[Allears79]

@Andykong

First time charging. The glow ring while charging doesn't quite "pulse" – looks like it's sending Morse code

Call me crazy but it’s the first time ever that I am considering getting a second unit as a backup as I don’t think I could live without it

This is properly insane but really measures the level of insane SQ I am getting… this is not hype you can’t unhear that DAP… it’s a new league for me

I am hooked

Note : initially was running DCA Stealth on mid gain believe me not… high gain running volume 45/55

Tell me about insane sound quality: last month I finished building my stereo hi-fi system up and was listening to it every single time. Since I got the N30LE I think I powered that system once or twice for a couple of songs.

Don’t get me wrong: a hi-fi system is a very different type of experience. The physicality, soundstage and imaging is something else. From a price perspective it is also incomparable.

IEMs and daps were aways a second alternative for me, when I needed to listen on the go, in the office or when I am tired of sitting in my listening room and just want to be in bed enjoying some piano concert. HOWEVER this is the first DAP that will become my first choice when I want to get completely isolated from the world and just be immersed into tracks that usually have a slightly less “intense” presentation comparing to my hi-fi system. I can see myself picking this up to listen to a specific album because it sound so freaking visceral, real and emotional out of this thing. And at the same time it is precise, technical and detailed.

Currently pairing it with the Aroma Jewel and the PW Orpheus. I was using the same setting with the N8ii and while I found it an excellent player, I wasn’t going back to it all the time. And I was listening more to my IEM than the DAP. Now I feel that the DAP performance surpassed the IEM…

I am hooked too!

 

[unfitstew]

Hey. Got my N30LE AP edition but the N30LE came looking like this? I doubt it is normal. I am not going to use it until I get a response from Musicteck about it. Which is sad cause I was so excited and have been told by a friend that the IEM that comes with it is amazing. Going to look up if electronic wipes is okay for titanium. It didn't wipe off with just dry cloth.

 

[Mcleenx]

Hey. Got my N30LE AP edition but the N30LE came looking like this? I doubt it is normal. I am not going to use it until I get a response from Musicteck about it. Which is sad cause I was so excited and have been told by a friend that the IEM that comes with it is amazing. Going to look up if electronic wipes is okay for titanium. It didn't wipe off with just dry cloth.

Mine looks the same!
You can clean it easily with a wet “soft” wipe

 

[fiascogarcia]

The one that comes applied is like a matte type finish and sort of blurs the screen resolution. I haven’t checked the extra provided screen protectors yet. But if they’re different I will replace mine.

Uh oh, that means I have two protectors on mine! Touch screen still seems to work fine though, so I guess I won't screw with it.

 

[Allears79]

Uh oh, that means I have two protectors on mine! Touch screen still seems to work fine though, so I guess I won't screw with it.

@fiascogarcia how do you compare the N30LE with the DMP-Z1… that player is also something else…

 

[fiascogarcia]

@fiascogarcia how do you compare the N30LE with the DMP-Z1… that player is also something else…

Well, I really hesitate to make any comparison this early in the game, as I only have a very few hours under my belt with the N30, and I'm sure there will be some SQ differences with unit and brain burn in. N30 is certainly the best DAP I've heard, DMP being the exception, though I really don't consider the DMP a DAP per se. I'm loving the N30 soundstage and the pinpoint placement of instruments and vocals. It's dynamic and has that weight in the notes that makes me think I'm not listening to a portable device. Treble is awesome, a little like the impression I had with the annihilator; clear and detailed with no roll off that I can hear. I'm sensing the upper mids/ lower treble are a touch pulled back, but it's not a bit of a problem to me. So it's a keeper for me! I'm super impressed with the N30! Having said that, right now, at this point, DMP is still more dynamic, open sounding, with more space around the instruments and music. Bass is very good on the Cayin, but to my taste, doesn't quite obtain the texture and natural decay that the DMP has. Please don't hate on that comment, because the differences are not huge by any means, but they're there to my ears. And I think that it's probably more a taste issue than anything else. This is my first Cayin, aside from the C9, and I love it!

 

[Allears79]

Well, I really hesitate to make any comparison this early in the game, as I only have a very few hours under my belt with the N30, and I'm sure there will be some SQ differences SQ wise with unit and brain burn in. N30 is certainly the best DAP I've heard, DMP being the exception, though I really don't consider the DMP a DAP per se. I'm loving the N30 soundstage and the pinpoint placement of instruments and vocals. It's dynamic and has that weight in the notes that makes me think I'm not listening to a portable device. Treble is awesome, a little like the impression I had with the annihilator; clear and detailed with no roll off that I can hear. I'm sensing the upper mids/ lower treble are a touch pulled back, but it's not a bit of a problem to me. So it's a keeper for me! I'm super impressed with the N30! Having said that, right now, at this point, DMP is still more dynamic, open sounding, with more space around the instruments and music. Bass is very good on the Cayin, but to my taste, doesn't quite obtain the texture and natural decay that the DMP has. Please don't hate on that comment, because the differences are not huge by any means, but they're there to my ears. And I think that it's probably more a taste issue than anything else. This is my first Cayin, aside from the C9, and I love it!

Thank you for sharing mate! I totally understand your assessment and all these things you perceived so far in the N30 will become more pronounced after 50hrs or so. Especially the bass, it opens up and improves on the feeling of being a portable rig that sounds really big.

I asked because I used to have the DMP and sold it, but it is one of these products I was aways considering buying back at some point. Now with the N30 I believe that I will relax a little.

 

[Auricon]

Actually I set Gain to low and activated Hyper mode and running the RN6 at 30
It looks like Hyper is like P+ not gain dependent (?)

I think Hyper Mode defaults to P+ / Class A and further maximises voltage/current. You can still set Gain independently.

This Ja, Hyper defaults to P+ / Class A and you can set Gain independently.

 

[The jedi Baritone]

But you see, implementation IS everything...for example the Sony DMP-Z1 uses the even older 4497 and it trashes 99.99999% of current DAPs using so called newer chips.

Notwithstanding, the 4499EX is just "newer", but statistically worse than the 4499EQ. Just take a look at the spec sheet for both. And if you are asking for my personal preference, I prefer the 4499EQ sound over the EX. SP3000 is excellent, yes (and that's why I have one), but it is just not the same as the old SP2000 4499EQ midrange magic.

I have posted some brief impressions comparing N30LE and SP3000 a few pages back, check it out if your are interested. Hope it helps!

Thank you for your answer, my honest opinion is that 3k is another level compared to 2k , not a huge difference although more details and the instrumental separation is incredible and bigger soundstage.
for Me 3k is a perfectly sounding Dap,you say 2k mids were warmer and better then 3k I remember for me was less detail and the voices not so in the front and 3k in my opinion is warm enough with incredible detail it’s also about pairings

another example is when we talk IEMs most of the users never use tips that close perfectly the outside sound and when are not used the lack of bass in iems is huge,
its imperative to have a perfect closure when using IEMs !

And you say EX is not as good as EQ
nevertheless none of the Daps using EQ are at the same level with 3k
Not M9 not 2k although they are very, very good Daps..
So i am waiting for EQ to sound better then EX yet

 

[zoidbb]

Thank you for your answer, my honest opinion is that 3k is another level compared to 2k , not a huge difference although more details and the instrumental separation is incredible and bigger soundstage.

I own SP2000, SP2000T, and SP3000. SP3000 is better than any of its predecessors. The SS version I have is a little bright/edgy for me, but I like it anyway.

for Me 3k is a perfectly sounding Dap,you say 2k mids were warmer and better then 3k I remember for me was less detail and the voices not so in the front and 3k in my opinion is warm enough with incredible detail it’s also about pairings

For the love of god can you use more punctuation? This is very hard to parse. SP2k was not warmer, it just lacked good treble. There’s a difference. SP3k is very well balanced to neutral with excellent treble detail.

another example is when we talk IEMs most of the users never use tips that close perfectly the outside sound and when are not used the lack of bass in iems is huge,
its imperative to have a perfect closure when using IEMs !

It’s imperative with most transducers, really…

And you say EX is not as good as EQ
nevertheless none of the Daps using EQ are at the same level with 3k
Not M9 not 2k although they are very, very good Daps..
So i am waiting for EQ to sound better then EX yet

I have SP3k. I have N30LE. N30LE is just as detailed as SP3k, SP3k has a slightly darker background (this is typical for A&K, this is their shtick). N30LE beats SP3k into the ground in terms of dynamics, even in solid state mode. Staging and imaging are superior on N30LE. SP3k is much more “reference” in sound signature, but where’s the fun in that?

AK4499EX is just AK4499EQ split into separate digital and analog chips. AK4499EX loses some performance (nothing that can be heard) in exchange for better D/S conversion and more flexibility for integrators. But sound-wise realistically they’re nearly identical in sound signature and quality.

The reason you don’t hear a lot of equipment using AK4499EQ well is the chip was available for like 6-12 months, then GONE. All the work to get the chip sounding great went into AK4499EX devices once it was launched. Only now are we seeing LIMITED EDITION gear that uses years of prep for the chip for small batch runs that use the original EQ chip, and it’s because these companies need to dump the chips they bought.

 

[zoidbb]

Thank you for sharing mate! I totally understand your assessment and all these things you perceived so far in the N30 will become more pronounced after 50hrs or so. Especially the bass, it opens up and improves on the feeling of being a portable rig that sounds really big.

I asked because I used to have the DMP and sold it, but it is one of these products I was aways considering buying back at some point. Now with the N30 I believe that I will relax a little.

Based on the way Hyper sounds, I’d bet $5 they’re actually running class A and class AB circuits in parallel with a slight weight toward A. With P+ power, of course. Just my two cents.

 

[SabreToothBunny]

My N30LE Pearl Bundle arrived today. A big thank you to @Andykong for arranging my request for a reserved serial number and @Aseem The Specialist for dealing with my awkward order. I've had top class service from both Cayin and Hifonix UK.

N30LE Pearl edition definitely does not have a 'proper' screen protector installed out of the box, only the matte plastic film which I removed immediately and nothing underneath that.
The usual tip I'll give, if you don't have a clean room, is to install the screen protector in a closed bathroom with the hot tap(s) running as it will get rid of particles in the air. My box had 3 screen protectors in it. These are reinforced glass and aside from aligning mine, the protector pretty much installed itself with the bubbles riding out to the side purely from contact cohesion and gravity.
Also, like @unfitstew, my N30le Pearl came with machining grease (or similar) but it can be easily wiped off and aside from that my unit is unblemished. I used lens wipes so that I didn't get water or chemicals leaving surface marks.

My initial impressions of the demo standard N30le unit (only via solid state) can be read here.
So tonight I sat down for a 10min audition to check everything works OK. 5 hours later...
Taking into consideration the previously linked impressions were show conditions and also this unit is only a few hours in, my impressions of the N30le Pearl with the UM Multiverse and Dan Clark Stealth remain the same... except that maybe I can hear a touch more subbass elevation to what I remember. That could be down to tuning, however that may well change with time/burn in and could also be down to show conditions (then) but my point is I can't hear anything significantly different and would not be able to say there were any noticeable differences (though there likely are) without having a standard and Pearl N30le side by side. I consider myself to have above average hearing and an excellent audio memory but I really do not 'feel' that there is anything being lost if you opt for the N30le standard or the N30le Pearl as far as the DAP is concerned.
During those hours, the unit has become slightly warm but not hot and I do not hear any hiss present using any outputs or amplifier options.

The fit of the Amber Pearl IEM I find a little different to the Multiverse, even though they look like they should be the same. I don't know why that is but I could not get the right fit with the tips I use with the Multiverse (Spinfit Double Flanged). The cables are also different. The PW Audio Pearl cable is noticeably stiffer (which might be why) compared to the PW Audio Deep of The Universe. I'm sure it will soften with time and it's not 'too' stiff... just stiffer than the Multiverse's cable. The shell finish is extremely pretty and there is some semi-transparency to it so you can see some of the internal wiring, drivers and crossover with a slightly glittery resin finish. I'll upload some photos comparing the Multiverse and Amber Pearl IEM in the future.

As for the tuning of the Amber Pearl compared to the Multiverse (using IBasso DX320Max Ti as well as Hifiman HM1000 Gold as I'm familiar with those pairings); not quite what I expected. Comparing the Amber Pearl to the Multiverse gives me the same feelings as comparing the Multiverse to the Fabled Sound; The Amber Pearl is closer to the Multiverse and even further from the Fabled Sound and it is tuned to be very forward, holographic, detailed and dynamic. The main areas where the Multiverse and Amber Pearl differ are that the Pearl has slightly more subbass, its mid positioning is slightly more forward and its treble is more detailed. Despite that low frequency forwardness instrumental accuracy and timbre are 'realistic' sounding. Note weight is significant as is density in an already huge image but without sounding slow or smeared.
The Amber Pearl is more resolving than the Multiverse (mainly in the treble region) without being sibilant but for those who preferred the Fabled Sound to the Multiverse (due to the Multiverse being too aggresive and forward and the Fabled Sound being sweeter and more laid back), the Amber Pearl is initially even more aggresive and forward to my ears with increased clarity and detail retrieval. Imaging, soundstage, layering and timbre are remarkable.
The bit which surprised me is I already heard the N30le to be quite thick sounding with elevated subbass and midbass and so I expected the Amber Pearl IEM to be North of flat and be slightly bright. It isn't... it's not dark either but it has an unusual presentation mainly due to its dynamics. I'm not sure I've heard another IEM I can directly compare it to and this is more flagship headphone level of presentation. It feels like Cayin have spent significant time carefully matching the dynamic presentation of the combo rather than just the frequency response... because while the frequency response is complete with no shelving or troughs, the dynamic presentation is a clear 10/10 with the Pearl Bundle despite my still finding the N30le to be ever so slightly less dynamic but also less fatiguing than with the DX320Max Ti.
At this point I need to reiterate the disclaimer that these are a few hours in, the cable needs to settle, the electrostatic drivers need to settle and I am not currently using the same eartips between the two IEMs... so my initial impressions might (quite probably) change however at this point I could say I can see the Amber Pearl being paired to make it sound tamer and more like the Multiverse but not the other way around. Like the Multiverse, I also find the Amber Pearl to be strong with every genre I threw at it (for my preferences).
Much like the Multiverse, the Amber Pearl brings several elements that I previously purchased different IEMs for, into one package. The Amber Pearl also has those qualities from the Multiverse along with a couple more which I wanted... but it comes with a caveat in listening to the bundle as a whole;

The N30le Pearl is 4-5 hours in so LONG way to go. OTG firmware update happened as soon as I turned my device on and connected to the internet. The battery life is better than I expected so far... though I'm on mid gain at a volume of 25-ish (as mentioned a while ago, I am a relatively quiet listener). It arrived with 83% and has gone down by about 30% but, of course, the internal system likely won't give an accurate reading until a couple of cycles. No doubt there is some burn in to go but even without complete burn in the Pearl Bundle is at basshead levels of bass for me... and this is coming from myself, a self-confessed reformed (that's a lie) basshead. If you are bass sensitive or prefer a more balanced sound, I know a lot of people who will not enjoy this combo. The bass isn't unresolving, it's just very BIG and full. If you're not fully invested in Andy's description of the Cayin house sound then the Amber Pearl may not be for you;

Spoiler: Cayin House Sound

For those who haven't had the opportunity to audition our products, this is a bit tricky, I'll try to describe this in several sentences:

• Cayin DAP or amplifier are colored, not extensively but definitely not neutral reference. They are colored in such a way that they will sound good with different gears and different music genres. One of the common lines we read in Cayin user reviews is "It sounds good with everything I throw to it". If you are looking for a neutral reference DAP, N30LE will disappoint you.
• A lot of comments/reviews said Cayin DAP or amplifier lacks resolution, and detail retrieval is our weak point., but our user will tell a different story: all the details are there, but they are not as prominent as its competitors. In our opinion, we shouldn't be distracted by detail when we listen to music and detail should hide behind the emotion, it's the emotion that drags us into music, not details or resolution that will impress you in 30 seconds ABAB comparison.
• Cayin tube amplifiers do not have typical tube sound, even with SETA amplifiers driven by 300B dream vacuum tubes (i.e., the HA-300 and HA-300MK2). The tube harmonic is there, but it is not euphonic or syrupy when compared to other SETA with the same tubes. Cayin insists on achieving fidelity to a satisfactory level before we pursue the vacuum tube sound signature, so the dynamic, transient, stage, imaging, and frequency extension are all there when we fine-tune the fine sound presentation, even when we have the option of Classic and Modern tube timbre.
• Cayin will deliver a warm and full vocal, with a mild mid-bass bump to give you a stronger sense of music foundation. A lot of reviews describe our treble as a roll-off which we disagreed with. In our terms, we are not lacking in frequency extension, but we try to make it less sparkling while retaining the energy in the treble frequency range. In our opinion, if we were to enjoy 1 to 2 albums or spend hours with our own playlist per day, a slightly laid bad treble presentation certainly makes it more enjoyable.

I hope this will draw a decent picture for those who are unfamiliar with the Cayin house sound.

I'm surprised that the nutube amplifier is not changing the tone as much as I expected (and I'm grateful for this) because when I demoed the Solid State output, I already found that quite forward in its low frequency presentation and having significantly longer decay than the more reference output of the IBasso DX320Max Ti, so I was worried this might mean the Nutube output would be too heavy and slow in its presentation. It is not and definitely leans towards texture rather than tone. I've long lamented that I'm not the biggest fan of NuTubes vs vacuum tube amplifiers but this implementation is excellent.
The IBasso DX320Max Ti remains (slightly) more resolving and reference tuned but that is not to say the N30le lacks in detail retrieval. It is due to it being more tonally rich and slightly coloured while still retaining a top tier level of fidelity and resolution.
I'll also add that due to the less aggressive presentation of the Multiverse I (currently) still prefer that IEM with the slightly leaner and more resolving presentation of the DX320Max Ti, however I absolutely prefer the Amber Pearl IEM with the N30le Pearl... and of course my particular preferences play heavily into this too.

I've experimented a little and, for now, been using; Medium Gain, Hyper Mode off, Power P+ & Class AB, Tube output with Modern Timbre however I'll play more over the weekend. There are enough combinations to keep an audio tinkerer pretty occupied without introducing EQ or DSP into the equation.
At the moment the Pearl bundle has a huge out of head presentation but filled with weight, depth, texture and layers. I feel I'm doing the combo a disservice by describing the individual elements of sound as I hear them, as this is the sort of presentation which should be considered as a complete musical whole, but nevertheless;
Subbass is deep and powerful. The midbass is similarly forwards and full bodied but has that sense of 'omnipresent'. I prefer this being a TINY bit more controlled (waiting on burn in). The Multiverse has that quality of being a BA configuration with some bass presentation elements of a dynamic driver however the Amber Pearl just sounds (to me) like it has dynamic type bass and impact.
The mid presentation is extremely sweet and very forward bringing singers much closer to the ear (than The Multiverse) without exhibiting sibilance and having an emotional warmth. Treble inherits the Multiverse's quality (I'm extremely grateful to say) of not being fatiguing while being even more detailed but lower treble I prefer a TINY bit more forward (waiting on burn in). Nevertheless, this is very much tuned to my preferences.
Dynamics are one of the first things I notice and when the kettle drum at the start of Carmina Burana came in, it actually startled me from its impact and weight out of nowhere and that highlight's the Pearl combo's ability to stop and start from pitch black to loud and back to quiet again on a postage stamp. The dynamics are combined with note weight, imaging, detail retrieval, separation and is simply awe inspiring.
While clarity is excellent, what I'm hoping burn in will do is tighten the bass up and also increase the lower treble region a little so the sound opens up because despite the excellent dynamic range of this combination, the midbass occaisionally elevates above some vocals in a way it doesn't with some of my other setups and for the moment I'm finding the bass slightly overwhelming on a few select tracks, leading to the overall presentation sometimes lacking a little air... though I'm expecting all of that to change with time. It was particularly noticeable on the explosion at the beginning of Inzo's Awaken where the mass of the explosion has its impact contained in a much smaller area than I hear with a number of other setups but instead filled with added mass and density.
Even for those looking for a reference presentation, the Pearl Bundle has more than enough resolution and fidelity to satisfy. Who this bundle is not for is anyone who finds extreme dynamics overwhelming (preferring a more laid back presentation) and/or bass elevation fatiguing. For my preferences this is pretty closely tuned to my ideal.

Going forwards, I may make some more comparisons for myself however I intend to use the Pearl bundle as a bundle and not experimenting with other DAPs/Headphones/IEMs etc. I feel this is how it was intended.

A few small niggles I have encountered;
1. After about 10 minutes of playing, if I move my volume knob one click, I notice the volume initially moves 4-5 after which it goes back to moving '1' for each groove of the volume
2. While I do not hear any hissing, there are certain frequencies in tracks where I can hear a tiny amount of static. It is for certain frequencies and only when little else is on the track however I've not bothered much in noting or experimenting them (seems to be on the NuTube outputs) as I suspect this will go away with burn in
3. In Cayin's software player, if I swipe up on the album art (usually accidentally), to bring up cover and data source information, the app get stuck on a loading screen for about 10 seconds. (This happens whether connected to a network or not)

As I said, lot of burn in to go and that will take time as I'll do that while actively listening to my unit.
For the moment, I don't really have any IEM+DAP combos which compare to this. I don't really have any transportable setups with headphones which do either.
If you value dynamics, imaging, timbre, clarity and like your tuning to have elevated low frequencies, forward but non-sibilant mids and a non-fatiguing but highly detailed treble, this is pretty close to endgame, I would say.
I'm more of a headphone user than an IEM user; although I haven't sat down to compare them directly, the feeling I get from the Pearl Combo is that it is closer to the Sennheiser HE-1 in its presentation (and I should note I have never considered the HE-1 to be reference tuned but more musical) due to its sheer 'size', physicality and musicality of presentation... rather than the Headtrip Reference Mk II+Abyss AB-1266 (detailed but fatiguing), BHSE+Stax SR-009 (airy, fast but lacking weight) or Smyth Realiser A16+Sennheiser HD800 (holographic but also fatiguing) which mostly occupy my head time as far as desktop setups are concerned.
The 5 hours tonight was not intentional and this isn't the sort of setup I would listen to casually. In reality this sort of presentation I feel I need to shower, shave and dress for so it will have to wait until the weekend for me to really sit down and see how the Pearl Bundle makes me 'feel' however I will end by saying the main reason I draw comparisons to the HE-1 is because to date, even compared to the other desktop setups I previously mentioned, the HE-1 and Amber Pearl Bundle are the only two headphone/IEM setups to illicit an emotional response from me with certain tracks. Never thought it would happen with a portable setup.
@Cayin, @UniqueMelody & PW Audio (Peter Wong). Thank you for the extremely impressive work.

 

[zoidbb]

My N30LE Pearl Bundle arrived today. A big thank you to @Andykong for arranging my request for a reserved serial number and @Aseem The Specialist for dealing with my awkward order. I've had top class service from both Cayin and Hifonix UK.

N30LE Pearl edition definitely does not have a 'proper' screen protector installed out of the box, only the matte plastic film which I removed immediately and nothing underneath that.
The usual tip I'll give, if you don't have a clean room, is to install the screen protector in a closed bathroom with the hot tap(s) running as it will get rid of particles in the air. My box had 3 screen protectors in it. These are reinforced glass and aside from aligning mine, the protector pretty much installed itself with the bubbles riding out to the side purely from contact cohesion and gravity.
Also, like @unfitstew, my N30le Pearl came with machining grease (or similar) but it can be easily wiped off and aside from that my unit is unblemished. I used lens wipes so that I didn't get water or chemicals leaving surface marks.

My initial impressions of the demo standard N30le unit (only via solid state) can be read here.
So tonight I sat down for a 10min audition to check everything works OK. 5 hours later...
Taking into consideration the previously linked impressions were show conditions and also this unit is only a few hours in, my impressions of the N30le Pearl with the UM Multiverse and Dan Clark Stealth remain the same... except that maybe I can hear a touch more subbass elevation to what I remember. That could be down to tuning, however that may well change with time/burn in and could also be down to show conditions (then) but my point is I can't hear anything significantly different and would not be able to say there were any noticeable differences (though there likely are) without having a standard and Pearl N30le side by side. I consider myself to have above average hearing and an excellent audio memory but I really do not 'feel' that there is anything being lost if you opt for the N30le standard or the N30le Pearl as far as the DAP is concerned.
During those hours, the unit has become slightly warm but not hot and I do not hear any hiss present using any outputs or amplifier options.

The fit of the Amber Pearl IEM I find a little different to the Multiverse, even though they look like they should be the same. I don't know why that is but I could not get the right fit with the tips I use with the Multiverse (Spinfit Double Flanged). The cables are also different. The PW Audio Pearl cable is noticeably stiffer (which might be why) compared to the PW Audio Deep of The Universe. I'm sure it will soften with time and it's not 'too' stiff... just stiffer than the Multiverse's cable. The shell finish is extremely pretty and there is some semi-transparency to it so you can see some of the internal wiring, drivers and crossover with a slightly glittery resin finish. I'll upload some photos comparing the Multiverse and Amber Pearl IEM in the future.

As for the tuning of the Amber Pearl compared to the Multiverse (using IBasso DX320Max Ti as well as Hifiman HM1000 Gold as I'm familiar with those pairings); not quite what I expected. Comparing the Amber Pearl to the Multiverse gives me the same feelings as comparing the Multiverse to the Fabled Sound; The Amber Pearl is closer to the Multiverse and even further from the Fabled Sound and it is tuned to be very forward manner, holographic, detailed and dynamic. The main areas where the Multiverse and Amber Pearl differ are that the Pearl has slightly more subbass, its mid positioning is slightly more forward and its treble is more detailed. Despite that low frequency forwardness instrumental accuracy and timbre are 'realistic' sounding. Note weight is significant as is density in an already huge image but without sounding slow or smeared.
The Amber Pearl is more resolving than the Multiverse (mainly in the treble region) without being sibilant but for those who preferred the Fabled Sound to the Multiverse (due to the Multiverse being too aggresive and forward and the Fabled Sound being sweeter and more laid back), the Amber Pearl is initially even more aggresive and forward to my ears with increased clarity and detail retrieval. Imaging, soundstage, layering and timbre are remarkable.
The bit which surprised me is I already heard the N30le to be quite thick sounding with elevated subbass and midbass and so I expected the Amber Pearl IEM to be North of flat and be slightly bright. It isn't... it's not dark either but it has an unusual presentation mainly due to its dynamics. I'm not sure I've heard another IEM I can directly compare it to and this is more flagship headphone level of presentation. It feels like Cayin have spent significant time carefully matching the dynamic presentation of the combo rather than just the frequency response... because while the frequency response is complete with no shelving or troughs, the dynamic presentation is a clear 10/10 with the Pearl Bundle despite my still finding the N30le to be ever so slightly less dynamic but also less fatiguing than with the DX320Max Ti.
At this point I need to reiterate the disclaimer that these are a few hours in, the cable needs to settle, the electrostatic drivers need to settle and I am not currently using the same eartips between the two IEMs... so my initial impressions might (quite probably) change however at this point I could say I can see the Amber Pearl being paired to make it sound tamer and more like the Multiverse but not the other way around. Like the Multiverse, I also find the Amber Pearl to be strong with every genre I threw at it (for my preferences).
Much like the Multiverse, the Amber Pearl brings several elements that I previously purchased different IEMs for, into one package. The Amber Pearl also has those qualities from the Multiverse along with a couple more which I wanted... but it comes with a caveat in listening to the bundle as a whole;

The N30le Pearl is 4-5 hours in so LONG way to go. OTG firmware update happened as soon as I turned my device on and connected to the internet. The battery life is better than I expected so far... though I'm on mid gain at a volume of 25-ish (as mentioned a while ago, I am a relatively quiet listener). It arrived with 83% and has gone down by about 30% but, of course, the internal system likely won't give an accurate reading until a couple of cycles. No doubt there is some burn in to go but even without complete burn in the Pearl Bundle is at basshead levels of bass for me... and this is coming from myself, a self-confessed reformed (that's a lie) basshead. If you are bass sensitive or prefer a more balanced sound, I know a lot of people who will not enjoy this combo. The bass isn't unresolving, it's just very BIG and full. If you're not fully invested in Andy's description of the Cayin house sound then the Amber Pearl may not be for you;
I'm surprised that the nutube amplifier is not changing the tone as much as I expected (and I'm grateful for this) because when I demoed the Solid State output, I already found that quite forward in its low frequency presentation and having significantly longer decay than the more reference output of the IBasso DX320Max Ti, so I was worried this might mean the Nutube output would be too heavy and slow in its presentation. It is not and definitely leans towards texture rather than tone. I've long lamented that I'm not the biggest fan of NuTubes vs vacuum tube amplifiers but this implementation is excellent.
The IBasso DX320Max Ti remains (slightly) more resolving and reference tuned but that is not to say the N30le lacks in detail retrieval. It is due to it being more tonally rich and slightly coloured while still retaining a top tier level of fidelity and resolution.
I'll also add that due to the less aggressive presentation of the Multiverse I (currently) still prefer that IEM with the slightly leaner and more resolving presentation of the DX320Max Ti, however I absolutely prefer the Amber Pearl IEM with the N30le Pearl... and of course my particular preferences play heavily into this too.

I've experimented a little and, for now, been using; Medium Gain, Hyper Mode off, Power P+ & Class AB, Tube output with Modern Timbre however I'll play more over the weekend. There are enough combinations to keep an audio tinkerer pretty occupied without introducing EQ or DSP into the equation.
At the moment the Pearl bundle has a huge out of head presentation but filled with weight, depth, texture and layers. I feel I'm doing the combo a disservice by describing the individual elements of sound as I hear them, as this is the sort of presentation which should be considered as a complete musical whole, but nevertheless;
Subbass is deep and powerful. The midbass is similarly forwards and full bodied but has that sense of 'omnipresent'. I prefer this being a TINY bit more controlled (waiting on burn in). The Multiverse has that quality of being a BA configuration with some bass presentation elements of a dynamic driver however the Amber Pearl just sounds (to me) like it has dynamic type bass and impact.
The mid presentation is extremely sweet and very forward bringing singers much closer to the ear (than The Multiverse) without exhibiting sibilance and having an emotional warmth. Treble inherits the Multiverse's quality (I'm extremely grateful to say) of not being fatiguing while being even more detailed but lower treble I prefer a TINY bit more forward (waiting on burn in). Nevertheless, this is very much tuned to my preferences.
Dynamics are one of the first things I notice and when the kettle drum at the start of Carmina Burana came in, it actually startled me from its impact and weight out of nowhere and that highlight's the Pearl combo's ability to stop and start from pitch black to loud and back to quiet again on a postage stamp. The dynamics are combined with note weight, imaging, detail retrieval, separation and is simply awe inspiring.
While clarity is excellent, what I'm hoping burn in will do is tighten the bass up and also increase the lower treble region a little so the sound opens up because despite the excellent dynamic range of this combination, the midbass occaisionally elevates above some vocals in a way it doesn't with some of my other setups and for the moment I'm finding the bass slightly overwhelming on a few select tracks, leading to the overall presentation sometimes lacking a little air... though I'm expecting all of that to change with time. It was particularly noticeable on the explosion at the beginning of Inzo's Awaken where the mass of the explosion has its impact contained in a much smaller area than I hear with a number of other setups but instead filled with added mass and density.
Even for those looking for a reference presentation, the Pearl Bundle has more than enough resolution and fidelity to satisfy. Who this bundle is not for is anyone who finds extreme dynamics overwhelming (preferring a more laid back presentation) and/or bass elevation fatiguing. For my preferences this is pretty closely tuned to my ideal.

Going forwards, I may make some more comparisons for myself however I intend to use the Pearl bundle as a bundle and not experimenting with other DAPs/Headphones/IEMs etc. I feel this is how it was intended.

A few small niggles I have encountered;
1. After about 10 minutes of playing, if I move my volume knob one click, I notice the volume initially moves 4-5 after which it goes back to moving '1' for each groove of the volume
2. While I do not hear any hissing, there are certain frequencies in tracks where I can hear a tiny amount of static. It is for certain frequencies and only when little else is on the track however I've not bothered much in noting or experimenting them (seems to be on the NuTube outputs) as I suspect this will go away with burn in
3. In Cayin's software player, if I swipe up on the album art (usually accidentally), to bring up cover and data source information, the app get stuck on a loading screen for about 10 seconds. (This happens whether connected to a network or not)

As I said, lot of burn in to go and that will take time as I'll do that while actively listening to my unit.
For the moment, I don't really have any IEM+DAP combos which compare to this. I don't really have any transportable setups with headphones which do either.
If you value dynamics, imaging, timbre, clarity and like your tuning to have elevated low frequencies, forward but non-sibilant mids and a non-fatiguing but highly detailed treble, this is pretty close to endgame, I would say.
I'm more of a headphone user than an IEM user; although I haven't sat down to compare them directly, the feeling I get from the Pearl Combo is that it is closer to the Sennheiser HE-1 in its presentation (and I should note I have never considered the HE-1 to be reference tuned but more musical) due to its sheer 'size', physicality and musicality of presentation... rather than the Headtrip Reference Mk II+Abyss AB-1266 (detailed but fatiguing), BHSE+Stax SR-009 (airy, fast but lacking weight) or Smyth Realiser A16+Sennheiser HD800 (holographic but also fatiguing) which mostly occupy my head time as far as desktop setups are concerned.
The 5 hours tonight was not intentional and this isn't the sort of setup I would listen to casually. In reality this sort of presentation I feel I need to shower, shave and dress for so it will have to wait until the weekend for me to really sit down and see how the Pearl Bundle makes me 'feel' however I will end by saying the main reason I draw comparisons to the HE-1 is because to date, even compared to the other desktop setups I previously mentioned, the HE-1 and Amber Pearl Bundle are the only two headphone/IEM setups to illicit an emotional response from me with certain tracks. Never thought it would happen with a portable setup.
@Cayin, @UniqueMelody & PW Audio (Peter Wong). Thank you for the extremely impressive work.

How dare you make me wish I’d splurged on the amber pearl combo, delete this immediately!

 

[SabreToothBunny]

How dare you make me wish I’d splurged on the amber pearl combo, delete this immediately!

I do sincerely apologise; It's my autospell. What I meant to say is the Pearl Bundle sounds truly awful.

 

[zoidbb]

I do sincerely apologise; It's my autospell. What I meant to say is the Pearl Bundle sounds truly awful.

XD

So in all honesty, do you think the Amber Pearls are worth 2x the price of Multiverse Mentor?