[Level]

Thanks for your kind word, we come from a traditional HiFi background and is unfamiliar with the skill and requirements of portable market, so the most nature things is to learn from intelligent customers.

A lot of customers probably didn't aware that Cayin is a state-owned enterprise, we have strict procedure regarding foreign currency transactions, so our options is limited when come to international trading and direct dealing with consumer is kind of .... difficult. We do aware the bottleneck issue, when customers find it difficult to buy something, they'll look for convenient alternatives. We just have to double our effort to resolve the problem and keep our finger cross when we look for distributors and dealers in the oversea market.

I'm quite certain I don't know what state-owned really means in your day-to-day operations, but I can appreciate things are significantly different that if you were stationed in North America, for example. That said, something is working well for Cayin to be able to produce the quality of products for which you are becoming ever more known. It's good news for audiophiles, that's for sure.

 

[edb]

 
I'm quite certain I don't know what state-owned really means in your day-to-day operations, but I can appreciate things are significantly different that if you were stationed in North America, for example. That said, something is working well for Cayin to be able to produce the quality of products for which you are becoming ever more known. It's good news for audiophiles, that's for sure.

In China, generally speaking, a state-owned business is subject to stricter regulation and audition as an anti-corruption measure. I am glad to hear that this alternative to free-market economy, to the contrary of many's belief, works.

 

[edb]

The latest Windows 10 Insider build starts supporting USB2.0 Audio. At this point, support is only available to 44.1hz, only playback, no recording. High frequencies and recording will be supported later.
 
I plug N5 with USB DAC setting to my computer, however, it is not recognized as an audio device. Is this a problem on Cayin side or on Microsoft side? 

 

[ColonelBucket8]

  The latest Windows 10 Insider build starts supporting USB2.0 Audio. At this point, support is only available to 44.1hz, only playback, no recording. High frequencies and recording will be supported later.
 
I plug N5 with USB DAC setting to my computer, however, it is not recognized as an audio device. Is this a problem on Cayin side or on Microsoft side? 

You must install first the audio driver from cayin site.

 

[Level]

 
In China, generally speaking, a state-owned business is subject to stricter regulation and audition as an anti-corruption measure. I am glad to hear that this alternative to free-market economy, to the contrary of many's belief, works.

I'm new to audiophile in general but have a recording studio (analog) background, so the principle is familiar.
And recently come to the field of portable equipment I'm a bit wowed but the sheer variety and quality that's being brought to market. My first gear on order, I eagerly look forward at what's to come.

 

[Level]

A question...
 
Am I going to hear a significant sq difference with my N5 if I include a C5 amp?
This will (initially) be through the Havi B3 old version.

 

[BadReligionPunk]

C5 is awesome, tons of power and the best bass boost ever. There is not a huge difference in sound, and the C5 is physically bigger then N5, so this combo makes a friggin huge heavy brick. I always thought sound sigs were pretty much the same, but I'm no expert.  I would never talk someone out of buying an awesome product from cayin, but at this point with havi's there is no need to be spending jack on an amp for them. N5 has plenty of power to drive most any iems, or headphones by themselves. Havis already have insane amounts of soundstage also.
 
I use N5, C5 combo to shove as much power as I can into some JVC SZ2000's when I feel like getting speed boxed by Floyd Mayweather. Other then that I don't use them for iems. The low/high is easily switched and putting/pulling it out of a pocket can result in smoked brains or worse, blown iems or headphones.

 

[nmatheis]

  A question...
 
Am I going to hear a significant sq difference with my N5 if I include a C5 amp?
This will (initially) be through the Havi B3 old version.

 
I don't have Havi B3 anymore but would have to agree with @BadReligionPunk on this one. C5 and N5 sound remarkably similar and N5 is very powerful, so I'm doubting whether the added bulk would be at all worth it. In contrast to @BadReligionPunk, I wasn't a big fan of C5's bass boost unless using quite lean headphones or IEM. It is pretty broad-spectrum bass boost, whereas I'm usually looking or a more sub-bass focused bass boost. So, I'd say use and enjoy the N5 on its own. Just my two cents...

 

[edb]

 
You must install first the audio driver from cayin site.

That is before Windows support USB audio 2.0 natively.
 
Now, the preview version of Windows 10 includes native USB Audio 2.0 playback, no driver is needed.

 

[Level]

   
I don't have Havi B3 anymore but would have to agree with @BadReligionPunk on this one. C5 and N5 sound remarkably similar and N5 is very powerful, so I'm doubting whether the added bulk would be at all worth it. In contrast to @BadReligionPunk, I wasn't a big fan of C5's bass boost unless using quite lean headphones or IEM. It is pretty broad-spectrum bass boost, whereas I'm usually looking or a more sub-bass focused bass boost. So, I'd say use and enjoy the N5 on its own. Just my two cents...

[color=black]BadReligionPunk[/color], [color=black]nmatheis, thank you for the helpful feedback, it is appreciated![/color]
I love this forum.

 

[edb]

 
I figured this one out on my own.  If anyone else is using MusicBee (or similar) here are the steps for creating a playlist.
 
In MusicBee, browse the files on the player (not the computer).
Add songs to your playlist. MusicBee will create a Playlist folder in the root folder of the card you're using.
Once you're finished, pull the playlist out of the Playlist folder and drop it directly in the card's root folder.
That's it, it should work perfectly.
 
I'm a happy camper now!

Can you please post a sample file structure of a playlist you created? I tried external playlist on the 2nd card, but it does not work. Thanks in advance.

 

[nmatheis]

[COLOR=000000][COLOR=000000]BadReligionPunk[/COLOR][/COLOR], [COLOR=000000]nmatheis, thank you for the helpful feedback, it is appreciated![/COLOR]
[COLOR=000000]I love this forum.[/COLOR]

You're very welcome. We're here to help!

 

[tronk72]

I've had the N5 for a couple of weeks now.  It's the first and only serious DAP I've ever owned, and I purchased it based mostly on the positive reviews and outstanding features.  I am very impressed by the sound and built quality, but I think I probably got a defective unit. The N5 (a newer batch, I suppose, since it does not have the rubber flap cover in the bottom) came loaded with firmware 3.1.  I immediately upgraded to 3.2 and loaded two brand new Lexar / class 10 / 633x / 128 GB cards. It plays lower resolution (16 bit/44.1 khz) flac and wave files without a fault, but it begins stuttering as the resolution increases.  At 24/96 it stutters very sporadically, at 24/192 it does more often, but still infrequently. Any DSD file, however, will invariably stutter four or more times during the playback of a tune, any DSD file, on any setting. I thought that maybe the cards were at fault, but then I tried the DAC function on my Macbook Pro running OSX 10.11.1, and it failed on every format and every resolution, even playing youtube videos (I get intermittent, garbled, and distorted sound, and the resolution display on the N5 keeps jumping from setting to setting). I then flashed firmware 3.1 to see if it was a firmware problem (unlikely, since no reports of the same problems anywhere), but it is the same.  So now I'm back at firmware 3.2 with the same problems. Am I missing anything here? Has anybody had similar problems?

 

[PinkyPowers]

Have you tried performing a factory reset? Is that how you got to v3.1? If not, try that.

 

[Level]

You're very welcome. We're here to help!

I take it that using a headphone splitter without an amp is a bad idea, how about when using an amp?