Our Top 3 Tube Headphone Amps & Why We Love Them

We've had a host of YouTube comments asking us to do more amplifier reviews. So after many requests, we're pleased to present to you the battle of the best tube headphone amplifiers. Audiophile headphones deserve a quality headphone amplifier, but how do you choose the best amp when there are so many options? Tube amplifiers have been around since the early 1900s and are well-loved for their warm, sound and nostalgic feel. We've selected three of our bestselling Tube amplifiers to compare to eac

h other. The Auris Audio Nirvana IV, Moon Audio's Very Own Dragon Inspire IHA-1 and the Cayin HA-6A. Hey Drew here from Moon Audio the Auris Nirvana IV, the Inspire IHA-1, and the Cayin HA-6A are three tube amplifiers with three entirely different personalities. No doubt these are three of my favorite tube headphone amplifiers at Moon Audio. The Dragon Inspire is the purest approach and has plenty of grace, but they can be dramatic change sonically with the role of a tube you can get from a real

ly raw, gritty sound to a warm and musical sound. So that's really the purpose behind this amplifier. The Auris Nirvana IV is for the feeling like you're at a Led Zeppelin show back in the seventies with just raw, gritty power. And the Cayin HA-6A is a real gem and fabulous bang for the buck with the coolest option ever of a 4.4 connection optimized for IEMs. Who would have thought? No winners and losers here. It's a tie ballgame. Pick your poison. Now that I've given you my take. Let's get righ

t into the design of these three tube amps. Each tube amplifier is unique in its own way, but they all possess that distinctive, warm glow that makes them just undeniably cool. Priced at $2,499, the Cayina HA-6A is a modern looking tube amplifier with a hand-painted aluminum alloy finish, glossy and matte black accents and a removable tube cage for protection. The VU meters on the front panel illuminate the same warm yellow glow as the tubes, giving the HA-6A a nice pop of color. At almost a who

pping 43lbs., It's the heaviest tube amplifier in this lineup, but its sharp form factor complements most audio setups. The front panel features various outputs, a power on off button, a headphone output selector, VU meters, a source switch and a volume knob. The outputs include a quarter inch output, a 4.4mm balanced output, and IV pin XLR balanced output. There's also an impedance switch with three main modes and an operation mode switch, which I'll go into more detail about later when we dive

into the features and technology. On the back is a balanced stereo XLR input a single ended stereo RCA input, a tube selector switch for swapping power tubes an external fuze for high voltage and AC power input. At $5,799, the Auris Nirvana IV is relatively the same size as the Cayina HA-6A, but it's almost 50% lighter at roughly 25 pounds. For being a larger amplifier, It has a distinctive form factor with a prominent front panel glass protection plate and rounded edges to transformers sit ato

p the amp with an impedance knob and an external power supply unit also comes with the Nirvana IV that attaches via a high quality one meter cord. Having the power supply in its own external chassis is what makes the Nirvana IV so much lighter than the in HA-6A, and it also reduces interference from the power supply circuit. The entire unit has a matte black finish with silver accents. On the front panel is a power switch input selection knob balanced IV pin XLR output VU meters, quarter-inch in

ch stereo headphone output gain switch and volume knob. On the back panel you'll find two pairs of RCA inputs with a pair of three pin XLR inputs, a pre out RCA output and PSU port for the External Power Supply unit. The Dragon Inspire IHA-1 is extra special to us because it's a Moon Audio exclusive. Designed by Cary Audio’s founder Dennis Had and perfected by our owner and founder Drew Baird P.E., The Dragon Inspire is vacuum tube amplification in its purest form. Priced at $2,195, It's the sma

llest of all three tube amplifiers, and it's the lightest at 15 lbs. With a metallic copper finish and black accents, The Dragon Inspire is both retro and modern looking. The front panel features a 100 K dual stepped attenuator volume control, input selector switch, quarter inch headphone output, IV pin XLR headphone output power switch and power indicator on the back panel is a powerport fuze output switch pre amplified left and right outputs and two pairs of ox ports. So how do these three tub

e amplifiers stack up against one another in the sound department? While all three possess that signature warmth, They've all got a distinctive sound. The Dragon Inspire IHA-1 is warm and lush sounding with great musicality when using the NOS RCA tubes. More on this later. The Nirvana IV has some nice warmth to it with incredible dynamics and lots of energy and the Cayin HA-6A, sits right in the middle with just enough warmth to make it a great choice for someone who wants a neutral yet musical

sound. I decided to ab test each tube amplifier with the Meze Audio Empyrean II headphones paired with a Black Dragon premium headphone cable and the Aurender A200 music streamer as my source. From the moment I plugged them into headphones into the Nirvana IV everything just clicked. I listened to “From Eden” by Hozier and “The Summoning” by Sleep Token on the amps to identify the nuances of each unit. “From Eden” is an alternative indie song with soulful gospel like vocals that lend to a harmon

ious and expressive sound. The Nirvana IV was incredibly musical and dynamic, so much so that I was taken aback by the sound. I've listened to the Meze Empyrean II headphones with many pieces of audio gear and the Nirvana IV made them sing like nothing I've ever heard before. I was immersed in a sound that was rich and luscious with great layering and a really wide soundstage. “The Summoning” by Sleep Token is on the opposite end of the genre spectrum as a heavy metal song with a rock and roll f

eel, you're immediately thrown right into the madness with a brigade of electric guitars and drums. This song takes you on a journey from metal riffs to choruses with passionate R&B style voals. Of all three amplifiers, the Nirvana IV handled the energy of this song the best. Sound wise, The Nirvana IV is going to appeal to the warm and musical listener who enjoys a dynamic sound full of energy with a tight, punchy bass. The Dragon Inspire IHA-1 is wonderfully warm and smooth. Every song I liste

ned to had great dynamics and of the right amount of energy that never overshadowed the details. The soundstage was intimate but not crowded. I felt immersed in the music like I was a part of the band and not someone sitting in the crowd. The listening experience I got from the Dragon Inspire was very similar to the Nirvana IV - musical, warm and lush. I kept going back to artists like Adele, Hozier and Rainbow Kitten Surprise, who deliver rich, emotive vocals. I'm a warm and musical listener th

rough and through, and the Dragon Inspire sound was right up my alley. There's not a single song that Adele produces that doesn't have her heart smeared across the track. Her vocals are full of so much emotion and passion that there wasn't a single moment listening to the Dragon Inspire that I truly didn't enjoy. The Cayin HA-6A is perfect for someone who wants more natural reproduction of their music. It's got a neutral, warm sound signature and two operation modes that you can switch between t

o change the tonality of the amp sound. Triode mode is ideal for vocals and strings with a smooth, lush, harmonious sound. Ultra linear mode has improved power and extension, delivering you a clean, energetic, authoritative and transparent sound. It's ideal for music that requires a lot of punch. Dynamics and control. I find myself enjoying the ultra linear mode for high energy genres like hip hop, EDM and metal. It had more immediacy and it just sounded sharper. Triode mode was great for soft r

ock, jazz and soul. For example, Anthony Kiedis’ vocals in Red Hot Chili Peppers’ “Scar Tissue” felt very mellow and lush sounding. In triode mode, the song has a natural twang to it, and at the end of each verse, Kiedis really likes to drag out that last syllable. Think of triode mode as a taffy pulling, machine lengthening vocals and sounds just ever so slightly to create this smooth sound that just slowly fades. All of these tube amplifiers complement a range of genres like pop, country, alte

rnative, indie and jazz. But the Nirvana IV is going to handle high energy genres like EDM and metal the best. The Dragon Inspire is going to appeal to the warm and musical listener who enjoys an immersive listening experience and gravitates toward lush sounds. But with tube rolling, you can dramatically change the sound of this little amp. More on this shortly. The Cayin HA-6A is the sweet spot in a way. It's got the warmth of a tube amplifier, but just enough neutrality that you can also enjoy

some highly detailed tracks. So if you find yourself bouncing between dynamic, punchy tracks and smooth lush sounds, then the Cayin HA-6A will give you the best of both worlds. Now let's get into the nitty gritty of these tube amplifiers, the technology and features. One of, if not the best features of tube amps is tube rolling, which is the ability to swap out the tubes on the top of each unit. Each tube has its own coloration that impacts the overall sound. So by changing the tubes, you can a

lter the tonality and fine tune your listening experience based on your personal preferences. Pretty neat, right? The options are virtually endless, and it not only extends the lifetime of your amplifier, but it also allows the unit to grow with you as your tastes change. For instance, the Dragon Inspire IHA-1 features a pair of 6SN7 stock tubes and a 5Y3 rectifier tube that lends a lush, warm and liquid sound. But if that's not really complementing your favorite genre, then no biggie. Just swap

them out. We recommend swapping out the rectifier tubes with a direct heater type tube like the 5Y3, 5U4, 274B or NOS. The output tubes can be swapped out with a 6SN7 variant tube as well. The Cayin HA-6A comes with one set of electro harmonics EL-34 tubes, a pair of electro harmonics 12AU7EH tubes and two RCA 17AX4GTV tubes. The Nirvana IV also features a pair of EL-34 tubes, which are known for deep and tight bass, sweet mids and extended detailed highs. Additionally, the Nirvana IV has a ECC

82 drive tube that's known for being a low noise tube. When it came to this circuit design of the Dragon Inspire, Dennis Had knew that simplicity was key. The signal comes into the RCA, travels to the input transformer to clean up the signal, then goes to the volume, travels through each tube and the output transformer, and finally exits through the headphone jack. The result is a clean, short signal path. While it has the lowest power output of 1.5 watts. And that's only point one watt lower th

an that of the high end HA-6A. The Dragon Inspire is going to be the most flexible amp in terms of the wide range of headphones that you can pair with it, thanks to the purist approach of the circuit design. You can greatly change the tonality of this amp with the change of a 6SN7 tube. Make sure to see the Dragon Inspire web page to read more on swapping tubes The Nirvana IV and Inspire can double as a preamp for your amplifier and speakers, but the Cayina HA-6A is the only one in the lineup th

at's a truly dedicated headphone amplifier. The Nirvana IV is the most powerful amp with an output of 6.5 watts, and it's the only one in the lineup that can easily drive the notoriously powerful Hifiman Susvara headphones. It's going to produce a lot more punch and authority to the sound than the Dragon Inspire IHA-1 and Cayina HA-6A, so if you're someone like me who enjoys hip hop and EDM, then the Nirvana IV is going to deliver you that great bass and attack. However, the HA-6A does have the

most connection options with a very special 4.4 balanced output that's less powerful than the IV pin XLR output. So what makes it so special? The HA-6A is the only amp in this lineup that can effectively drive IEMs. And that's all thanks to the low power of the 4.4 output. When you pair a highly sensitive IEM with a tube amp, more often than not you'll get background hiss. And that's not to say you can't use IEMs with tube amps because you can. But in the case of the HA-6A, they're counteracting

that background hiss by reducing the power. If you want to hear about which IEMs we'd recommend for the HA-6A, drop a comment below. The HA-6A and Nirvana IV Both have impedance switches with multiple gain modes. The HA-6A has three power modes low for headphones with an impedance between eight and 64 ohm medium for 65 to 250 ohm impedance headphones and high for 251 to 600 ohm impedance headphones. The Nirvana IV takes it up a notch with five gain modes that drive headphones from 32 ohm to 300

and 600 ohm. An impedance, which wasn't needed for the Dragon Inspire. And it's pretty versatile and works well with all Impedances, even driving those pesky planar magnetic headphones. The Dragon Inspire has a unique option compared to the other amplifiers. Not only is it a transformer coupled output, but it also utilizes high end landau input transformers that strip off any incoming noise from your sources. It also boosts the gain and adds some detail and resolution to the incoming signal. Ea

ch tube amplifier has its own collection of features and technology. If you've got a wide range of headphones that you like to cycle through, then look no further than the Dragon Inspire IHA-1 to drive them all. Or maybe the low power of the 4.4 balanced output on the Cayina HA-6A is perfect for your favorite pair of IEMs with five gain modes. The Auris Nirvana IV is versatile and powerful enough to handle anything you throw at it. Whatever the case may be. You can't go wrong with any of these t

ube amplifiers. They've all got a great sound and a plethora of inputs and outputs, making it easy to integrate any one of them into your existing audio setup. Let's talk cables because your new tube amplifier setup needs some. At Moon Audio, our Dragon Audio cables are hand-crafted daily in our Cary, NC headquarters with the highest standards and made to order according to your specific needs. We'll create a custom cable for you using only the highest quality UPOCC silver or copper conductors t

hat can be manufactured when you're spending upwards of $3,000 on a new piece of gear. I imagine the last thing on your mind is all the accessories you've got to buy to go with it. Well, sometimes manufacturers have the same thought process and they don't prioritize the craftsmanship of the audio cables they include. Stock cables are, well, stock cables, and having a high quality cable makes a difference when you want the best possible performance from your gear. I mean, have you ever seen Ferra

ri wheels on a Toyota? Probably not. Well, if you're buying the Ferrari of tube amps, we want you to have those matching wheels. So for these three tube amplifiers, our Silver Dragon Interconnect cable is going to be the perfect link between your devices. This is how we connected our source device, the Aurender A200, to all three amps. The Silver Dragon Interconnect is built for zero interference with a braided geometry and high quality shielding. So there's nothing between you and your music. T

he UPOCC pure silver conductors add detail and resolution unveiling the music, allowing you to enjoy it with breathtaking clarity. The shielding will also add more durability to the cable for runs on a floor. Our Silver Dragon Interconnect cable is timeless. It was the first ever Dragon audio cable produced, and since then it's been a foundational piece in so many audio setups. Since I'm a warm and musical listener, I opted to pair the Meze Empyrean II headphones with our Black Dragon Premium ca

ble. Each of our Dragon audio cables has its own sound signature, and the Black Dragon adds bottom end weight to your headphones with great musicality. If that sounds like something you'd enjoy, then the Black Dragon is a great choice, but it's all up to preference. So you can't go wrong with any of our Dragon audio cables. If you want more detail, then opt for the Silver Dragon premium or if you want the most neutral sound without any coloration, give our Blue Dragon premium cable a try. Our pr

emium headphone cable line offers the same quality construction as our standard Dragon audio cables, but with extras like Premium Mundorf solder and premium rhodium-plated Furutech connectors that look and feel great while you listen. I used a Dragon premium cable with a 4-pin balanced XLR connector, but you can customize the cable length and connector options to fit your setup. Like what We've got featured right here. We're flexible and we love to offer our customers the ability to customize t

heir cables so if you're not sure what connector you need or which Dragon sound signature suits you best, We're always happy to help. When it comes to Tube amplifiers, it's hard to beat the Auris Nirvana IV, Dragon Inspire IHA-1, and Cayin HA-6A. Auris has made a name for itself in the amplifier market and the Nirvana IV is a great example of that. You get a robust, dynamic and expressive sound from an incredibly powerful amplifier. That's great for the most power hungry headphones. If you're l

ooking for the most natural reproduction of your music, then look no further than the Cayina HA-6A. You get that signature tube amp warmth and a pleasantly smooth sound. It's full of features like two operation modes allowing you to alter the sound signature. And it's the only tube amp in this lineup that's specifically built for your highly sensitive IEMs. And you just can't go wrong with Moon Audio's very own Dragon Inspire IHA-1. It'll compliment every headphone in your collection and has the

perfect amount of warmth, and its compact size is pretty ideal for a desktop audio setup. It's Moon Audio's best selling headphone amplifier for a reason. Whether you like jazz, pop, country rock and roll or R&B, you won't be disappointed with any song that you listen to on these tube amps. You'll get a rich, harmonious sound from the Dragon Inspire and the Nirvana IV will handle those high energy genres like EDM and metal. The Cayina HA-6A is built for vocals and it stands out as a great optio

n for the versatile listener. If you're in the market for a new Tube amp, check out one of these units. As always, if you liked this video, give it a thumbs up and don't forget to hit that bell and subscribe to our channel so you don't miss out on any recent uploads. Drop a comment below if you enjoyed this video and let us know what Hi-Fi gear you want us to review next. Thanks so much for watching!