[Andykong]

I had the I5 and the WiFi did not work for me. Thought it may have been a faulty unit but the 2nd unit was just the same. Sometimes it would work with Spotify other times it wouldn't. Forget streaming those lossless files, wouldn't stream over my network, wouldn't stream any radio apps either.

I'm pretty sure that Cayin have said that they reduced the Wifi signal to help reduce RFI - this is a good move but I fear here in the UK that it is turned down too much. All my router settings were fine as the same functions work ok on my phone, plus they don't work on friends wifi networks either.

If you want the player and not use the advertised streaming services then it is a lovely sounding player that easily outperforms most in it's price range but it is buggy, slow and not without numerous other issues.

I've gone back to Phone/Dac combo which is far more reliable.

No mission here twister6!  

There were others in here who reported similar problems but the Cayin love-in here has drowned us out   

I only gave an honest opinion to a question posed by someone asking about the WiFi.  Like I say I'm not the only one to experience this as has been acknowledged by Andykong and the issue around lowered wifi signal.  

In my defense I have also said all along that the sound quality from this player is stellar and outperforms most DAP's that I've owned under the £700 price bracket.

Sorry my opinions and experience of the player don't fit in with the thread. I'll stay away now seeing as I no longer own the product.

I assume you are referring to my statement in the following post:
http://www.head-fi.org/t/802382/cayin-i5-lossless-android-dap-with-akm4490-dac-supporting-32-384-pcm-64-128-dsd/2130#post_13046358

For the record, this is related to discussion of WiFi signal strength when compare i5 to mobile phone.

If I remember it right, you have stated in an earlier discussion that the streaming problem remain the same even when you placed the i5 right next to the router, and that has excluded the WiFi signal level as the cause of the problem, and since then, I have describe the streaming problem you have encountered as a SOFTWARE problem and is working on a software solution in our previous and numerous discussion.

The fact that we can stream 24/96 from NAS via DLNA and lossless from Dropbox are evident that the Tidal streaming problem is something independent from WiFi signal level. We have not, as you have indicated, put the blame of streaming problem to "reduced the Wifi signal to help reduce RFI ". These are separate issues in our book and I hope this point will not be mis-represented again.

I am sorry that you feel being drowned out, but Cayin love-in? Labeling all the counter-opinion as supporter vs non-supporter argument is indeed a bad move, this won't help solving any problem, or encourage any exchange or discussion.

 

[Andykong]

Hawaiibadboy cheers for the insight on i5, you know, I was sat on the bed last night having a fifa sesh, pm4's plugged into mojo c5 stack playing Tidal latest playlists of hip hop and R&B. Here's the thing, that music just sounded so damn good. I mean it was real cleand sounding, crisp but you could really feel the tones of the bass. This is bit lerfect playback, I kept getting surprised on various songs.

As I was distracted playing fifa online, I really think that helped me totally relax and enjoy the music quality at a deeper level than sat there doing nothing with earphones. Listening felt effortless so to speak.

Anybody else find that they also have similar experiences? I bet an i5 and c5 stack would go really nice, especially both being cayin.

Seen 3 daps and an amp/dac this last week, 1 of which don't do streaming yet looks real nice. This i5 I may give it a go stacked with c5 pending on reviews of the other dap and amp/dac.

Anybody stacking c5/i5 with good results?

I have stacked C5/i5 during the CanJam RMAF at our demo booth, sound very good but the big screen of i5 has introduced some practical problem, The rubber band will sometimes get into the way of the i5 manipulation. If you go for this idea, maybe you need to use hook & loop instead of rubber band.

Regarding the audio performance, the C5/i5 stack will sound slightly warm, maybe you need to stay away from headphones that are particularly warm/thick sounding.

 

[Andykong]

I have something to say to all my beloved friends and customers regarding the i5 discussion.

While I have spend a lot of time to support Cayin products in the HeadFi forum, i5 has been the most difficult product for my role. I do admit that i5 has its problems and Cayin should and will work on them, but the thing that really bother me is the direction of the discussion.

From what I observed, great majority of the discussion here are focused on one feature of Cayin i5: Third Party Application support, and streaming application are the most frequently discussed applications. I am surprised that the proportion of our discussion are so "focused" and, may I use a slightly negative word: deviated.

Cayin believes the most important features of a DAP is audio performance, and then UI and playback/file management related functions will be the second tier requirements. When we define the i5, we added the concept of connectivity to our requirement list, and that's why we have WiFi, BT, DLNA, Dropbox etc in i5. These are the trinity of i5 design, something that we proud of when we finally launch the i5 back in June/July this year. For example, just to eliminate the WiFi interference problem has caused us two solid months of debug and optimization, two additional rounds of PCB, and writing off our first trail production run.

During our R&D stage, we spend 90% of our time and resource to these requirements. Pre-installng Google Play and open system approach for third party applications was never intended as the big hit of the i5 project. Apparently we are wrong. We feel discouraged on the amount of discussion related to the audio performance of i5. We didn't see a lot of mix and match sharing with different IEMs or headphones in past few months, and we have even less sharing on how well (or inadequate) i5 can handle certain genre of music. We have very little discussion of DLNA, and even less ralated to Dropbox.

I have been using the i5 on the road almost everyday ever since I picked up my factory sample unit. The i5 is my companion when I travel between Hong Kong and Shenzhen regularly. I have listened to half of my music library with i5 already and it amazes me everyday. Its a damn good sounding DAP in the sub-1000 US price segment. HeadFi is a user-orientated forum and I perceived my role as providing support to the i5 community (not just customers), therefore I can't and I shouldn't lead the direction, but I would like to put forward a personal plead at this moment: can we pay more attention on the audio performance of the DAP? Tell me the songs that you enjoyed through i5. Shared with me the headphone that you consider a good match with i5. ....

Thank you for reading thus far, maybe this doesn't sound right to you, but I hope someone will rise and concur, I am looking forward to that.

 

[emptymt]

I have something to say to all my beloved friends and customers regarding the i5 discussion.

While I have spend a lot of time to support Cayin products in the HeadFi forum, i5 has been the most difficult product for my role. I do admit that i5 has its problems and Cayin should and will work on them, but the thing that really bother me is the direction of the discussion.

From what I observed, great majority of the discussion here are focused on one feature of Cayin i5: Third Party Application support, and streaming application are the most frequently discussed applications. I am surprised that the proportion of our discussion are so "focused" and, may I use a slightly negative word: deviated.

Cayin believes the most important features of a DAP is audio performance, and then UI and playback/file management related functions will be the second tier requirements. When we define the i5, we added the concept of connectivity to our requirement list, and that's why we have WiFi, BT, DLNA, Dropbox etc in i5. These are the trinity of i5 design, something that we proud of when we finally launch the i5 back in June/July this year. For example, just to eliminate the WiFi interference problem has caused us two solid months of debug and optimization, two additional rounds of PCB, and writing off our first trail production run.

During our R&D stage, we spend 90% of our time and resource to these requirements. Pre-installng Google Play and open system approach for third party applications was never intended as the big hit of the i5 project. Apparently we are wrong. We feel discouraged on the amount of discussion related to the audio performance of i5. We didn't see a lot of mix and match sharing with different IEMs or headphones in past few months, and we have even less sharing on how well (or inadequate) i5 can handle certain genre of music. We have very little discussion of DLNA, and even less ralated to Dropbox.

I have been using the i5 on the road almost everyday ever since I picked up my factory sample unit. The i5 is my companion when I travel between Hong Kong and Shenzhen regularly. I have listened to half of my music library with i5 already and it amazes me everyday. Its a damn good sounding DAP in the sub-1000 US price segment. HeadFi is a user-orientated forum and I perceived my role as providing support to the i5 community (not just customers), therefore I can't and I shouldn't lead the direction, but I would like to put forward a personal plead at this moment: can we pay more attention on the audio performance of the DAP? Tell me the songs that you enjoyed through i5. Shared with me the headphone that you consider a good match with i5. ....

Thank you for reading thus far, maybe this doesn't sound right to you, but I hope someone will rise and concur, I am looking forward to that.

sorry u feel this way man,
ok I'll start a bit for u.
 
just like my first impression in the other thread:
http://www.head-fi.org/t/822302/reviewers-wanted-world-tour-for-cayin-i5-android-based-ak4490-dap-with-wifi-dropbox-and-google-play/210#post_13091460
 
I think the tonality and signature of the i5 is excellent for modern music, metal and edm.
I mostly listen to metal, rock and edm.
but all my headphone sounds good with it.
combo with meze99 classic is excellent.
 
I use it everyday to go to and at work.

 

[emptymt]

 
sorry u feel this way man,
ok I'll start a bit for u.
 
just like my first impression in the other thread:
http://www.head-fi.org/t/822302/reviewers-wanted-world-tour-for-cayin-i5-android-based-ak4490-dap-with-wifi-dropbox-and-google-play/210#post_13091460
 
I think the tonality and signature of the i5 is excellent for modern music, metal and edm.
I mostly listen to metal, rock and edm.
but all my headphone sounds good with it.
combo with meze99 classic is excellent.
 
I use it everyday to go to and at work.

here is the impressions taken straight from my post in the other thread:
 
ok, First impressions (just for the audio side, UI will be in the full review):
 
So far I have tried 2 headphones and 1 earbud with the i5:
 
Shozy Stardust earbud (hi-end earbud)
The tonality of the cayin blends nicely with the stardust signature, the bass hits hard and the mids has good body and very musical sounding, treble is smooth and not fatigueing, more laid back, relax listening experience, then using AK Jr.
despite the treble being more laid back, details in it still pops out here and there although the mids being more prominent will take your attention away from it anyway, but if you listen to it, it is there.
 
Mr Speakers Ether Flow
Just tried this today, honestly speaking, it is quite impressive, I didn't expect the unit to be powerfull enough to drive hi-end planars this well.
Bass geats more boost with some more meat in it, while still being tight with nice dynamics, the snap is there and still maintain the speed even on a blastbeat drum attack with death metal tracks.
Mids is push Forward a bit and has longer decays, the pairing provides some more lushness to the mids providing a more intimate experience(the mids is usually a little bit laid back on the ether flow), details are still there.
Treble gets toned down a bit while still having some edges and sparkles when needed, overall good treble, but the mids and bass get my attention most of the time.
 
comparing to my usual setup, this pairing is quite good and would be happy to use the i5 in a pinch, although my usual set up (Mojo -> Liquid Carbon -> Ether Flow) still beats it handily(and it should).
will try the i5 as DAC before the tour period ends.
 
Meze 99 Classics
Best pairing of the bunch IMO, very enjoyable experience.
Bass hits hard and deep with excellent extension, the quantity is definitely north of neutral by a decent amount, however it does not disrupt the mids at all. Very meaty and maintains good speed for metal tracks, works very well for metal and EDM.
Mids is again got pushed forward more and is an intimate experience, vocal decay is a tad longer than my usual combo (AK Jr -> meze 99), however it is very musical and engaging, the edges in screaming and growling vocals is smoothened a bit by the longer decay, but there are still plenty of details to satisfy.
Treble is smooth and laid back, cymbal hits is usually heard at the background behind the bass and mids, it never gets fatigueing (I actually feel that the bass dynamic attack is more fatigueing than the treble in the long run).
 
Overall Conclusion (for now)
Excellent performance in the bass and mids, although the laid back treble can make me question the tonality signature of choice sometimes, if it is too laid back or not I'm still unsure, I mean it is smooth and fatigue free but sometimes treble also needs to be given a chance to shine.
I can buy this unit for 559 AUD atm, for the price the performance definitely punch above its weight, I feel that the performance is about the same level as the X7 when I reviewed it (It was using the IEM module mind you, I never tried the full size hp module), give or take of course.
but the design of the unit is way better than the X7 IMO.

 

[xtr4]

Spoiler

I have something to say to all my beloved friends and customers regarding the i5 discussion.

While I have spend a lot of time to support Cayin products in the HeadFi forum, i5 has been the most difficult product for my role. I do admit that i5 has its problems and Cayin should and will work on them, but the thing that really bother me is the direction of the discussion.

From what I observed, great majority of the discussion here are focused on one feature of Cayin i5: Third Party Application support, and streaming application are the most frequently discussed applications. I am surprised that the proportion of our discussion are so "focused" and, may I use a slightly negative word: deviated.

Cayin believes the most important features of a DAP is audio performance, and then UI and playback/file management related functions will be the second tier requirements. When we define the i5, we added the concept of connectivity to our requirement list, and that's why we have WiFi, BT, DLNA, Dropbox etc in i5. These are the trinity of i5 design, something that we proud of when we finally launch the i5 back in June/July this year. For example, just to eliminate the WiFi interference problem has caused us two solid months of debug and optimization, two additional rounds of PCB, and writing off our first trail production run.

During our R&D stage, we spend 90% of our time and resource to these requirements. Pre-installng Google Play and open system approach for third party applications was never intended as the big hit of the i5 project. Apparently we are wrong. We feel discouraged on the amount of discussion related to the audio performance of i5. We didn't see a lot of mix and match sharing with different IEMs or headphones in past few months, and we have even less sharing on how well (or inadequate) i5 can handle certain genre of music. We have very little discussion of DLNA, and even less ralated to Dropbox.

I have been using the i5 on the road almost everyday ever since I picked up my factory sample unit. The i5 is my companion when I travel between Hong Kong and Shenzhen regularly. I have listened to half of my music library with i5 already and it amazes me everyday. Its a damn good sounding DAP in the sub-1000 US price segment. HeadFi is a user-orientated forum and I perceived my role as providing support to the i5 community (not just customers), therefore I can't and I shouldn't lead the direction, but I would like to put forward a personal plead at this moment: can we pay more attention on the audio performance of the DAP? Tell me the songs that you enjoyed through i5. Shared with me the headphone that you consider a good match with i5. ....

Thank you for reading thus far, maybe this doesn't sound right to you, but I hope someone will rise and concur, I am looking forward to that.

Andy, Cayin has made a fantastic device in the i5 (although I don't own one but I've auditioned it at my local store).
Here's my views on the scenario and why you and Cayin may find the viewpoints skewed towards the Wi-Fi and streaming.

1) i5 is Android based
This automatically lumps it together with "mobile phones", which inherently would draw all these apps and streaming comparisons. What most users don't realize is that i5 was designed as a DAP first and foremost with Android as the UI for familiarity. Apps and streaming shouldn't be the focus.

2) Trend moving towards streaming services
Similar to how mp3 and digital files have moved the industry away from physical media, streaming services are now moving from ownership of media. Thus when coupled with an Android UI, its inevitable that it has become somewhat of a focus.

Of course these are just my own observations and viewpoints but it's valid that this is Cayin's first foray into an Android based DAP which I believe is implemented better than Fiio's X7.
Andy and Cayin, don't need to be disheartened so quickly because while following this thread, there are many posts that sing praise on the SQ of the i5 and its value proposition given the competition at its price bracket, the i5 is clearly a winner and that Cayin should be proud of that achievement. It is their first device based on Android and I'm pretty sure, their next one will only be better

 

[esm87]

Thanks for the insight andy

 

[McCol]

I assume you are referring to my statement in the following post:
http://www.head-fi.org/t/802382/cayin-i5-lossless-android-dap-with-akm4490-dac-supporting-32-384-pcm-64-128-dsd/2130#post_13046358

For the record, this is related to discussion of WiFi signal strength when compare i5 to mobile phone.

If I remember it right, you have stated in an earlier discussion that the streaming problem remain the same even when you placed the i5 right next to the router, and that has excluded the WiFi signal level as the cause of the problem, and since then, I have describe the streaming problem you have encountered as a SOFTWARE problem and is working on a software solution in our previous and numerous discussion.

The fact that we can stream 24/96 from NAS via DLNA and lossless from Dropbox are evident that the Tidal streaming problem is something independent from WiFi signal level. We have not, as you have indicated, put the blame of streaming problem to "reduced the Wifi signal to help reduce RFI ". These are separate issues in our book and I hope this point will not be mis-represented again.

I am sorry that you feel being drowned out, but Cayin love-in? Labeling all the counter-opinion as supporter vs non-supporter argument is indeed a bad move, this won't help solving any problem, or encourage any exchange or discussion.

 
Last comments (hopefully!!) from me on this.
 
Tidal was not the only issue for me and a couple of others.  Radio apps do not stream neither does the DLNA option work as it should.  Music files show but do not play over DLNA.  This makes me think that there may be a possibilty of some kind of issue around UK/EU models and WIFI protocols in these areas.....I don't know, all I know is that I bought a product that does not do the all the things it says.  The replacement also behaved in the same manner.  I'm pretty tech savvy so know that my home network is all set up as it should be as is the other networks where I tried the I5.  Maybe I've just got unlucky with 2 units - who knows, these things happen.  It's a shame as I've now been refunded and moved onto another product.
 
 
What I will say and have said before is that the I5 is a wonderful sounding DAP.  The pairing of I5 and my Fidue Sirius iem's was truly stunning on flac files played from either the internal or external memory.  depth, soundstage and the level of detail surpassed what I had heard with both the Onkyo DP-X1 and Fiio X7.  

 

[alleroy]

Ok, I finally got mi i5, and I ask some suggestion for the first charge of the battery before using it: how long it should take, connected to the usb port of my laptop?
And another question related: in the small quick user guide it is recommended to "use an high quality charger because inferior charger might cause severe safety concern in the long run". Is someone using a dedicated charger for the i5 and could  suggest me one to buy? 

 

[Beamharit]

My system is i5 --> Alo the national(the old version) --> Yuin PK1 or Grado RS1E
 
I listen to PK1 on bed and sleep with it every night. Now I'm collecting DSD file from NativeDSD because i5 play DSD files so good. Now I listen to TIDAL via streaming without problem but there's a problem on offline. 
 
My i5 was send back to china for repair because it unstable, brick, after I install 3rd party app, I was so depress at that time but after I've got it fixed I enjoy it very much. I buy i5 instead of AK70 or ak300 because i5 can play 24bit 352.8kHz without down sampling  and I think I did the right thing.
 
My genres are Jazz and audiophile, sometimes Rock.

 

[Andykong]

Ok, I finally got mi i5, and I ask some suggestion for the first charge of the battery before using it: how long it should take, connected to the usb port of my laptop?
And another question related: in the small quick user guide it is recommended to "use an high quality charger because inferior charger might cause severe safety concern in the long run". Is someone using a dedicated charger for the i5 and could  suggest me one to buy? 

If you are using the USB 2.0 of a PC/notebook to charge the i5, the computer will limit the charging current to 0.5A, this will take around 12 hours to fully charge the i5 from low (below 10%) capacity.

We recommend USB charger rated at around 2A. Just select any brand that is commonly known or you are family with, and if you are not familiar with 3C products, just avoid unknown brand that are significantly below market price.

 

[Andykong]

here is the impressions taken straight from my post in the other thread:

ok, First impressions (just for the audio side, UI will be in the full review):

So far I have tried 2 headphones and 1 earbud with the i5:

Shozy Stardust earbud (hi-end earbud)
The tonality of the cayin blends nicely with the stardust signature, the bass hits hard and the mids has good body and very musical sounding, treble is smooth and not fatigueing, more laid back, relax listening experience, then using AK Jr.
despite the treble being more laid back, details in it still pops out here and there although the mids being more prominent will take your attention away from it anyway, but if you listen to it, it is there.

Mr Speakers Ether Flow
Just tried this today, honestly speaking, it is quite impressive, I didn't expect the unit to be powerfull enough to drive hi-end planars this well.
Bass geats more boost with some more meat in it, while still being tight with nice dynamics, the snap is there and still maintain the speed even on a blastbeat drum attack with death metal tracks.
Mids is push Forward a bit and has longer decays, the pairing provides some more lushness to the mids providing a more intimate experience(the mids is usually a little bit laid back on the ether flow), details are still there.
Treble gets toned down a bit while still having some edges and sparkles when needed, overall good treble, but the mids and bass get my attention most of the time.

comparing to my usual setup, this pairing is quite good and would be happy to use the i5 in a pinch, although my usual set up (Mojo -> Liquid Carbon -> Ether Flow) still beats it handily(and it should).
will try the i5 as DAC before the tour period ends.

Meze 99 Classics
Best pairing of the bunch IMO, very enjoyable experience.
Bass hits hard and deep with excellent extension, the quantity is definitely north of neutral by a decent amount, however it does not disrupt the mids at all. Very meaty and maintains good speed for metal tracks, works very well for metal and EDM.
Mids is again got pushed forward more and is an intimate experience, vocal decay is a tad longer than my usual combo (AK Jr -> meze 99), however it is very musical and engaging, the edges in screaming and growling vocals is smoothened a bit by the longer decay, but there are still plenty of details to satisfy.
Treble is smooth and laid back, cymbal hits is usually heard at the background behind the bass and mids, it never gets fatigueing (I actually feel that the bass dynamic attack is more fatigueing than the treble in the long run).

Overall Conclusion (for now)
Excellent performance in the bass and mids, although the laid back treble can make me question the tonality signature of choice sometimes, if it is too laid back or not I'm still unsure, I mean it is smooth and fatigue free but sometimes treble also needs to be given a chance to shine.
I can buy this unit for 559 AUD atm, for the price the performance definitely punch above its weight, I feel that the performance is about the same level as the X7 when I reviewed it (It was using the IEM module mind you, I never tried the full size hp module), give or take of course.
but the design of the unit is way better than the X7 IMO.

I have tried the Ether and Ether C with i5, but not the Flow versions. My observation is very similar to yours, and I think the shortcoming of i5/Ether pair is soundstage, a bit congested to my taste and lost the sense of naturalness. Good for vocal with simple instrument background as soundstage is not crucial and the mid-range presentation works pretty well when vocal is the focus.

Meze is indeed our all-time favorite with i5, looks and sounds like a match made in heaven, I am glad that I am not the only one feel like this now. This probably is not an audiophile's pick when details and pin-point imaging with explicit separation are sought after, nor a good choice for full scale orchestra work, but for casual, portable setup that can fill my life with music appreciation anytime, anywhere, I simply can't find a better pair to my preference.

When I organize the i5 tour, there is a lot of request on the i5 vs X7 comparison, you have started the topic again, I am sure a lot of audience are looking forwards for more "detail" now.

 

[Andykong]

Andy, Cayin has made a fantastic device in the i5 (although I don't own one but I've auditioned it at my local store).
Here's my views on the scenario and why you and Cayin may find the viewpoints skewed towards the Wi-Fi and streaming.

1) i5 is Android based
This automatically lumps it together with "mobile phones", which inherently would draw all these apps and streaming comparisons. What most users don't realize is that i5 was designed as a DAP first and foremost with Android as the UI for familiarity. Apps and streaming shouldn't be the focus.

2) Trend moving towards streaming services
Similar to how mp3 and digital files have moved the industry away from physical media, streaming services are now moving from ownership of media. Thus when coupled with an Android UI, its inevitable that it has become somewhat of a focus.

Of course these are just my own observations and viewpoints but it's valid that this is Cayin's first foray into an Android based DAP which I believe is implemented better than Fiio's X7.
Andy and Cayin, don't need to be disheartened so quickly because while following this thread, there are many posts that sing praise on the SQ of the i5 and its value proposition given the competition at its price bracket, the i5 is clearly a winner and that Cayin should be proud of that achievement. It is their first device based on Android and I'm pretty sure, their next one will only be better

Thanks for filling us in, a nice roundup indeed. "i5 was designed as a DAP first and foremost with Android as the UI for familiarity" that pretty much summed up our thoughts and objectives. In fact that explained why we have not opted for a typical Android Home screen like some other Android DAPs, Cayin and HiBy wanted to make this statement to all i5 users by going into a music selection screen directly after you powered on the player, and the choice are internal storage, TF cards, Dropbox, DLNA, OTG. Thirds party applications? They are hidden two level down from the HiBy music menu.

We are indeed proud of the i5, especially when come to the audio performance. Over two decades in high-end audio does not only provides a strong technical background, but also a thorough understanding on music presentation and developed our own sound-turning methodology. We can maintain a pleasant house sound over a wide spectrum of products and yet everyone has their unique execution for their application, this is what make Cayin impregnable in a competitive market.

i5 uses Leadcore LC1813, this is a Quad-core Cortex A7 up to 1.2 GHz, definitely enough juice for audio related applications we can think of, unfortunately the support from Leadcore is hardly satisfactory and there are numerous issues pending from their solution provider channel. We can definitely improve our third party support if Leadcore comes back to us quickly down the road. Maybe our order QTY is not as attractive as their new clients, but we are still hopeful that the issues will be resolved finally.

 

[Andykong]

My system is i5 --> Alo the national(the old version) --> Yuin PK1 or Grado RS1E

I listen to PK1 on bed and sleep with it every night. Now I'm collecting DSD file from NativeDSD because i5 play DSD files so good. Now I listen to TIDAL via streaming without problem but there's a problem on offline. 

My i5 was send back to china for repair because it unstable, brick, after I install 3rd party app, I was so depress at that time but after I've got it fixed I enjoy it very much. I buy i5 instead of AK70 or ak300 because i5 can play 24bit 352.8kHz without down sampling  and I think I did the right thing.

My genres are Jazz and audiophile, sometimes Rock.

The PK1 is famous for its good sound and difficult load, not really a DAP friendly earbug in my experience, can i5 handle the PK1 properly?

[@] darveniza[/@] has offered some advice to Tidal offline users, not sure if this is relevant to your case.
http://www.head-fi.org/t/802382/cayin-i5-lossless-android-dap-with-akm4490-dac-supporting-32-384-pcm-64-128-dsd/2130#post_13046015

By the way, I am into Jazz myself, and I think i5 handles my library pretty well too.

 

[andione1983]

I5 v fiio x5iii?