Cayin Soul 170HA
The Cayin Soul 170HA pairs explosive dynamics with a liquid, spacious midrange, bringing serious authority to Susvara-class headphones while also driving efficient speakers. Switchable triode and ultra-linear modes let listeners move from tactile tube richness to tighter, more extended control. The Ear and Convince Me Audio found its power, resolution and adaptability exceptional for an endgame two-box design.
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Deliciously Crispy
Sound Quality
93/100
Build Quality
93/100
Features Usability
90/100
Value for Money
94/100
Pros
Delivers powerful, textured bass, liquid detail, expansive imaging and exceptional dynamic drive with demanding headphones.
Highly flexible: selectable impedance, three headphone outputs, IEM capability, speaker terminals, and triode/ultra-linear voicing options.
Beautifully executed, substantial two-chassis construction with premium metalwork, tactile controls and walnut trim.
Cons
Its 40kg, two-box form factor demands considerable rack or desk space.
Treble can sound etched or fatiguing with some headphone pairings; triode mode helps smooth the presentation.
The rich, tube-led low end may not suit listeners seeking strict tonal neutrality, particularly with acoustic music.
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What Reviewers Are Saying
SOUND QUALITY PERFORMANCE 93/100
Reviewers describe a powerful, spacious and highly resolving presentation with substantial tonal flexibility between triode and ultra-linear operation. Its main caveat is a treble character that one reviewer found somewhat etched and fatiguing in some pairings, although triode mode was said to add texture and smoothness.
Transparency Resolution
94/100
The Ear heard sweet detail, a liquid midrange, generous top-end air and strong spatial definition. Convince Me Audio similarly singled out its resolution and speed as among its most breathtaking qualities, while finding triode mode especially texturally informative.
Tonal Balance Musicality
89/100
Triode mode was praised for midrange lushness, sweetness, tactility and a smoother presentation, while ultra-linear mode brought tighter bass and more extended treble. The sound remains distinctly tube-flavoured rather than conventionally neutral, and one reviewer found its treble a little etched and fatiguing across several headphones.
Dynamics
95/100
Convince Me Audio praised the amplifier's dynamics and speed emphatically, backed by the sense of authority from its high-output Class A design. The Ear also heard exceptionally forceful, textured infra-bass, describing the impact on James Blake's "Limit To Your Love" as physically thrilling.
Noise Floor
91/100
Convince Me Audio called the low-signal noise floor exceptional. The Ear also reports that the amplifier can drive IEMs to a high standard, with a lower-power 4.4mm output intended for sensitive earphones.
Headphone Compatibility
95/100
Reviewers report strong results with demanding headphones including the Hifiman Susvara, Abyss 1266, ZMF Caldera and Atrium, as well as high-impedance, low-sensitivity models. Selectable low, medium and high impedance settings, multiple headphone connections and an IEM-oriented 4.4mm output give it unusually broad pairing flexibility.
Assessments of Build Quality, Usability, and Overall Propositions.
Build Quality
93/100
The Ear calls the execution beautiful, highlighting flawless black-metal surfaces, tactile gold controls, a substantial rotary volume control and walnut side panels. Convince Me Audio likewise describes the two-chassis, 40kg amplifier and external power supply as beautifully constructed.
Features Usability
90/100
The Soul 170HA offers RCA and XLR inputs, 6.35mm, 4.4mm and four-pin XLR headphone outputs, speaker terminals, and selectable headphone impedance. Its triode/ultra-linear and Dynamic/Soft voicing controls make it more adaptable than a typical purist headphone amplifier, though its huge two-box format demands substantial space.
Value for Money
94/100
At £6,899 in the UK and roughly $7,500 to $8,000 elsewhere, it is undeniably a premium purchase. Even so, The Ear says the amount of product offered will appeal strongly to value-minded buyers and considers it competitive with alternatives at its price and above, while Convince Me Audio calls it one of the standout amplifiers below $10,000.
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Specifications
Manufacturer's Description — Cayin
Soul 170HA
Single-ended Class A
Powerful and Authoritative
KT170 Vacuum Tube
Headphone/Speaker Amplifier
The Fancinating KT170
The Story of KT Vacuum Tubes
Tung-Sol KT170 is an octal-based beam tetrode vacuum tube, it is the 2021
newly released flagship of the KT (kinkless tetrode) tube family.
Audiophiles love the KT family, and the KT88 has maintained a center role since
1956. There were multiple attempts to develop a new vacuum tube for high-end
audio, that rivaled the sonic performance of KT88 with higher power.
The KT170 is the latest attempt from Tung-Sol and by far the best attempt based
on our experience with all the KT vacuum tubes currently available.
Cayin Knows KT170
Tung-Sol is originally an American company known for producing high-quality
vacuum tubes. The New York based New Sensor Corp now owns the brand. They
revitalize the brand and replicate the quality and characteristics of the original
Tung-Sol tubes in the same factory that produces Electro-Harmonix.
Cayin maintains a long-term working relationship with New Sensor Corp., we
have participated in their new vacuum tube developments and conducted in-
depth testing for them before product launch.
We know the technical details of KT170 inside out and have first-hand experience
with this tube well before its official launch. That explains why we can develop a
completely new amplifier based on KT170 promptly.
A Sumptuous Feast of KT170
A Pioneer in Personal Audio
First and the only design to optimize a matched pair of Tung-Sol KT170 for a
Single-ended Class A headphone amplifier.
Features a high-efficiency outboard power supply circuit with substantial power
reserves, delivering an authoritative headphone output of up to 18WPC, ushering
headphones into a new realm of personal listening experience.
Embodies 31 years of Cayin's experience in vacuum tube circuit design.
Verified Dealers
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- 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