What happens when you put vacuum tubes in a portable music player? Cayin's N3 Pro is what you get.

Thanks to Cayin for sending me an N3 Pro for review. You can buy it here and support my channel by doing so:
www.hear.audio/go/CayinN3Pro
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00:00 Introduction
00:16 Size comparisons
02:42 About the DAC etc.
04:14 The OS
12:06 Sound impressions
16:46 Tube mode
18:36 Tube mode sound
23:25 Got a question?
#cayin #n3pro #DAP

[@Currawong]

Comment from the manufacturer, posted on Head-Fi: "We use the matched pair JAN6418 as tube buffer, it operates in very low current only, that's why it run cools and won't consume a lot of battery. The N3Pro tube mode can last 9 hours with a single charge, we can't do that if we use the JAN6418 as an amplification stage. For the same reason, we didn't select dual AK4493 as a compromise to facilitate vacuum tube in N3Pro." www.head-fi.org/threads/cayin-n3pro-dap-dual-ak4493-and-mqa-with-vacuum-tube.938211/page-139#post-16302363

[@HiFiGOAudio]

This is a pretty decent music player. Well-built, Tubes are no gimmick, they sound lush and warm, pair this with FiiO FD5 and you are gonna love this!! Thanks for your review!!

[@sunnysunshine9016]

Please be aware, after 5.5 months of carefully using the unit the volume nob will starting to fail. Like volume will work 25% of the time. Have to fiddle with it for a min to work. Sounds really good but this problem is not a isolated problem. It happen with few unit on line forum. It happen with my unit & friend's unit. A lot of fun work really well after firmware upgrade (except the volume button) but if you get it from unauthorize dealer such as ebay like me, good luck.

[@martijnbos9873]

Yes I had that problem as well :(. I got it replaced under warranty at the shop where I bought it. I hope I will get lucky with this one. Maybe Cayin could include a way to change volume using the screen without first using the nob. Other than this the device is brilliant

[@automachinehead]

half a year in and the UI is already ageing badly and the caching is still rather sluggish. this is my second DAP but I always go back to my LGv40 bc forcing myself to like them is causing me depression, maybe all DAPs really are shit after the novelty fades out in a couple months

[@dustincal9497]

I remember switching back and forth between lpgt and n8 at canjam, and the n8's volume knob was wobbling. Was completely turned off so I went with lpgt.

[@CLaudiusClemensJimmy]

delightful enlighten me at the same time witch have been eyeing on new daps, many thank you

[@howaiwong6072]

I have both n3pro and hugo2, I switch between them depending on my mood. Imho I think n3pro is more intimate, gives energy to music, gives me an impression of band playing in a garage. The space between instruments is its weakness, Density isn’t great.

[@paprika2280]

So listening to N3pro is strenuous?

[@sit-ubu-sit...]

It plays well with most of my DD IEMs. Listening to Solar Fields "Until Me Meet The Sky" with CA Atlas today was quite captivating!

[@cyberthingy51]

I love solar fields. I downloaded their entire library from Bandcamp.

[@matthewhilty4209]

I find it weird that they would bother with balanced , given the main selling point is the tubes.

[@afistfulofpimples1745]

Software is very immature. OTG doesn't work, fairly regular crashes. I'm on latest 2.1

[@n3lls81]

Does this have a keyboard for typing on the search feature?

[@h0ll0wm9n]

Interesting...thx for the review. I own the M11 Pro. It's internal amp sound fine, but I found even my $100 Go-Vibe 9v-pwr amp (made in 2006) substantially improves on fidelity (over the M11 Pro's internal amp).

[@MrWkendwarrior]

Try pairing M11 with Oreolus BA300s tube amp....pricey tube amp, gets hot,battery life 5-6 hrs is mehhh...but I use for 3 listening g sessions then charge both M11 and tube amp..

[@melvinch]

GoVibe Sharp ?

[@SomeHandleIGuess]

Intro song: “Bruno E - Cosmic Love”

[@RoseCommander]

I think the N3 Pro is a very good attempt to put tubes on a more affordable device. I know that I can never buy the Cayin N8 without winning the lottery. H*** the N3 Pro that I bought was a few months of saving after paying bills. I wonder how it compares to the Cayin N8, since that would be the first thing I'll buy after winning the lottery (second thing to do after putting half in savings).

[@MrWkendwarrior]

Try pairing M11 w the Oreolus BA300s tube amp....which uses a 4.4 balanced input/output......mehhh battery life of 5-6 hrs...but soundstage is wider, tames a few overly bright IEMS, … great power to wake up Tin Hifi P1 planar at slightly higher volumes. Been using it for nearly 2 yrs, thought about the PRO or M15, no need w this pairing, at lest IMO .

[@korling99]

External portable tube amp for me and I believe Cayin makes one, but it costs a lot. I have the cheap Little Bear B4 and B4-X and I like them, but definitely not that convenient for portable use.

[@DJ_BROBOT]

Find an Oriolus external tube amp online and in the hifi community... You can find em under $300 easy these days.

[@minhbu95]

I'm really intrigued by this N3 Pro. But how does this one compared to the Hiby RS2, if anyone has both? Both are very special in their own way and having experienced R-2R myself, I wonder if Tube amps are better or how different will it be.

[@scummymulisha]

Ya, I'm trying to decide which one. Don't care about android or using it for any other reason but listening to music. Don't even care for bluetooth lol. Definitely between those two.

[@DJ_BROBOT]

I'm hating that the screen is so small... I didn't wait to get to get to 2021 for the screens to start shrinking on mid level daps when they were already increasing .

[@bunozen1]

Isn’t just a gimmick? Btw, if you love Jazz, I can’t recommend enough the Audio Technica awkt. Good Lord, it’s just extraordinary.....ridiculously good 😍

[@GinsuSher]

Wow. First !! Sorry. Can't help it.

[@Currawong]

Second!

[@uglyfate1326]

More resolving does not equal to superior sounding. Subjectivly for me N3Pro in Ultralinear mode is clearly more engaging and enjoyable than M11 Pro which you mention is the step up from N3pro. Also i will pick Dethonray honey h1 over Hugo2 anyday.

[@beepover]

Tiny tube sound, beautiful design. Everything works. Single DAC mode was just not that good sounding. Decent trilinear mode. Sound was actually painful it actually bothered me and had to return it minus restock fee. Wanted to keep it but sound of the dap gave me pain. Tried many chifi iems on it.

[@jamesvandamme7786]

I'm a vacuum tube engineer (high power traveling wave tubes and klystrons) and I think this is just silly.

[@prabinpaudel5572]

Your video description writes m3 instead of n3. ✌️

[@Currawong]

Fixed, thanks.

[@ezvkm77]

no streaming this is 2021, many of us don't keep cd's or vinyl so streaming is it and the N3pro doesn't.

[@solipsist-nz7dz]

этот плеер плохо воспроизводит высокие частоты ,их попросту не хватает. очень тёмное звучание.

[@sergiymarchenko1002]

👍, but... I have my vintage desktop Sony TA-70, just for earphones,- and I can't be happier...

[@arongatt]

Aren’t tube inherit to sound degradation over time, it’s strange to put them in a DAP without the ability to change them out like ibasso did. 🤔

[@Currawong]

It shuts off the tubes frequently enough that it's unlikely you'll run through the 5000 or so hours the tubes should last for many years.

[@arongatt]

@@Currawong debatable cos that’s if you listen in solid state mode, but that is not why the majority of people will get this dap for , I would think tubes are the main attraction. And if that’s the case then after a year/year and a half (depends how much you listen/use it , will surely start degrading its sound.

[@howaiwong6072]

The tubes are running as buffer from my understanding the current passing through those tubes are much lower than running them as power amp. Pleas correct me if I’m wrong

[@evshrug]

First!

[@afistfulofpimples1745]

Sorry, you're mistaken

[@carlsitler9071]

Tubes are like LP records since they make sounds vastly more distorted. To each his own but I'll pass.