Cayin N7 Android player review - single-bit, all discrete
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- čas přidán 5. 08. 2024
- Cayin developing their unusual D/A converting technology to create a player with a fresh sound tuning
0:00 - Introduction
4:48 - Unboxing and accessories
6:58 - Design and controls
12:09 - Firmware
15:03 - Sound
26:03 - Pairings and comparisons
Tracks mentioned in the review
Noah Wall - Down by the Riverside
Yello - How How
Arena - The Unquiet Sky
Cilver - Afterlife
David Bowie - Life on Mars?
Pink Floyd - Keep Talking
Music by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
creativecommons.org/licenses/b... - Věda a technologie
thank you for the review, by any chance have you heard the sony players, wm1am2 or zm2 versus this?
unfortunately, it's unlikely, local Sony distributor isn't interested in players and focuses on more profitable gadgets
Would you say N7 or R8ii for sensitive bassy iems ?
unfortunately I didn't test any of HiBy's 8 series, so I can't suggest about them based on practical listening, but N7 doesn't fit my subjective taste, so I'm a bit biased here. Also I really like R6 Pro II, so I'd go for HiBy
Hi Cleg! What do you think of the sound quality between this and the Hiby R6 Pro II?
Of course they're in different price brackets, obviously, but I 'd love to hear your thoughts. I think diminishing return hits hard when you go to above 1000 USD for a DAP. Thank you 😊😊
You know, it's a bit hard to say here, because I really like R6 Pro II, and N7 isn't my "cup of tea". So it's not a matter of N7 being bad, but I prefer HiBy
As for diminishing returns, it's totally true, it works here same as in other areas. So that's why I often recommend people to stay in the middle segment, and go to top segment after some consideration.
Also we have some spikes in that price to quality curve. With HiBy R6PII being one of them :) Another one is FiiO M17 for me
@@PortaFi Thank you so much for your reply, it means a lot for people who can't afford to demo them at a store like myself.
I'm seriously considering between the AK SR35 and the Hiby R6 Pro II, possibly I'll go with Hiby because I can live with the poor battery life (if it sounds better, I mean it's got a flagship chip inside, that's gotta count towards the overall performance, right? Haha).
@@minhbu95 you know, probably it's not a correct way of thinking, but anyway. R6 Pro II is a unique product in terms of sound, I think they could've easily put 2 times higher price for it, but HiBy decided to price it aggressively. While I haven't heard SR35, but two previous models were like "ok" in terms of sound. SR15 was super small and cute, while SR25 became bigger, and didn't make much sense to me. Chances are that SR35 is a viable step forward in terms of SQ, and in this case it can compete with HiBy, but it's not super likely
I'm not trying to convince you towards HiBy, but more about reading some reviews about SR35
@@PortaFi I agree, I was being 50% sarcastic about the use of the flagship DAC on the Hiby, it's all about how the entire thing was put together. I do love the small design and music-first approach I of the SR35. But considering the "AK tax", I'm convinced (not having heard either daps) that at that price, R6P II performs better sonically than the SR 35. It's a serious claim from someone who hasn't heard either, so I will report back here once I've had the chance to hear both. Thank you for the help, I love your Ara review as I have one and I agree with most of your impressions 😊😊
worth 4/10x price put simply
Now waiting for the Astell&Kern SE300 and see how it compares to the N7 😊
Yep, I'd like to hear it too, but I don't expect much from it :) Will be glad if I'll be wrong here
@@PortaFii compared the se300 to my sp1000 and the sp1000 is still a better sounding dap. It's more natural, layered, smoother and more refined. The se300, even with NOS on, A amplifier on and high gain, was still sharper and more aggressive than the sp1000. The se300 had a very wide soundstage tho but I wouldn't say it had a bigger stage overall as the sp1000 was more holographic and deeper, still maintaining a very nice width.
@@karolkedzierski5824 thank you for sharing! I didn't have a chance to test SE300 yet
How does this sound compared to the Kann Ultra?
less monitoring and less dryer
1000 $ now :)
oh, that's a radical drop…
so from your point of view cayin N7 didn't impress u this time, especially for $2k. anyway N6ii with E01 amplification from class A to AB is truly noticeable and two of them sure is good in their own system sound, i guess cayin really tuned it well. good detailed review as always pavlo, God Bless u & your family @ukraine 🙏
Thank you, all the best wishes to you too!
It's not like I'm unimpressed, N7 sounds good, I just expected a bit different representation
@@PortaFi People are always looking for a sound which pleases their ears. I am surprised when I hear some saying they want a warm sound for ex. I always tried through my stereo systems to find a midrange which was neutral/natural as close to the real thing. I have heard stuff from Cary, CJ or PP tube amps which were so unrealistic to me. Many owners of the N7 on Head-Fi with top of the line DAPs and IEMs put it between R2R and Delta/Sigma with a great balance between the smoother analog RS8 and the too vibrant N8ii for ex. The fact that you have to stick to DSD sound on this player might not be for everyone. We all know the PCM/DSD debate.
Another issue is IEM pairing. Writing a review with only one set might not bring to the right conclusion. Some had different results depending of IEMs they used like EE EVO sounds great on N7, Fir Xe6 , not so good . Custom Art. F5 is spectacular.
If you can get a used N7 for $1500, I don't see anything better in this price range.
I prefer the Sony Z1R to the Mest II on my N7. I have a FIBAE 5 on the way.
Oh man. I type as much as you talk. :-)) Keep up the good work!
That's what actually makes me a bit sad, Cayin's previous models offered a representation with a more highlighted emotions, and that was the thing I liked.
And yes, I found N7 more picky about IEMs pairings
For 1500, btw, I'd prefer FiiO M17, but it's not really portable
Thank you for writing your opinion, it's a joy for me to get a detailed answer that allows me to continue the discussion )))
@@PortaFi The RU 6 is pretty neat for the price and sound quality. Perfect for people who want to use their phones and find DAPs redundant.
@@jft8994 yes, I agree here. RU6 is great. I have a RU7 too, so need to test it properly and make a review
Ok
Дякую!
Cayin have lost their way in my opinion. Loved the original n8 and end N6ii. Owned and sold the n8ii and briefly tried the n7. Not for me
I understand what you mean, but subjectively, I liked N8ii, but not enough to buy it :)
@@PortaFi the n8ii wasn’t awful but I didn’t feel it was worth the money. Seems like they are trying to be more reference like lotoo rather than their older warmer sound. I preferred then when ut felt like they had their own identity
@@garygriffiths7353 yes, I liked their emotion-forward representation too. Have you tested new RU7? It sounds interesting to me, closer to "ol' good days"
@@PortaFi oh I didn’t know that. I may get one. I have a new phone coming so a nice dongle dac could be a good idea!
Good lord. Shorter video and less mumbo jumbo pls.
thanks for a suggestion, but TBH this reviews are just my hobby, and I make them just for that mumbo-jumbo :)
@@PortaFiith 37,5K followers i think you should consider your viewers' inputs. I love your vids. I do. Its just that I often get lost, not finish or skipped your videos. Just a word of inputs from your fan
@@ferryjunigwanmurdiansyah4307 sure, you're definitely right, and I appreciate your suggestion, as well as any other. I really want to make better production/editing/etc. But the problem is I don't have time. I'm not profiting from the reviews, and I have to do main work for living. So my free time for videos is limited, so I have to balance between speed and quality.
Of course I'd like to raise the level of review, maybe I'll do it some day
And also, I'm kinda talkative person (it's limited by language barrier a little bit), so I'd like to talk about some unrelated stuff. It may be bad (and most probably is), but this way I'm getting more fun. It's not an excuse for me, but at least an explanation about WTF I'm doing that