[metaljem77]

Acoustune HS1697ti from Japan. I was upgrading from Blessing 2 Dusk, the different is really day n nite. Better clarity and details.

Thanks! They look so cool

 

[Andykong]

@Taz777

I retested the N6ii as a Roon endpoint and For now I can say I'm disappointed because I'm sure the Android Roon app when running on the N6ii used to do better than it currently does.

Now it looks like the Android app is resampling hi-res stuff to 44.1Khz for what they call "compatibility".

The default output is AAudio which Roon seems to think is "High Quality" rather than "Lossless"

It does work but with the current state of the Roon Android App I would say give it a miss as there are devices that play better with Roon.

I am not a Roon users, so I don't know if there are better Roon Android App out that that can perform the bit-perfect magic correctly, if not, this will rule out the Android DAP as ROON endpoint option. I have read similar problem described by ROON users with Android mobile phone HERE, one of the users said:
"Because of the way Roon builds its mobile applications it does not take advantage of any hardware specific features of any specific device and always runs the audio via the OSs mixer. So, even my example of the LG V series phone,s it cannot take advantage of the pure capabilities of the quad dac and is limited to the default OS mixer bit depth and resolution (16/48, 24/48? whatever it is these days)."

 

[Andykong]

Could not resist any longer, R01 ordered!!

Who wants to tell my wife... gulp

I will tell yours, if you tell mine!
I call this the audiophile domestic dilemma…

N6ii Audio Motherboards, or module based DAP in general, offers the best possible protection against wife inspection. I doubt seriously if your wife can find out you had bought a new Audio Motherboard for your N6ii by observation. Of course, if there is a safe and secure "procedure", declare your move upfront is always preferred.

 

[Andykong]

All the Cayin N6II motherboards sound good, it all depends on what type of music you listen and how do you like the music. For my preference, I like the T01 the most, bear in mind that I didn't try the R2R board

No, it isn't. In fact, I would say there are no bad boards with the N6ii. Just one or two a little bit better than the others. If my original A01 was all I had I would be perfectly satisfied with the dap.

Of the 3 (A01, T01 and E01), the E01 would be my favourite too. But it really is down to which of the 3 signatures you think you’ll prefer.

Cayin have always said that the difference between all the audio boards is very minimal, its more a different flavour of audio that is offered between all the options.

1 to 10 rating would therefore most likely be:

1. N6ii with any A01/T01/E01/E02 - 8 to a 9
2. A&K Sp2000Cu - 9
3. N6ii(R01) - 10

And that is probably the best relative ratings you will likely get, the differences really are infinitesimally small.

Just tested the E02 board against the A01 on my cayin n6ii.. not really a fan so far due to the E02 being thinner and rather lacking in musicality.. the A01 sounds thicker, has more mids, warmer, more bodied and very musical on my prophile 8..

Based on that, technicalities aside, do you guys think the R01 would be a good synergy for my pp8 and would fit my preferred sound signature?

UPDATE: It turned out that my E02 board was not burned-in (even though I bought it used).. hence the stiff, thin, lacking musicality signature at the beginning.. it has since opened up and loosened, and I am happy to report that it sounds great now and equally as enjoyable as the A01 in very different ways..

A01 - very relaxed, emotional, smooth.. very good for emotional music (or whatever the technical term is).. exceptionally great as a cure for my mild insomnia

E02 - amazing presentation, boundless staging, very precise, and very energetic.. very good for large scale and energetic music/performances.. definitely not the kind of sound signature that will drive anyone to sleep

Its such a joy to read through pages of sharing from N6ii users regarding their personal preference to different Audio Motherboards. Even the A01, which was described as the weakest link by some users, has a firm place in the line up.

For the record, Cayin firmly believes that all Audio Motherboard should be an independent solution on their own right. We never intend to develop (or market) a new Audio Motherboard to replace an existing Audio Motherboard, or to serve as a direct upgrade from a particular Audio Motherboard, we try to be as non-redundant as possible. The R01 is a nice surprise even among ourselves, and we glad with the outcome because it does cost a lot more to research and produce. To be honest, the first prototype wasn't as promising, and we were not 100% sure whether the R01 will justify the extra dollar, that's why we describe the A02 as the last piece of puzzle , because R01 didn't have green light at that time. It was after months of research that we finally confirm the feasibility of R01.

 

[davidmolliere]

Now I must be close to a hundred hours listening to N6ii Ti / R01 and it's clearly the most transparent and resolving DAP of all I have heard to date... done some significant A/B with DX300 with both AMP11mk1 and AMP12 and Shanling M8 and R01 is clearly in a different league in terms of transparency and resolution. It's not even close but really obvious.

Now it doesn't mean that the M8 bass fell from its pedestal it still is the most fun DAP in that department or that DX300 analog feel and huge soundstage but it sounds veiled in comparison to R01. Instruments timbre on R01 is remarkable as well. Separation is out of this world with my best IEMs, R01 delineates everything with such exquisite detail but does so effortlessly and in a very natural portrayal that doesn't make it fatiguing. It's a bit like a 4K display compared to HD, less eye strain here it's less ear strain this is something that is also remarkable in terms of how vocals are intelligible for lack of a better word.

On the flipside, R01 will show you any weakness in the recording and not beautify things... but if the recording/mastering is great then you're in for a treat... since I listen to well mastered Jazz, Blues and Folk quite a bit I am rather pleased with this, but your mileage may vary...

I wished I still had my LPGT handy to compare because it was the king in that respect to me so far (maybe @Deezel177 can chip in there in terms of comparison )
From memory I would say R01 is even more transparent than LPGT, probably because it has more clarity.

One thing for sure, as a reviewer R01 is going to be my go to as it really shows the strength and limitations of any IEM (or headphone).

 

[blotmouse]

On the flipside, R01 will show you any weakness in the recording and not beautify things... but if the recording/mastering is great then you're in for a treat... since I listen to well mastered Jazz, Blues and Folk quite a bit I am rather pleased with this, but your mileage may vary...

I actually find it forgiving in this regard compared to M8. It has a more tonally even midrange, but presents it relatively 'warm accurate', opposed to sounding like some frequencies were just removed to engage a better presentation and push the upper mids. I listen to a ton of badly mastered and recorded indy rock and metal and the R01 is my "audio softener" du jour. If there is any bass at all in the mids, R01 will find it and make it lush and that's what most these crap recordings need really. A little junk in the trunk without destroying the intended vibe.

 

[KickAssChewGum]

Its such a joy to read through pages of sharing from N6ii users regarding their personal preference to different Audio Motherboards. Even the A01, which was described as the weakest link by some users, has a firm place in the line up.

For the record, Cayin firmly believes that all Audio Motherboard should be an independent solution on their own right. We never intend to develop (or market) a new Audio Motherboard to replace an existing Audio Motherboard, or to serve as a direct upgrade from a particular Audio Motherboard, we try to be as non-redundant as possible. The R01 is a nice surprise even among ourselves, and we glad with the outcome because it does cost a lot more to research and produce. To be honest, the first prototype wasn't as promising, and we were not 100% sure whether the R01 will justify the extra dollar, that's why we describe the A02 as the last piece of puzzle , because R01 didn't have green light at that time. It was after months of research that we finally confirm the feasibility of R01.

I, for one, am extremely grateful that you didn’t give up on the R01 board because it’s a stone cold masterpiece in my opinion.

 

[brandonyam]

Thanks! They look so cool

Mine is just a baby step compared to yours. Do you have any experience with mellianus? Heard so much gd review on Trillii, but just too expensive for now. Heard that mellianus is pretty good too.

 

[TomKorn]

The Hiby "professional" app v1. 6 on the N6ii-Ti does not support Tidal. The standard Hiby Music app v4.1 does.

@Andykong

1. Will there be an update?
2. Can I deinstall and install the standard app 4.1 and have the same sound quality?
3. If not, what can I do?

Thanks

 

[davidmolliere]

I actually find it forgiving in this regard compared to M8. It has a more tonally even midrange, but presents it relatively 'warm accurate', opposed to sounding like some frequencies were just removed to engage a better presentation and push the upper mids. I listen to a ton of badly mastered and recorded indy rock and metal and the R01 is my "audio softener" du jour. If there is any bass at all in the mids, R01 will find it and make it lush and that's what most these crap recordings need really. A little junk in the trunk without destroying the intended vibe.

Is that true with all your headphones and IEMs?
This can also come from there.

I was stating this based on gear I know is not coloring the end result like Vision Ears Elysium or Penon Spark.

 

[Taz777]

The Hiby "professional" app v1. 6 on the N6ii-Ti does not support Tidal. The standard Hiby Music app v4.1 does.

@Andykong

1. Will there be an update?
2. Can I deinstall and install the standard app 4.1 and have the same sound quality?
3. If not, what can I do?

Thanks

Not much you can do. I asked HiBy about this a few weeks ago on another site and there was no reply.

I don't think you can uninstall the Pro HiBy app on the N6ii as it's a system app. You can only uninstall updates to that app. For now there's the TIDAL app (useful for offline playlists) and UAPP (streaming only).

 

[TomKorn]

Not much you can do. I asked HiBy about this a few weeks ago on another site and there was no reply.

I don't think you can uninstall the Pro HiBy app on the N6ii as it's a system app. You can only uninstall updates to that app. For now there's the TIDAL app (useful for offline playlists) and UAPP (streaming only).

I assume the Tidal app is not optimized for N6II. The UAPP is definitely not. Sounds inferior to Hiby Music

 

[TomKorn]

I also don't understand the difference of Hiby Music professional and Cayin Music app. Other than MSEB being disabled and having another skin, how are those two different?

 

[Joshyy73]

I assume the Tidal app is not optimized for N6II. The UAPP is definitely not. Sounds inferior to Hiby Music

I agree. On the N6ii Ti, Hiby sounds better and is more suited to the N6ii. However, it does not have Tidal integrated into the Hiby pro version yet.

@Andykong do you have any information as to when there will be an update for the Cayin n6ii in order to allow the Hiby app to carry the latest version and integrate Tidal into it?

 

[Taz777]

I assume the Tidal app is not optimized for N6II. The UAPP is definitely not. Sounds inferior to Hiby Music

The TIDAL app should work fine (i.e. isn't hampered by Android's sample rate conversion). The N6ii by-pases Android's SRC for all music apps.