FiiO EA13 – Full-Size Pure Class A Vacuum Tube Amplifier with EL34 Power Tubes

The EA13 is FiiO's first full-size valve amplifier, and it does not hedge: four JJ Electronic EL34 power tubes and two Sylvania NOS PCF80 small-signal tubes running a pure Class A push-pull circuit in pentode mode, into custom potted EI silicon-steel output transformers.

Key Features

• Six tubes, pure Class A: 4 × JJ Electronic EL34 in push-pull pentode mode, driven by 2 × Sylvania NOS PCF80 on the input and voltage stages
• 28 W + 28 W into 4 Ω or 8 Ω: Rated at THD+N below 5%; at the stricter sub-1% threshold FiiO still specifies at least 18 W + 18 W per channel
• Custom output transformers: EI silicon-steel laminate cores, epoxy-potted and sealed, wound for wide bandwidth and low noise
• Separate 4 Ω and 8 Ω taps: Gold-plated binding posts for each impedance, so the amplifier is matched to the speaker rather than compromised across both
• Four RCA inputs with rotary selector: An encoder-driven four-position switch and a high-quality analogue potentiometer, no digital volume anywhere in the path
• LED-backlit mechanical VU meters: Dual-channel moving needles, with adjustable RGB lighting under the tube deck
• 6.35 mm headphone output: 185 mW into 300 Ω for high-impedance headphones, driven from the same valve stage
• CNC aluminium chassis: Aviation-grade machined front panel, unibody shell with electromagnetic shielding, vibration-damping feet and a removable perforated tube cover

Customer Benefits

Class A valve amplification is normally the expensive end of hi-fi, and the parts list is usually where budget designs give up. The EA13 spends its money where it is audible: NOS input tubes, properly potted transformers, Japanese NCC filter capacitors, axial metal-film coupling capacitors and an analogue potentiometer. Standby draws just over 1 W and a 30-minute auto-shutdown turns the amplifier off when the music stops, which matters on a design that idles at around 220 W. The tube cover stays on for households with curious hands and comes off when you want to watch the EL34s work.

Quick Specs

• Topology: Pure Class A push-pull, pentode mode
• Tubes: 4 × JJ Electronic EL34, 2 × Sylvania NOS PCF80
• Speaker output: ≥ 28 W + 28 W into 4 Ω and 8 Ω (THD+N < 5%); ≥ 18 W + 18 W (THD+N < 1%)
• Headphone output: ≥ 185 mW + 185 mW into 300 Ω; ≥ 60 mW + 60 mW into 32 Ω
• Frequency response: 20 Hz – 60 kHz (attenuation below 2.9 dB)
• Signal-to-noise ratio: ≥ 97 dB A-weighted (speaker output)
• Noise floor: Below 150 µV A-weighted
• Inputs: 4 × RCA line, 12 V trigger
• Outputs: 4 Ω and 8 Ω speaker binding posts, 6.35 mm headphone
• Dimensions: 43 × 33.9 × 14.5 cm (W×D×H)
• Weight: 17.7 kg

What's in the Box

• FiiO EA13 vacuum tube amplifier
• Removable perforated tube cover (fitted)
• AC power cord
• Screwdriver and two screws
• Quick start guide and warranty card

Ideal For

Listeners with efficient bookshelf or floorstanding speakers who want valve tone and a real Class A circuit without a five-figure budget, vinyl and CD owners feeding line-level sources straight into an analogue volume control, and anyone who wants the amplifier to be part of the room rather than hidden in a rack.

Pros & Cons

• ✅ Six-tube pure Class A design with NOS input valves and potted custom transformers
• ✅ Separate 4 Ω and 8 Ω taps, four line inputs and a proper analogue potentiometer
• ✅ Mechanical VU meters and a removable cover make the tubes part of the design

• ⚠️ Class A runs hot and idles near 220 W — it needs ventilation and clearance above the tubes
• ⚠️ 17.7 kg and no remote control, so placement and volume are both hands-on
• ⚠️ Line inputs only: no built-in DAC, phono stage or streaming

Final Word

The EA13 is the amplifier FiiO built once it had nothing left to prove about portable audio: heavy, hot, analogue and unapologetic about it.