[Whitigir]

Oops clicked Pre-Order and "Pay Now"

Oops! I did it again !!!

LMAO

 

[Whitigir]

Wow, so just from this picture, the battery is actually separated away from the main PCB !!! That is amazing !! And look at that Korg mountings!!! Love it

 

[Levanter]

Wow, so just from this picture, the battery is actually separated away from the main PCB !!! That is amazing !! And look at that Korg mountings!!! Love it

The battery looks very user friendly replaceable. Plug and play?

 

[Whitigir]

The battery looks very user friendly replaceable. Plug and play?

I wouldn’t say so, the back is likely glued together as smartphones style, which isn’t as friendly as you think it is. Unless it is with screws

 

[Natesdailies]

I wish Cayin would merge with Unique Melody and change their business strategy to release a new DAP every year.
Eventually R2R dac with dual nutube would be awesome mix. N8ii is reasonably priced comparing to what LP charges
for their invention that is if they can provide comparable SQ. I have a feeling N8ii would go quite well with Odin.

I am actually buying mine to pair with the Odin. Hope it works out

 

[Shawnb]

Any photos of the unit in the case? Interested on if the tubes will show in the case or not

 

[justanut]

I'm just mildly disappointed they chose to stick with the Snapdragon 660 instead of something newer that would allow it to have a longer lifespan, better battery/performance and quality of life improvements that would have swung things even more in their favour.

 

[orifiel]

Here we go again….

 

[Z_Showmaster]

I'm just mildly disappointed they chose to stick with the Snapdragon 660 instead of something newer that would allow it to have a longer lifespan, better battery/performance and quality of life improvements that would have swung things even more in their favour.

Justin, when the market deems it necessary to stream 4K video via a DAP, one will be built to.

 

[justanut]

Justin, when the market deems it necessary to stream 4K video via a DAP, one will be built to.

I'm just looking for a reason to buy another DAP from you guys. Ah well.

Also realised that this has been beaten to death in earlier pages, shall not belabour the point. As I said, mildly disappointed.

 

[seanwee]

IMO, Cayin hits a home run with this N8ii. The new Walkman is a joke in comparison.

Walkmans have not seriously competed with other TOTL daps since 2018 imo. The DMP-Z1 was awesome but was way more expensive and doesn't really qualify as a DAP.

Seeing as how much of the sound is just software, I think they may just port over the DMP-Z1 sound into the new walkmans to compete with modern offerings.

 

[Currawong]

Catching up with the thread after shooting and editing video all day.... and finding out that something I said in the video now needs updating. This is why I don't like rushed reviews, but oh well.

Just my personal opinion. The current DAP market has a very interesting dynamics. Some companies lost market share, so they are dropping prices. Others want to be taken more seriously, so they are raising prices. And some feel comfortable where they are, especially if you don't release a new DAP every year. Plus, when you release a next gen flagship, it would send the wrong message if the price is lower than previous flagship model. But, unlike many years ago, price is no longer an indicator of higher quality/performance when you compare flagship DAPs between different brands, and diminishing returns still apply when going from mid-fi to summit-fi level.

I have to say that it was interesting reading James @ FiiO's blog about DAP development. Each company seems to be driven by slightly different ideals, and customer desires. Personally, the N6ii/R01 is about as close to an ideal DAP for me, and I can't imagine dropping over $2k on such a set-up, ever. I think that the R8ii and the like are for those people who earn so much that dropping this kind of money isn't a big deal for them, and they are thoroughly enjoying the journey, new toys, etc.

Android 9 .. in 2022 ?
I am afraid, that it means again soon or late some serious software issues with music streamers.. no access to system level DSP/PEQ (Wavelet, PowerampEQ,..) .. probably no serious power management for saving batteries or optimizing the battery life.

There's some power management in Android 9, such as limiting how far the battery charges. I think that, as gLer said, it comes down to Hiby not having updated their bit-perfect system to work with Android 10 yet. I hadn't considered system level EQ as much though, which has obviously exploded lately as the "in thing". I'm not sure that DAP manufacturers can move as fast as phone manufacturers in that realm.

 

[gLer]

I wish Cayin would merge with Unique Melody and change their business strategy to release a new DAP every year.

That would be a real shame. I actually much prefer Sony's strategy (not products, strategy), especially when it comes to flagships. When you invest in a flagship it should come with some exclusivity and longevity, be it a DAP or headphone or IEM.

Wow, so just from this picture, the battery is actually separated away from the main PCB !!! That is amazing !! And look at that Korg mountings!!! Love it

The N8ii is a techie engineers wet dream. I think we've heard just about zero on sound and reams and reams of specs and parts blowups.

I think that the R8ii and the like are for those people who earn so much that dropping this kind of money isn't a big deal for them, and they are thoroughly enjoying the journey, new toys, etc.

Pretty much. The only reason to spend this much for a DAP is when you absolutely must have portability at all costs, or, more likely, cost is no object. Even then, something like Hugo2 is still portable and blows just about any DAP out the water in terms of SQ and power (though needs a source, of course, and the sound profile isn't for everyone). I'm hoping to see more Hugo2-like devices with all the bells and whistles seriously start challenging summit-fi DAPs for price and performance, but in a smaller form factor and with 'new old' tech like R-2R. Cayin already has the capability to make something like that. Meanwhile the N8ii is the new-and-shiny, so I look forward to reading all the impressions.

Walkmans have not seriously competed with other TOTL daps since 2018 imo.

Spec-wise, no, but Walkmans, as I've realised since owning Z1Rs, are really designed for a small subset of IEMs/headphones with which they synergise perfectly, IF you're a fan of the Sony sound. If you're not, no amount of specs or power will get you buying one. Considering more Walkmans are sold in Japan than anywhere else in the world combined, they have their market pretty much sewn up. What people think of their 'niche' products outside Japan doesn't really factor, from what I've seen. Even their English-language marketing, while still slick and professional, is an afterthought.

 

[seanwee]

Neither. I am a degenerate that actually puts value into intangibles such as the aesthetics, reduced weight, knob feel

N8ii Magnesium?

Catching up with the thread after shooting and editing video all day.... and finding out that something I said in the video now needs updating. This is why I don't like rushed reviews, but oh well.

I have to say that it was interesting reading James @ FiiO's blog about DAP development. Each company seems to be driven by slightly different ideals, and customer desires. Personally, the N6ii/R01 is about as close to an ideal DAP for me, and I can't imagine dropping over $2k on such a set-up, ever. I think that the R8ii and the like are for those people who earn so much that dropping this kind of money isn't a big deal for them, and they are thoroughly enjoying the journey, new toys, etc.


There's some power management in Android 9, such as limiting how far the battery charges. I think that, as gLer said, it comes down to Hiby not having updated their bit-perfect system to work with Android 10 yet. I hadn't considered system level EQ as much though, which has obviously exploded lately as the "in thing". I'm not sure that DAP manufacturers can move as fast as phone manufacturers in that realm.

That would be a real shame. I actually much prefer Sony's strategy (not products, strategy), especially when it comes to flagships. When you invest in a flagship it should come with some exclusivity and longevity, be it a DAP or headphone or IEM.

The N8ii is a techie engineers wet dream. I think we've heard just about zero on sound and reams and reams of specs and parts blowups.

While I'll probably never splurge this much on a dap, I very much enjoy listening to their demo units In which case, the more the merrier.

Producing Halo product to show that they are the best also helps the brand image of the company and draw in customers who will buy their more budget or midrange daps.

 

[WDitters]

Even their English-language marketing, while still slick and professional, is an afterthought.

Actually... The word Timber (rather than Timbre) actually is well chosen if one considers the size and weight of the N8ii and the warning one really should send out when an N8ii is about to fall to the ground...