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.

Case and Tubes:

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 that were not enough, the Jazz 80 stands on four shock-absorbing

feet.

 

Specialized all-rounder

As usual from Cayin, the Jazz 80 is also a finely specialized all-rounder. This meansthat it is prepared in such a way that it can drive any loudspeaker to maximum

performance. The current output power is displayed quite classically via two orange

backlit VU meters. No matter which transducer is connected, the user always

experiences the same, neutral and precise Cayin sound signature. To ensure the

same in any room and with any speaker, the Jazz 80 is tuned to provide sufficient

power to both 4 ohm and 8 ohm impedance players. For this purpose, the Cayin has

solid and gold-plated screw terminals on its rear panel that accept cable lugs,

bananas as well as unassembled cables. Music signals find their way into the Jazz 80

via three analog inputs, and a 6.5-millimeter output on the front is used for audio

transmission to headphones.

Bluetooth/LDAC

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.

Ultralinear and Triode mode

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.

Bias circuit

Right next to it, there are three more toggle switches, one on the left and two on the

right. They help to control the correct bias setting. This can be adjusted individually

for each output tube via trim potentiometer. The three said levers are then used to

check the changes made. The center toggle switch turns the left VU meter into thecontrol element for bias adjustment. The left lever (A1/A2) controls the tubes for the

left channel and the right one (A3/A4) controls those of the right channel. All this

serves for perfect control of each tube and at the same time for clean balancing of all

channels.

Simple Operation

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.