CIA-1 T NATURAL ALUMINIUM

Crayon Audio CIA-T

The amplifier for music lovers—direct, unaltered sound in the highest precision

If you love music, you want to hear it as authentically as possible. With the CIA-T, Crayon Audio offers what is probably the best way to reproduce what is stored on LPs and CDs in its purest form. We build amplifiers that reproduce the information from the source as directly, unaltered, and precisely as physically possible.

Versatility and Flexibility

The CIA-T is a stereo integrated amplifier with four inputs, one of which can optionally be configured as a phono input. It also offers the option to switch the amplifier to pure power amp mode, making it even more flexible for integration into any HiFi setup.

Housing – Functional Beauty and Stability

The housing of the CIA-T is made from high-quality CNC-machined aluminum and treated with a special anodizing process, which not only enhances its appearance but also improves grip. The CNC-machined buttons with Teflon guides and the feet with special plastic inserts add extra stability. Stainless steel spikes can also be used.
The heatsink is thermally decoupled from the housing, allowing for better heat dissipation and higher operating temperatures inside the device. The design follows the clean, functional style of Bauhaus design, radiating timeless beauty with its straightforward form and commitment to functionality.

Power Supply – Efficiency and Precision

The CIA-T uses a specially developed switch-mode power supply that operates at a frequency of 400 kHz—significantly higher than the typical 90 kHz, leading to more accurate voltage regulation. Both the input and output of the power supply are carefully decoupled to ensure clean power delivery. All components are also equipped with special capacitors that are charged by the switch-mode power supply.

Circuitry and Construction – Highest Precision and Stability

The PCB of the CIA-T is built in a 6-layer multilayer design—a 3D system that allows maximum shielding and linear energy propagation. This technology realizes the shortest connections and ensures exceptionally high electrical stability. Dirks decoupling of the power supply voltages up to 1 GHz ensures minimal electromagnetic cross-talk and optimal signal transmission.

The amplifier’s power stage is also designed as a bridged amplifier, where the speaker is connected between two power stages. This design ensures perfect control and precise guidance of the speaker, which is why the CIA-T uses four power stages for outstanding sound reproduction.

The RCA and banana connectors are from the WBT Nextgen series and are perfectly matched to our PCB and cable technology, ensuring the best signal transmission quality.

Channel Selection and Operation – Simple and Efficient

The channel selection is made via CMOS switches, a circuit technique derived from professional studio equipment, ensuring excellent crosstalk attenuation. The LED indicators show the active channel and the power-on/off sequences. Additionally, the [MC] LED shows the setting for Moving Coil (MC) or Moving Magnet (MM) when the phono stage is engaged (LED off = MM).

Volume control is done via a motorized potentiometer from ALPS, allowing precise and user-friendly volume adjustments.
All inputs are decoupled with current-compensated chokes that dampen symmetrical RF signals from 1 MHz to over 300 MHz, without affecting the input signal. This ensures noise-free signal transmission and optimizes sound quality.

Phono Preamp – Flexibility for Your Vinyl Collection

The phono preamp in the CIA-T has a current input suitable for both MM (Moving Magnet) and MC (Moving Coil) cartridges. While adjusting the input resistance for MC and input capacitance for MM is typically unnecessary, it can be done via DIP switches if desired.
When ordering, you can choose whether the CIA-T should be equipped with four line inputs or three line inputs plus a phono preamp.

All of our amplifiers are proprietary designs offering unique sound quality.

Colors
The CIA-T is available in classic natural aluminum and elegant black—the perfect choice for any HiFi system.