[Reviewers Wanted] World Tour for Cayin i5 - Android based AK4490 DAP with WiFi, Dropbox and Google Play

[linux4ever]

Day two with the MO/MN Group 4 unit. Mainly used with my CA Novas; but I am currently using the Tennmak Pro with very positive results.

More details tomorrow, suffice to say that I echo much of what is stated above: slightly warm (I would say a bit more so than posts above), a more "intimate" sound stage, a clean sound, and the better the recording quality the better the sound.

I say that because I have not experienced that detail in other devices I own as much...a sign that this is a good piece of kit. Cheers.

I experienced intimate sound stage with PSB M4U4 but not with 64 Audio U4SE. It was little more wider with U4SE. Definitely the Cayin I5 has a clean sound. Overall it is a one device that doesn't force additional amp etc. It can stand by itself and also extremely portable. Cayin has done good with this device. And at $470 (at Penon Audio which had the lowest price as of this writing. I'm not affiliated with any), Cayin has delivered an outstanding product with premium finish, premium user experience and very importantly audiophile sound. And all this at a good price point of $470.
 
Take a bow Cayin team!!!

 

[ngoshawk]

I experienced intimate sound stage with PSB M4U4 but not with 64 Audio U4SE. It was little more wider with U4SE. Definitely the Cayin I5 has a clean sound. Overall it is a one device that doesn't force additional amp etc. It can stand by itself and also extremely portable. Cayin has done good with this device. And at $470 (at Penon Audio which had the lowest price as of this writing. I'm not affiliated with any), Cayin has delivered an outstanding product with premium finish, premium user experience and very importantly audiophile sound. And all this at a good price point of $470.

Take a bow Cayin team!!!

I would agree. Maybe call it "headphone-dependent." And this is by far the best DAP I have heard, even with my limited exposure.

Tonight I will go into headphones and leave the IEM's out of the equation. I'm also going "amp-less", followed by my amp choices.

This is such fun!

 

[Takeanidea]

I am really looking forward to getting this DAP through with all these favourable impressions so far noted. Looking forward to seeing whether you can get a decent sound from full size headphones.

 

[linux4ever]

I am really looking forward to getting this DAP through with all these favourable impressions so far noted. Looking forward to seeing whether you can get a decent sound from full size headphones.

I don't have any full size headphones. So didn't try it. But with the amount of power it gives to IEMs, I've to reduce the volume to comfortable listening levels. With that as a reference I can see i5 safely driving a full size headphone. May be the harder to drive headphones could struggle a bit, but many full size headphones would be fine.

 

[ngoshawk]

I don't have any full size headphones. So didn't try it. But with the amount of power it gives to IEMs, I've to reduce the volume to comfortable listening levels. With that as a reference I can see i5 safely driving a full size headphone. May be the harder to drive headphones could struggle a bit, but many full size headphones would be fine.

I can state with much confidence (and evidence) that the i5 drives my Fostex t40rp mk3's quite well. Now on to the amp+ phase!

 

[PinkyPowers]

Found myself working on the review today, and didn't stop till it was finished. I didn't expect that.

Behold!
http://www.head-fi.org/products/cayin-i5/reviews/17361

 

[ngoshawk]

Found myself working on the review today, and didn't stop till it was finished. I didn't expect that.

Behold!
http://www.head-fi.org/products/cayin-i5/reviews/17361

A very good review with excellent photography. I will give the review a MUCH more thorough read as I listen to the same unit tomorrow. My IEM/headphone line up is "slightly" south of yours, though!

We share some of the same opinions, too.

 

[Takeanidea]

I loved the review 

 I wish they were all written like that!

 

[PinkyPowers]

Aw, thanks friend.

 

[Takeanidea]

@PinkyPowers I knew it! You made the front page! Deservedly so

 

[PinkyPowers]

@PinkyPowers
 I knew it! You made the front page! Deservedly so

That can't be right.

 

[Andykong]

Congratulation to Pinky, a honest and sincere impression will always works well in HeadFi, and Cayin will be truly benefited when HeadFier are attracted to our product based on honest user opinion. That's why Cayin will always welcome user comments, be it positive or negative.

I would like to take this opportunity to remind Tour Reviewers about our Publication guideline:

Please do not post your impression in this thread, we want to make this an event management thread. Please direct all the discussion and sharing to the main i5 discussion thread and HeadFi head gears review pages, and post the link in this thread after you have uploaded your review/impression.
.
i5 Discussion thread
i5 Product page at Head Gear

We would like your impression to reach out to a wider audience, and the two links as stated above will have lead to larger group of readers then this tour thread. The i5 discussion thread will provide more interactive exchanges and the review page in Head Gear will stay available to HeadFier for a much longer period.

 

[gto88]

Ah, I missed that paragraph, and posted it here. sorry.

 

[Andykong]

Ah, I missed that paragraph, and posted it here. sorry.

Never mind, that's a small issue. Maybe you can edited the post in the discussion thread and include the full text of your review impression instead of the link only?

I should have explained my thinking, I'll take this opportunity to cover that in more detail.

I have recommended two options in sharing the tour impression/review. If the tour reviewer would like to engaged in a more interactive dialogue wither other i5 users, the i5 Discussion thread will be the preferred option as your impression will be read and responded by the online i5 community, Their response are fairly simultaneous and your observation and experience might bring you in touch with other i5 user using similar headphone/IEM, or having similar problem when they are using their i5.

If the Tour reviewer prefer to share their views but probably don't have the spare time to interactive with the users, the Product review pages in the Head gear section will serve the purpose better. The impression/review will not only reach the current i5 community but also be read by those who might be considering i5 as their next DAP. New comers to HeadFi tends to read the Head Gears reports before they subscribed and dig deep into a discussion thread.

 

[Andykong]

I can state with much confidence (and evidence) that the i5 drives my Fostex t40rp mk3's quite well. Now on to the amp+ phase!

Some i5 users has tried pairing up with big headphones such as HD800S and Beyer T1:
http://www.head-fi.org/t/802382/cayin-i5-lossless-android-dap-with-akm4490-dac-supporting-32-384-pcm-64-128-dsd/960#post_12781261

I also find this amazing, definitely not on Cayin's list of design objectives, we want the i5 to be as versatile as possible, but not to that extend.