How often are Cayin TA-30's for sale?

I also miss my Cayin TA-30 and wonder just how much better it would sound had I kept it and rolled some nice NOS tubes in it. I barely scratched the surface trying other tubes while trying not to spend too much and that was the mistake I wished I could rectify.

Right after I sold it I thought that comparatively, to solid state, it was too flabby in the bass and a bit too rich in the mids and rolled off in the highs and that I made the right choice. Wrong.

It was and is a darn good integrated and all it needed were better tubes. Having said that, if you want to go the tube route and keep in your budget, maybe a Jolida with EL-84s? I've been told that it's simply sublime by others here.

All the best,
Nonoise

Thanks Nonoise,

Thinking I may just suck it up and buy the Cayin instead of waiting for another one to come around. I know I can't go wrong with it so might as well.

Four or five come up a year, more or less.

Strike up a conversation with the owner and find out how well it was taken care of, # owners, hours, cosmetics, maintenance, serial # to check age with Cayin etc.

I would rather pay up for a cherry specimen, with light use.

It looks like the one listed here has all of Paul's mods. I owned one and it's a solid integrated for the money. I did pay significantly less for mine but it only had the focus control.
I do feel at that price range there are other options out there. Are you just limiting yourself to an integrated? The reason I'm asking is that for $100.00 or so more Jim Nicholls from JWN amps could build you an excellent el34/ kt88 based amp that betters the Cayin in all areas.
If it's an integrated you're after you could probably do alot worse than the Cayin

I have one with all the mods that I have not been using lately (I went to a 300b setup with some Altec 604) I found and tried many tubes and loved the amp. If you need further insite let me know. I may part with it at some point, but had not considered it til now...

RW

I have one not a modded one the original if someone is interested in trading for an SET or 300b integrated? I have numerous tube options to roll, Mullards, Bugle Boys.....I finally bit the bullet and got some Lowthers so only need a few quality watts and wanted to try something different. Open to all thoughts and suggestions on the best integrated to drive the Lowthers for jazz, vocals and classical. Let me know. Thank you