[musicday]

Is all good Phil, we all know how great your customer service is.

 

[NewEve]

Does anyone has any idea how the UI will look like? I.e.:

• Are we talking about a skinned Android (e.g. Hibby);
• Or a UI more akin to what A&K provides, i.e. genuinely music-centric?

This looks encouraging as I'm hoping for something akin to what AK provides but I understand that isn't what Cayin has done in the past.

 

[NewEve]

Does anyone has any idea how the UI will look like? I.e.:

• Are we talking about a skinned Android (e.g. Hibby);
• Or a UI more akin to what A&K provides, i.e. genuinely music-centric?

This looks encouraging as I'm hoping for something akin to what AK provides but I understand that isn't what Cayin has done in the past.

Answered here I guess: https://weibo.com/1883335475/JdVx9vA3d?type=repost

 

[monsieurfromag3]

This device has a lot going for it, the design choices are very well judged.
I was torn between getting an all-in-one Android DAP and a DAC/amp, and this is... both?

Android DAPs, if properly specced, bypass the Android mixer which is the most destructive aspect of modern streaming audio. But they all have major issues - either battery life, RF interference, no bypass for the Android mixer, or a 3-versions late implementation of Android. Also none will let you stream out of Wifi range (or then via a Wifi hotspot on your phone, itself streaming using cellular data, at which point we‘re pretty far from seamless, easy interfacing).

This echoes what has been said very well by @nanaholic - I disagree however that making the perfect Android DAP is impossible, in fact the LG phones come mighty close.

A dedicated DAC/amp is nice but it’s just a brick by itself, although I appreciate how iFi and Fiio made an effort to include wireless support.

After spending several TOTL cans’ worth on Bandcamp albums I never listen to, like many others I turned to streaming for 99% of my music consumption - even for things I’ve bought, I’ll just add them into my Tidal library when I can find them instead of listening from an SD card. Though I agree the copyright-dictated removals on Tidal are a huge pain.

Cayin has smartly engineered the N3Pro so it works quite perfectly for people who stream, without directly being a streaming device. It acts as a turbo-charged BT receiver on the go, and a USB DAC/amp for semi-sedentary use - but with a real screen! And Hiby link. Many new DAPs do that too but Cayin have really cut on what matters least in this context; the big high-quality screen on the hardware side, and on the software side the whole Android implementation, then the compliance nightmare, and making sure specific apps like Tidal, Amazon, Qobuz are properly supported.

That has let them double down on audio, and I can hardly believe what they have achieved. My desktop DAC/amp works the same, with tubes as a buffer and transistors for output, and it’s a best-of-both-worlds scenario.
Also Raytheon tubes count among the absolute best NOS. There must be some pretty wild stories paving the road to discreetly collecting 40.000 tubes.

 

[billyleungkt]

Answered here I guess: https://weibo.com/1883335475/JdVx9vA3d?type=repost

Thank you for sharing. For those who do not understand Chinese: He commented the sound towards neutral and very good for many genres. It's very light and can use in one hand. UI is very smooth and fluid. the design is very N8 flagship like. He likes the hollow jelly case that Cayin put thoughts behind this. The dap already have protector pre-installed on the screen what a nice touch.

I'm impressed << this one is from me haa

 

[seanwee]

On my PC so that no one can start another off-topic discussion on which mobile app is the best or something.

Foobar 2k desktop vs mobile lets go

 

[moderators]

At OP’s (@Andykong's) request we have removed some of the off-topic discussion about installing Google Play Store and/or other Android apps. As it has now been made clear, the Cayin N3Pro is not Android-based, and so will not ever support the installation of Android apps.

@twister6 made a post about it here, and here is what Andykong said about this:

@twister6 has explained the issue very clearly (HERE). N3Pro is running on our proprietary operation system, it is Linux based, not Android based, you cannot install Android APP or APK on this DAP.

N3Pro supports multiple bluetooth codec, including UAT, LDAC and AAC in receiving mode, you can "stream" your mobile phone content to N3Pro through bluetooth, with that N3Pro will function as a portable wireless DAC/Amp. This is the only way to play Tidal or Qobuz content on N3Pro right now. We have selected this strategy to support streaming function for N3Pro, and we didn't intent to develop a client of Tidal or Qobuz specially for N3Pro Operation System, this is beyond our reach. If you haven't try streaming content from your mobile phone to DAP via UAT or LDAC, maybe you can wait till you have the opportunity to try this out with N3Pro, or when there are more user impressions that shared their experience on these applications.

We are sorry that N3Pro have disappointed some of the users regarding streaming support in this forum. If you need a DAP that can run streaming app directly, N3Pro is probably not your priority choice, there are plenty of Android based DAP for you to choose from, including our N6ii, or R5 and R6Pro from good friend HiBy Music.

Cayin has always tried our best to explain our product. We are happy to answer any question, but we sincerely hope this thread will remain a N3Pro product thread.

As was stated by the OP, if you need a DAP that can run streaming apps directly, you may want to consider Android-based DAPs instead (which Cayin also makes, as do many other manufacturers).

 

[Zambu]

I've been sort of keeping my eyes open for Cayin releases since I'd like to try one of their DAPs and at least in terms of pricing, this would obviously be an interesting entry to their offering. Also I just yesterday started ripping my CD collection to FLAC, so having one DAP primarily for streaming (offline streaming mostly) and this one for FLACs and WAVs and such is a reasonable proposition, particularly if/when it looks nice and inviting. I'm just pretty unsure how much it would make difference for me, I'm not very good with noticing sound differences that are more nuances than obvious. Currently I'm mostly using Ibasso DX160 + Oriolus BA300s portable tube amp, so I wonder how the sound would be compared to that (which I like).

Also wondering if there's any point in using N3pro balanced out 4.4mm to Oriolus BA300s (4.4mm input) and then 4.4mm IEMs from the amp to have two kind of tubes available from N3pro as a source.

Also I recall some members saying this model "trickles down" some qualities from the higher priced Cayin models, can you specify what's particularly relevant?

 

[seanwee]

I've been sort of keeping my eyes open for Cayin releases since I'd like to try one of their DAPs and at least in terms of pricing, this would obviously be an interesting entry to their offering. Also I just yesterday started ripping my CD collection to FLAC, so having one DAP primarily for streaming (offline streaming mostly) and this one for FLACs and WAVs and such is a reasonable proposition, particularly if/when it looks nice and inviting. I'm just pretty unsure how much it would make difference for me, I'm not very good with noticing sound differences that are more nuances than obvious. Currently I'm mostly using Ibasso DX160 + Oriolus BA300s portable tube amp, so I wonder how the sound would be compared to that (which I like).

Also wondering if there's any point in using N3pro balanced out 4.4mm to Oriolus BA300s (4.4mm input) and then 4.4mm IEMs from the amp to have two kind of tubes available from N3pro as a source.

Also I recall some members saying this model "trickles down" some qualities from the higher priced Cayin models, can you specify what's particularly relevant?

As with all tube amps, different tubes will have different sound signatures, which one is better will be up to your taste.

So yes, there is a point in using the oriolus with the N3 Pro. It's basically just tube rolling.

And the N3 Pro itself is already the product of trickling down from the N8. They trickled down their expertise in using tubes as part of their switchable buffer architecture. Ie power supply to the tubes, damping of the tubes to reduce microphonics, circuit design for the switchable buffers etc.

 

[moderators]

Guys, let's keep the discussion on-topic on the N3Pro.

If you'd like to discuss streaming on DAPs (Android or otherwise), please feel free to create a thread to do so.

 

[piercer]

When will I be able to buy this in the UK? Do you have any plans to make a flagship version akin to the N* but using these small tubes instead?

 

[musicday]

When will I be able to buy this in the UK? Do you have any plans to make a flagship version akin to the N* but using these small tubes instead?

You got N8 for that.

 

[monsieurfromag3]

When will I be able to buy this in the UK? Do you have any plans to make a flagship version akin to the N* but using these small tubes instead?

Look up Audioconcierge, preorders are up already (and also on eBay via Obravo Spain).

 

[Andykong]

I've got an N8 and UAT for streaming is really good. I doubt most people leave the house these days without their phone so having N3 in your pocket and using phone for tidal etc is a no brainer, especially taking into account you can stream pretty much from anywhere with phone and not need WiFi. I wish I had a use for N3 or in the market to get an entry-mid level player, my order would already be in for this! Very cool DAP imo and I'm guessing SQ will be top notch.

We put a lot of hope into wireless DAC concept in N3Pro. We have mixed feeling when launch N8 but after we added UAT codec through firmware upgrade, we feel a lot better. The N3 back in 2017 only support aptX + SBC in Tx and SBC in Rx, now we have UAT, LDAC, AAC ana SBC in both Tx and Rx direction, I think we are ready to embrace this as an alternative to operate streaming service on DAP directly.

How do you use UAT to connect N8 to your phone? Do you need a Bluetooth dongle that support UAT like the Hiby W5?

UAT is a bluetooth codec, you can look at it as an alternative to LDAC, so theoretically, you can use it like using a LDAC ready device. HiBy W5 is a Bluetooth receiver, and if you were to use N3Pro as a wireless DAC, it is also functioning as a bluetooth receiver. If you can stream your mobile phone content to HiBy W5, you can also stream your mobile phone content to N3Pro in the same manner.

 

[Andykong]

When will I be able to buy this in the UK? Do you have any plans to make a flagship version akin to the N* but using these small tubes instead?

Someone posted the link earlier on.
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/cayin-n3pro-vacuum-tube-dap.938211/page-10#post-15779921