Cayin N3Pro DAP: Dual AK4493 and MQA with Vacuum Tube

[Andykong]

helo @Andykong any definite future plan for N3Pro to support full unfolding MQA via software update?

Check out my reply to MQA launch in N6ii HERE and you'll understand my only answer at this stage is "we don't have any plan on MQA with N3Pro".

 

[Andykong]

I got my N3pro two days ago and I quite enjoy the tube sound in UL mode. I use the TRI mode if I want extra smoothness, it works really well on song that’s vocal focused. All the mid details just come alive. I didn’t spend too much time on 4.4 but it sounds pretty good from my brief listing time.

I do have a strange issue though. I was navigating to a few particular songs from the folder menu in the sdcard and while it is been played, I taped the option icon (three dots on the top right corner), the menu shows up but the song play will start to stutter and the screen will freeze and the player restarts. I can reproduce this behaviour with a few particular songs.
With the same song, if I tried navigating thru the Album menu, the freeze problem doesn’t occur.

I have also tried formatting the sdcard and reload the songs (windows does complain about errors on card and needed to do scan and fix), but the problem didn’t go away.

Anyone h
as a similar problem?

After doing more tests, I can confirm that my stutter/freeze/restart issues occurs when I have too many levels of subfolders in my sdcard. @Andykong, is this a design limitation?

From what you described, it can related to level of subfolders or number of characters in the address (i.e., characters of all the folder names in al levels).

Can you perform a test for me? With the songs that caused stutter/freeze/restart, change all the folders names to L1, L2, L3, L4, ... (short form for Level 1, Level 2, Level 3, Level 4, ... etc). This should reduced the length of the address. If the problem remain unchanged, then the problem probably related to levels of folders. It this solved the problem, then we need to focus on length of address.

There is 1 particular large music folder which breakdown into smaller folders on my micro sd that keeps crashing and restarting the Cayin N3pro when I start to play music from that folder . It doesn’t happen right away . Sometimes few seconds and sometimes over 20 seconds. Does anyone know how to fix this?

Not sure if this is the same problem but different symptoms, can you "taped the option icon (three dots on the top right corner)" and report whether this will lead to stutter/freeze/restart issues?

 

[Andykong]

I dig the green case. Gives me the Rolex vibe.

@Andykong, in 2-3 years, will there be an option to send the unit in for battery replacement?

We should be able to do that, we have replaced the battery of a N6 DAP (the original version) last year, that was a 5-years old DAP.

 

[Andykong]

Time for some "tube"-rolling....

Something you might wanna add is the lesser known Xuelin 1969 tube dap - ak4496 dac but the ui is a bit old skool.

May I suggest Woo Audio W8?

 

[Andykong]

Hi guys,

Just order my N3pro today. Can't wait! Anyone tried to use as a DAC to amp via USB? Does it charge at the same time?

Cheers,
Billy

Yes, if you connect N3Pro as USB DAC, it will charge at the same time.

 

[Andykong]

Is that glow real tube glow or just lit by LED?
I just wanted to know since I’ve heard those tiny tubes glow very weak.

Both. The tubes glow at very low intensity, we used the JAN6418 as buffer so that we can operate them at low-heat low-current condition, which are requirements for portable applications.

We have added red LED so that the tubes can be visualised. Take a look a the following photo and you can notice the LED actually "display" the tubes completely when you are in low light environment, not just the filament.

The N8 works differently. That two blue dots are LED, but they are also genuine tube glow. That's because The Nutube in N8 use LED technologies to replace the filament in traditional vacuum tube.

 

[Jeffyue]

N3Pro ULmode LO BX4? If you are using LO of N3Pro, the audio signal won't go through the vacuum tubes, so UL mode is not possible. If you are indeed using UL mode connected to BX4, you must have connected via the phone out instead of LO.

By the way, I don't drink, so I am not sure if I understand your analogy correctly, can I assume more years is always better?

Ooh, yeah. Forgot the 3.5mm LO actually doesn't go through the tube....

For the scotch I refer more to the "smoothness" of the drink. In general, the older the vintage the smoother the drink.
But it doesn't mean everybody would like it. My personal favourite is actually Laphroaig 10yr which is sweet with smoky peat, and not smooth at all. I find the 25Yr scotch too boring for my taste buds...

Think my taste of music is on the opposite side, leaning more on the natural tone, but from time to time I also want some "sparkling" to add colour to the music...

 

[Andykong]

I imagine both SS outs are faster on bass attacks than the tube modes. Although from the schematic it looks that the tubes are part of the SS circuit, so it's not 100% tube amplification if I'm following things correctly.

That's why I thought the n3p would sound different than just using a say using a little bear tube amp in my audio chain. I figure the n3p would be a little cleaner sounding and I hate to stack things.

We have explained previously that " the JAN6418 is used as a buffer only, there is no power amplification involved, so we are using it at a much lower current that other field applications". Check out HERE, HERE and HERE if you want to understand the concept of buffer in audio amplification.

 

[Jeffyue]

May I suggest Woo Audio W8?

Was looking about WA8 as well.
But think a 1.1kg brick with only 4hr battery life would make it more for desktop use than portable. And if we want to move to desktop there are tonnes of choice in the market.

Anyway, I m not using headphone much so don't really need such a powerful amp...

 

[abitdeef]

Got mine today and it's a fantastic little dap. The SS out 4.4 is very nice and powerful. But twisters right the tube mode is intoxicating, just a great amount of presence and liquid smooth with nice detail and a very convincing tone.

I'm using UL mode. As a guy who's not really familiar with tube sound this is a real treat. I kind of expected a loss of detail but that's not the case, it's just smooth and rich with nice detail. Super musical sounding. I only wish we had the green case for sale here in the US. I gotta admit the tube glow effect looks tits

I wasn't expecting tubes to sound like this, - I don't hear any major hiss either like I expected to. Switching back to my SS outs things sound flat lol. 'Songbird' by Fleetwood Mac gave me chills.

I would also like to add the build quality is absolutely fantastic too.

 

[abitdeef]

We have explained previously that " the JAN6418 is used as a buffer only, there is no power amplification involved, so we are using it at a much lower current that other field applications". Check out HERE, HERE and HERE if you want to understand the concept of buffer in audio amplification.

Well whatever you guys did it sounds fantastic!

 

[muths66]

Ooh, yeah. Forgot the 3.5mm LO actually doesn't go through the tube....

For the scotch I refer more to the "smoothness" of the drink. In general, the older the vintage the smoother the drink.
But it doesn't mean everybody would like it. My personal favourite is actually Laphroaig 10yr which is sweet with smoky peat, and not smooth at all. I find the 25Yr scotch too boring for my taste buds...

Think my taste of music is on the opposite side, leaning more on the natural tone, but from time to time I also want some "sparkling" to add colour to the music...

u can try 3.5 tube to bx4 Lo. But is double amping.

 

[Haden2866]

Got mine today and it's a fantastic little dap. The SS out 4.4 is very nice and powerful. But twisters right the tube mode is intoxicating, just a great amount of presence and liquid smooth with nice detail and a very convincing tone.

I'm using UL mode. As a guy who's not really familiar with tube sound this is a real treat. I kind of expected a loss of detail but that's not the case, it's just smooth and rich with nice detail. Super musical sounding. I only wish we had the green case for sale here in the US. I gotta admit the tube glow effect looks tits

I wasn't expecting tubes to sound like this, - I don't hear any major hiss either like I expected to. Switching back to my SS outs things sound flat lol. 'Songbird' by Fleetwood Mac gave me chills.

I would also like to add the build quality is absolutely fantastic too.

Wait until after dark before you try TR mode - you want that bit between being awake and being asleep then just melt yourself in.

 

[abitdeef]

Wait until after dark before you try TR mode - you want that bit between being awake and being asleep then just melt yourself in.

I cant wait to try some of my 'head' music later tonight. I will definitely try out triode mode. I've had tube amps powering speakers when I was younger, oh and guitar amps but for portable tube audio the closet thing was probably listening to my grandparents old small Philco radio, and that sounded well, crappy. Lol

If a dap could be called 'buttery' it would be the n3p in tube mode. Real butter

 

[muths66]

Pretty decent dap.