Cayin N8II - Tube Magic – Audio Essence

It has been a few days now since the new Cayin N8ii DAP (Digital Audio Player) has arrived here. And yet, these few days have been enough to usher in a new era of mobile music playback for me personally.

I tested the N8ii with the following IEMs/headphones:

The long wait

I've been waiting a long time for this expensive piece of technology, as it has been the most anticipated piece of mobile hi-fi for me in 2022 since its announcement in 2021.

My expectations were high, very high, because when Cayin released a new device, I was never disappointed. This time, however, I wasn't so sure. With the fantastic N6ii-R01, Cayin had released a mid-range DAP in 2021, which even in-house flagship N8 in its place - and at half the price!

Will this work out?

I was almost anxiously awaiting the big official unveiling of the final N8 successor, the N8ii. After it became known that Cayin was not relying on R-2R as expected, which was When I first heard that the N6ii-R01 was not what I expected, but rather a combination of tubes/solid-state and Delta Sigma DAC, my heart sank a little. Add to that the announcement of a new and largely unknown DAC chip (ROHM instead of AK), and a fiasco seemed inevitable.

The time has finally come.

At the end of February, Cayin unveiled the new N8ii with lots of pictures and information, and I followed the dedicated Head-Fi forum day and night, where heated discussions erupted. Then, finally, we were allowed to order from Cayin.

Last Thursday, March 10, 2022, I finally held the brand-new N8ii in my hands. I felt like a child who had received a long-awaited toy for Christmas.

Listen to a sample

Full of anticipation, I plugged in the Empire Ears Odin first. Some people who had heard the N8ii and Odin at CanJam 2022 in New York reported sharp highs and upper mids. Some, however, said the sound was fantastic and that the N8ii was actually being sold for far too little. So, which was true?

So how does the N8ii sound?

This question is not so easy to answer - although - actually it is:
The Cayin N8ii sounds the way you want it to!

Confused? I was at first, too, but after some trial and error, I figured it out. The Cayin N8ii can change or adjust the sound extensively through various sound modes. This is made possible by combining
different sound modes.

Flexible without end

The N8ii offers the The following settings can affect the sound signature:

Antialiasing filter: Sharp roll-off, slow roll-off
DSD filter: Low, Medium, High
Dual timbre: Tubes vs. Solid State
Dual amplifier operation: Class A vs. Class AB
Dual output mode: P vs. P+
Reinforcement: High, Mid, Low

You can choose each of these settings independently except of P+ in Dual Output Mode + Class-A in Dual Amp.Operation.

This is what the sound modes do

Solid State vs. Tube Operation

The tube mode "smoothes out" the "edges," so to speak. I don't know if I would call it "tube-like." The details are still there, but overall the sound becomes more "voluminous" and "fuller." The highs are still there, but with rounded peaks, if you know what I mean. This is certainly a more relaxed presentation than with solid state. In summary, I would say that in tube mode, it's about
the entire piece, whereas Solid State is about discovering individual features and nuances. The differences are very easy to detect with capable headphones and good-quality music.

Class A vs. Class AB

This is a difficult question, as I struggle to hear the differences clearly. At least in the current (pre-burn-in) state of the N8ii. If anything, the differences are rather subtle and less pronounced. I think I heard a bit more of a difference when using the Odin than the Traillii. This could be due to the Odin's E-stats compared to the Traillii's BAs used for the treble; I don't know yet. The Class A on the Odin seemed a bit more energetic, but again, the difference is very subtle. Perhaps different devices produce different results...

Performance mode P vs. P+

This is the easiest to hear. The difference is significant, at least with Traillii and Odin. The P+ mode opens up the stage, pushes the instruments further apart, making everything more three-dimensional. There's also more air and sparkle. The bass also has a bit more energy. Vocals come forward, as if the singer were taking a step closer to the microphone/listener. The P+ mode simply intensifies everything that's there.

Combinations

You can combine almost anything with anything to tailor your device to your personal taste. The only combination that doesn't work together is Class-A and P+. With the Traillii, for example, you can do anything from relaxed (tubes) & P-Power-Mode) to exciting and intense (Solid State & P+ Power Mode). As I write this, I'm listening to Hugh Laurie's "Junkers Blues," and I can let it play in the background or focus all my attention on it, making it almost impossible to concentrate on writing.

The first time

My first listening test of the Cayin N8ii took place with the Empire Ears Odin. The Odin is usually my first choice when testing equipment, as it reveals weaknesses in the connected sources and is certainly not the limiting factor. Below are my notes from this first session:

Cayin N8ii: Fresh from the pack, Settings: Tubes, Class-A

Extremely airy with fantastic resolution
Excellent channel and instrument separation
A very balanced frequency spectrum. I wouldn't say any frequency is artificially boosted. Rather, the N8ii utilizes what's there and fully exploits the Odin's potential.
The bass is the best I've heard from Odin so far. Incredibly deep, voluminous, and impressive.
The midrange is warm and natural. Nothing more needs to be said.
The treble/upper mids are wonderfully detailed and without sibilance (I am very sensitive to treble frequencies and even my sibilance test songs are passed without any problems)

For me, the N8ii takes the Odin to another level.I had hoped that the N8ii would be a mix of the LP P6 Pro (musicality and emotion) and the LPGT-Ti (resolution, air, drive)... My wish was granted! I've actually been super tired all day because we had a bad night. Now I've been sitting here listening for three hours.

In the following days I alternated between the Empire Ears Odin and Oriolus Traillii tested. Both top in-ears were fully utilized by the Cayin N8ii and played well thanks to the variety of sound settings
perfectly with Cayin's new flagship.

Conclusion

The number of possible combinations to adapt the sound to your own preferences and devices makes the N8ii the most versatile (flagship) DAP available and probably one of the most versatile and adaptable sources currently available on the market.
Plus Android and a fast processor & enough RAM - that was never before with a flagship DAP!

The Cayin N8ii is my new personal dream player because it not only fulfilled all my high expectations but even exceeded them.

With the Cayin, I can fully utilize any in-ear device and drive it to peak performance, even adjusting the sound to my current mood—and all at the highest sound level—WOW!

Cayin N8ii