[maceto]

Question; with so incredibly many options for the sound - do you tend to land on one setting for all? One for each IEM/headphone? Type of music?

 

[111MilesToGo]

I think I hit a bug in Firmware 1.6 EN, concerning the multi-purpose indicator light in case of using the N8ii as a USB-DAC, particularly in conjunction with MQA tracks. Since I did not have a chance yet to investigate the matter very closely, I will strip down my observations to the bones.

Setup:

• Input to the N8ii via the Cayin-supplied USB-A to USB-C cable from laptop.
• Laptop runs Windows 10 and foobar2000 with Cayin ASIO driver.
• Used the USB-3.0 port of the laptop, which BTW works fine as of FW 1.6.
• foobar2000 doesn't know anything about MQA, i.e. it sends an MQA track to the USB output in its original state as stored on the laptop hard disk.

Bug:

• I use an MQA album which I have on my laptop. It is 24/44.1 as purchased and stored on disk, and its MQA target rate is 352.2 kHz.
• Playing this MQA file from foobar2000 lights the sample rate indicator to the cyan color (705.6 kHz), and the text on the USB-DAC screen says "MQA Studio" and "352.8 kHz".
• When I stop playing the MQA file such that the indicator light extinguishes, and then start any other non-MQA track from another album, everything works fine.
• However, when I start a non-MQA (pure PCM) track from any other album while the MQA track still plays, i.e. I do an on-the-fly change of tracks, then the indicator light can show an incorrect color in one of two cases:
  • When the new track also has 44.1 kHz, i.e. the same sample rate as my MQA original, the indicator light remains cyan. But the text reads the correct 44.1.
  • When the new track is some other rate (e.g. 192 kHz), then the indicator light switches correctly. The text also reads correctly then.
• This bug shows up under both settings of the new "MQA decoder" switch, on and off produce the same erroneous result.

It looks like the detection of an MQA signature sticks to the positive detection of the old MQA track when it should produce a negative detection on the new track under the special circumstances of (a) USB-DAC, (b) I switch tracks on-the-fly, (c) the 2nd non-MQA track has the same sample rate as the 1st MQA track.

I hope that this error is reproducible for others, and that Cayin (@Andykong, @CayinSupport) can make sense out of this.

PS: Sorry for NOT doing what I normally do, investigate such bugs in much more detail. First day at work this year ... Please ask me to provide more information and details, and do more work on this.

PPS: I have a faint feeling that similar things occurred when playing via the Tidal app under Android, and that this led to the introduction of the new "MQA decoder" on/off switch. My issue is reported for USB-DAC usage.

 

[111MilesToGo]

Hi @Andykong, asking for a little bit of housekeeping: I (and I guess we all) would be very grateful if you could edit your post number 2 here. Please add links to your posts like

• Explanation of the Audio Settings > MQA decoder switch
• USB 3.0 input working as of firmware 1.6 (but keep the link to the USB 2.0 explanation as well)
• Announcements and explanations of all firmware updates
• … maybe more …

Thanks a lot in advance.

 

[nsk1979]

I like watching live concert videos - is it possible get video on lage TV panel via N8ii's USB C output (somthing like USB C to HDMI converter) ?

 

[Andykong]

I like watching live concert videos - is it possible get video on lage TV panel via N8ii's USB C output (somthing like USB C to HDMI converter) ?

No, you can't do that, N8ii does not provides video output, both HDMI (I2S to be exact) and USB connectors are not video-ready.

Maybe you can do this the other way round, connect the Audio return output to an HDMI Audio Extractor (with USB Audio output), and then connect the Extractor to N8ii, using N8ii as an external DAC to your household TV (or ultra short throw projector). Google "HDMI Audio Extractor" or "HDMI Audio to USB" for more detail.

​

 

[Andykong]

Hi @Andykong, asking for a little bit of housekeeping: I (and I guess we all) would be very grateful if you could edit your post number 2 here. Please add links to your posts like

• Explanation of the Audio Settings > MQA decoder switch
• USB 3.0 input working as of firmware 1.6 (but keep the link to the USB 2.0 explanation as well)
• Announcements and explanations of all firmware updates
• … maybe more …

Thanks a lot in advance.

Thanks for pointing this out, I'll get back to this at a later time,

 

[gloomy jw]

Cayin is a god!!
The only downside is heat.
But that too was solved.

 

[sari53]

Cayin is a god!!
The only downside is heat.
But that too was solved.

Hi, what is this support and this cooling system? or can we buy it?

 

[gloomy jw]

Hi, what is this support and this cooling system? or can we buy it?

I drew the drawing myself and made it into acrylic.
(The thickness is 5T.)
Made with a typical 80mm computer cooler in USB type.

Make it freely and use it!!

 

[Shawnb]

Cayin is a god!!
The only downside is heat.
But that too was solved.

You could easily sell these, looks that good!

 

[Maxx134]

Folks, in case someone - like me - happens to be interested in R2R DACs/DAPs because of their much-touted sonic qualities, here is a little heads-up notice. Most of the folks here will know about R2R and DSD story; I just learned about this during the past days.

R2R DACs struggle a lot with the DSD format, since their conversion-to-analog principle and the 1-bit DSD format are contradictory to each other.

If you happen to like DSD albums, and happen to be interested in HiBy‘s latest R2R flagship DAP RS8, then you might want to take a good look at the RS8 thread here, starting from HERE and extending currently to HERE. It is observed - at least by some - that the RS8 seems to continue a somewhat flawed DSD playback as the RS6 did.

I just thought some of you might find this hint useful.

Interesting thanks for info. I myself am torn between the n8ii, (which has the slight increase in vividness over the RS8, and reference tunning I Iike), and the RS8 (which has the sublime naturalness of sound). Getting one over the other produces anxiety in the brain(!), lol.

Coming from the dx320, I find the n8ii to truly be on another level above, and while the amount of difference is subjective to the observer, I find the N8ii sound the most balanced and reference tunning when using maximum power output and tubes engaged. It has a bit more bass dynamic punch and trebles air, plus that slight familiarity in ROHM performance that the dx320 has.
It is a hard decision to make that can only be decided thru personal taste.
Also I didn't feel the n8ii unit to get hot, only nice and warm.


I don't see any DAPs reaching the level of the n8ii & RS8.
From my observations, I don't believe any AKM DAP can reach the level of the ROHM chips, and view older R2R DAPs as not being as involving as the D/S dacs. For instance the n8ii has a great ability to be reference and relaxed and large soundstage while at same time being exciting and involving. Vivid detailing, almost glowing. It may be many attributes combined with also the tubes, but I believe much of the lively signature comes from them ROHM chips (coming from the dx320).

Cayin is a god!!
The only downside is heat.
But that too was solved.

That is utterly fantastic! I whish it was available for sale!

 

[111MilesToGo]

Interesting thanks for info. I myself am torn between the n8ii, (which has the slight increase in vividness over the RS8, and reference tunning I Iike), and the RS8 (which has the sublime naturalness of sound). Getting one over the other produces anxiety in the brain(!), lol.

Coming from the dx320, I find the n8ii to truly be on another level above, and while the amount of difference is subjective to the observer, I find the N8ii sound the most balanced and reference tunning when using maximum power output and tubes engaged. It has a bit more bass dynamic punch and trebles air, plus that slight familiarity in ROHM performance that the dx320 has.
It is a hard decision to make that can only be decided thru personal taste.
Also I didn't feel the n8ii unit to get hot, only nice and warm.


I don't see any DAPs reaching the level of the n8ii & RS8.
From my observations, I don't believe any AKM DAP can reach the level of the ROHM chips, and view older R2R DAPs as not being as involving as the D/S dacs. For instance the n8ii has a great ability to be reference and relaxed and large soundstage while at same time being exciting and involving. Vivid detailing, almost glowing. It may be many attributes combined with also the tubes, but I believe much of the liveliness comes from them ROHM chips (coming from the dx320).

A great comment on the N8ii, RS8 and DX320. I can fully subscribe to what you say about the N8ii, very similar experience to mine. Enjoy!

I understand the brain and heart aches about N8ii versus RS8 …

BTW, I see you playing Brubecks‘s Time Out … tasteful!

 

[sari53]

J'ai dessiné le dessin moi-même et je l'ai fait à l'acrylique.
(L'épaisseur est de 5T.)
Fabriqué avec un refroidisseur d'ordinateur typique de 80 mm de type USB.

Faites-le librement et utilisez-le !!

excellent travail, avez-vous les fichiers dxf, solidworks... qui me permettront de les faire à mon travail

 

[sari53]

Un excellent commentaire sur les N8ii, RS8 et DX320. Je peux entièrement souscrire à ce que vous dites sur le N8ii, expérience très similaire à la mienne. Apprécier!

Je comprends les maux de cerveau et de cœur à propos de N8ii par rapport à RS8…

BTW, je vous vois jouer Time Out de Brubecks… de bon goût !

ça me rassure aussi, j'ai le dx320 avec amp13 et je viens de commander le cayin n8ii. J'ai aussi hésité avec le rs8 mais il est difficile de se le procurer en europe. j'espère que le cayin fonctionnera bientôt avec roon

 

[Quixoticelixermight]

Cayin is a god!!
The only downside is heat.
But that too was solved.

Side note, do i spy the Odyssey? Would love to hear any quick thoughts you may have on how they pair with the N8ii?