Cayin N7: A Voyager of Unexplored Frontier

[Kobe4ever]

My understanding was that the AK 3000 was supposed to be amazingly pitch black silence

With the SP3000 you have a black background that can't be blacker

 

[Nostoi]

With the SP3000 you have a black background that can't be blacker

 

[Andykong]

Full scale dynamics are not a option for me too

But a pitch black black ground : it's a requisite.

About my aune, it's a pity that I don't have a 4.4mm input jack on.

And the Dx90, it's only an unbalanced 3.5mm input jack...

Ideally, I'm looking for a dap in 2.5 and 4.4... perfectly silent.

Therefore a non-negotiable point.

My m1s (which is my main dap) still works perfectly after 5 years of loyal service. But it is not eternal. A real sword of Damocles...

Maybe the m1p to consider...

My Dx90 heavily modded is my "madeleine de Proust", with my beloved FitEar a111 : still a marvellous (musical) couple... Years after years too...

I hope so, because it wasn't the case with both the Ak1000 and 2000 with the Andromeda's on, for example

Faint hissing

I have a feeling that you have put yourself into a very difficult situation. If pitch black is your non-negotiable number 1 requirement, maybe you should select an IEM that is higher impedance or lower sensitivity?

Cayin DAP definitely won't meet your requirement, that I can assure you. We never put pitch black as our high priority. In our experience, if we make our DAP perfectly black on high sensitive IEMs (which we could if we determined to), it will sound dull or lifeless with more demanding IEMs or headphones, especially with IEMs that use the dynamic driver or estat driver as their main tuning components. I am not being sarcastic, I merely want to steer the customer away from picking a product that doesn't meet their preference/requirement. With the current product variety in the personal audio market, I think it is important for vendors to develop DAP that can handle a wide range of earphones and headphones satisfactory.

How about adding an impedance adapter? or using device such as iFi IEMatch to lower the noise floor?

 

[ewppl]

i would like to use PEQ on N7. I was using UAPP on N6ii but apparently UAPP doesn’t play DSD format. Any suggestions for a player that can play DSD format with builtin PEQ ? If I use a different player (other than Cayin), does it somehow diminish potential sound quality ?

 

[FooFighter]

i would like to use PEQ on N7. I was using UAPP on N6ii but apparently UAPP doesn’t play DSD format. Any suggestions for a player that can play DSD format with builtin PEQ ? If I use a different player (other than Cayin), does it somehow diminish potential sound quality ?

Neutron?

 

[ewppl]

Neutron?

never tried. does it stream too ? (qobuz)

 

[Andykong]

i would like to use PEQ on N7. I was using UAPP on N6ii but apparently UAPP doesn’t play DSD format. Any suggestions for a player that can play DSD format with builtin PEQ ? If I use a different player (other than Cayin), does it somehow diminish potential sound quality ?

Theoretically, you can't use PEQ or regular multi-bands EQ with DSD tracks in the digital domain, you can only do that after you converted the DSD track to 24bits or 32 bits PCM.
You can use other players APP freely, but you need to study the app thoroughly to make sure you didn't enable unnecessary format transcoding features.

 

[FooFighter]

I can imagine that one of the rare apps which could do both PEQ plus DSD is Roon but that isn’t the main use case for N7 as it will require extra external hardware, software, subscription plus limit N7 to work in DAC mode.

 

[ewppl]

Theoretically, you can't use PEQ or regular multi-bands EQ with DSD tracks in the digital domain, you can only do that after you converted the DSD track to 24bits or 32 bits PCM.

i like my IEMs on harman curve, so they need a bit tweaking here and there. so yes this is very limiting in that sense. it defeats the purpose of having a native DSD DAP (N7) if i have to convert and then reconvert? and add theoretical noise/jitter on the way as well as leaving many unwanted filters on like you said (because i am not a sound engineer, and my knowledge on these things are quite limited).

perhaps N8ii would be a better match for PEQ.

now i am a bit confused. because N7 converts everything into DSD, is it that all music (even streaming) can't be EQ'd or only DSD formats ?

 

[searchingtom]

I have had the N7 for a day now and of course it is way too early to draw any conclusions but the early impressions are very positive. The sound has a natural and organic flow with a nice timbre where I mostly listen to (string quartet and soft jazz and neoclassical). I found the pairing with the ZMF Atrium to be very synergistic.

More impressions forthcoming.

 

[DaveStarWalker]

I have a feeling that you have put yourself into a very difficult situation. If pitch black is your non-negotiable number 1 requirement, maybe you should select an IEM that is higher impedance or lower sensitivity?

Cayin DAP definitely won't meet your requirement, that I can assure you. We never put pitch black as our high priority. In our experience, if we make our DAP perfectly black on high sensitive IEMs (which we could if we determined to), it will sound dull or lifeless with more demanding IEMs or headphones, especially with IEMs that use the dynamic driver or estat driver as their main tuning components. I am not being sarcastic, I merely want to steer the customer away from picking a product that doesn't meet their preference/requirement. With the current product variety in the personal audio market, I think it is important for vendors to develop DAP that can handle a wide range of earphones and headphones satisfactory.

How about adding an impedance adapter? or using device such as iFi IEMatch to lower the noise floor?

I normally don't think I'm in the Andromeda case anymore with my current uiems (Aure Ringo's, AE Mentawai's and Fiio FH9's : see my signature).

But it's true, also coming from the classic "daddy's hifi" (I have a dedicated acoustically treated room and everything you need in it, shall we say), I'm used to totally dead quiet silent products.

But it's true that at the time, I was very disappointed by the noise induced both by sp1000 or 2000 (same with Chord Mojo... ), with certain uiems (Andromeda, Zeus XRA, Se846... non exhaustive list).

While at the same time, a "modest" Aune or a "modest and old" Dx90 are perfectly dead quiet. Pitch black...

Finally for the adapters, I am rather against them, if I can avoid them : you add an additional layer. Never good (transparency, real definition and resolution, micro dynamics...).

A straight wire with gain, that's what I'm looking for ideally. And so completely silenced...

 

[DaveStarWalker]

I have had the N7 for a day now and of course it is way too early to draw any conclusions but the early impressions are very positive. The sound has a natural and organic flow with a nice timbre where I mostly listen to (string quartet and soft jazz and neoclassical). I found the pairing with the ZMF Atrium to be very synergistic.

More impressions forthcoming.

On the other hand, that means a lot to me!!

The sound has a natural and organic flow with a nice timbre

 

[aleopold]

Theoretically, you can't use PEQ or regular multi-bands EQ with DSD tracks in the digital domain, you can only do that after you converted the DSD track to 24bits or 32 bits PCM.
You can use other players APP freely, but you need to study the app thoroughly to make sure you didn't enable unnecessary format transcoding features.

Andy is the Hiby player included on N7 similar to other Cayin DAPs and if so does the EQ function work?

 

[Andykong]

I normally don't think I'm in the Andromeda case anymore with my current intras (Aure Ringo's, AE Mentawai's and Fiio FH9's).

But it's true, also coming from the classic "daddy's hifi" (I have a dedicated acoustically treated room and everything you need in it, shall we say), I'm used to totally use dead quiet silent products.

But it's true that at the time, I was very disappointed by the noise induced both by sp1000 or 2000 (same with chaord Mojo... ), with certain uiems(Andromeda, Zeus XRA, Se846... non exhaustive list).

While at the same time, a "modest" Aune or a "modest and old" Dx90 are perfectly dead quiet. Pitch black...

Finally for the adapters, I am rather against, if I can avoid them: you add an additional layer. Never good.

A straight wire with gain, that's what I'm looking for ideally. And so completely silenced...

All these are very valid experiences, and there is no problem holding on to your preference, you just have to understand that your preference is different from the market trend, and when you refused to compromise (change to a high impedance or low sensitive earphone, or willing to add adapters), your choice will be further narrow down. A very natural outcome logically.

And the unfortunate thing is, based on my knowledge of current market trends, it's unlikely that you'll have more choices down the road. When the IEM markets continue to develop different hybrid technologies, DAP will have to take up these challenges, to deliver enough power and dynamic for the newcomers in the next few years.

 

[Frabera]

I am also planning to use it with my ZMF Vérité Closed, how are the trebles with the ZMF Atrium ? As it seems to be the weak point…