[gr8soundz]

Is N8 the first DAP with tube amp?

Oriolus has a prototype DP150 player with modular DAC/amp sections. One of which has an actual tube inside.

However, I think the N8 will be released 1st.

 

[seanwee]

Just looked it up, the A&futura looks like a supercar. Could be the angles but it looks really slim. 9038pro has me drooling haha.

Can't wait to try that out.

 

[seanwee]

Oriolus has a prototype DP150 player with modular DAC/amp sections. One of which has an actual tube inside.

However, I think the N8 will be released 1st.

Lots of good stuff coming out

 

[kubig123]

Well, Andy did say it was their cost-is-no-object design. And, like the old saying goes, "if you have to ask, you can't afford it."

That has little to do with my post.

I was pointing out that based on the technical specifications of the N8 it is comparable in term on performance and price (?) to TOTL AK Sp1000 ($3.400) and not the SE100 which is to be considered more a mid tier AK player.

 

[twister6]

That has little to do with my post.

I was pointing out that based on the technical specifications of the N8 it is comparable in term on performance and price (?) to TOTL AK Sp1000 ($3.400) and not the SE100 which is to be considered more a mid tier AK player.

That is correct, despite its es9038pro dac, SE100 is categorized by A&K as a mid-fi sound/performance DAP (i think priced at $1.7k). N8 suppose to be in a summit-fi category (price and performance), going against likes of WM1Z, SP1000, and LPGT.

 

[Cagin]

I reallly like how the N8 currently looks. As a trekkie, it looks like a modern tricorder.
Is it possible that the triode vacuum tube being for SE only is due to the hiss it’d bring in balanced output?

Still no official word on the durations on one charge of battery so far

I’m also very curious about Dignis designs for this one

 

[Andykong]

I have put the N8 @ High End 2018 Press Release to First post of page 1, hopefully that will provide a clear picture of what Cayin N8 is going to be.

Regarding the game to speculate the key selling points of N8, these are the keywords in my Press Release:

1. Dual AK4497
2. choice of Direct Heated Triode vacuum tube and full balanced solid state
   
3. I2S Digital output (via micro HDMI)
4. full balanced line out
5. 3D toughened Gorilla glass (rear panel)

Did anyone get all 5 points correct? or 4 points out of 5? Please show your hands if you have four out of five correct?

 

[seanwee]

OK, I just finished writing the press release of Cayin N8 DAP, its a standard quick introduction covering basic headings on input/outputs, digital design, and analogue design. If anyone can guess the key selling point of all three headings, I'll put you in the N8 reviewer list.

Everyone is entitled to one "proposal" only. You can post a new "proposal" to superseded your previous version, but you must not edit your previous proposal (well, typo and non-feature related editing is allowed). This is because when there are more then one proposal get it right, time stamp become an important factor.

I sincerely someone can figure this out and I am truly happy to hang him the N8 for a thorough review.

I have put the N8 @ High End 2018 Press Release to First post of page 1, hopefully that will provide a clear picture of what Cayin N8 is going to be.

Regarding the game to speculate the key selling points of N8, these are the keywords in my Press Release:

1. Dual AK4497
2. choice of Direct Heated Triode vacuum tube and full balanced solid state
   
3. I2S Digital output (via micro HDMI)
4. full balanced line out
5. 3D toughened Gorilla glass (rear panel)

Did anyone get all 5 points correct? or 4 points out of 5? Please show your hands if you have four out of five correct?

I don't think anyone got four points correct, you said 3 main points :/

"If anyone can guess the key selling point of all three headings"

 

[riffrafff]

 

[Andykong]

Also in the technical specifications sheet power output and playback time is not mentioned, probably not fully optimized yet.

Final sound tweaking? Or just letting distributors stock up first?

The N8 has completed what we call R&D process and will start production transformation stage starting next week, after we get back from Munich High End and there is not seriously issue after the first field trip. This is the time when production engineers steps in to prepare N8 for mass production. In other word, the sound signature and circuitry of N8 has been finalized.

Battery is one of the items will be covered in this mass production preparation process. We are using a much smaller battery during the R&D stage, something like 4800mAH right now, but we would like to aim at a much larger battery, maybe 6000mAH +/-. Therefore the duration we tested are not really meaningful to public users.

We'll have not measured the N8 engineering samples before we left for Munich. Its a bit rush when we hand-make four units of N8 engineering sample for the High End 2018.

 

[Andykong]

I don't think anyone got four points correct, you said 3 main points :/

"If anyone can guess the key selling point of all three headings"

as you quoted, key selling points of all three headings, not three selling points. You assumed one selling point under one heading, that's not the original meeting of my statement, besides, a lot of "proposals" nominated more then one selling points under each heading anyway, so I don't think my statement has been misinterpreted

 

[Andykong]

Thats a nice touch. Whats hdmi for though? Outputting to a tv?

That is a micro HDMI and we used this for I2S transmission. Check this out if you haven't heard about this digital interface.

https://www.psaudio.com/askpaul/what-in-the-world-is-i2s/

By the way, N8 is Cayin's third I2S facilitated products (iDAP6 and the newly announced CS-100DAC), they are compatible to each other, and they should compatible with selected I2S DAC/Transport in the market such as DACs from PS Audio.

 

[Andykong]

Seems like not everyone clicked on Andy's link

I'll just post it here for everyone's convenience I guess

Spoiler

Thank you for keeping everyone updated, you have been a big help to this group.

It seems like we have a price in Chinese yuan - 20,000

From this page's comment section




The cayin rep is replying to the guy at the bottom.

Need to ask Andy for the international price.

Unfortunately this is a big misunderstanding. You has accidentially taken a dialogue out of context. I have checked the Weibo page you quoted, and my colleagues were responding to a question "can you provide a price range of N8 for reference?", so the response "$20K" is supposed to be interprated as a "range" rather than an exact retail price. You have screen captured the auto translation of the reply but has conveniently left out the questions, which is misleading.

I suppose I can't blame you for this kind of misunderstanding as you are quoting auto-translation of a Chinese IM software (which is a lot worse then Google translation), but your statement has alarmed a dozen of dealers and reviewers whom I have discussed with regarding N8, and I had an extremely difficult time trying to explain to them (all of them can't read chinese and they just look at the auto-translation you quoted) that Cayin has not finalised the price for N8 right now. You really has added a lot of workload to an already very busy day.

I'll said this again and please trust me on this:

we have not compiled the final BOM as-of today, we just finished our package design and is still in the process of making prototype for the package and associated accessories.

For example, we need to custom make a lithnium battery for N8 and we have't finalised the dimension and capacity of the battery, so we don't have the molding and unit price of the battery as of today.

That's all for now, 2:20am already and I just set my alarm to 7am, will response to other questions later tomorrow or the day after.

 

[Mimouille]

That is correct, despite its es9038pro dac, SE100 is categorized by A&K as a mid-fi sound/performance DAP (i think priced at $1.7k). N8 suppose to be in a summit-fi category (price and performance), going against likes of WM1Z, SP1000, and LPGT.

 

[seanwee]

Thank you for keeping everyone updated, you have been a big help to this group.



Unfortunately this is a big misunderstanding. You has accidentially taken a dialogue out of context. I have checked the Weibo page you quoted, and my colleagues were responding to a question "can you provide a price range of N8 for reference?", so the response "$20K" is supposed to be interprated as a "range" rather than an exact retail price. You have screen captured the auto translation of the reply but has conveniently left out the questions, which is misleading.

I suppose I can't blame you for this kind of misunderstanding as you are quoting auto-translation of a Chinese IM software (which is a lot worse then Google translation), but your statement has alarmed a dozen of dealers and reviewers whom I have discussed with regarding N8, and I had an extremely difficult time trying to explain to them (all of them can't read chinese and they just look at the auto-translation you quoted) that Cayin has not finalised the price for N8 right now. You really has added a lot of workload to an already very busy day.

I'll said this again and please trust me on this:

For example, we need to custom make a lithnium battery for N8 and we have't finalised the dimension and capacity of the battery, so we don't have the molding and unit price of the battery as of today.

That's all for now, 2:20am already and I just set my alarm to 7am, will response to other questions later tomorrow or the day after.

Got it, will wait for your official price then.

That is correct, despite its es9038pro dac, SE100 is categorized by A&K as a mid-fi sound/performance DAP (i think priced at $1.7k). N8 suppose to be in a summit-fi category (price and performance), going against likes of WM1Z, SP1000, and LPGT.

Id consider the SE 100 high fi to summit fi.

Correct me if I'm wrong but personally I look at DAP price tiers like this
Budget fi : +-$150 or below
Mid fi : +-$300-$700
Hi Fi : +-$800-1600
Summit fi : +-$2200+