[Andykong]

Phew, another Spotify update and yet another synchronization to remake.... I'm getting really upset now. It is the 4th time I have to do it and it takes ages to do (3500 files). Might as well just use my smartphone x.x

Unfortunately someone has discover that the issue happens in mobile phone as well, using internal storage probably can reduce the occurrence on un-synchronised from

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/cay...al-audio-player.862763/page-174#post-14325094

In addition, do you aware of the limitation of "conditionally synchronization" with your Spotify playlists?
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/cay...al-audio-player.862763/page-174#post-14324730

 

[wakokokoyz]

Phew, another Spotify update and yet another synchronization to remake.... I'm getting really upset now. It is the 4th time I have to do it and it takes ages to do (3500 files). Might as well just use my smartphone x.x

my offline files are still in TF1 after update

@Pinky I loved your review of this DAP. It really helped me make the decision to finally go for it. What really triggered me was the iBasso it01 pairing. I'm on a budget and those things have been serving me very well. I like them better than the Fiio F9pro and the 1more Triples. I have been running them balanced through the N5ii all day and loving it. It has helped me adjust to the leaners, more detailed sound of the DAP. I'm coming from a X5iii which I do believe sounds good, full bodied and warm, but compared to the Cayin it just lacks detail and imaging.
Thank you!

i have similar. ibasso it01, fiio f9 pro and 1more quads. sold off the quads. been using f9 pro often lately for its details, soundstage and layering/separation. it01 to make boring days alive

 

[Piratair]

Unfortunately someone has discover that the issue happens in mobile phone as well, using internal storage probably can reduce the occurrence on un-synchronised from

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/cay...al-audio-player.862763/page-174#post-14325094

In addition, do you aware of the limitation of "conditionally synchronization" with your Spotify playlists?
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/cay...al-audio-player.862763/page-174#post-14324730

hello, I know the limit of 3 devices synchronized by Spotify, but it remains that I too have this concern.
As soon as I install my playlist on the SD card and I plug my N5 II to my computer to transfer music, it loses all communication with the SD card and suddenly I find myself synchronized my library because it loses all.
I got tired and the only solution I found is to install my playlist on the internal memory of my Cayin will soon be full.
I have no solution for the future because the limit is on time because once I have more room .. back square departure.
On my mobile (old and new) no worries, knowing the limit of 3 devices, it does not concern me I use only 2, my mobile and my N5II.
I tried on more SD cards, the result is the same.
Thank you for your help

 

[wakokokoyz]

hello, I know the limit of 3 devices synchronized by Spotify, but it remains that I too have this concern.
As soon as I install my playlist on the SD card and I plug my N5 II to my computer to transfer music, it loses all communication with the SD card and suddenly I find myself synchronized my library because it loses all.
I got tired and the only solution I found is to install my playlist on the internal memory of my Cayin will soon be full.
I have no solution for the future because the limit is on time because once I have more room .. back square departure.
On my mobile (old and new) no worries, knowing the limit of 3 devices, it does not concern me I use only 2, my mobile and my N5II.
I tried on more SD cards, the result is the same.
Thank you for your help

my offline files are still there after i transfer music from my PC thru usb cable. i suggest you long press home until homescreen. then transfer files or off the device

 

[Andykong]

N5iiS, a facelifted Army Knife

The N5ii will evolved to N5iiS, we didn’t plan for this and certainly wouldn’t want to do this if we were given the option, but business is full of unexpected and we just have to do whatever it take to remain competitive.

One of the key components of DAP development is the display screen, Cayin is well-aware of this and we have spent considerable effort to secure the supply-chain of this key component well in advanced. We selected the 3.67” TFT screen from AU Optronics (formerly Acer Display Technology, Inc.). This is not the prettiest screen we have reviewed for N5ii, but when AUO confirmed that they have over 30K stock on hand which is more than enough to cover N5ii or even another new model down the road, we are convinced and settled with this choice.

Unfortunately when we place our new order after Chinese New Year, AOU informed us that they can’t supply the screen to Cayin anymore because a Car DVR manufacturer had acquired the complete remaining stock over the night. We were shocked but there is nothing we can do. We can either declare EOL on N5ii after we finished the AUO screens in our inventory (don’t worry, we have reserved sufficient screen for spare part), or we look for a replacement screen in due course. The decision is probably obvious: the demand for N5ii is strong and we have almost overcome all the hurdles to make N5ii fairly stable and competitive in the market, giving up N5ii complete is a big lost to the company and, in our humble opinion, to the market as well.

We sourced a new 3.5” screen as replacement after several weeks of hard research, it is LG panel and IPS certified so it is actually a better screen then the original AOU screen technically. While the color and contrast are noticeable better then then AOU screen, it is slightly smaller and will looks like the following photo after installation.



These photo were taken at 100% screen brightness setting, can you guess which is the new screen? Isn't this obvious?

So what exactly is involved when we replaced the screen of N5ii? Basically we need to:

1. Redesign the chassis with new CNC parameters to fit the new screen, control buttons and socket position will also be revised.
2. Revise package material
3. Redesign protective case: we can’t meet the MoQ of silicon case, so custom make a new pleather case for N5iiS
4. Layout new PCB to accommodate the interface and dimension of the new screen
5. A series of test and internal QA procedure to document and validate all changes
6. Production of new PCB, screen mounting kit
7. Procurement of package material, protective case etc.
8. Revise all UI from 854x480 to 800x480
9. Revise firmware to accommodate (4) and (8)

The N5iiS PCB is on the left, you can note the slight changes in overall PCB dimension

So the amount of work involved in changing a screen is tedious, time consuming and way out of proportion. In addition, we need to rush against a very tight timeline because the inventory of the original 4.65” screen is running low.

Well, since we have to go through a complete product revision of N5ii, so why not we do it better? Traditionally we’ll launch a limited edition model on every five year, since 2018 is the 25th Anniversary of Cayin , we have decided to make a limited edition of N5ii for this special event, so we decided to integrate the special feature of our anniversary project and added the following features:

1. RAM: from 1 GB DDR3 to 2DB DDR3, this should increase the smoothness of all system operation
2. Internal Memory: from 32GB to 64GB, this is temporary solution to resolve Tidal cannot recognize the TF card of the N5ii, the complete solution can only be resolved by Tidal.
3. Replace the tantalum capacitors power filter capacitor in analogue section to tantalum-polymer capacitors, this will offer a darker background and cleaner audio performance through lowered the internal resistance, enhanced conductivity and further reduction of the ripple effect from power interference.
4. Upgrade the USB cable to higher quality braided Type-C to Type-A cable
5. Upgrade the 3.5mm single-ended and 2.5mm balanced phone socket to CUI from US, this will offer better conductivity and lower the distortion.
6. Go for Stainless steel chassis: we have received numerous inquiries form customers and dealers regarding alternative chassis like other brands, the most common request are stainless steel and copper/brass chassis. We have tested these options and decided to go for Stainless steel. This will increase the weight of the player but offer better texture, and will differentiate the N5iiS from the original N5ii immediately.

N5iiS Stainless Steel finishing on the left


N5iiS Braided USB cable on the right

The following table will summarize the different between N5ii and N5iiS



There are other minor enhancements that users probably won’t aware of, but we have tried our best to improve the original N5ii when we have the opportunity to do so. On the other hand, there are features that we can’t change because of practical limitation. For example, we know customers have asked for a better Bluetooth solution, but the Bluetooth of N5ii has been accredited worldwide, if we were change the BT chipset, we need to redo the wireless accreditation completely, that will delay N5iiS for about 3 months and cost us around US$100K, so we have no choice but to skip the BT enhancement in this round.

Last but not least, the different IO pin definition and instruction set of the screen imply that N5ii and N5iiS cannot share their firmware. Since N5ii and N5iiS are operated under the same MCU and system core, we shall make sure all firmware enhancement will be available to both N5ii and N5iiS users at the same time (well, there might be 2-3 days of delay but it won’t be significant).

Cayin would like to apology for all the delays and inconvenient because of this unexpected revision. We have tried our best to smoothen the transition and keep our customers informed as early as possible. We learned a hard lesson and will improve our Supply Chain seriously. The N5iiS exercise has, after all, make us stronger and mature to a new level.

The suggested retail price of N5iiS is US$499.99, it should be available to oversee market by end of July.

 

[somnarium]

Very interesting developments. Will be very keen to see any comparisons.

 

[seanwee]

N5iiS, a facelifted Army Knife

The N5ii will evolved to N5iiS, we didn’t plan for this and certainly wouldn’t want to do this if we were given the option, but business is full of unexpected and we just have to do whatever it take to remain competitive.

One of the key components of DAP development is the display screen, Cayin is well-aware of this and we have spent considerable effort to secure the supply-chain of this key component well in advanced. We selected the 3.67” TFT screen from AU Optronics (formerly Acer Display Technology, Inc.). This is not the prettiest screen we have reviewed for N5ii, but when AUO confirmed that they have over 30K stock on hand which is more than enough to cover N5ii or even another new model down the road, we are convinced and settled with this choice.

Unfortunately when we place our new order after Chinese New Year, AOU informed us that they can’t supply the screen to Cayin anymore because a Car DVR manufacturer had acquired the complete remaining stock over the night. We were shocked but there is nothing we can do. We can either declare EOL on N5ii after we finished the AUO screens in our inventory (don’t worry, we have reserved sufficient screen for spare part), or we look for a replacement screen in due course. The decision is probably obvious: the demand for N5ii is strong and we have almost overcome all the hurdles to make N5ii fairly stable and competitive in the market, giving up N5ii complete is a big lost to the company and, in our humble opinion, to the market as well.

We sourced a new 3.5” screen as replacement after several weeks of hard research, it is LG panel and IPS certified so it is actually a better screen then the original AOU screen technically. While the color and contrast are noticeable better then then AOU screen, it is slightly smaller and will looks like the following photo after installation.



These photo were taken at 100% screen brightness setting, can you guess which is the new screen? Isn't this obvious?

So what exactly is involved when we replaced the screen of N5ii? Basically we need to:

1. Redesign the chassis with new CNC parameters to fit the new screen, control buttons and socket position will also be revised.
2. Revise package material
3. Redesign protective case: we can’t meet the MoQ of silicon case, so custom make a new pleather case for N5iiS
4. Layout new PCB to accommodate the interface and dimension of the new screen
5. A series of test and internal QA procedure to document and validate all changes
6. Production of new PCB, screen mounting kit
7. Procurement of package material, protective case etc.
8. Revise all UI from 854x480 to 800x480
9. Revise firmware to accommodate (4) and (8)

The N5iiS PCB is on the left, you can note the slight changes in overall PCB dimension

So the amount of work involved in changing a screen is tedious, time consuming and way out of proportion. In addition, we need to rush against a very tight timeline because the inventory of the original 4.65” screen is running low.

Well, since we have to go through a complete product revision of N5ii, so why not we do it better? Traditionally we’ll launch a limited edition model on every five year, since 2018 is the 25th Anniversary of Cayin , we have decided to make a limited edition of N5ii for this special event, so we decided to integrate the special feature of our anniversary project and added the following features:

1. RAM: from 1 GB DDR3 to 2DB DDR3, this should increase the smoothness of all system operation
2. Internal Memory: from 32GB to 64GB, this is temporary solution to resolve Tidal cannot recognize the TF card of the N5ii, the complete solution can only be resolved by Tidal.
3. Replace the tantalum capacitors power filter capacitor in analogue section to tantalum-polymer capacitors, this will offer a darker background and cleaner audio performance through lowered the internal resistance, enhanced conductivity and further reduction of the ripple effect from power interference.
4. Upgrade the USB cable to higher quality braided Type-C to Type-A cable
5. Upgrade the 3.5mm single-ended and 2.5mm balanced phone socket to CUI from US, this will offer better conductivity and lower the distortion.
6. Go for Stainless steel chassis: we have received numerous inquiries form customers and dealers regarding alternative chassis like other brands, the most common request are stainless steel and copper/brass chassis. We have tested these options and decided to go for Stainless steel. This will increase the weight of the player but offer better texture, and will differentiate the N5iiS from the original N5ii immediately.

N5iiS Stainless Steel finishing on the left


N5iiS Braided USB cable on the right

The following table will summarize the different between N5ii and N5iiS



There are other minor enhancements that users probably won’t aware of, but we have tried our best to improve the original N5ii when we have the opportunity to do so. On the other hand, there are features that we can’t change because of practical limitation. For example, we know customers have asked for a better Bluetooth solution, but the Bluetooth of N5ii has been accredited worldwide, if we were change the BT chipset, we need to redo the wireless accreditation completely, that will delay N5iiS for about 3 months and cost us around US$100K, so we have no choice but to skip the BT enhancement in this round.

Last but not least, the different IO pin definition and instruction set of the screen imply that N5ii and N5iiS cannot share their firmware. Since N5ii and N5iiS are operated under the same MCU and system core, we shall make sure all firmware enhancement will be available to both N5ii and N5iiS users at the same time (well, there might be 2-3 days of delay but it won’t be significant).

Cayin would like to apology for all the delays and inconvenient because of this unexpected revision. We have tried our best to smoothen the transition and keep our customers informed as early as possible. We learned a hard lesson and will improve our Supply Chain seriously. The N5iiS exercise has, after all, make us stronger and mature to a new level.

The suggested retail price of N5iiS is US$499.99, it should be available to oversee market by end of July.

As much as I like this change, the $499 price puts the N5ii squarely against the DX150 which may or may not be the best move.

Honestly speaking, as good as the N5ii sounds, I found that the DX150 was noticeably better.

HOWEVER, if the revised audio path of the N5iiS can put it on par with the DX150, it would be a good alternative for people who want dual msd slots.

 

[msiekkb]

@Andykong Sound signature have change in N5iiS? I asked, because I almost like N5II have that increase middle bass. I use Neutron than less middle bass than stock player, better controlling, better layers. But Neutron is unstable on N5II.

 

[Andykong]

@Andykong Sound signature have change in N5iiS? I asked, because I almost like N5II have that increase middle bass. I use Neutron than less middle bass than stock player, better controlling, better layers. But Neutron is unstable on N5II.

Sound signature remain unchanged, but with the right music and headphone, you should be hear the improvement: better clarify, darker background, slightly better 3D presentation.

 

[LuciusMcNasty]

I'm having an issue with the player where some albums are showing a tracklist out of order, despite being tagged properly

Anyone else experience this?

 

[lengyeljani]

I was almost getting upset about this improved N5 player, but when I saw the increased price tag and almost double the weight I was relieved. I will gladly keep my N5ii

 

[Andykong]

As much as I like this change, the $499 price puts the N5ii squarely against the DX150 which may or may not be the best move.

Honestly speaking, as good as the N5ii sounds, I found that the DX150 was noticeably better.

HOWEVER, if the revised audio path of the N5iiS can put it on par with the DX150, it would be a good alternative for people who want dual msd slots.

This is the best we can do given the tragedical instance, might be we have put ourselves into a very competitive segment accidentally: we used to be able to avoid this through thorough market research and positioning prior to product release. However we think N5iiS is still a very competitive product, we sound good at this price range are fairly compact in terms of dimension/form factor. We offer 64G RAM and dual TF card which is uncommon at this price range. We decided to double the internal storage because of Tidal, but now we have enough internal memory to store 3300 songs from Spotify offline. SS chassis is also attractive to certain market, probably not everybody's cup of tea but certainly well-received by a lot of people. I have friends telling me today that they can't afford a SPK-SS, but a N5iiS would be nice as their appetizer.

 

[seanwee]

This is the best we can do given the tragedical instance, might be we have put ourselves into a very competitive segment accidentally: we used to be able to avoid this through thorough market research and positioning prior to product release. However we think N5iiS is still a very competitive product, we sound good at this price range are fairly compact in terms of dimension/form factor. We offer 64G RAM and dual TF card which is uncommon at this price range. We decided to double the internal storage because of Tidal, but now we have enough internal memory to store 3300 songs from Spotify offline. SS chassis is also attractive to certain market, probably not everybody's cup of tea but certainly well-received by a lot of people. I have friends telling me today that they can't afford a SPK-SS, but a N5iiS would be nice as their appetizer.

That's true. I'm sure many would definitely appreciate the smaller size and better pocketability of the N5iiS. The DX150 is quite a bit bigger than the N5ii.

 

[seanwee]

This S.Steel version of the N5ii reminds me of this infographic from Sony.

I thought it was full of crap

The internal audio circuitry should be the only thing affecting SQ (assuming no interference)

 

[zeta555]

thank god cayin decided to get rid of that awful screen. I hope you address all problem with the n5ii.

2 microsd card and small size, seems like my cup of tea. maybe i'll give cayin a 2nd chance. I just hope for a great usb out. and maybe MQA certification like LG phones?