[BrianD19]

E2C's? Those are not the best for the mids or highs. I had a few musicians who had a pair a few years ago and they weren't capable of fulfilling the highs on tracks very well. They needed a bunch of EQ to get them to where they were useable. The problem with phones that can't reproduce a frequency range accurately (whether by design or hardware limitation) results in those frequencies being distorted or bleeding into others. I bet what you are hearing as "harshness" in the highs (and probably high-mids) is because of this deficiency (and probably distortion) in the phone. Try cutting the 4K or 8K range by -2db, maybe even dropping the 16K down a notch to clear up the overdone highs and see if it makes a difference.

The gain can be at medium for those, as the impedance is fairly high. The reason that low probably is sounding better is because it is under-driving and reducing the power on the highs.

Also remember that since you are using universals, those distortions can cause some resonance in your ear canal if the tip is too close/far and make matters even more "harsh".

Thanks for all the info you're posting. I've set up the N3 with these settings (I've never wanted to bother with EQ) and it does improve things.

As I said earlier regarding the earphones. I've been researching these for a few weeks now, so I'm looking for something but I don't want to spend much over £100. Most of the time the DAP will be used connected to a powered speaker (not the small JBL I already have), which I also still need to buy. I'm thinking of this : https://www.trinityaudioengineering.com/products/master

Edit: Just reading through the posts again.

All, Keep 'em coming. I appreciate the help and advice. I've never been a big user of headphone/earphones over the years, I prefer speakers mainly but I spend a lot of time away from home now which is what is driving the need for a DAP.

 

[BrianD19]

I tried the N3 again today as a DAC fed from foobar2000 without success. For a few moments it played, but moving the device caused it to distort with lots of white noise/digital hash and after a few seconds a message popped up on foobar about a failure of a device. When this happens the soundcard options in foobar that were previously showing 3 for the Cayin (asio, wasapi push/pull etc) dropped to just 1 which wouldn't work at all. I'm thinking it is a dodgy usb c cable or worse, a bad socket on the N3.

 

[JaeYoon]

Thanks for all the info you're posting. I've set up the N3 with these settings (I've never wanted to bother with EQ) and it does improve things.

As I said earlier regarding the earphones. I've been researching these for a few weeks now, so I'm looking for something but I don't want to spend much over £100. Most of the time the DAP will be used connected to a powered speaker (not the small JBL I already have), which I also still need to buy. I'm thinking of this : https://www.trinityaudioengineering.com/products/master

Edit: Just reading through the posts again.

All, Keep 'em coming. I appreciate the help and advice. I've never been a big user of headphone/earphones over the years, I prefer speakers mainly but I spend a lot of time away from home now which is what is driving the need for a DAP.

Yeah I can recommend any of trinitys current offerings that have shipped.

The master is a good choice. Their classics like atlas and Delta VII were popular too.

 

[gLer]

I tried the N3 again today as a DAC fed from foobar2000 without success. For a few moments it played, but moving the device caused it to distort with lots of white noise/digital hash and after a few seconds a message popped up on foobar about a failure of a device. When this happens the soundcard options in foobar that were previously showing 3 for the Cayin (asio, wasapi push/pull etc) dropped to just 1 which wouldn't work at all. I'm thinking it is a dodgy usb c cable or worse, a bad socket on the N3.

Hmm, definitely sounds like a dodge cable (more likely that than a dodge socket). Pick up another USB-C cable and give it a go.

 

[hung031086]

Anyone has problem when using n3 as usb dac on pc ? i heard some noise when i used the dac function on my pc with u12.

 

[Slater]

Hehe. I have a pair of AKG K-100 headphones that were the "bees knees" back in 2002 when I bought them. Had a listen to them the other day after a long hiatus and could t believe how flat they sounded compared to just about any modern headphone.

Speaking of Chi-Fi, just ordered a pair of Rock Zircons that have been getting rave reviews. Can't wait to hear what all the fuss is about for myself.

They are bass cannons, so I hope you're a basshead. I am, and I love the Zircon. They're also very smooth (trade-off with detail), so they are very forgiving of lower bitrate source files.

The cable is very fragile though, so my advice is to really baby them.

Did you get the black or white? The white version has more treble than the black (verified by myself and many members). The white is my favorite between the white vs black, because it gives more balance to the sound. I am using the word "balance" figuratively though - they are still dominated with skull-crushing bass. But having the extra treble makes them more enjoyable to listen to overall.

 

[fish1050]

Cayin N3 available in Canada next week!

I just received an email from avgearshop.com and they should have stock by next Tuesday.

 

[waynes world]

Cayin N3 available in Canada next week!

I just received an email from avgearshop.com and they should have stock by next Tuesday.

How much? $150CAD? Awesome!!!

p.s. I know it won't be so

 

[gLer]

They are bass cannons, so I hope you're a basshead. I am, and I love the Zircon. They're also very smooth (trade-off with detail), so they are very forgiving of lower bitrate source files.

The cable is very fragile though, so my advice is to really baby them.

Did you get the black or white? The white version has more treble than the black (verified by myself and many members). The white is my favorite between the white vs black, because it gives more balance to the sound. I am using the word "balance" figuratively though - they are still dominated with skull-crushing bass. But having the extra treble makes them more enjoyable to listen to overall.

Haha, look forward to trying them out. I thought I was a basshead (was a V-Moda concert for several years) until I heard the difference between bass bloat (V-Moda) and powerful but refined bass with no bloat (B&W P7). I still insist on feeing the bass - hence my preference for closed cans - but not at the expense of midrange bleed. Hopefully the Zircons are closer to the P7 than any of the V-Modas I used.

PS. Got the black version. Didn't like the look of the white tbh.

 

[BrianD19]

Hmm, definitely sounds like a dodge cable (more likely that than a dodge socket). Pick up another USB-C cable and give it a go.

Will do. I have a new and unused cable I bought when I originally purchased the i5. Can't do this until Tuesday.

 

[groucho69]

Cayin N3 available in Canada next week!

I just received an email from avgearshop.com and they should have stock by next Tuesday.

Told me the same thing on My 16th. And NO case.

 

[fish1050]

How much? $150CAD? Awesome!!!

p.s. I know it won't be so

I am guessing you are a half empty kind of guy

$150.00 CAN, no but I am hoping for around $200.00 CAN given US price is around $150.00

 

[fish1050]

Told me the same thing on My 16th. And NO case.

I would give this more credence given what Cayin said about the Canadian distributor moving to a new location causing an order delay. Either way I am simply passing on what avgearshop told me. Keep in mind that Cayin unlike Fiio doesn't have alot of retailers in Canada carrying their products so distribution is much more limited. Hopefully this will improve in the future. Headphonescanada.ca is also a Canadian Cayin dealer so you could check with them as well.

 

[fish1050]

N3 now listed in stock on headfoneshop.com in Toronto

I just checked this site as I have bought products from them before. They show they have the N3 now in stock (since May 6th) selling for $219.00.

Great news for me as they are alot closer to me than avgearshop.com. They are really small and may not offer the best price. But this at least bodes well for avgearshop having stock next week.

 

[nmatheis]

@BrianD19: Aww, meng. I used to be in the E2C club, as well. I absolutely hates the ergonomics. They were so uncomfortable. Sound wasn't very good, either. So many better options for less money nowadays. Trinity is just one. There are many more depending on how much you want to spend. You can always PM me if you want suggestions. I've heard quite a lot...