[mikem1062]

Bluetooth interference?

I'm using my Cayin N3 at the gym, paired with Betron BR74 earphones via Bluetooth. No problems with this combo at home. But at the gym I'm often getting cutouts/dropouts, and the music skipping around a bit (catching up in a buffer or cache?). Sometimes the earphones disconnect entirely. Seems to be worse when people are near me using what appears to be earphones/headphones paired with their phones. I've kept the N3 on the floor near me; I've kept it in my pocket -- neither position improved things much. If I hold the N3 near my earphones they tend to keep the connection better -- but that's not exactly practical. Some days - when the gyms pretty much empty -- I can listen to music without a problem. But most of the time it's difficult, and sometimes impossible.

When I switch to pairing the BR74's with my phone at the gym I don't have nearly the same scale of issues. Maybe a brief dropout once or twice in an hour -- not regularly enough to make the N3 unlistenable.

Is Bluetooth a weak area of the Cayin N3? Could nearby devices be saturating the BT frequencies, and interfering? Or might there be a setting in the N3 I'm missing, or a pairing issue with the BR74?

Any input would be appreciated. Thanks!

 

[neoclassical]

I just got an N3 this weekend and I'm both loving and not liking it. I'm coming from a rockboxed ipod 5th gen (not touch) with Grado SR60's. The ipod is a touch warmer and appears to have a bit wider sound stage.

Long story short (sparing details about nuances from particular tracks), it didn't blow my trusted old familiar friend out of the water like I expected. It is better in some ways, but not others. Is there a burn in time, and is that for me (wetware) vs the unit? I like it enough to keep it, and maybe treat myself to SR125's over the holidays (maybe the cans need to be better to notice how good it really is), but I'm only saying wow, not WOW! about it.

What should I try? I don't like using EQ, I don't think the artist or engineer meant for their work to be heard like that.
My FLAC files are only 16 bit, should I try higher res files?

 

[mbwilson111]

I just got an N3 this weekend and I'm both loving and not liking it. I'm coming from a rockboxed ipod 5th gen (not touch) with Grado SR60's. The ipod is a touch warmer and appears to have a bit wider sound stage.

Long story short (sparing details about nuances from particular tracks), it didn't blow my trusted old familiar friend out of the water like I expected. It is better in some ways, but not others. Is there a burn in time, and is that for me (wetware) vs the unit? I like it enough to keep it, and maybe treat myself to SR125's over the holidays (maybe the cans need to be better to notice how good it really is), but I'm only saying wow, not WOW! about it.

What should I try? I don't like using EQ, I don't think the artist or engineer meant for their work to be heard like that.
My FLAC files are only 16 bit, should I try higher res files?

Try some of the filter setting for the dac. I use super slow and like that. Others have other preferences. Many people do not hear any difference. I do not use EQ. Regular FLAC are fine. Higher Res takes up too much room on the card in my opinion.

 

[docholliday]

I just got an N3 this weekend and I'm both loving and not liking it. I'm coming from a rockboxed ipod 5th gen (not touch) with Grado SR60's. The ipod is a touch warmer and appears to have a bit wider sound stage.

Long story short (sparing details about nuances from particular tracks), it didn't blow my trusted old familiar friend out of the water like I expected. It is better in some ways, but not others. Is there a burn in time, and is that for me (wetware) vs the unit? I like it enough to keep it, and maybe treat myself to SR125's over the holidays (maybe the cans need to be better to notice how good it really is), but I'm only saying wow, not WOW! about it.

What should I try? I don't like using EQ, I don't think the artist or engineer meant for their work to be heard like that.
My FLAC files are only 16 bit, should I try higher res files?

Equalization isn't designed to make the music sound different - it's designed to "tune the room". With speakers, EQ'ing is designed to compensate for rooms that are boomy (reduce lows), echo (reduce mids), or feedback (reduce highs or feedback freq). With headphones, EQ compensates for weaknesses or over-activity in the design of the headphone. EQ shouldn't be thought of as affecting the music against the artist's or engineer's wishes. As an engineer, I expect that EQ would be used appropriately and conservatively when reproducing my mixes on the other end.

Grado's tend to be too warm, IEMs tend to lack in warmth, AT's tend to be bass weak, but mid-heavy. The EQ's job is to make those HPs target a known if you are using them for precision purpose. For casual listening, the EQ should be used to make the do the same. If you have a speaker that you like the sound of, then use the EQ and a known track which is well-engineered to match the HP to the speaker.

The issue is that unless you were standing in the room or booth (or have heard directly off the mix/master board) what the original sounded like exactly, you really don't have any idea what the "artist intended the song to sound like". Even during the recording process, the artist, mix engineer, and mastering engineer all have different ideas on what the final sound should sound like. The mix that the consumer hears is usually nothing like any of the above, but a hybrid of it all.

You could argue it the other way and say that an EQ isn't meant to make the music sound different, but rather to make the music sound *more* like the artist intended by neutralizing differences in playback gear.

BTW, I'll give you another hint...if you want it to sound as close to the sound board as possible, don't use an iPod as a reference. It's far from accurate. It's hardware is designed to make the music more "exciting". I was really surprised *how* far off it was when I first heard a direct cut off the board dropped into one. Rockboxing doesn't affect it that much either...

 

[docholliday]

Oh, and to give you a different perspective. Most of the music that is out there isn't engineered to the "best" that it can be. It's actually engineered down the middle, so that it'll sound good on a 1980s Honda stereo just as much as a large PA system or high-end stereo. It's designed to be plug-n-play so that anybody who plays it gets the general idea of what it should be. If you've ever heard it played live (or went to a live show) that sounded amazingly better than the recording, it means that the engineer at that venue was really in tune with their environment and "optimized" certain aspects to be cleaner. It's also what some of the "hi-res" files (remaster/remixed/re-released) is...just the same original recording, but mixed and mastered for modern gear and moving it away from the average. If you were to play these hi-res files back on cheap gear, they'd usually sound worse (typically tinny or nasally).

 

[trivium911]

Currently have a fiio X3ii, looking for a larger sound stage that is deeper and wider than stumbled on this N3. Some are saying it sounds better than the fiio x5iii? Just curious on the power since the x3ii is rated for 200mw at 32 Ohm. The cayin N3 is rated at 130mw+130mw at 32 ohm...what does this mean? 260 mw total as in 130 per channel?

 

[MPNow]

Bluetooth interference?

I'm using my Cayin N3 at the gym, paired with Betron BR74 earphones via Bluetooth. No problems with this combo at home. But at the gym I'm often getting cutouts/dropouts, and the music skipping around a bit (catching up in a buffer or cache?). Sometimes the earphones disconnect entirely. Seems to be worse when people are near me using what appears to be earphones/headphones paired with their phones. I've kept the N3 on the floor near me; I've kept it in my pocket -- neither position improved things much. If I hold the N3 near my earphones they tend to keep the connection better -- but that's not exactly practical. Some days - when the gyms pretty much empty -- I can listen to music without a problem. But most of the time it's difficult, and sometimes impossible.

When I switch to pairing the BR74's with my phone at the gym I don't have nearly the same scale of issues. Maybe a brief dropout once or twice in an hour -- not regularly enough to make the N3 unlistenable.

Is Bluetooth a weak area of the Cayin N3? Could nearby devices be saturating the BT frequencies, and interfering? Or might there be a setting in the N3 I'm missing, or a pairing issue with the BR74?

Any input would be appreciated. Thanks!

It could be your headphones that are the problem.

I recently got some jaybirds freedom 2 and I'm encountering a similar issue on my end. Like you I also use mine at the gym frequently. I always encounter feedback issues with my earphones when paired to my Cayin but it's worse if I use the BT connection between cayin my phone and my earphones. The feedback issues only occur if I travel too far away or if I move around too much (even when I have the cayin right next to me). I definitely think the earphones, at least in my case, are the problem as I never had this issue with my last pair of earphones I returned for these (I think it was jam transit or something like that, my retailer didn't have those in stock when i return them). The jaybird automatically reconnect if the connect gets lost, that problem never happens but I did have a cut off with the jams.

I honestly thought it was the earphones at the time that were causing this problem (as it's more of an issue with the newer ones that I am using now) but if more people are encountering this perhaps it could be related to the Cayin device as well.

 

[MPNow]

I have an issue of my own that I've encountered recently.
I noticed when I tried to use my device that the LED screen is not displaying anything when on. Instead, I get a color streak on the screen. It appears that the screen has been cracked interally as I cannot see any visible signs of a crack on the exterior after removing the screen protector. I've tried resetting the device and connect it to charge but the same problem occurs. I'm planning on reaching out to customer support but I wanted to know before I do if anyone know if there is a way to resolve this.

 

[neoclassical]

I'm digging this more, I think I needed to get used to it. I also tried some higher res flacs.

 

[CayinSupport]

I have an issue of my own that I've encountered recently.
I noticed when I tried to use my device that the LED screen is not displaying anything when on. Instead, I get a color streak on the screen. It appears that the screen has been cracked interally as I cannot see any visible signs of a crack on the exterior after removing the screen protector. I've tried resetting the device and connect it to charge but the same problem occurs. I'm planning on reaching out to customer support but I wanted to know before I do if anyone know if there is a way to resolve this.

Hi, I have never received similar feedback. May I know which country are you located and where did you buy it? You can contact your retailer to conduct an inspection at the shop.

 

[trivium911]

Hi Sorry can someone confirm how much power the N3 has? Is it 130mw per channel for a total of 260mw? Or is it 130mw total as in less powerful than say...the Fiio x3ii which has 200mw total. Im torn between the n3 and the x5ii which i can get used for the same price.

 

[Andykong]

Hi Sorry can someone confirm how much power the N3 has? Is it 130mw per channel for a total of 260mw? Or is it 130mw total as in less powerful than say...the Fiio x3ii which has 200mw total. Im torn between the n3 and the x5ii which i can get used for the same price.

N3 is rated at 130mW per channel, expressed as 130mW+130mW on specification, or 260mW total output, but that is a strange way to put it, I seldom see "total rated output" in multi-channel Home Theater products, 2 channels stereo products normally will stick with per channel based rating.

Anyway, although N3 is on the upside of this comparison, with 260mW againist 200mW in terms of total rated output, I don't think you should make your decision based on this figure. To be honest, the different between 260mW and 200mW are insignificant, if there is significant different in terms of driving capability or handling of difficult earphones, the different lies elsewhere instead of the 60mW different.

 

[trivium911]

N3 is rated at 130mW per channel, expressed as 130mW+130mW on specification, or 260mW total output, but that is a strange way to put it, I seldom see "total rated output" in multi-channel Home Theater products, 2 channels stereo products normally will stick with per channel based rating.

Anyway, although N3 is on the upside of this comparison, with 260mW againist 200mW in terms of total rated output, I don't think you should make your decision based on this figure. To be honest, the different between 260mW and 200mW are insignificant, if there is significant different in terms of driving capability or handling of difficult earphones, the different lies elsewhere instead of the 60mW different.

Thanks for the clarification, So at this point i wonder if fiio would rate their products as total? For example the X3ii is rated at 200mw...is that per channel aswell or total? They just give one rating.

 

[gazzington]

I'm after a little dap that sounds good alone but also .good transport for a mojo or q5. I'm thinking of one of these or Sony a45 or hifizs ap 60ii. Any suggestions?

 

[mikem1062]

Hi, I have never received similar feedback. May I know which country are you located and where did you buy it? You can contact your retailer to conduct an inspection at the shop.

I'm based in the UK, and ordered via Amazon.co.uk from Advanced MP3 Players.