Cayin N8ii: The Incredible DAP with ROHM DAC and fully BAL Nutube
- Thread starter Andykong
- Start date
Excellent album! Peak Lynch, Peak guitar tone, Peak songwriting.
And then it all went to hell after Monsters of Rock '88....
I understand the experience. I didn’t do it all at once, having bought the N8ii at CanJam NYC, but in the search to complete my ultimate setup I demoed the Jewel and Trailli at CanJam Chicago. It was close, but I went the other way than you, choosing the Bird. Preferences, I think both have their merits. What shocked me is how DIFFERENT the IEMs changed from a ridiculously expensive cable swap. I lost all sense of reason and picked up the Orpheus too, I know…I finally reached the 150h break in mark with my newly purchased N8ii and I would like to write some impressions from this impressive device...
For some context and background, I am mostly a speaker person: the soundstage, room reproduction and pressurization cannot be emulated with headphones. That being said, I am a music lover and above all things I appreciate any technology that reproduces with fidelity what the artist meant to express during the recording session. I have aways been interested in headphones as well because while they can’t emulate the physical aspects of a loudspeaker, they are able to eliminate all the imperfections caused by room reflections, bringing all the detail directly into your ear canal.
I am saying all of that because over my journey to find a satisfactory headphone or IEM setup, I was aways trying to bring the feeling of the speakers to the portable rig - it would be amazing if I could carry that feeling with me around the house or to my office.
After owning most of the so called TOTL IEMS (Tia Fourte, UM Mason FS, A18t, Legend, Bravo), HEADPHONES (Focal Utopia, Susvara, Abyss 1266 phi tc, Meze Empyrean) and DACs / Amps (Chord Hugo2, Dave, Hugo TT2 DCS Bartok, LPGT, several A&K models) I think I finally got very close to the feeling of carrying my speakers with me with the N8ii.
It will be almost impossible for me at this point to write a precise review of the Cayin N8ii because I was fortunate enough to buy 3 amazing components and start using them at the same time. I visited Andrew @ Musicteck a few weeks ago and demoed the N8ii. At that time, I tested the N8ii with my UM Mason FS and 2 things stroke me immediately: the detail retrieval and how effortless the N8ii drove the Mason FS. Before the N8ii, I was using the LPGT and the Chord 2 and the N8ii made my IEM more musical, a tad warmer, which a much bigger sense of reproduction realism.
I was so impressed by the N8ii that I decided to test 2 IEMs that were on my radar: the Trailli and the Jewel. Andrew again helped me with that, this time going to meet me in a coffee shop in NJ. That was an incredible busy week for me and Andrew drove to a place more convenient for e to demo the IEMs. I can’t recommend enough the service of Andrew and Musicteck, he is just incredible and a very important part of this journey for me.
I’ve spent one hour with these IEMs and while the Trailli is technically very natural with an impressive soundstage, IMHO the Jewel simply made the Bird sound a little sad… The way that Aroma turned the DD in the Jewel so pleasant that I am starting to consider it superior to the bass from the Abyss 1266 (which is of course bigger in volume but less controlled than the Jewel and also dependent on how you position the ear cups in your head.
As if the Jewel was not enough, I also ask Andrew to bring a demo of the PW Orpheus and the moment I hooked that cable into the Jewel and N8ii, I started to smile and though: “holy s&*$#, I need this.”
As I said, all 3 components of y new portable rig are new and equally jaw-dropping in terms of resolution, clarity, separation, dynamics, soundstage… It is very difficult for me to understand exactly who is doing what and which part is bringing the most to the chain. But in the end what matters is the synergy that the N8ii > Orpheus > Jewel have together. Listening to Agnes Obel’s Fuel to Fire just keep me in constant ecstasy and I noticed that I am not listening to the technicalities of my devices anymore. Instead I am connecting to the artist in a way I never did before and to me that is priceless.
Allears79
100+ Head-Fier
I remember liking the bird as well, but my decision was influenced by the sub bass levels and control of the Jewel. Supported by the tube amp in N8ii it was just the most realistic bass impact that I felt from an IEM system. And the Orpheus, omg…
Orpheus OMG is right, lol. For me, I was a straight up cable non-believer (“It’s just wire!”), but I simply couldn’t deny the change my ears were hearing (and the smile on my face that change was creating in the music) after A/B listening.
Has anyone tried using this dap as a desktop replacement ?
If so does it have a delay last dap I bought two years ago had a delay for real time stuff like Videos and games I was wondering if the n8ii or m17 have fixed that ?
If so does it have a delay last dap I bought two years ago had a delay for real time stuff like Videos and games I was wondering if the n8ii or m17 have fixed that ?
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CayinSupport
Sponsor: Cayin
N8ii V1.5EN Firmware Update
Hey guys, we have published the V1.5EN firmware for N8ii, you can either update your N8ii through OTA or head to our official website to download the firmware.
changelog:
1. Enhanced compatibility of 16x MQA unfolding with third-party applications such as Tidal;
2. Revised User Interface for "Volume Control Setting";
3. Keeps "Volume Control Setting" selection after power off;
4. Other bugs fixed and system optimization.
For more info, please click the following url:
https://en.cayin.cn/drive/9/18/579.html
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blotmouse
Headphoneus Supremus
Everything went fine going to 1.5, however the volume gui visual overlay indicator now isn't able to be closed with a tap to the bottom portion of the screen. I found this super handy because the time it keeps you from doing anything is too long and/or unnecessary.
Adjust +1 vol, wait...1...2...3.. ok, now I can continue. Not sure if this was implemented or a bug in 1.5?
You can still hit the back button to quick return to functional, but that feels like a waste of movement and you need to be more precise. Without the bottom screen tap, the visual overlay is very much in the way and annoying now.
Can we get this to work as before or even some further granular controls over that volume overlay in a future update? Thanks.
Adjust +1 vol, wait...1...2...3.. ok, now I can continue. Not sure if this was implemented or a bug in 1.5?
You can still hit the back button to quick return to functional, but that feels like a waste of movement and you need to be more precise. Without the bottom screen tap, the visual overlay is very much in the way and annoying now.
Can we get this to work as before or even some further granular controls over that volume overlay in a future update? Thanks.
+1 on the wait time issue after changing volume. Previously you just need to tap anywhere on the screen to exit the volume change UI, but now you have to swipe from the left/right of the screen to exit the volume change UI.
111MilesToGo
500+ Head-Fier
+1. That is very annoying now. @CayinSupport: Please make exiting the volume control work again as before in the N8ii, N6ii !
Bug confirmed, will rectify in subsequent firmware.
ECKHUAAA
100+ Head-Fier
My update went well, and I was happy to experience an improvement in the soundBug confirmed, will rectify in subsequent firmware.
quality, there seem to be a more focused more 3D and even more detail and realism to the Sound and seem to be louder too, I hadn't changed my volume level from previous day listening!
I liked the original Venus like anti-clockwise rotation for volume increase so not even messing with that, but love the better Sound
Thanks
Doug2507
Headphoneus Supremus
Oddly enough I can dismiss volume instantly by tapping the circle. Is this what you guys are missing now?
One new thing I've noticed, it'll show what song comes up next when the screen is sleeping now which is really nice for a glance at what's playing.
The biggest change for me and might be purely down to a factory reset before fw upgrade is I've lost any popping / artifacting I had with certain songs. Quite odd as it was 100% repeatable for track / time but totally disappeared now (through UAPP). Was mostly DSD but had a RB artifact last night which was a worry and tonight was going to be fault finding between sd and on board, don't have to now! Strange one.
One new thing I've noticed, it'll show what song comes up next when the screen is sleeping now which is really nice for a glance at what's playing.
The biggest change for me and might be purely down to a factory reset before fw upgrade is I've lost any popping / artifacting I had with certain songs. Quite odd as it was 100% repeatable for track / time but totally disappeared now (through UAPP). Was mostly DSD but had a RB artifact last night which was a worry and tonight was going to be fault finding between sd and on board, don't have to now! Strange one.
blotmouse
Headphoneus Supremus
By circle, are you referring to the Home button? That thankfully has always worked. Also, the side swipes. But tapping empty space works for all other overlay gestures system wide, and used to for the volume overlay until 1.5. Sounds like it was just a regression that happened while they were messing with all the the volume behavior demands, lmao.
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