[seanwee]

I would like to see more user impressions here.

I've tried the Hidizs AP200 and X5iii. The Cayin N5ii sounds like a complete step up. The Aune M2s sounds worse than all 3. Too warm sounding.

I'd say the UI speed of the N5ii and the X5iii are on par. The AP200 lags behind in terms of speed. Its the only one that feels laggy.

I don't use Bluetooth earphones so I'm not sure about the quality. I do have a Sony Bluetooth speaker though. Compared to my NW-A35 using LDAC the N5ii has 2/3rds the range.

 

[seanwee]

Pure sound quality wise: N5ii > Opus 1 >= Xduoo X10 (before sound quality degradation) > X5iii >= Opus #1 metal > AP200 > Cayin N3 > Aune M2s = Xduoo X10 (after sound quality degradation)

Tried out the Hifiman megamini and supermini too. Nothing special. I'd put them in between the X5iii and the AP200 but I can't say for sure. Didnt really spend time on them. Having to use fat 32 only is annoying though.

 

[taffy2207]

Thanks for that but editing down my post negates the points I'm making.

This is not a tech support thread. It's supposed to be a user impressions thread.

I don't mean to be rude but your comparisons are not helping much if I haven't demoed the equipment. I want peoples user experiences of the N5ii as a stand alone device, no comparisons. Let me make my own conclusions from there, consensus of opinion will tell me what I want to know, once I've ditched the hype posts. People could take a step back when speaking with their experiences with a particular device, keeping it simple. Give comparisons if asked for them.

Something more along the lines of :-

• Sound Signature
• Build Quality
• Battery Life
• UI Experience
• Value for money

etc. would be much more helpful.

Don't take offence, it's just something that's becoming much more prevalent on here when most people just want to know :-

"So, dude, what's it like?" or "Is it worth the money?"

 

[blue212]

I know it’s a crazy question but since I’m currently using Apple Music on iOS device, has anymore tried using Apple Music from Google Play Store on this device? Does offline listening work? Can offline be downloaded to SD card?

 

[seanwee]

I'd say it sounds neutral with a slightly thicker note. It's not warm or cold sounding, the word reference comes into mind. The slightly thicker note gives more power and body to the sound imo. That's what makes it stand out amongst the crowd of es 9018 players. The thicker stronger sound stops it from sounding glaring but it's every bit as detailed as the other es 9018 players. The soundstage is very deep due to a completely black background. Instrument separation and layering is also one of the best I have heard. Only the A&Ultima bests it in this aspect by having more air and space around each instrument.

It is very crisp sounding, notes hit very fast and accurately. Drums sound great. Treble is very energetic but somehow strays away from sounding too sharp. It is just perfect in these aspects. I dare say that it's on par with the A&Ultima Sp1000 in these aspects.

Then there is the impact and depth of the Sub-bass on this player. It's seems to be a characteristic shared by some es 9018 players (DX90). It hits deep, with the right speed and is controlled very very well. The limiting factor here will be your iems. I was genuinely surprised that its better than the SP1000 in this aspect.

It feels very well built that's for sure. Sound wheel has a solid click. I have not dropped it so far (and hopefully never will) so I can't say how well it withstands a fall. But judging from the construction the screen won't break when you drop it unlike most smartphones nowadays.

Battery life is very good. About 7 hours of use makes to go down to 40% so it's very sufficient for me.

UI is stable enough. Not flawless like Sony players but it's improving. In terms of UI speed it's very fast, as fast as the X5iii in terms of navigation. File scanning speed is also very fast. 13.5k songs in about 2 mins across 2 SD cards.

I believe the comparisons I have made prior to this post have made it clear that it is heads and shoulders above other players I have tried out in its price range.

 

[taffy2207]

Much more useful to me, cheers sean

 

[PopZeus]

I think "reference" is a pretty good way to describe the N5ii's sound. Neutral, transparent, dead silent background, above average soundstage. When listening to the N5ii, I tend to notice the headphone's qualities as opposed to the DAP's. That's not say that there couldn't be more micro-detail and better dynamics or that the presence couldn't be improved in places along the FR. It's just that the things that it's lacking aren't easy to spot or pick out.

Maybe not as rolled off at the top octave as some other sources I've heard but never fatiguing. That just means that any bright or analytical headphones will not really gain any additional smoothness or warmth from the N5ii. And warm headphones will not sound thin, assuming there's enough power to drive them.

I think the N5ii sounds better than the mojo. When run balanced, it pairs better with my Focals than the Mimby/LCX desktop combo.

 

[zabada]

Thanks for that but editing down my post negates the points I'm making.

This is not a tech support thread. It's supposed to be a user impressions thread.

I don't mean to be rude but your comparisons are not helping much if I haven't demoed the equipment. I want peoples user experiences of the N5ii as a stand alone device, no comparisons. Let me make my own conclusions from there, consensus of opinion will tell me what I want to know, once I've ditched the hype posts. People could take a step back when speaking with their experiences with a particular device, keeping it simple. Give comparisons if asked for them.

Something more along the lines of :-

• Sound Signature
• Build Quality
• Battery Life
• UI Experience
• Value for money

etc. would be much more helpful.

Don't take offence, it's just something that's becoming much more prevalent on here when most people just want to know :-

"So, dude, what's it like?" or "Is it worth the money?"

This is not tech support questions, I just have one proposition for Cayin programmers, how to make this DAP better on easy way. I'm sure that will help not only for me personal, but for all N5ii users.
About N5ii: I have Hidisz ap200, Fiio x3ii, Xuellin 990, and N5ii is clear winner on sound. Very neutral, uncolored. Nice punchy midbass, natural subbas, crystal clear highs. More universal on music styles and different earphones than anothers. Same good on dynamics and hybrids. Have enough power to drive my Bayers 1770. Sound on balanced output is brilliant, soundstage and separation is apparently better. In short - worth to buy for sure. I hope that firmware will be polished in the near future.
If you have more questions, just ask.
P.S.: Sorry for my English.

 

[CayinSupport]

Sorry, Silvia. Actually I have N5ii right now and it's wonderful DAP. The problem is that earphones with remote control on cable don't plays properly on it - tracks are skipped for few seconds. And i have another DAP on android, which have an option to disable remote control. When I disabling it, it's playing properly. Can you add this option to the next firmware?

We don't have a plan to add this option currently.

 

[CayinSupport]

@CayinSupport

Can you confirm whether a new version of the firmware is coming out this month?

Hi seanwee, I don't receive any message saying the new firmware is coming out this month. So I am unsure about the date of new firmware release date now.

 

[CongoFather]

Next update will be mid-March, we'll break for Chinese New Year and that is a 2-weeks break, so the interval to next firmware update will be slightly extended.

Hi seanwee, I don't receive any message saying the new firmware is coming out this month. So I am unsure about the date of new firmware release date now.

Which one is true? Will we receive any firmware release this month?

 

[Andykong]

Which one is true? Will we receive any firmware release this month?

Both are true at the time of the post. We are working on the USB Audio out solution and we'll might delay the firmware release date in order to give more room to resolve the problem. Silvia (Cayinsupport) will be informed and handle the firmware release as soon as the firmware is available.

 

[Andykong]

Sorry, Silvia. Actually I have N5ii right now and it's wonderful DAP. The problem is that earphones with remote control on cable don't plays properly on it - tracks are skipped for few seconds. And i have another DAP on android, which have an option to disable remote control. When I disabling it, it's playing properly. Can you add this option to the next firmware?

Can you be more specific on "that earphones with remote control"? Any information might be helpful: photo, brand, model, country of purchase etc.. Alternatively can you contact your supplier and find out if the format of the remote control on cable?

Please understand that we CANNOT assume a problem will be solved with our DAP because someone else are doing it at a certain way with their product. We have to identify the problem and develop our own solution, or at least be able to verify the solution will work with out DAP before we incorporate it into an official firmware release.

 

[zabada]

Can you be more specific on "that earphones with remote control"? Any information might be helpful: photo, brand, model, country of purchase etc.. Alternatively can you contact your supplier and find out if the format of the remote control on cable?

Please understand that we CANNOT assume a problem will be solved with our DAP because someone else are doing it at a certain way with their product. We have to identify the problem and develop our own solution, or at least be able to verify the solution will work with out DAP before we incorporate it into an official firmware release.

It's BlitzWolf BW-Vox1, bought it from Banggood. Not to much info about it on Google, as I understand it's some kind of Banggood specifical brand. As I said before, they works on another dap just when 'Remote in-line' is unchecked.
A bit later I'll try my KEF m500 headphones, they have a cable with remote control too, just need to find it in my drawer.

 

[blue212]

Can anyone compare with Pioneer XDR300R?