Cayin N7: A Voyager of Unexplored Frontier

[AudioSpiff]

I received my N7! I've been using it and enjoying it. I've posted a write-up on the reviews section, "The Cayin N7 Digital Audio Player A powerful, luscious sounding, solidly constructed and flexible DA."

 

[Beh0lder]

Btw I find N7 even standalone more holografic than a desktop RME ADI 2 using my Jewel and Mentor.
Currently have that one for demo and it's very decent also for IEMs out of its SE IEM port without any noise like Sp3k but missing out a bit on excitement and especially 3d stage

Do try them together with the ADI as an amp, it really did wonders in pushing the Plussound Allegro to 11. I listened mainly to this chain while I had the tour unit, and when I took only the N7 for my train ride I was taken aback by what was seemingly missing, mainly bass rumble and mids texturing. I couldn't push the Allegro that far even with gain and amp modes maxed out.

 

[FooFighter]

Do try them together with the ADI as an amp, it really did wonders in pushing the Plussound Allegro to 11. I listened mainly to this chain while I had the tour unit, and when I took only the N7 for my train ride I was taken aback by what was seemingly missing, mainly bass rumble and mids texturing. I couldn't push the Allegro that far even with gain and amp modes maxed out.

Hmm, memories are starting to blur as I ve returned RME meanwhile.
I found it having a super Punch with Jewel but stage overall flat sounding.
Liked its feature set though especially loudness at night.
N7 is similar in a way having more width than depth without amping which drastically changes hooking up C9 or even Tsuranagi which is blowing everything out of the water I have heard yet with IEMs.
Overall I find N7 the best synergy of R2R organic flavor and some delta sigma taste.
I overall preferred it over RS8 which I therefore sold.
Now keeping Sp3k for more neutral sound and N7 for that organic and for me more fun tuning.

 

[FooFighter]

@Andykong , can you pls check if there's downside using the N7 preamp mode for external amps like Tsuranagi having no Premode but only LO mode?
In fact our headfi-mate @KelFab has pointed me to the Brise recommendation using the lowest gain possible as an input as TSU is having a fixed gain stage of 10db and this is causing a very limited usable volume range with IEMs using the maximum N7 output in LO mode.

So the question is if it's a loss of whatever dynamics or signal quality if using preamp mode and setting the volume to for example 40 feeding TSU
Thx alot!

 

[Andykong]

@Andykong , can you pls check if there's downside using the N7 preamp mode for external amps like Tsuranagi having no Premode but only LO mode?
In fact our headfi-mate @KelFab has pointed me to the Brise recommendation using the lowest gain possible as an input as TSU is having a fixed gain stage of 10db and this is causing a very limited usable volume range with IEMs using the maximum N7 output in LO mode.

So the question is if it's a loss of whatever dynamics or signal quality if using preamp mode and setting the volume to for example 40 feeding TSU
Thx alot!

As per your description, I can only tell you that this is technically OK, but I can't comment on whether this is a better connection than using line out. The situation is related to the input sensitivity of the amplifier and its circuit design, which we know nothing about. Your ear is a better judge than my wild guess.

Theoretically, there is ALWAYS audio quality degrades when double amping, I have written a paragraph to explain the double pre-amp condition (HERE). I have stated that having two pre-amp in your system will only cause very minimum interference, but the degradation is definitely there, whether it is audible, or whether this is a better option than feeding the amplifier with a 2V line out, we can't tell.

From what you have described, a player with variable or user-adjustable line out is preferred. This is not uncommon when you are using a DAP with Multi-bit Delta-Sigma DAC. For example, with N8ii, you can select 1V, 1.5V, or 2V as your single-ended line-out level. (or 2V, 3V, 4V with Balanced line-out) We can't offer similar features with R-2R and 1-Bit DAC, which implied you need to select your front-end carefully with this amplifier, especially when the current trend is to widen the lineout to higher voltage levels such as 3V single-ended and 6V balanced.

 

[Andykong]

I have spent a week of hard work to expand Post #2 of this thread into a Cayin N7 "WiKi" covering FAQ, reviews, sound-related discussion in this thread, and firmware announcement links. Hopefully, this will provide all-you-need-to-know details about N7 DAP to users and potential customers.

The N7 is well-received, but for unknown reasons, it is not a popular DAP. News users tend to take a longer wait-and-see period before they bite the bullet. Maybe because it is not a flagship model, or because they were skeptical of the All-to-DSD design when their personal library or streaming playlist is PCM-based. Cayin is a hard-core Engineering-centric institute, when we want to boost our sales, the first thing that comes to our mind is to provide better information, increase our transparency, and foster user testimonials.

Judge on the frequency that I reach out to it, the N7 is one of the best DAPs in the Cayin lineup since I joined them, maybe it'll take some time for users to fully appreciate the beauty of 1-bit DAC in the PCM-crowded world.

 

[McCol]

I have spent a week of hard work to expand Post #2 of this thread into a Cayin N7 "WiKi" covering FAQ, reviews, sound-related discussion in this thread, and firmware announcement links. Hopefully, this will provide all-you-need-to-know details about N7 DAP to users and potential customers.

The N7 is well-received, but for unknown reasons, it is not a popular DAP. News users tend to take a longer wait-and-see period before they bite the bullet. Maybe because it is not a flagship model, or because they were skeptical of the All-to-DSD design when their personal library or streaming playlist is PCM-based. Cayin is a hard-core Engineering-centric institute, when we want to boost our sales, the first thing that comes to our mind is to provide better information, increase our transparency, and foster user testimonials.

Judge on the frequency that I reach out to it, the N7 is one of the best DAPs in the Cayin lineup since I joined them, maybe it'll take some time for users to fully appreciate the beauty of 1-bit DAC in the PCM-crowded world.

For me the N7 is the best DAP I've owned and trust me I've owned a few including the N8ii.
As a standalone unit it doesn't quite match the technical prowess of the N8ii but it has a better musicality to its presentation
When paired with the C9 it takes the N7 beyond the N8ii (in my opinion and to my ears)

There is a certain lushness to the music that just isn't present in anything else I've heard

 

[denis1976]

I dont understand this coments ,i dont have neither the n7 or the n8ii but saying that a 2199 euros dap plus a 2199 euros amplifier is best than a all in one stand alone 3699 euros dap is a big surprise? The combo is almost 1k more expensive if it wasn t better that would be a surprise....

 

[Patlezinc]

Well, in this world the price is not always linked to quality

 

[denis1976]

Well, in this world the price is not always linked to quality

Is allways, sometimes the diference of price dont reflects the diference in sound, but that in audio is normal is a very subjective hobby ,or dont reflects people expectations or tastes, but the " normal" is that more expensive is better, if is not so, is not "normal" ,is a bad designed product, but in this era people who likes audio should know better,otherwise people would not buy it (i think)....now if someone says that the n7 plus c9 sound better than the n8ii plus c9 , thats another story....

 

[McCol]

I dont understand this coments ,i dont have neither the n7 or the n8ii but saying that a 2199 euros dap plus a 2199 euros amplifier is best than a all in one stand alone 3699 euros dap is a big surprise? The combo is almost 1k more expensive if it wasn t better that would be a surprise....

Not in the UK

Around £1700 for N7 and £1500 for the C9 = £3200
N8ii new is £2800 so a £400 difference.
The point is that for me it surpasses the N8ii.

Now this is the bit where others will disagree but the N8ii with C9 for me wasn't as good as the N7/C9 combo.

But yes you are right the extra cost should make it better but we know that extra cost doesn't always equate to better sound and functionality

Even without the C9 I prefer the overall sound from the N7

 

[FooFighter]

I think synergy is even more important than price though I love the expensive new Tsuranagi with N7 and even Sp3k for different flavors

 

[McCol]

Is allways, sometimes the diference of price dont reflects the diference in sound, but that in audio is normal is a very subjective hobby ,or dont reflects people expectations or tastes, but the " normal" is that more expensive is better, if is not so, is not "normal" ,is a bad designed product, but in this era people who likes audio should know better,otherwise people would not buy it (i think)....now if someone says that the n7 plus c9 sound better than the n8ii plus c9 , thats another story

To me and to my ears the N7/C9 was better than the N8ii/C9

I didn't feel that the C9 added as much to the N8ii as it does to the N7
I'm pretty sure in the N8ii thread others felt this was the case as well

 

[denis1976]

To me and to my ears the N7/C9 was better than the N8ii/C9

I didn't feel that the C9 added as much to the N8ii as it does to the N7
I'm pretty sure in the N8ii thread others felt this was the case as well

If c9 dont hads as much to n8ii has with n7 ,to my understanding only tells that the n8ii is better than n7 ,and thats normal, the n8ii is the TOTL, now if for your TASTE you like more the n7 that is a personal thing not an universal one, we all have diferent tastes

 

[denis1976]

Not in the UK

Around £1700 for N7 and £1500 for the C9 = £3200
N8ii new is £2800 so a £400 difference.
The point is that for me it surpasses the N8ii.

Now this is the bit where others will disagree but the N8ii with C9 for me wasn't as good as the N7/C9 combo.

But yes you are right the extra cost should make it better but we know that extra cost doesn't always equate to better sound and functionality

Even without the C9 I prefer the overall sound from the N7

The prices that i have are the prices outside the brexit