Today, Marcus reviews the HIFIMAN Goldenwave GA-10, a new desktop single-ended push-pull headphone tube amplifier with up to 3W output power. It is currently priced at $1599.00
Disclaimer: I received this sample in exchange for my honest opinion. Headfonics is an independent website with no affiliate links or status. I thank the team at HIFIMAN for their support.
Click here to read more about the HIFIMAN products previously reviewed on Headfonics.
This article follows our current scoring guidelines, which you can read in more detail here.
The GA-10 is the third release from HIFIMAN’s 2023 acquisition of Goldenwave. It was launched towards the end of 2024 to celebrate Goldenwave’s 10th anniversary.
Priced at $1599, this desktop tube headphone amplifier is positioned in the company’s ‘Premium Series’ lineup alongside the Mini Shangri-La electrostatic system and the non-Wireless version of the Goldenwave Serenade.
There are higher-end tube amplifiers in HIFIMAN’s lineup, such as the Shangri-La Jr and Sr. However, these are electrostatic-only amplifiers and are engineered to specifically match with their accompanying headphones.
If memory serves me correctly, then the GA-10 might well be HIFIMAN’s most ambitious general-purpose headphone tube amplifier thus far.
Previous attempts were mostly hybrid offerings at entry-level prices, such as the EF100 or the EF5 from 2010, so arguably the Goldenwave sub-label is proving a fruitful avenue, allowing HIFIMAN to further diversify their range.
Can this new offering stand tall against competitors such as the Cayin HA-2A, Auris Audio’s HA-2SE+, and even Feliks Audio’s excellent OTL-engineered EUFORIA evo? I found out in my full review below.
Features
The GA-10 is a pure analog headphone amplifier without pre-amplification capability or an integrated DAC. It also has a few eye-opening features or stats that might make it stand out more from competing tube amplifiers.
The most obvious is the power rating. At 3W, it’s a pretty powerful tube amplifier, but that rated 3W is on a heavy 300Ω load, with the usual 32Ω milestone load sweet spot dropping considerably to 600 mW. In simple terms, the output power pattern has a strong voltage bias.
Because this amplifier’s architecture is classed as a single-ended push-pull (SEPP), the listed output rating is the same for all outputs, whether 4-pin XLR, 4.4mm, or the 6.35mm connection.
That will likely guide your hand to specific higher impedance headphones, such as the ZMF Headphones Atrium and the Sennheiser HD 800, for optimal performance.
However, as you will find out in the synergy section on page 2 of this review, lower impedance headphones such as the Arya Stealth Magnet Version can also sound exquisite on the GA-10.
For the tube implementation, HIFIMAN/Goldenwave has chosen a fairly popular and readily accessible mix of 4 miniature dual-triode ECC83/12AX7 and 4 power pentode EL84 (6BQ5) vacuum tubes.
These are split into 4 per channel, with the ECC83 x 2 used as a differential amplifier and the EL84 x 2 as the driver output.
HIFIMAN has not declared the tube makers, but I can confirm my sample has a mix of Reflektor 6P14 and 12AX7 Sovtek tubes, with the current production run using PSVANE equivalents.
Design
The GA-10 is a beast of a desktop tube amplifier. With a specially designed, shielded 120W transformer, it weighs in at just under 12kg with dimensions of 330*110*380mm. This is not a dinky office space companion, requiring space to breathe and a decent rack or shelf to support it.
This is an analog amplifier, so, depending on the length of your interconnects, you need to place it reasonably near your DAC or source position.
The aesthetics are lovely, showcasing what is a fairly unmistakable-looking Goldenwave design language first seen on the Serenade and Prelude models I reviewed in 2023.
It’s a modern minimalist visual with thick aluminum plating finishing in all black, save for silver mechanical switches on the front panel for power, impedance, and input selection. Socket and control labels are in all white, well-spaced, and easy to read.
Slightly off center on the front panel is the analog potentiometer with a marvelously big volume dial complete with a finger recess that doubles for easy control and a volume level marker.
Sides and top panels have some seriously heavy venting patterns, with the right and left vents wide enough to allow you to peer into the internals.
These panels are also responsible for letting out some tube glow, though compared to traditional top plate tube amplifier designs, the GA-10 is far more discreet for lighting.
The GA-10 base is finished with 4 rubber feet that are stuck on and not integrated into the chassis. They do a good job of keeping the amplifier in a fixed position, even on tempered glass.
Be careful in humid conditions or aircon-controlled environments, as you do not dry out the rubber feet’ stickiness, they can fall off. The plus side is that they are replaceable from any decent hardware store.
I/O
The front panel is properly equipped for the full range of modern headphone jacks, including 4-pin XLR, 6.35mm, and 4.4mm. The only thing missing is a 3.5mm connection, but it’s increasingly rare to see that on amplifiers these days.
The GA-10 has no pre-amp capability or integrated DAC, so the rear panel houses a very simple 4-pin XLR and dual RCA inputs, depending on the connection you wish to use.
Bear in mind, this is a single-ended topology, so the output power will not differ. However, depending on the DAC, you can send an improved voltage level into the GA-10 via XLR to give it a bit more headroom, for example, 4Vrms over 2Vrms.
Single-ended DACs that use dual RCA but offer controllable Vrms lineout, such as the Chord Electronics Qutest, are also worth checking out if you want to use the GA-10’s RCA line-in.
Aside from the analog inputs, the GA-10 rear panel has a standard IEC C14 power socket and a spare fuse on the far right with a master on/off switch.
Controls
Sadly, the GA-10 does not come with a remote control, but since it is a headphone amplifier, I doubt you will be too far away from it unless you are running 5m cables and glued to your couch.
The ‘Power on’ status is denoted by a single blue LED light above the silver mechanical power switch, which does not offer a huge amount of resistance. Neither does the volume dial, which I also find a shade on the loose side, so be careful to avoid pushing up the volume by accidentally brushing it with your arms.
The high/low impedance and input switch selectors are suitably stiff, so I doubt these could be accidentally pushed during use. The impedance split between high and low is roughly 0-60Ω for low and 60-300Ω for high.
Packaging & Accessories
The GA-10 comes packaged in regulation HiFi brown cardboard packaging. It’s not unusual, though by no means exciting, with simple prints on the outside denoting the Goldenwave brand on the outside (no HIFIMAN branding?).
Inside, the unit is surrounded by heavy-duty foam inserts, though I would have preferred a vented tube amplifier wrapped in electrostatic shielding plastic or a protective fabric dust bag.
My review sample came with a power plug for my region and setup for 220V. Yours will come with a plug and voltage rating applicable to your region, so it will vary.
Aside from the above, I got a short manual in Chinese, and again, I presume your retail unit will have the same manual in English.
I would also have liked to have seen a small Allan key included for lifting the top plate to access the tubes. The tube rolling community might be all over this one, given how affordable and easily obtainable these tubes are.
Click on page 2 below for my sound impressions and recommended pairings.
