I’m the proud new caretaker of a Dayton Audio hybrid tube amplifier. I’ve wanted to get into tube amplification for a long time. This solution seems like a great starting point– the efficiency (and temperature) of solid-state power amplification with the sweetness (and warmth) of a tube preamplifier.

It’s got a bunch of features, but here are some standouts:

  • For inputs: Phono stage, RCA in, Bluetooth 5, optical, coaxial, AND it functions as a DAC when you connect it to a computer via USB. Perfection.
  • The headphone out sounds incredible, has gobs of power, and is (rightfully) quarter-inch.
  • Hot VU meters? At this price point? With this feature set? Seriously?
  • The whole unit looks incredible (and weighs as much as it looks like it does), but the gorgeous cage enclosure for the tubes is a level above.
  • The USB input supports audio balance adjustment in MacOS, a massive win for those of us who require accommodations.

I’ve spent a bit over a week with the HTA100, and I’ve been really impressed. I’ve been driving headphones (Grado SR80x, Master & Dynamic MH40), in-ears (Salnotes Zero 2, Starfield 2 and Aria from Moondrop) and some Polk bookshelves. The real test is soon to come: I would like to hook it up to my main boys, the Polk Monitor 10s.

To do that, however, I’ll need to get it off my desk. And it sounds really good right now.