Cayin Jazz 100 review: a jazzy tube amp

The larger sibling of the popular Cayin Jazz 80, the Cayin Jazz 100 has the same neo-retro style, with its VU meters, and modern features such as the HD Bluetooth receiver. Nevertheless, this new version takes things to the next level, both sonically and technically. Using a pair of 805A tubes, it delivers 2 x 46 watts of pure class A power to effortlessly drive the majority of speakers on the market. Priced at €3,990, can this new integrated amp make music swing even more intensely than Jazz 80? Here is our answer after listening to it for several weeks.

Our expert’s opinion

With the Jazz 100, Cayin has created an exceptional tube amplifier that strikes a rare balance between tradition and modernity. With a generous 46W of pure class A power, a meticulous architecture based on prestigious 805A tubes, and a range of features designed to simplify everyday use, it combines sonic refinement, ease of use and versatility. Listening to the Jazz 100, you’ll be impressed by the richness of its timbres, its expressive dynamics and the fluidity of its soundstage. Whether you’re playing an intimate jazz trio concert, a string quartet or a grand orchestral fresco, this hi-fi amplifier manages to combine precision, tonal richness and clarity. Of course, its size and the heat it generates mean that you have to pay particular attention to the installation, but that’s the price to pay if you want to access a sound reproduction of this magnitude. On the other hand, while the integrated Bluetooth receiver is handy for casual listening, it’s more of an occasional practical option than a real selling point on an amp of this caliber.

Presentation

Design

In 2024, Cayin celebrated its 30th anniversary in style with a series of major new releases, including the highly acclaimed Cayin Jazz 80 amplifier. This model used the architecture of the best-selling Cayin CS-55A KT88 in a modernized version, featuring a Bluetooth HD receiver and a revisited design with an elegant neo-retro look. A successful update that won us over during our review (see the Cayin Jazz 80 review). With the Cayin Jazz 100, the manufacturer follows the same recipe, but pushes all the cursors further: more power and ambition, and an even more assertive sound identity.

The Cayin Jazz 100 amplifier has the same highly successful design as the Jazz 80, but in a more muscular, massive version. Its size has changed dramatically: the weight almost doubles, from 17 to 35kg, largely due to its impressive trio of transformers, with a central power transformer and two huge output transformers, all encapsulated in the aluminum chassis.

The amplifier’s dimensions are similarly magnified: the aluminum chassis increases from 300 x 190 x 385mm (WxHxD) to over 420 x 248 x 389mm. This size increase was necessary due to the adoption of 805A tubes, which are much larger than the classic KT88 and EL34 of the Jazz 80. The result? A more imposing amp that ideally requires two people for the installation, but that also makes a real statement and becomes a truly decorative object once in place. When switched on, the Jazz 100 is a real eye-catcher. Its brightly lit tubes and orange VU meters are hypnotic. It’s a pity that the brightness of these meters can’t be reduced for night-time listening sessions.

805A tubes

While the Cayin Jazz 80 KT88 and Jazz EK34 used the tried-and-tested architectures of the CS-55A KT88 and EL34, the Cayin Jazz 100 uses a completely new circuit. The input stage is entrusted to Mullard 6JC6 and 6SN7 tubes, backed up by a pair of 6L6s in the driver stage. These are followed by 805A power tubes, the largest and finest ever used in the Jazz series. Already featured in the Cayin CS-805A amp, these power triodes are renowned for their warmth and harmonic richness. Operating in pure class A, they enable the Jazz 100 to deliver 2 x 46 watts of power across the entire spectrum, with exemplary stability. This may seem modest on paper compared to transistor amplifiers, but in the world of tubes, it translates into far more energy and drive than the figures suggest. The Jazz 100 behaves like a 100-watt amplifier: generous, dynamic and perfectly at ease even with demanding speakers.

However, this sonic refinement comes at a “thermal” price: the 805A generates a considerable amount of heat, far more than many other types of tube. They must therefore be installed on or in well-ventilated furniture, with enough space around the unit to prevent overheating.

Simplified settings

One of the great advantages of Cayin amplifiers is their ease of use. Bias settings, often seen as the preserve of technicians, have been simplified as much as possible so that they remain accessible to all users when changing tubes. On the device’s top panel, two selectors allows you to quickly adjust the idle current of the power tubes. A dedicated switch turns the front panel meters into real measuring instruments, directly displaying the bias voltage applied to each tube. A graduated scale, accompanied by a precise visual marker, indicates the optimum value to be reached. Adjustment takes just seconds, with no need for a multimeter or to open the chassis. Two other potentiometers, labeled Hum Bal, allow you to adjust the balance to reduce background noise, even with high efficiency speakers.

The front panel features two large metal knobs adorned with a central glass ring. The first is dedicated to source selection, while the second controls the volume. The latter offers smooth rotation for fluid, precise volume adjustment. Fully motorized, the knob adjusts automatically when the amp is controlled remotely. Cayin’s amplifiers come with a solid aluminum remote control that provides access to the main controls: volume, source selection, standby. The only problem is that you really have to point it at the amp, and the keys are slightly loose, which detracts from the amplifier’s high-end feel. However, this isn’t a huge problem, and the remote control remains efficient and pleasant to use on a daily basis.

RCA and Bluetooth inputs

The Cayin Jazz 100’s connectivity is the same as that of the Jazz 80 and focuses on the essentials. There are three stereo RCA inputs, which is sufficient to connect a CD player, a streamer or a turntable equipped with a phono preamp. We still regret the absence of an XLR balanced input, all the more so on a model of this range designed to work with electronics that often have these connectors. As for outputs, in addition to the speaker terminals, the Cayin Jazz 100 has a 6.35mm jack output for enjoying your music with a pair of headphones or in-ear monitors.

A true signature of the Jazz range, the Cayin Jazz 100 incorporates a Bluetooth 5.0 receiver for wireless streaming from a smartphone, tablet or computer. This module supports the aptX, aptX HD and LDAC codecs, guaranteeing high-quality audio transmission with minimum compression, within the limits of Bluetooth capabilities. The aptX Low Latency codec is also included to ensure perfect synchronization between sound and image when connecting a TV, for example.

At the output of this Bluetooth module, the signal is entrusted to an ESS ES9018K2M DAC, well known for its precision and musicality, before being routed to the tube preamplifier stage. The result is surprisingly convincing for wireless listening: the soundstage remains spacious, timbres are textured and the warmth of the tubes give digital files soul. That said, a wired connection is still the best way to get the most out of this amplifier.

Listening conditions

Setting up the Cayin Jazz 100 amplifier is a breeze. Once the foam protectors and polystyrene blocks have been removed, the unit is ready to use. The tubes are supplied pre-installed, so there’s no need for delicate handling: simply connect the amp to the mains and plug in your audio sources to start listening. For this test, we listened to the Cayin Jazz 100 with Elipson 402 Tribute bookshelf speakers, as well as KEF R5 Meta and Sonus Faber Sonetto III G2 floorstanding speakers. The Cambridge Audio EXN100 player was our source.

Expert advice
As with all tube amplifiers, we recommend that you allow the unit to warm up for ten to twenty minutes before each session. This warm-up time not only allows the components to operate in optimal conditions, but also helps to preserve the longevity of the tubes by avoiding sudden temperature rises. A routine that's quickly integrated into the listening ritual associated with this type of amplifier.  

Listening impressions

The Cayin Jazz 100 delivered the lively, nuanced sound reproduction typical of 805A tubes. Far from the sluggishness of some tubes, the listening experience was energetic and lively, with precise dynamic shifts. Orchestral crescendos unfolded with natural ease, without compression or harshness. Attacks were frank but nuanced, and silent passages were maintained. With major orchestral works by Mahler, Bruckner and Stravinsky, the amplifier handled the build-up of tension with surprising ease. It didn’t run out of steam in the densest tutti, and let the music breathe, bringing articulation and transparency to the dense orchestral performance. Micro-dynamics were equally impressive. The slightest inflection, a singer’s breathing, the friction of a string or the resonance of a snare drum were rendered with disarming naturalness and great clarity.

The Cayin Jazz 100 amp created a very open soundstage, with great depth and excellent separation. Vocals were firmly anchored in the center, instruments instinctively found their place in the stage, and natural reverberations could be clearly heard, effectively revealing the acoustics of the recording room. As the amplifier was gradually broken in, the soundstage became fuller, smoother and more relaxed. This phenomenon was particularly noticeable after a few dozen hours of operation.

In use, the Cayin Jazz 100 is at its best after a good hour’s warm-up. That’s when the soundstage reaches its full potential: the edges widen, the back of the stage deepens, and the whole reproduction gains in coherence and legibility. Orchestras express themselves with majestic scope, instruments materialize with greater weight, and live recordings take on a highly realistic dimension.

The Cayin Jazz 100 didn’t seek ultra-neutrality, and all the better for it. It fully embraced the richness of its 805A tubes, with full, physical timbres that were never overly colored. On vocals, the result was splendid, with a delicate texture, controlled breath and articulation that was consistently transparent. The midrange and highs benefited from a subtle balance between softness and definition. On a recording like Norah Jones “Come Away With Me , the singer literally seemed to materialize between the speakers, in a bubble of silence. Miles Davis’ trumpet in Kind of Blue took on a slightly golden, very analog patina, without ever sinking into sluggishness. This is the talent of the 805A tubes, which shine in their ability to combine warm and rich timbres with expressive dynamics and great clarity. A rare alchemy that brings music to life without blurring it.

Cayin Jazz 100 vs Cayin CS-150A

Priced at €4,490, the Cayin CS-150A is clearly focused on transparency and energy. Its sound reproduction is more direct, more incisive, with very assertive dynamics and a clear musical message. Attacks gain in firmness, dynamic shifts in variation, and the soundstage opens up with impressive breadth and width. The three-dimensional, almost holographic effect will delight fans of advanced spatialization and analytical precision. The Jazz 100 cultivates a more full-bodied approach. Its softer, more organic signature emphasizes rich timbres and fluidity between registers. The midrange is dense, with a sensual rendering of textures. Less spectacular regarding attacks, it compensates with a more enveloping sound and provides particularly pleasant extended listening sessions. If the Cayin CS-150A impresses, the Cayin Jazz 100 seduces. Two tube philosophies, that both provide impressive performance.

Who is this amplifier for?

The Cayin Jazz 100 is particularly suited to music lovers sensitive to timbre, texture and harmonic richness, without sacrificing dynamics or clarity. With its 46 watts of pure class A power, it can drive a wide variety of speakers, including low-efficiency models with large woofers. With its simplified bias adjustment, it will also suit beginners for whom tube technology is usually daunting. Last but not least, its neo-retro design, enhanced by VU meters and a sleek chassis, will delight fans of electronics that are as beautiful to look at as they are to listen to. Provided, however, that you give it the space it deserves: the Jazz 100 heats up considerably and requires good ventilation to operate in optimal conditions.

Frequently asked questions