correctly according

to the alignment pin before push the vacuum tube base into the socket.

 Only used matched pair 300B and 6SN7 in the HA-300 amplifier.

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_Installation

Vacuum Tube

Acceptable Substitution

6SN7

6SN7GT、6H8C、ECC32、6N8P、CV181

22DE4

22DE4

300B

300B

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Please make sure all associated equipment are in perfect working condition before you install
the amplifier\

Please pay attention to the following details when you install the amplifier.

 Do not place the power amplifier under direct sunlight or near other heat sources
 To prevent the amplifier from overheating, please keep the amplifier at a well-ventilated

environment and do not cover the amplifier or blocked the vents

 Avoid moisture, keep the amplifier from dust if possible
 Make sure the amplifier are setup at a location that can be connected to the AC power

supply and other audio equipment conveniently.

 Place the amplifier at a flat surface, make sure all four supporting tips are evenly loaded.
 Please keep amplifier not less than 15cm away from and the wall.

_Vacuum Tube Substitution

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_Connect to Audio Equipment_

Connect to

Audio Output

Balanced Connector:

1. This amplifier use XLR connectors that

are commonly used in professional
application for balanced connection.

2. There are two XLR wiring standards:
 European standard: pin 1=Ground,

Pin 2 = COLD, Pin 3 = HOT

 American standard: pin 1=Ground,

Pin 2 = HOT, Pin 3 = COLD

3. This amplifier use American standard.

When connect to audio equipment with
balanced output wired in European, the
playback signal might be in reversed
phase. We advise user to maintain the
phase of the system correctly.

Attention to Audio Connection:

1. Please refer to the manual of associated

equipment whenever necessary.

2. Do not connect the power cord until all

equipment are properly connected

3. “R” indicates the right channel; “L”

indicates left channel.

4. Please make sure all connectors are

securely installed. Bad connection
might cause noise and degrade in audio
performance, or even damaging your
equipment

5. Please do not tie the power cord, audio

interconnects, and speaker cable
together or run them in parallel because
this will produce
adverse effect on audio
performance

Note: Please make sure

+ and -, left and right are
connected properly.

Bad Connection

Push all the way in

This section will illustrate how to connect audio equipment to the HA-300 amplifier.

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_Connect to Headphones_

Selecting Headphone Connection

HA-300 provided two types of headphone output: 4-pins XLR for balanced, 6.35mm for singled­end, we have optimized the headphone amplifier to perform satisfactory for both output, user are
free to use both headphone output according to their need without worrying one is better than the
other.

Single-ended Headphone Connection

 HA-300 provides one set of 6.35mm headphone input, the pin

definition of the headphone connector is as illustrated.

 Headphones terminated with 3.5mm connector will require a 3.5mm

to 6.35mm adapter in order to use it with this headphone amplifier.

Balance Headphone Connections

 HA-300 provide one set of 4-pin XLR headphone input, the pin

definition of the XLR connector is as illustrated.

 Headphones terminated with dual XLR (3-pins), 4.4mm or 2.5mm

balanced headphone connectors will require corresponding XLR4
adapter in order to use it with this headphone amplifier,

IMPEDANCE matched output

 Headphones are currently available from 8Ω to 600Ω, in view of this wide range of impedance

rating, HA-300 provides three sets of impedance matched outputs (L:8~64Ω; M:65~250Ω; H:
251~600Ω) to make the headphone amplifier can handle vast variety of headphones
satisfactory.

 We recommend users to start with the output setting that match the impedance rating of your

headphone.

 It is technically safe to select any impedance setting for your headphone. You can try other

impedance setting without worrying causing any damage to your headphone.

Attention

 Balanced headphones can convert it into single-ended headphone with appropriate

converter and use the 6.35mm headphone output.

 Single-ended headphone cannot use an adapter to plug into the XLR4 balanced

headphone output of the N8, it can cause damage to your headphone and/or
headphone amplifier.

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_Connect to Speakers_

Speaker (R) Speaker (L)

Red

Black

Red

Black

Banana

connector

Spade

connector

Bare Wire

Connect the speaker to the terminals on the rear panel (as illustrated)

 Connect the red speaker cable to the positive terminal (+) and the black speaker cable to the

negative terminal (COM)

 If the positive and negative terminals are reversed during connection, the speaker will be out of

phase, the sound will become unnatural and does not have focus.

Connecting Speaker Cable

 If your speaker cable is terminated by spade speaker

connector, turn the top part of the speaker terminal anti­clockwise to release the locking mechanism, insert the
spade connector into the gap as illustrated, and tighten
the speaker terminal again.

 If your speaker cable is terminated by banana speaker

connector, you can insert the connector to rear
connection hole directly. Some banana connector has a
locking mechanism, please refer to the instruction of the
banana terminal for detail.

 If your speaker cable in not terminated (bare wire), you

should follow the procedure as spade connector but you
need to insert the bare wire into the hole of the center
rod of the speaker terminal before you tighten the terminal.

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_Basic Operation_

Please make sure all connections are correct and power supply voltage is stable before
turn on the amplifier.

1. Turn on the amplifier, the power indicator will light up.

2. When the power indicator remains lighted up steadily, the amplifier is ready for

operation. If the power indicator will become steady (always ON). It means that the
amplifier is ready for operation. If the power indicator did not light up, the amplifier is
malfunction, please turn off the power and contact your local dealer for service support.

3. The tubes regulated power supply might require around 30-60 seconds to ramp up the

voltage gradually, it is normal if you heard ting-ting noise from your headphone or
speaker during this time.

4. The vacuum tube might require 10 minutes of warm up before they reach optimum

performance.

5. Select your input source: XLR for balanced input, RCA for single-ended input

6. Select your output option to headphone or speaker according to the icon on the front

panel.

7. If you are using single-ended headphone, insert the 6.35mm connector of your

headphone into the STANDARD headphone output on the front panel. Switch the
headphone output selector (PHONES) to STA.

8. If you are using balanced headphone, insert the XLR4 connector of your headphone

into the BALANCE headphone output on the front panel. Switch the headphone output
selector (PHONES) to BAL.

9. Select the appropriate output (L, M, or H) on the IMPEDANCE switch according to the

specification of your headphone for optimized performance

10. Adjust Volume to appropriate level and enjoy your music.

Attention

 Please do not disconnect your interconnect or speaker cable when the amplifier is

operating, this might cause damage to the amplifier or associated equipment

 You can swap headphones during playback, but to avoid damaging your sensitive

headphone and protect your hearing, please turn the volume down to 0 when you
unplug or plug in another pair of headphone.

 If you have turn off the amplifier, please wait 2 minutes before you turn in on again,

ot it might cause damage to the vacuum tubes.

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_Maintenance_

Read the Manual: to operate the amplifier correctly, please read this user's manual carefully to

understand product features and safety precaution

Keep the Manual: Please keep this manual properly for future reference.

Signage: Do not tear off or rub away the serial number.

Operation: Please follow the operations in this manual strictly.

Accessories: If you are going to use non-factory supplied accessories such as power cord or

fuse, please make sure they are fully compatible with the safety requirements otherwise might
cause damage due to improper usage.

Placement: The amplifier is heavy and the vacuum tubes are fragile, please place the amplifier

on a stable, flat surface, preferably a strong cabinet or rack. If the amplifier falls down because
of insecure placement, the amplifier will suffer damage and possibly causing serious household
accident.

Power Supply: Please make sure your household AC power supply matches the power

requirement of your amplifier. If you are uncertain about the power supply situation, please
contact your authorized dealer or local power supply institutions.

Overloading: If you have to connect the amplifier to a power stripe or multi-socket, please make

sure the loading is within safety consideration. Overloaded power connection might lead to
electric shock or fire accident

Warranty Service: Do not attempt to disassemble the machine or modify the component, this will

void the warranty service and might exposure yourself to electric shock.

Troubleshooting: If you encounter any abnormal behavior during setup or playback, please refer

to the advices in next pages of this manual to recover your amplifier back to normal operation. If
you fail to rectify the problems after that, please contact your authorized dealer for technical
support.

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_Troubleshooting_

Problem

Cause

Solution

No
Sound
after
power
on

Power
Indicator
is OFF

Power is not connected

Connect power cord securely
Check main power supply

Main fuse is out

Replace fuse with same specification

Power
Indicator
is On

No input signal

Check source equipment is working
Select input source correctly

Volume at minimum position

Turn up volume

Interconnect not properly
connected

Connect all cables securely

Headphone cable not properly
connected

Connect headphone cable properly

Headphone output not
specified correctly

Select headphone output correctly

Selected the wrong output

Select headphone or speaker output
correctly

Umbilical Power cable not
properly connected

Reconnect the umbilical power cable,
position the alignment groove correctly
before tighten up the screw-threaded
connector

Excessive noise

Input source badly connected

Install interconnect properly

Interconnect grounding
disconnected

Replace interconnect

Equipment malfunction

Contact authorized dealer for technical
support.

Soundstage and
imaging not focused

Left and right channel of source
equipment reversed

Reinstall related cabled correctly

Headphone cable polarity
reversed

Speaker cable polarity reserved

To ensure the amplifier will function at optimum condition, please follow the safety precaution
and operation instruction as advised. Some of the perceived malfunction might be caused by
improper operation, crosscheck with the following table might resolve your problems.
Sometime the problems are related to associated equipment, please also check and make
sure everything including power cords and interconnects are in proper condition. If the
problem persists after thorough troubleshooting process, please contact your authorized
dealer for technical support.

. is registered trademark of Zhuhai Spark Electronic Equipment Co., Ltd.

Important Notice

All right reserved

.

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Please follow us：

Zhuhai Spark Electronic Equipment Co., LTD

www.cayin.cn

Tel:：[phone]

Fax：[phone]

Email: [e-mail]

Address: 9 Lianfa Road, Liangang Industrial Park, Shuanglin Zone, Post Code：519045
Zhuhai, Guangdong, China

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