Cayin CS-805A
Cracking physical drive meets creamy tonal elegance in the CS-805A, a 50W-per-channel single-ended design that brings startling vocal nuance, piano attack and bass impact without losing body. LowBeats found its exceptional dynamics unusually accommodating across varied speakers, making this a rare high-power triode amplifier with both finesse and authority.
WATT RECOMMENDS
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Deliciously Crispy
Sound Quality
91/100
Build Quality
92/100
Value for Money
89/100
Pros
Delivers physically palpable, exhilarating dynamics alongside elegant, balanced and finely nuanced tone.
Unusually speaker-friendly for a single-ended triode design, preserving body and avoiding presence-region exaggeration across varied loudspeakers.
Reveals subtle vocal inflections, guitar decay and piano-keystroke texture without turning analytical.
Cons
Consumes 450W continuously and produces significant heat, requiring thoughtful placement and ventilation.
At 38kg, the amplifier is difficult to move and install.
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What Reviewers Are Saying
SOUND QUALITY PERFORMANCE 91/100
Reviewers describe a highly immediate and refined tube presentation, combining unusually strong dynamic expression with subtle tonal shading and fine low-level detail. Spatial presentation is discussed less directly, but the amplifier is praised for preserving the individual character and body of very different loudspeakers.
Transparency Resolution
93/100
LowBeats found that the CS-805A uncovers small but meaningful details, including vocal nuances, guitar-string decay, and the percussive character of piano keystrokes. This resolving ability accompanies its big dynamic gestures rather than coming across as an analytical or abrasive presentation.
Tonal Balance Musicality
94/100
The amplifier is described as having a particularly subtle, charming tonality, with a soft, creamy quality when appropriate. LowBeats also calls its sound elegant and balanced, noting that it avoids excessive presence-region brilliance and preserves lower-midrange body across differing speaker types.
Dynamics
96/100
Dynamics are a major strength: LowBeats reports cracking, physically palpable and exhilarating impact, along with greater drama and intensity than the comparison context. The amplifier retains convincing large-scale ability with 89–90dB-sensitive speakers, while overload arrives as mild compression rather than hard, unpleasant clipping.
Soundstage Imaging
82/100
The review says little directly about stage width, depth, or image placement. It does, however, report that very different speakers retained their own character without tonal exaggeration or loss of body, suggesting a stable and speaker-faithful presentation.
Assessments of Build Quality, Usability, and Overall Propositions.
Build Quality
92/100
LowBeats highlights the amplifier's minimalist circuit execution with components described as being of very fine quality, supported by two substantial transformer blocks. Its 38kg chassis, large tube complement, remote control, headphone output, and preamp input point to a serious, comprehensively engineered integrated amplifier, although it demands careful placement because it produces considerable heat.
Value for Money
89/100
At roughly $5,499–$6,200, the CS-805A is a substantial purchase, but LowBeats considers it not especially expensive by high-end standards. The reviewer strongly encourages prospective buyers to audition it and places it among amplifiers offering a more elevated and intense listening experience.
Reviews & Sources
Professional reviews and sources for this product's Watt'n Potatoes analysis.
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Specifications
- Product
- CAYIN CS-805A TUBE AMPLIFIER
- output power
- 50W + 50 watts
- frequency response
- 20Hz~35kHz (-3dB)
- distortion factor
- 0.5% (1 W / 1 kHz; 5% below rated power)
- signal-to-noise ratio
- 93dB
- input sensitivity
- 300mV, 1300mV (Pre IN)
- input impedance
- 100kΩ
- output impedance
- 4Ω, 8Ω
- tubes
- 2x6SN7, 2x300B, 2x805A
- Maximum power consumption
- 450W
- inputs
- LINE1, LINE2, LINE3, PRE IN
- working condition
- Temperature: 0°C ~ 40°C Humidity: 20% ~ 80%
- storage condition
- Temperature: -20°C ~ 70°C Humidity: 20% ~ 90%
- Dimensions (W x H x D)
- 420mm x 240mm x 389mm
- net weight
- 38kg
- Accessories/equipment
- Remote control for all functions, headphone output on the front
Manufacturer's Description — Cayin
The classic WE6SN7 output triodes are used for the voltage amplifier stage of the Cayin CS-805A integrated amplifier.
Exquisite 300B work in the driver stage for the 805A output tubes.
Three pairs of line inputs are complemented by an additional pair of pre-inputs for connecting an external preamp.
The CS-805A can also be used as a power amplifier or integrated into home cinema systems with AV processors.
The CS-805A has a high-quality headphone output with excellent sound characteristics that can drive most listeners befitting their status.
Users can easily adjust the bias of the 805 tubes via the integrated bias display.
With a so-called hum balance control, the user can also adjust the level of the 300B tubes from the outside.
The value of the negative feedback can be selected between 0 and -3dB on the remote control
in order to adapt the sound character of the amplifier to your individual listening habits.
At 0dB, the Cayin CS-805A reveals an open,
fluid sound with plenty of detail, while at -3dB,
playback appears smooth, precise, and controlled.
Soft start circuitry and high voltage delay to protect the amplifier work together to extend the life of the tubes and sensitive components.
Easily accessible high voltage fuses are used to protect the amplifier.
In the event of a tube failure, the fuse reacts immediately and thus protects the circuitry,
which is implemented in the finest point-to-point wiring.
Only high-quality components are used:
These include an Alps volume control, porcelain tube sockets,
selected capacitors and carbon film resistors with the highest audio quality.
A large dimensioned toroidal transformer guarantees a stable power supply even with impulsive music.
With a large bandwidth, the EI output transformers ensure optimal coupling with the loudspeakers used.
The Cayin CS-805A comes standard with a remote control that stores the last operating status of the device after it was turned off.
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Authorized dealers for Cayin CS-805A
- A Tube High Fidelity — online and in-store — Almere, Flevoland, Netherlands (website)
- A1 Futureshop — online and in-store — North Rocks, New South Wales, Australia (website)
- Addicted to Audio — online and in-store — Epping, Victoria, Australia (website)
- Advanced MP3 Players — online and in-store — Musselburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom (website)
- AES — in-store — Mitte, Hessen, Germany (website)
- Apos Audio — online and in-store — Oakland, California, United States (website)
- ARK Audio — online and in-store — Borensberg, Östergötlands län, Sweden (website)
- Art & Voice — online (website)
- Art et son — online and in-store — Montréal, Québec, Canada (website)
- Audeos — online and in-store — Żywiec, Województwo śląskie (website)
and 67 more verified dealers