A review of the Cayin player N5ii — raising the bar

The Year has just begun, and the good players come out one by one (well or at least going out). One of the most anticipated innovations coming directly «under the tree» became Cayin N5ii, which was about to appear in stores. About it will talk today.

The Company Cayin always gave me a warm feeling, even with the (already three years on the market, a joke?) like anyone else, they showed that they know how to do and interesting design, and sound. In addition, the developers never followed the fashion (well, except that the design began to make a little bit traditional), slowly to adopt the new DACs and not releasing per year for 3 models. Each product is logical, thought out and verified, no exception and N5ii. In common with the previous model, it has little, you could even say that anything other than price, these models do not bind. The new model has a ESS Sabre 9018K2M (despite the same Internet hysterical — the perfect choice), amplifiers in the chip of the OPA, three oscillator, and in addition in the role of the Android OS. The price for this has remained comparable with the first generation, the recommended price of this model is $ 370, which, combined with good design and high quality sound makes the player a strong player in its segment.

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specifications

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• Processor: Rockchip RK3188
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• DAC: ESS Sabre 9018K2M
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• OU: OPA1652 + OPA1622
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• frequency Range: 20 Hz – 20 kHz (±0.2 dB), 5Hz – 50 kHz (±1 dB)
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• output power (per channel at 32Ω load): 130 mW normal output of 250 mW balanced
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• Recommended load impedance: 16Ω – 200Ω
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• Total harmonic distortion+noise: 0,002%
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• Dynamic range: 116 dB normal output 117 dB balanced
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• the Ratio signal/noise: 116 dB normal output 117 dB balanced
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• Division: 76 dB normal output, 92 dB balanced
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• Output impedance: ≤0,4 Ω regular output, ≤0,6 Ω balanced
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• Supported formats: WAV, AIFF, FLAC, ALAC, APE, WMA, MP3, OGG, AAC, DSD, DSDIFF, SACD ISO
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• Supported resolutions: depends on the formats most to 24-bit/192 kHz
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• DSD Support: to DSD256
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• Entrance: USB-C
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• Outputs: 3.5 mm nauchnikov, combined with linear, 2.5 mm balanced output is USB Audio and coaxial output with an adapter
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• WiFi: 802.11 b/g/n
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• Bluetooth: 4.0
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• Screen: touch, 3,65″, 854 × 480
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• RAM: 1 GB
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• onboard memory: 32 GB (available for user about 26 GB)
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• memory card Support: 2 x MicroSD
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• Battery: 3000 mAh
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• hours on a single charge: up to 12 hours
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• charging Time: approximately 3.5 hours
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• Dimensions: 115 mm × 57 mm × 15 mm
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• Weight: 150 g

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Packing and delivery

The Box is traditionally made unusually, this time it is flat, although in design it's the same standard version in the style of «the external cover plus inner box with magnetic flap», all of this couched in radical black color. It's funny that even the user manual feature in this Gothic colors — silver letters on heavy black paper.

In the box is the player with pasted directly into the factory protective films, plastic sheath, two plugs for the MicroSD slot and USB C cable. An additional case is made of faux leather made «crocodile», you will have to buy separately.

In General, excesses in the package no, but attempts to save is also not observed.

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Design and control

Perhaps it is the look — that's what impresses this model, in the life of the player was even smaller than in the photos. Its simple rectangular aluminium body weighing just 150 grams, which allows you to easily carry it in your pockets, and makes N5ii most compact player with Android (at least from the number that visited in my review). Artsy design ideas Cayin unfortunately gone, N5ii is almost the antithesis of all previous models: no unnecessary protrusions, chamfers or edges — simply a box, diluted only by the volume control in the upper right corner. The design is a bit like the old model A&K, but perhaps due to greater restraint looks even better.

The Rear panel of the player is closed and the plastic ring with an interesting pattern on the top protects the factory protector. The front panel is almost completely occupied by the screen with the button «back» underneath. The screen is generally good, with normal viewing angles and even the margin of brightness that allows to see information in the sun, but it has a certain tendency to cold-blue tint. However, this is primarily a player, and for this purpose, the display — is perfectly OK.

The developers have Not stinted on the physical buttons, the Android and touch screen is good, but control «blind» is even better. On the left side there is a button on/off switch, it is also (you guessed it) turns off the screen. On the right side put three playback controls, below are two slots for MicroSD cards (Cayin loves lovers DSD). Memory card slots without trays is made, making it easier to access them «on the go», but the situation worsens with dust, lag inside the player, so better not to keep them open and use the supplied plugs. At the top are both socket outlets on the underside of the USB-C connector.

Traditionally the Cayin, this connector is very versatile. In addition to charging and access to memory cards, it allows you to connect the player as a USB DAC, allows the device to read USB OTG flash drive, to output digital signal via USB Audio and using a special adapter on the coax. Not all these functions are implemented is, for example, in USB mode the DAC there is a delay, and the output of the USB Audio is not yet «finished» to a perfect working condition (does not work with all DACs plus there are complaints of background noise), but I think at least the USB Audio fix soon with firmware, although the latency of the DAC, most likely, will remain.

The Developers promise up to 12 hours of player on a single charge, in my test (MeeAudio P1 in the role of loading, FLAC 44.1/16 mode «Audio Priority») was about 10 hours and 30 minutes — the result is still excellent for such a compact device. Fully charging the battery took me about 3 hours, not very long, but still to Quick Charge you get used quickly, and in most players it lacks. Pause N5ii discharged at a rate of about 1% (by rough estimates), so the timer is off, idle should still be enabled.

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Firmware

The role is an Android, painstakingly drained by engineers Hiby, ate on writing firmware for so many dogs that they can already be considered by Koreans (you know, so-so joke). Under the guidance of designers Cayin shell was very functional and comfortable, all practices Cayin i5 then maintained and extended.

Immediately after starting we were met by the library window, open the browse music by folders. Each media gets its own button with a circular diagram of the occupancy — this convenient and clear. Media library is divided into three sections: music, playlists and network drives. The first two sections, in turn divided into subsections. In music, you can browse files by folders, artists, albums, genres and all tracks are in one list. In the play sheets can be viewed favourites, often reproduced tracks, recently played tunes, and, in fact, play-lists. The network section on the media library allows you to connect to various servers and to download music. To switch between sections and subsections, you can either click the buttons at the top of the screen or swipe.

Also, the player can search the library, right now it searches only the title track — the group name or album ignored, I think, will fix it in next updates.

The playback Screen traditional, is showing cover art, lyrics or a pair of nice VU-meters. The developers have made to this screen several different versions of the control switch which you can use the buttons in the lower left corner of the album cover, it allows you to choose the most convenient option for you.

By tradition, the player is opening the left hand menu which contains the basic settings: scan media files (very fast, by the way), timers, sleep and off in idle mode, digital filter and other. The player has all the desired features like browse and playback without pauses. In this side menu is a separate item for the installed third-party apps, of which exactly two out of the box: Google Play, ES File Explorer, but you can install everything you need (however, hardly it makes sense to install something in addition to customers of streaming services).

As expected there is a drop-down curtain quick settings like turning off network interfaces and brightness, there is also a button with the icon of a gear that opens access to system settings of Android.

One of the major software innovations of the firmware is the audio priority mode, when activated, turn off the wireless interfaces and the maximum stop all applications running in the background to ensure maximum performance of the primary player and removing all that can obstruct the sound. Of course, streaming clients and third-party players in this mode will not work, it is designed exclusively...