My audition with the Group 1 tour has ended. Hats off to Andy and nmetheis for making the i5 tour possible. I must say that Cayin as a brand produces very compelling products. I've owned the N5 DAP and was highly impressed with it's robust and industrial build quality, ergonomics, and most importantly - the sound. I consider it a purist DAP that's free of any wireless technology and distractions. The N5 made my Grado RS2, which was the only headphone I had at the time of ownership, just sing. It brought out the best of those drivers, IMO, with dynamics and texture that I found consistent with AK4490 DAC chips. I've owned most of the CEntrance portable products with the same DAC chip and found them to carry the same traits. With the N5 and RS2 combination, I really like the wider stage and height it produced, and often times found myself toe-tapping with each subsequent track. Also, the 2.5mm balanced output was a very nice feature.
In contrast, the i5 includes the technology not found in the N5. I don't use wireless headphones/earphones, use a DAP as a USB DAC, nor stream my music, so these features were not tested during my audition. Based on audible memory, I found the i5 stage to be quite a bit more narrower over the N5, and with the narrowness, I found the i5 having less air than I would like. Both shines with detail retrieval, which I find to be another common trait with AK DACs. In addition, I was really impressed with the power the i5 was pumping out to my dynamic headphones (Sony Z7 modified, Sony CD900ST, Grado RS2, modified Yuin OK1, Cardas EM5813) - granted, most of my headphone gear is relatively easy to drive.
Thing is, everything I have is terminated balanced for my Sony PHA-3 and PONO player. So, like any quasi-ecosystem, I had to use adapters with the i5. All sounded great with the i5. I think the AK DACs and how Cayin implemented it with their DAPs really make dynamic drivers sing. When I compared the i5 to my PONO, their personalities were very apparent. The i5 like the N5 has a very raw presentation and meaty with all the micro details on a fairly neutral platter. In contrast, the PONO was smoother and a touch warmer that one could blame for drifting into audio nirvana and finally sleep.
I'll admit that my ears are used to the PHA-3/PONO sound, and consequently everything I have carries a twin 3.5mm connector at the end of the cable. If neither one came into the picture, I would easily choose the N5 again, and if I went down the road of streaming and/or using a bluetooth headphone, the i5 without hesitation.
I'll also admit that in general, I'm partial with Chinese based DAPs. The UI, build quality, and/or sound quality were consistent compromises or misses. My experience with the Cayin has been very positive. They've created great sounding and sexy looking DAPs, and continue to listen and support their fan base.
Well done Cayin and thanks for the audition opportunity.
