I never heard the Cayin before but my Almarrow A318B drove Hyperion 938 90db 6ohms in my small room [13x16x9]verywell and I only turn the volume only 10 o'clock which is very lound for me.
The 318B is a re-engineered A . It gives up nothing in return . The A isn't in the same class as the B . The ext. is exactly the same and it uses the same tubes . But the B was electronically changed to maximize the very thing the A was lacking . Highs and lows . The mids on the A are incredible . The B has the same mids and more extention on both ends . And it's mere 18 wpc energy and drive is equivilant to around 100wpc ss.
I often wondered about that myself. I guess alot of listeners like the SET sound as traditional. I prefer the best of both worlds. Very lush mids, extended airy highs, and a solid tight bass. I guess that covers it. As James Hatfield said, "More is all you need".
You must have a verified phone number and physical address in order to post in the Audiogon Forums. Please return to Audiogon.com and complete this step. If you have any questions please contact Support.