[Andykong]

Oh thanks I will definitely check with them

I had few more questions if I use spotify and n8 only have aptx bluetooth is that enouf to transfer spotify premium quality to the maximum possible way?

Can we charge the N8 while in usb audio in mode ( from iphone or android to N8 )

What is the life span of the tubes?

I am also woried about floor noise. I have very sensitive iems empire ears phantom. They can pick noise very easily if the source has bad isolation or any other type of noise introductions. How well is N8 in that regard?

Example ibasso dx200 has noises with my iems.

The current BT implementation in N8 is mainly for HiByLink requirements. With aptX available for transmit only, it is not an ideal setup for wireless DAC for streaming from mobile phone to N8. We'll come back to optimize the BT receive feature later but this is not a priority feature right now, so we don't have a delivery date on this requirement.

You can charge the N8 while you use it as USB DAC to a computer. Not sure when you connect to a dedicated USB Transport as that will depends on the implementation of the USB Source.

Nutube 6P1 is rated at 30,000 hours operations. That is 5,000 working days if you use the N8 6 hours per day, or 13.7 years if you use N8 365 days per year.

The feedback on N8 is generally a quiet DAP, but we better wait for a month or two when we have more feedback form first-hand owner, especially when you are related the DAP to a particular brand of IEMs

Oh what is nos or oversamplings I mean the N8 is bit perfect no? I never heard of these features yet. And chord has there own fpga to. This means the fpga of cayin is there own coding and engineering like chord?

Sorry but this segment of information is completly unknown for me a new territory of physics...

In short, an oversampling DAC will use a digital filter to either interpolate between samples to achieve a higher sampling rate, or to trans-code the original music document from PCM to DSD, or vice versa.

N8 use AKM AK4497EQ without oversampling enabled, but we won't claim it as bit-perfect DAC because AKM involves one non-defeatable user-selected digital filter, although this filter has nothing to do with over-sampling, it will inevitably alter the bit-level data. You can roll back a few page to the original discussion of NOS approach in this thread (here) or refer to other related discussion in HeadFi forum.

 

[Andykong]

Can we charge the cayin N8 while in usb in mode when in otg from cellphone?

I am also woried about hiss any idea how good is it with iem specialy empire ears?

The USB-DAC were designed primarily for desktop based connection. We cannot guarantee 100% comparability with Android phone OTG in general. I have tested our implementation with some popular mobile phones in various shows and events and it is indeed a hit and miss situation, although the situation tends to be more favorable with newer Android phone.

iPhone is actually easier to manage, the Type-C port doesn't output any audio bit-stream directly until you plug a connection kit to the Type-C port, and that will enable a fairly stable connection.

Because N8 assumes a desktop source when engage into USB DAC mode, it will draw current from the source and charge its battery at the same time unless the USB Transport is designed NOT to facilitate charging at its USB Audio output.

 

[audionewbi]

@Andykong Any chance you can perhaps make a video clip of the UI? The Hibylink is news to me, it is a great feature!

 

[Andykong]

Hi Andy,
I will be attending the Taxes show in Toronto this year ( first time) and will be making a mad dash to the Cayin booth.
Will there be an option to buy product at the show or is it just a " show" and no sales.

Thanks

i live within range of Toronto

What is this taxes show . when and where ?

i googled but got nothing but Toronto property taxes

Cheers

I believe Pewterlocks refers to TAVES Consumer Electronic show

Sorry, I haven't been to this show before, I have no idea about the show arrangement.

 

[Andykong]

@Andykong Any chance you can perhaps make a video clip of the UI? The Hibylink is news to me, it is a great feature!

HiByLink is a feature in HiBy Music Player app that allow you to control the N8 DAP via the Bluetooth connection of your mobile phone (both Android and iOS based)

Regular Bluetooth control app allow you to issue commands such as Play/Pause, Previous/Next from mobile to DAP, at this point the connection is simplex: from mobile to DAP. The HiByLink is a proprietary Bluetooth control implementation and is far more sophisticated. Once connected, your music resources on N8 will be shared with the HiByMusic App by allowing the App to read the file headers and metadata of the N8 local storage. The App on your mobile phone will manipulate the content, and control the N8 operation including creating a playlist. It can even offer user operations that are not originally available on the N8 DAP. In short, the HiByLink is a lossless resource sharing platform based on duplex BT communication.

If you want to explore the UI of HiByLink, you can install the HiByMusic Player in your iPhone or Android mobile phone, it is a freeware. HiByLink is a connection protocol between the DAP and the HiByMusic Player App, once connected, the operation will be the same as the original HiBy Music Player, with the exception of Album art ONLY available AFTER you selected a track (i.e., no album art preview).

Search Google Player or App store for HiBy Music Player now, you should be able to find it immediately.

 

[Andykong]

Can i use my home system (Hegel H 360 & PC ) as the drive/transport and the N8 as the power source ? Using its dac and amp , and my CIEMs

i would like to have access to my library which is much larger than the DAP can hold

I am such an ADDH listener at home , that i too often find myself wanting to hear an LP that i have not copied onto the SD card yet , so i have to stop , and put card in PC then copy over etc

i hope i have explained this so it makes sense

Cheers

Connecting N8 to a computer and use N8 as USB DAC is supported, I have explained this in previous posts already.

Connecting Hegel H360 to N8 is tricky, from what I googled, the H360 does not have USB digital output, the analogue Line Out and Coaxial digital output are not supported by N8. You need a DAC-headphone amp that has coaxial input for that purpose. Examples of that are Chord Mojo or Hugo, or any desktop based all-in-one DAC/Headphone amp.

 

[Vitaly2017]

Connecting N8 to a computer and use N8 as USB DAC is supported, I have explained this in previous posts already.

Connecting Hegel H360 to N8 is tricky, from what I googled, the H360 does not have USB digital output, the analogue Line Out and Coaxial digital output are not supported by N8. You need a DAC-headphone amp that has coaxial input for that purpose. Examples of that are Chord Mojo or Hugo, or any desktop based all-in-one DAC/Headphone amp.

Ummm you got me confused right there. N8 has no coaxial output? What the usbC to coax for? Only for inputting audio?
Also I think understanding that N8 had 4.4mm line in and out in the same connector just switch the option in menu.

 

[Andykong]

Ummm you got me confused right there. N8 has no coaxial output? What the usbC to coax for? Only for inputting audio?
Also I think understanding that N8 had 4.4mm line in and out in the same connector just switch the option in menu.

I was responding to a specific scenario:

Can i use my home system (Hegel H 360 & PC ) as the drive/transport and the N8 as the power source

you seems to have serious confusion on the way the gears are connected in this question.

If Hegel H360 is uses as a driver/Transport, and N8 as the power source, then H360 will OUTPUT coaxial signal, and N8 need to ACCEPT coaxial signal.

The USB to coaxial will OUTPUT S/PDIF coaxial signal, you cannot INPUT coaxial signal to N8 while this connection.

 

[Vitaly2017]

Just te reconfirm
N8 can
Coax output
Usb C in and out
4.4mm in and out
3.5mm just out?
The ntube feature works only with 3.5mm
Bluetooth is aptx and later maybe you will add aptxHD with a firmware update?

 

[Andykong]

Just te reconfirm
N8 can
Coax output
Usb C in and out
4.4mm in and out
3.5mm just out?
The ntube feature works only with 3.5mm
Bluetooth is aptx and later maybe you will add aptxHD with a firmware update?

N8 can
Coaxial Output,
USB Audio, In and out
4.4mm Headphone out and line out (shared connector)
3.5mm Headphone out (dedicated connector)
3.5mm Line Out (dedicated Connector)
Nutube deploys in 3.5mm Headphone output only (user selected)
Bluetooth is aptX and SBC transmit, SBC receipt.

Please do not confuse USB Audio via Type-C with USB-C, the later will probably be confused with OTG function of USB-C
No input to 4.4mm and 3.5mm
Nutube is not available on 3.5mm line out, 4.4mm phone out and 4.4mm line out.
We don't have any plan to introduce apt-XH, this is not support by the current hardware
We might include more codec to enhance bluetooth function, but this is a low priority item with no commitment

 

[Vitaly2017]

May I ask why cayin chosen the ak4497eq versus ess sabre chips? Sorry I dont have enouf experience to tell which is better this why I ask.

 

[Andykong]

May I ask why cayin chosen the ak4497eq versus ess sabre chips? Sorry I dont have enouf experience to tell which is better this why I ask.

Both choice are valid, its more relate to subsequent audio implementation and sound signature turning.

From practical point of view, we prefer dual AK4497EQ over single ESS9038Proi. Dual ESS9038Pro will need to serious power management issue because the ESS chipset drain a lot more power then AKM chipset.

 

[Vitaly2017]

Both choice are valid, its more relate to subsequent audio implementation and sound signature turning.

From practical point of view, we prefer dual AK4497EQ over single ESS9038Proi. Dual ESS9038Pro will need to serious power management issue because the ESS chipset drain a lot more power then AKM chipset.

Is AkM chips on same lvl of quality reproducing music. Does it sound more natural and organic versus ess?

 

[Andykong]

Is AkM chips on same lvl of quality reproducing music. Does it sound more natural and organic versus ess?

Sorry, this is beyond the scope of N8 discussion. we don't discussion choice of components or compare performance of components in a DAP thread, maybe you should bring your question to DIY forum where components comparison are more relevant.

 

[Rozeqloud]

Connecting N8 to a computer and use N8 as USB DAC is supported, I have explained this in previous posts already.

Connecting Hegel H360 to N8 is tricky, from what I googled, the H360 does not have USB digital output, the analogue Line Out and Coaxial digital output are not supported by N8. You need a DAC-headphone amp that has coaxial input for that purpose. Examples of that are Chord Mojo or Hugo, or any desktop based all-in-one DAC/Headphone amp.

Thanks Andy mate

Your replies are always well made

I think i am understanding you , but maybe i framed my question wrong

Maybe i should not have mentioned my Hegel at all , because all i wish to do is access all my music on my PC

and power/play it through my N8 (when i have one) . My RSA Darkstar headphone amp is too powerful for my CIEMs but i would still like access to my PC music files to play on N8

Is that possible , or is the answer still the same ?

i will need something like Chord Mojo or Hugo ?

And does that put the N8 out of the scenario completely ?

Tho im feeling i wont be able to do what i want , in case im wrong ill ask

If i can still use N8 for files on my pc Will the Chord Mojo or Hugo go into PC usb and N8 into one of those devices ?

Im feeling if i want to access my PC music files on my PC the N8 is out of the picture ?

Thanks mate for your patience and time (All the way back to when i bought the N6)