Cayin Jazz 80 KT88
The Jazz 80 is the latest highlight from Cayin. A handmade tube amplifier that adds wireless music playback to the portfolio, but at the same time has been designed and manufactured to the highest Cayin standards.
The Jazz 80 comes in a solid design, with high-quality workmanship throughout and made from selected components.
The excellently crafted, deep glossy case is probably the first thing that positively strikes the observer. This metallic dress looks good, but at the same time provides the necessary protection for the valuable electronics.
Nevertheless, the attention first falls on the total of eight tubes. In the rear area, that would be four KT88 output tubes. They provide the power amplification. In the row in front of them are four identical looking, smaller glowing tubes. However, a closer look reveals that they are two different models: Two 12AU7s sitting on the outside and the two 12AX7s placed in the middle.
While the 12AX7s act as preamp tubes and amplify the voltage level of incoming music signals, the 12AU7s serve as phase splitters and drivers for the KT88s. In keeping with this, the developers have placed emphasis on a cage that has been painted in the same color as the cabinet.
This appears a bit more modern than known from the competition and it protects the high-quality tubes from mechanical damage. As if all thatwere not enough, the Jazz 80 stands on four shock-absorbing feet.
In addition, there is a Bluetooth module, thanks to which this tube amplifier is also able to communicate wirelessly with appropriate players such as smartphone, tablet, laptop or even the TV. This turns the HiFi specialist into a modern audio center.
The connection setup is very simple: If the input source "Bluetooth" is selected, the small blue LED flashes. At the same time, the Cayin identifies itself as "Cayin HD BT" to its potential play partners. Now, a tap of the finger is all it takes to connect the external player and Jazz 80 wirelessly. The transmission is done via LDAC codec. LDAC stands for "Low Delay Audio Codec" and allows the wireless transfer of high-resolution audio content at a maximum transfer rate of up to 990 kbps. This should especially please smartphone owners with Android operating systems from version 8.0.
To really meet all requirements, the Jazz 80 can be operated in both Ultralinear mode and Triode mode. This makes the amplifier even more flexible. Both modes each have their own sound characteristics. With its pre-installed KT88 output tubes, the Cayin outputs 2×20 watts in Triode mode. In Ultralinear mode, on the other hand, it's even a whopping 2×40 watts of power.
The switchover is easily done via a small toggle switch, which finds its place directly in front of the two 12AX7 tubes. In this context, an important, although not directly visible, feature must also be mentioned: The power supply. Even if the sales price doesn't necessarily suggest it, the Cayin developers have made full use of their resources here and given the Jazz 80 an elaborately designed power supply including a filter choke.
As usual from Cayin, the operation of this tube integrated amplifier is intuitive and self-explanatory. The Jazz 80 is switched on via a small switch in the left side panel. A gentle click and the lighting up of the VU meter reveals basic readiness for use.
As long as the small LED indicator in the volume control is blinking, the soft start is running. So the Cayin is warming up first. If the LED is permanently lit, the system is ready to go. The input selection can now be made either via the rotary control on the left in the front or via the input button on the high-quality aluminum remote control. The Jazz 80 is similarly open when it comes to volume selection. This can be done either via the level control on the right or via infrared remote control.
SPECIFICATIONS
|
System type |
Integrated tube amplifier |
|
Amplifier modes |
Triode (TR) / Ultralinear (UL) |
|
Power output (Triode) |
20 W + 20 W |
|
Power output (Ultralinear) |
40 W + 40 W |
|
Frequency response |
8 Hz – 60 kHz (-3 dB) |
|
THD |
0.2% (1 W / 1 kHz) |
|
Signal-to-noise ratio |
90 dB (A-weighted) |
|
Input sensitivity |
300 mV |
|
Input impedance |
100 kΩ |
|
Output impedance |
4 Ω, 8 Ω |
|
Headphone output impedance |
16 Ω – 300 Ω |
|
Inputs |
Line 1, Line 2, Line 3, Bluetooth |
|
Bluetooth version |
5.0 |
|
Bluetooth chipset |
QCC5125 |
|
DAC chipset |
ESS ES9018K2M SABRE32 |
|
Supported Bluetooth codecs |
UAT, LDAC, aptX, aptX HD, aptX Low Latency, SBC, AAC |
|
Wireless range |
≤ 10 m |
|
Tube complement |
2 × 12AX7, 2 × 12AU7, 4 × KT88 |
|
Maximum power consumption |
280 W |
|
Dimensions (W × D × H) |
300 × 385 × 190 mm |
|
Weight |
17 kg |