[AudioNewbi3]

Thanks, but I'm not sure I'm a genius...lol. Just trial and error over the past few years to make it work.

Still! Genius!!!!

I'm attempting a scan of the music on the memory card in my N3 right now... - ...and after it finished, I checked the Track order on one of my 2-CD Albums.

It does not list the Tracks in the correct order.
They're listed by just their Title (which doesn't include the Disc-Track info of the filename).

The order appears to be:
Disc2-Track1
Disc1-Track1
Disc2-Track2
Disc1-Track2
etc.

I guess I haven't noticed this before, since I normally use the "Browse by Folder" method for accessing my music.
In the Folder view, the files are listed correctly, by filename (which includes the Disc-Track info at the beginning of the name).

Glad to see that I am not the only one facing this issue. Perhaps such an issue can be solved by a FW upgrade?

Now that you have scanned your media library, any ideas how you can "unscan" it? i.e. make the N3 back to when the media library was not scanned.

 

[Takeanidea]

I've had the N3 on review for a little over a week. I enjoyed using it. I thought the ability to use my Android phone to control it was a real novelty ; something I'd not seen before. On the move of course it's redundant unless you're on the train or the bus then you're only looking at one device for all your needs.
The touch buttons I found quite responsive, but I often went too far on the menu searches etc because the buttons were so small. This makes the need for using the phone as a transport even more of an advantage. The player is fast and responsive, finding all the storage for the card reasonably quickly. The player never crashed a single time. OTG from my Moto G4 phone to the N3 was unsuccessful. OTG from the N3 to the phone worked without a problem.
USB out is another useful add on allowing the N3 as a decent playback device to an external Dac or Dac/Amp such as a Chord Mojo.
I used sharp roll off as the Digital Filter Setting. I prefer the detail in the higher mids and treble that this setting gives me. The output settings are important to get right in my view too. I was not enjoying my new Z5S IEMs when I put them in. They were too forward sounding and V shaped. They are a much lower impedance than my Sennheiser IE800s. I realised I still had the high output setting on. I changed that and the ZS5s sounded just great.
The highest sample rate DSDs I have tend to fall over every 45 seconds momentarily. They would need to resampled to work properly on the N3.
Compared to the other DAPs I have the N3 compares very favourably. The sound signature is slightly warm and wooly. By that I mean there is no harshness to the sound but compared to it's more expensive sibling, the Cayin i5, there is slightly more detail retrieval up for grabs. Only hours of cross comparison can confirm this conclusion to my ears. 99% of the detail is there to my ears.
The cosmetic look of the N3 is appealing. It has a modern sculpted appearance. It is small enough to fit in most pockets comfortably. The side buttons help to keep the screen display off and allow for some success with blind operation after a bit of practice. A silicon screen protector will keep the unit in pristine condition and safe from falls although it hides much of the finish of the N3.
Overall impressions of the N3? It works well, looks good, has versatility for the price and will satisfy all but the most demanding of listeners. If I had $150 to spend on a DAP I'd feel well satisfied with this one.

 

[Moodyone]

I'm attempting a scan of the music on the memory card in my N3 right now... - ...and after it finished, I checked the Track order on one of my 2-CD Albums.

It does not list the Tracks in the correct order.
They're listed by just their Title (which doesn't include the Disc-Track info of the filename).

The order appears to be:
Disc2-Track1
Disc1-Track1
Disc2-Track2
Disc1-Track2
etc.

I guess I haven't noticed this before, since I normally use the "Browse by Folder" method for accessing my music.
In the Folder view, the files are listed correctly, by filename (which includes the Disc-Track info at the beginning of the name).

I've checked mine and the tracks come up in the correct order in Artists and Album views. I do properly tag each Album though. When the N3 scans your files it doesn't look at the file names. It reads the information from the tags attached to each song.

Check that the Track No. Fields are numbered correctly, I use 01, 02, 03 ....10, 11, 12 etc. I also number the Disc No. Field in the same way although I suspect the N3 doesn't read this field. It might not be the best way to do it but it works for me with multi CD Albums. WithIn the tag I add CD1, CD2 etc. to the end of the Album name in each song. They are then scanned as two separate Albums.

@CayinSupport Myself I stick with Folder view. The library view is almost unusable without Pageup and Pagedown. Scrolling up or down a long list of songs, artists or albums one line at a time is unbearable. It could easily be implemented too. With either long press on back and forward, or better still, when viewing files, a long press on Next and Previous buttons.

IMHO what would also be very nice but not essential like Pageup and Pagedown, would be when viewing Artists/Albums, having the albums sorted by year, from the information in the tag, rather than alphabetical.

 

[MisterMudd]

I've had the N3 on review for a little over a week. I enjoyed using it. I thought the ability to use my Android phone to control it was a real novelty ; something I'd not seen before. On the move of course it's redundant unless you're on the train or the bus then you're only looking at one device for all your needs.
The touch buttons I found quite responsive, but I often went too far on the menu searches etc because the buttons were so small. This makes the need for using the phone as a transport even more of an advantage. The player is fast and responsive, finding all the storage for the card reasonably quickly. The player never crashed a single time. OTG from my Moto G4 phone to the N3 was unsuccessful. OTG from the N3 to the phone worked without a problem.
USB out is another useful add on allowing the N3 as a decent playback device to an external Dac or Dac/Amp such as a Chord Mojo.
I used sharp roll off as the Digital Filter Setting. I prefer the detail in the higher mids and treble that this setting gives me. The output settings are important to get right in my view too. I was not enjoying my new Z5S IEMs when I put them in. They were too forward sounding and V shaped. They are a much lower impedance than my Sennheiser IE800s. I realised I still had the high output setting on. I changed that and the ZS5s sounded just great.
The highest sample rate DSDs I have tend to fall over every 45 seconds momentarily. They would need to resampled to work properly on the N3.
Compared to the other DAPs I have the N3 compares very favourably. The sound signature is slightly warm and wooly. By that I mean there is no harshness to the sound but compared to it's more expensive sibling, the Cayin i5, there is slightly more detail retrieval up for grabs. Only hours of cross comparison can confirm this conclusion to my ears. 99% of the detail is there to my ears.
The cosmetic look of the N3 is appealing. It has a modern sculpted appearance. It is small enough to fit in most pockets comfortably. The side buttons help to keep the screen display off and allow for some success with blind operation after a bit of practice. A silicon screen protector will keep the unit in pristine condition and safe from falls although it hides much of the finish of the N3.
Overall impressions of the N3? It works well, looks good, has versatility for the price and will satisfy all but the most demanding of listeners. If I had $150 to spend on a DAP I'd feel well satisfied with this one.

After numerous pages ad nauseum of issues, screen protectors, Hiby, etc, it is so very nice to come across an actual review such as yours. Thanks and well done sir!

 

[fntms]

Hi, is the N3 normal when it isn't on USB DAC mode? What is operating system of your computer? Did you have any special settings on your PCs? I just tried it and couldn't reproduce your situation at all and N3 was normal on my side.

Why does the N3 start to create cracking/popping noise when on usb dac after a while and then disconnects and then says usb unrecognized device until I restart the computer ? Is it a power issue ? I've tried all usb dacs mode including slowest/safest and I've tried with 2 computers straight from USB motherboard, same thing. Any ideas ?

I also have some crackling and pops after playing music for a while on my new 2.1 FW Cayin N3 used as a USB DAC, both with the Cayin and a much nicer cable (Aukey).
Also tried different settings on foobar etc, and on two different Win7 PCs...
Somehow when you switch files (that have different resolutions, but still hires), the problem "resets" before returning a while later.
Can this be looked at please?
ps: I get no issues with "non dac" playing.

 

[DBaldock9]

I've checked mine and the tracks come up in the correct order in Artists and Album views. I do properly tag each Album though. When the N3 scans your files it doesn't look at the file names. It reads the information from the tags attached to each song.

Check that the Track No. Fields are numbered correctly, I use 01, 02, 03 ....10, 11, 12 etc. I also number the Disc No. Field in the same way although I suspect the N3 doesn't read this field. It might not be the best way to do it but it works for me with multi CD Albums. WithIn the tag I add CD1, CD2 etc. to the end of the Album name in each song. They are then scanned as two separate Albums.

@CayinSupport Myself I stick with Folder view. The library view is almost unusable without Pageup and Pagedown. Scrolling up or down a long list of songs, artists or albums one line at a time is unbearable. It could easily be implemented too. With either long press on back and forward, or better still, when viewing files, a long press on Next and Previous buttons.

IMHO what would also be very nice but not essential like Pageup and Pagedown, would be when viewing Artists/Albums, having the albums sorted by year, from the information in the tag, rather than alphabetical.

While typing this post, one thing I noticed, and miss, in the Forum S/W "upgrade", is that there is no longer a Table/Spreadsheet tool.

Just checked the Tags on the files of my 2-CD Album, and they appear to be correct. (Note: The software I use to rip and tag my CDs, is JRiver Media Center.)

Using exiftool v10.03, it reports this common info -
ToolName ... : Media Center
ToolVersion . : 22.0.32
Genre .......... : Celtic
Artist ............ : Iona
Album .......... : Heaven's Bright Sun

- and this individual Track info -
FileName ....... : 1-01 Turning Tide [Iona].flac
Discnumber ... : 1
TrackNumber . : 1

FileName ....... : 2-01 The Island [Iona].flac
Discnumber ... : 2
TrackNumber . : 1

- however, the Album view on the N3 lists "The Island" 1st, and then "Turning Tide" 2nd. This isn't due to the N3 putting things in alphabetical order, because "Iona" is listed 3rd, and it is Disc-2/Track-2. Listed 4th is "Treasure", which is Disc-1/Track-2. This order, of Disc2/Track-n, followed by Disc-1/Track-n continues.

Just checked another 2-CD Album, The Mamas & The Papas, The Complete Singles - 50th Anniversary Collection (2015), and the N3 displays the Tracks using the same Disc2/Track-n, followed by Disc-1/Track-n pattern.

As I said before, I listen to the music on my DAPs from the Folder view (or using Playlists), where the Tracks are in Filename order, so this odd behavior of Album view doesn't affect or bother me.

If @CayinSupport wants to submit a Trouble Ticket on the fact that Album view doesn't appear to sort by Disc# first, and then Track#, that's up to them.

 

[DBaldock9]

...
@CayinSupport Myself I stick with Folder view. The library view is almost unusable without Pageup and Pagedown. Scrolling up or down a long list of songs, artists or albums one line at a time is unbearable. It could easily be implemented too. With either long press on back and forward, or better still, when viewing files, a long press on Next and Previous buttons.

IMHO what would also be very nice but not essential like Pageup and Pagedown, would be when viewing Artists/Albums, having the albums sorted by year, from the information in the tag, rather than alphabetical.

If you press the Menu soft-key (three horizontal lines), you should see an alphabetical pop-up, which you can navigate with the FWD / REV soft-keys.

 

[fourrobert13]

While typing this post, one thing I noticed, and miss, in the Forum S/W "upgrade", is that there is no longer a Table/Spreadsheet tool.

Just checked the Tags on the files of my 2-CD Album, and they appear to be correct. (Note: The software I use to rip and tag my CDs, is JRiver Media Center.)

Using exiftool v10.03, it reports this common info -
ToolName ... : Media Center
ToolVersion . : 22.0.32
Genre .......... : Celtic
Artist ............ : Iona
Album .......... : Heaven's Bright Sun

- and this individual Track info -
FileName ....... : 1-01 Turning Tide [Iona].flac
Discnumber ... : 1
TrackNumber . : 1

FileName ....... : 2-01 The Island [Iona].flac
Discnumber ... : 2
TrackNumber . : 1

- however, the Album view on the N3 lists "The Island" 1st, and then "Turning Tide" 2nd. This isn't due to the N3 putting things in alphabetical order, because "Iona" is listed 3rd, and it is Disc-2/Track-2. Listed 4th is "Treasure", which is Disc-1/Track-2. This order, of Disc2/Track-n, followed by Disc-1/Track-n continues.

Just checked another 2-CD Album, The Mamas & The Papas, The Complete Singles - 50th Anniversary Collection (2015), and the N3 displays the Tracks using the same Disc2/Track-n, followed by Disc-1/Track-n pattern.

As I said before, I listen to the music on my DAPs from the Folder view (or using Playlists), where the Tracks are in Filename order, so this odd behavior of Album view doesn't affect or bother me.

If @CayinSupport wants to submit a Trouble Ticket on the fact that Album view doesn't appear to sort by Disc# first, and then Track#, that's up to them.

I have yet to see a DAP that gets this right. I had issues with FiiOs, and Sansas which is why I started using mp3tag and create one large album instead of the disc 1, 2, etc. It totally eliminates the issue whether browsing by files or category.

 

[fourrobert13]

A screen shot of what my multi-disc albums look like.

 

[DBaldock9]

I have yet to see a DAP that gets this right. I had issues with FiiOs, and Sansas which is why I started using mp3tag and create one large album instead of the disc 1, 2, etc. It totally eliminates the issue whether browsing by files or category.

Three of my DAPs (Cayin N3, Shanling M1 & M2s) run HiBy Music on embedded Linux, and one DAP (Onkyo DP-X1) can run multiple apps (Onkyo Music, UAPP, etc.) on Android 5.1.1.

Both Onkyo Music & UAPP, on Android, display the Tracks for 2-Disc Albums in the correct order.
The HiBy Music based players all display the Tracks in the odd (Disc2/Track-n, followed by Disc-1/Track-n) order.
NOTE: On second thought, Cayin probably doesn't control how the HiBy Music player operates. Issues with how that app operates, probably needs to be brought to the attention of HiBy.

 

[eaglesgift]

After numerous pages ad nauseum of issues, screen protectors, Hiby, etc, it is so very nice to come across an actual review such as yours. Thanks and well done sir!

You'll have to accept our apologies for communicating with Cayin reps about issues with the N3 on a thread about the N3. I don't know what we were thinking.

 

[MisterMudd]

You'll have to accept our apologies for communicating with Cayin reps about issues with the N3 on a thread about the N3. I don't know what we were thinking.

You are right and I am wrong. My apologies to all. I don't know what I was thinking. Carry on.

 

[groucho69]

You are right and I am wrong. My apologies to all. I don't know what I was thinking. Carry on.

 

[Sulbh]

Can someone compare it to lg v20?

 

[xichenamoy]

Just got my N3 today and played with it a little bit. The SACD DSF play works fine. The SACD 2-channel ONLY ISO works fine. However when it comes to SACD 2-channel/multi-channel ISO it says the format not supported. I guessed it tried to play the multi-channel part (e.g. for a 4 track ISO, using a computer audio player you would see 8 tracks: the first 4 are 2-channel and the last 4 are multi-channel. 2-channel DAC won't play later 4 multi-channel tracks). Upgraded the firmware to 2.1 still not working. Any workaround for this?