jmills8
Previously known as bmiamihk, jmills2
So true. Shut your excessive thinking and absorb the music.
Cayin N8 TOTL DAP: KORG Nutube, Dual AK4497, 4.4mm phone/line out
- Thread starter Andykong
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Elawarai
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No, all button are in golden plastic. I see you also have an N8. Don't tell me I'm the only one to have plastic button or I'll complain to Cayin
And the play/choose track button is too sensitive I think.
jmills8
Previously known as bmiamihk, jmills2
Well, guess Andy can chime in.
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Why don’t you modify them by hiring a CNC machinist to make a real gold buttons. Period, you are satisfying!
I actually had the DX200 (and even thought of getting the DX200ti), and I believe it has great price/performance, especially with the different AMP modules. But again no l Bluetooth receive mode.
I don't know how N8, LPGT etc. are but one thing DAPs with USB/wireless DAC mode are missing is the possibility to use the EQ in DAC mode. As far as I know only Sony has it. It is useful in case, for example, you have a great headphone with a 4kHz-7kHz spike and you want to tame it a bit and make it easier for your ears (for example, Utopia is such a headphone, which is simply too harsh for my ears in the treble region) it is a very useful. Does N8 have this possibility?
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DX200 BT receive mode was implemented in later updates, but typically duplex BT (Rx/Tx) is more common with DAPs that don't have Google Play/streaming apps so you stream by pairing up with your smartphone, using your DAP as a wireless DAC which is a good option as long as you support dual LDAC protocol, like in N8 and LPGT. Also, LPGT supports PEQ in every wired/wireless mode.
Last edited:
Kiats
Headphoneus Supremus
I have had the opportunity to spend a few days now with the N8. My current main travel DAPs are the 1Z and the 1A. I also picked up the AK SP1000Cu recently. The 1Z and 1A are unbeatable for when I fly because of their peerless battery life. Never mind that I keep having to take out the 1Z at almost every airport security point to show the staff because it shows up as a black box in the x-ray machines. 
I was intrigued by the N8 because a couple of friends whose views I value were suitably impressed by it. For myself, I was particularly interested in the Korg Nutube and how the implementation sounded. That should be something that my current portable rigs would lack...
When I first got the N8, I started by giving the balanced output first run. This was via the FitEar Air2 paired with the Tralucent UberToo cable. I was blown away by the 3D soundstage - the complementary depth, texture and the width and height of the soundstage was in short breathtaking. Incidentally, I do tend to listen to my DAPs at high gain because I find that the power does give it more grip and better control. Very impressive sound as well. Of course, there will always be the debate about transparency per se. But then again, we do often forget that sometimes this is a function of the nature of the soundstage. If its thinner soundstage whereby the emphasis is on width rather than depth, we will think it is more transparent and airy. Conversely, if it is a deeper and more textured soundstage, then it will seem less transparent. As always, the truth is somewhere in the midddle. More crucially, it really depends on what one’s preference is for. For myself, that is exactly why I have different types of DAPs - they present music in different ways, all of which I appreciate. For me, the N8 balanced output is quite astonishing: powerful yet controlled. And I now understand why initial reviews used terms like 3D and holographic. I would have to happily agree.
As for the NuTube implementation, whilst I was initially disappointed that it was a SE output because SE output tends to be less powerful and hence less compelling to me, I was very pleasantly surprised by the power of the SE output here. On high gain, I listen to the balanced output at 35 while for the SE tube output, I only increase the volume by 5 marks to 40. One thing I should say first, to be fair, is that whilst the N8 tells you it takes 5 seconds to heat up the tubes, I find that to get a full flavor of the characteristics of the tube output, it sounds its best after about 15 minutes of playing. Before that, it may sometimes sound distorted, brittle and a bit on the thin side. Once its fully warmed up, this baby just sings. While the tube output is not as wide or deep as the balanced output, it has a most wonderful and pleasing signature. Someone once said to me when I first started in this hobby of ours: tubes actually introduce some level of distortion compared solid state but such distortion is pleasing to the ears of some and hence the reason for their popularity. I have to agree - whilst the tube output is not as precise as the SS balanced output, but in terms of performance and enjoyment, I think it is on par if not better than the SS output.
I have since listened to the SS balanced output with the FitEar Titan paired with the Effect Audio Leonidas II cable. Listening to Kelly Sweet just plucks at my heartstrings. For anyone who likes female vocals, you may wish to listen to Kelly on the N8. Excellent stuff!
I will continue to give the N8 a run through the various IEM/cable combinations I have lying around. But suffice it to say that I am very impressed at this stage. Congrats to the team at Cayin! You have a winner on your hands!
I was intrigued by the N8 because a couple of friends whose views I value were suitably impressed by it. For myself, I was particularly interested in the Korg Nutube and how the implementation sounded. That should be something that my current portable rigs would lack...
When I first got the N8, I started by giving the balanced output first run. This was via the FitEar Air2 paired with the Tralucent UberToo cable. I was blown away by the 3D soundstage - the complementary depth, texture and the width and height of the soundstage was in short breathtaking. Incidentally, I do tend to listen to my DAPs at high gain because I find that the power does give it more grip and better control. Very impressive sound as well. Of course, there will always be the debate about transparency per se. But then again, we do often forget that sometimes this is a function of the nature of the soundstage. If its thinner soundstage whereby the emphasis is on width rather than depth, we will think it is more transparent and airy. Conversely, if it is a deeper and more textured soundstage, then it will seem less transparent. As always, the truth is somewhere in the midddle. More crucially, it really depends on what one’s preference is for. For myself, that is exactly why I have different types of DAPs - they present music in different ways, all of which I appreciate. For me, the N8 balanced output is quite astonishing: powerful yet controlled. And I now understand why initial reviews used terms like 3D and holographic. I would have to happily agree.
As for the NuTube implementation, whilst I was initially disappointed that it was a SE output because SE output tends to be less powerful and hence less compelling to me, I was very pleasantly surprised by the power of the SE output here. On high gain, I listen to the balanced output at 35 while for the SE tube output, I only increase the volume by 5 marks to 40. One thing I should say first, to be fair, is that whilst the N8 tells you it takes 5 seconds to heat up the tubes, I find that to get a full flavor of the characteristics of the tube output, it sounds its best after about 15 minutes of playing. Before that, it may sometimes sound distorted, brittle and a bit on the thin side. Once its fully warmed up, this baby just sings. While the tube output is not as wide or deep as the balanced output, it has a most wonderful and pleasing signature. Someone once said to me when I first started in this hobby of ours: tubes actually introduce some level of distortion compared solid state but such distortion is pleasing to the ears of some and hence the reason for their popularity. I have to agree - whilst the tube output is not as precise as the SS balanced output, but in terms of performance and enjoyment, I think it is on par if not better than the SS output.
I have since listened to the SS balanced output with the FitEar Titan paired with the Effect Audio Leonidas II cable. Listening to Kelly Sweet just plucks at my heartstrings. For anyone who likes female vocals, you may wish to listen to Kelly on the N8. Excellent stuff!
I will continue to give the N8 a run through the various IEM/cable combinations I have lying around. But suffice it to say that I am very impressed at this stage. Congrats to the team at Cayin! You have a winner on your hands!
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DX200 has Bluetooth DAC/Amp mode, and it can also play DSD512 like nothing else out there. The DX200 is an evolving platform, and to think that it comes out some years ago is very crazy
I don’t use EQ, but back when I had 1Z, the EQ was pretty good when I used it. However the EQ involved would trim down the battery life a bit noticeable
jmills8
Previously known as bmiamihk, jmills2
Just in!
Inaccurate impressions coming soon
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Explicitly gold in color 
!! Special version?
!! Special version?
May I know how much is that limited edition gold?
Just in!
Inaccurate impressions coming soon
koluludome
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Should be just warm lightMay I know how much is that limited edition gold?
I have received my N8 last week and while I absolutely enjoy musicality and the unprecedented (as far as I know) choice of timbre I'm also somewhat worried about assembly of the volume knob. You can see it swaying a bit to the sides when you touch it. It is easy to accidentally change volume when holding the DAP and touching this knob with the finger. Aslo in my unit while the DAP is switched on, long press results in reboot rather than power off.
jmills8
Previously known as bmiamihk, jmills2
Top sounding dap, I wished it had no knobs.
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