Review: Cayin N3 – The Master

Cayin N3

Disclaimer: Cayin Audio sent us the Cayin N3 for review free of charge. The unit doesn’t need to be returned and Cayin isn’t a site advertiser.

 

Cayin

Cayin is a premium Chinese high end audio brand (since 1993) and their focus mostly was on dedicated HiFi equipment, covering every chain in the music reproduction path, from CD player to speaker, but the essence is no doubt their tube amplifiers. Their equipment ranges from around under US$100 to just below US$10,000 per item, covering the needs of different requirements and budgets. Lately Cayin has been strongly focusing on the portable market as well with successful units such as the N5, N6 and i5 portable players and the C5 portable amplifier. Now Cayin is back with the N3, a Linux based mini DAP.

The N3 is the little brother in Cayin’s line-up, it’s a completely new DAP which is available for around $149.99USD on Amazon and it is Cayin’s 4th DAP already.  Something I noticed right away when I launched the N3 for the first time is that Cayin is no longer using the “Burn your music” moto. The New N3 now features a “Never be the same again” message when booting and it simply says “Come back soon” when you’re shutting the N3 down.

Of course there is a huge and very active Cayin N3 thread on Head-Fi. If there’s anything you want to know or ask about the N3, it for sure is the place to go. Andy, who is Cayin’s Marketing Director, follows the thread and he’s there helping as much as he can. His dedication is admirable. Talking about Andy, we also featured him on our “Fav album of” series a few months ago, you can find it by clicking here: https://www.headfonia.com/blog-the-fav-album-of-cayin/ .

The N3: Inside, Looks and more

This section again is going to be very comprehensive as there is so much to say about the new N3 DAP. The N3 has a solid aluminium chassis with a soft, anti-slip pleather back. While the chassis is aluminum it does feel to the more plastic side, especially when comparing it to the other Cayin DAPs. Of course the size of the player also contributes to this feel. The N3 is small measuring 100 x 54 x 13mm and it weighs only 100g. Of course with the $149 price this entry level N3 is going for, the materials used are not as high level as on the N6 or i5 just to name two other Cayin DAPs. On the other side the N3 does seem well built and even though the side buttons are made out of plastic, I think the player could take a beating. Unlike with their other DAPs, the N3 comes with a silicone case and not a leather one. I haven’t been using the silicone case as I quite like seeing and feeling the pleather back of the N3. This N3 is all about the music though. It’s back to basics but with a High Res sticker label. (it even comes with extra stickers!)

The N3 is available in black or cyan and it comes with a matching silicone case (other colors are available). The 2.4” screen on the N3 (400 x 360) is small but good; all the needed information is clearly shown on the screen and that’s something that wasn’t really the case with their N5 “Ribbed for your pleasure” DAP. Viewing angles and sharpness are good as well. The little N2 comes with a triple gain control which is awesome, although I haven’t felt the need to switch to medium and high gain just let after a few weeks of use.

Unlike some of its competitors, the Cayin N3 does feature Bluetooth v4.0 with apt-X. The N3 can, also be used as a Wireless DAC/AMP when connected by BT. Some even use it  as a controller for their phone streaming TIDAL over BT to the N3. The N3 offers USB OTG and it of course can serve as USB-DAC for your computer or mobile device (24/192 and DSD64/128). The USB-C out serves both as USB out and Coaxial out. More on this later in the “usability” part of this article.

Lay-out & feel

The N3 perfectly fits your hand and the buttons are situated in such a way that it can be controlled by using just one hand. At the same time that means you can accidentally push some other buttons – it also was the case with the Fiio X5iii which we reviewed a few weeks ago – but once you get used to where you should put your fingers, that no longer is an issue. I personally think the design is very basic and to me the Cayin N3 is functionality over design. While I really love the back of the player, the front side and its overall design isn’t what I would call “Sexy” (unlike the X5iii or AK DAPs which I love). I find the cyan version of the N3 a whole lot prettier than the black version we received. But taste of course is a personal thing.

On the right side of the N3 you find the Play/pause, Next and Previous button. What annoys me a little bit with these buttons is that the “next song” button is the top one instead of the lowest one. With most of the players it is the other way round, so this takes some getting used to. The Micro-USB slot is also located on this side of the player, at the bottom. On the bottom side of the player you from right to left have the USB-C port and the 3.5mm output which serves both as headphone output as well as the line out. The USB-C port serves both as digital USB out as well as Coaxial out (You’ll need a special cable to use it like that). Like the i5, the N3 doesn’t offer a balanced output.

On the left side of the unit you’ll find the power button on top and the double volume button below. The buttons left and right stick a little bit out of the case and they are easy to push (even though they are and feel plasticky). The front panel has a series of capacitive touch buttons that slightly vibrate when pushed upon. There is a next, previous back, select and quick menu button which are all fairly close together. If you have thick fingers that might be a little annoying but I haven’t had any issues with them yet this way. The only thing keeps happening to me is that I accidentally push one of them when the screen hasn’t locked yet. The 2.4” screen itself is easy to read but it is not a touch screen. The brightness level of the screen is more than sufficient.

The back of the unit is made out of pleather and it looks and feels really nice. The Cayin logo is beautifully printed on top while all the certification labels and more are printed in white near the bottom of the unit. On top of the unit there is nothing at all and. The N3 looks pretty basic but it’s well build even though the materials aren’t the finest.

Click here to go to the next page of the review (or use the jump below) 

4/5 - (81 votes)
Facebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedin

Lieven is living in Europe and he's the leader of the gang. He's running Headfonia as a side project next to his full time day job in Digital Marketing & Consultancy. He's a big fan of tube amps and custom inear monitors and has published hundreds of product reviews over the years.

69 Comments

  • Reply April 13, 2017

    Naruga

    As a mojo owner, I was still looking for a small and cheap DAP but still good as a transport. Now I got enlightment from you, Lieven! Thanks alot! Will looking for the usb c – coax cable

    • Reply April 13, 2017

      Lieven

      The AP60 is another great little transport! 🙂

      • Reply April 14, 2017

        NARUGA

        I got it already from my local store. The sound is fantastic and full bodied by itself. Transport from mac and to mojo works well. Bluetooth is also clear and easy to set. Such a nice DAP ????

      • Reply July 4, 2017

        Indrajit

        Hi, how does Cayin N3 compare sonically with Astel and Kern Jr?

        • Reply July 4, 2017

          Lieven

          Much cleaner, more clear, more energetic

          • Reply December 3, 2017

            Indrajit

            Hi, you have mentioned ‘Roon and the Asio’ driver for a cleaner output in the usb/dac set up. Are these available to be installed on windows 10?

  • Reply April 13, 2017

    Juan Luis Quiroz

    The n3 sq can be comparable to x3ii??

  • Reply April 13, 2017

    Rainer

    Maybe the dap I was waiting for:-)
    But I have one question left: when connecting an external dac via USB, is N3 able to control the volume of the dac? I just bought a dragonfly red and I am wondering, wether I might use it with the N3.

    • Reply April 16, 2017

      Lieven

      good question. Most DPAs wouldn’t allow it and set the LO to 100% but on this N3 you can control the output volume

  • Reply April 15, 2017

    Arnaud C

    Hello, i’m looking for a DAP to pair with my hd25 headphones.
    Could the N3 be a good choice ? Berger than N5 ?
    Thank you !

  • Reply April 15, 2017

    Lieven

    I think that would be a great combo. N3 over n5.

    • Reply May 20, 2017

      Arnaud C

      Thank you for your advice 🙂

  • Reply April 15, 2017

    ums

    Have you ever tried to compare it to Fiio E17K? I know it’s just DAC/Amp with no DAP functionality, but I just want to know how N3 fares against E27K SQ wise. Really want to have this baby. Is there any significant improvement over E17K or is it just a sidegrade?
    Thanks ????

  • Reply April 16, 2017

    Lieven

    Well it’s something completely else. They would make for a nice combo but I would just stick to the N3 by itself

  • Reply April 16, 2017

    MetalGeek

    Looking at this to pair with my ThinkSound ON1 and TS02.

  • Reply April 17, 2017

    Phillip

    SO essentially you can listen to pandora and any other streaming music app from another phone on n3 and then send bluetooth to headphones correct?

    • Reply April 17, 2017

      Lieven

      BT connection to phone. Wired headphone connection to N3

  • Reply April 17, 2017

    Phillip

    If you connect a DAC (such as dacmagic usb dac) to N3, will it improve a bluetooth signal at all since not analog?

    • Reply April 17, 2017

      Lieven

      I’m not sure this makes sense

  • Reply April 20, 2017

    Juan Luis Quiroz

    This Cayin N3 can drive a high impedance headphone like Amiron Home??

    • Reply April 20, 2017

      Lieven

      No not optimally

      • Reply April 20, 2017

        Juan Luis Quiroz

        I consulted it because once I heard the dt1990 from a samsung Galaxy j3, and the result was I think pretty decent. So I imagined that while the n3 would not exploit the full potential of the Amiron Home, at least it would be enjoyed

  • Reply April 21, 2017

    coolcrew23

    just wanna ask if you stream Tidal via BT does sound quality degrade? Will stored flac still sound better?

    • Reply April 21, 2017

      dale thorn

      Stored FLAC played by Bluetooth, or wired?

  • Reply April 27, 2017

    Luis

    Does it have gapless playback? I guess it is a must on every and each Hi-Res player.

    • Reply October 29, 2017

      ascorth

      Yes it has gapless

  • Reply June 8, 2017

    Argel mangune

    You said, The N3 is more spacious where the N3 sounds more concentrated. Its confusing.

    • Reply June 12, 2017

      Lieven

      N3 is more spacious than the AP60

  • Reply June 13, 2017

    Matus

    I bought this little DAP based on your review. It is my first one and my main objective was to get the best sonud possible for under $200 with my CIEMs (Music Two from Custom Art, also my first CEIM) and so far I am loving it. The build quality ist just OK (the plastic buttons do not leave the best impression, but they work), but the display works well, the operation is intuitive. I am still playing around with EQ, but already without any eqalization the sound is excellent and I can basically hear no hiss at all. Overall a huge improvement over my aging smartphone. Now I am off to convert my CDs to FLAC 🙂

  • Reply July 8, 2017

    sknaight

    xduoo x10 or cayin n3?

    • Reply July 10, 2017

      Lieven

      I think I’d always go for Cayin

    • Reply September 24, 2017

      Daniel

      Good question, I became a fan of xduoo with the x3 and have been wanting a bit more audio quality for a while now x10 seems like a no brainer, but this one seems sexy too.

      However I do not care for wireless be it bluetooth or wifi and I feel like the missing SD slot is a big thing so my question would be… with a pair of fostex mark IIIs which one would sound better? 🙂

  • Reply July 8, 2017

    Matej

    Hi.

    I would like to ask if the n3 is a good fit with my dt770 32ohm?

    Thank You for the answer.

  • Reply July 11, 2017

    Matej

    Lieven, Thank You for the answer.

    I will would like to ask one more thing. I dont really have a big budget at the moment and saw the the praise the dragonfly-s got. Is there a big difference between the dragonfly black on mobile (my first choice) and the n3. Or the dragonfly red and the N3. Do you recomend to save some money and buy the n3 or there isnt such a big difference versus the Dragonfly black?

    • Reply July 11, 2017

      Lieven

      I think it’s more complicated. the N3 is a DAP so it will offer you a whole lot of things a DragonFly can’t offer you or even do. The N3 is an excellent (if not the best) budget DAP of the last year, while the DFs are excellent USB dingles to use with your laptop or phone (if you insist on doing that).

      I’d think about how I would listen to music most: with your laptop/phone or with a DAP (in example at the office or on the go). And then based on that, I’d make a choice.

      Hope it helps

  • Reply August 19, 2017

    Matej

    Hi Lieven.
    I got the dragonfly black first. It sounded awesome. Unfortunately it didnt work well with my phone. There were glitches often. With my laptop everything was ok. So i returned it and purchased the cayin n3.
    I find a big difference in sound. While the dfb sounded full with a lot of power, the n3 sounds very thin in comparsion. The soundstage is much better and the seperation as well. But im waiting for the sound to kick on (like with the dfb) and it never happens. Also the eq seemingly dont do anything. Do you had simmilar fellings or im just imagining?

    Thank you for your answer

    • Reply August 20, 2017

      dale thorn

      I get those glitches with my phone and DF Red, but if I switch on “Airplane Mode” (i.e. all communications are Off), then it works OK. Apparently DF’s don’t shield or buffer properly against phones.

  • Reply August 19, 2017

    Lieven

    Hi. No you are pretty right. The DF has more body than the clean and clear sounding N3. It’s technically awesome

  • Reply August 19, 2017

    Matej

    I think the soundstage is really awesome. So much space and seperation…
    Is there a way to give it more body (within a small budget) similar to dragonfly?

  • Reply August 19, 2017

    Lieven

    Something like the alo rx or piccolo but the price… Maybe e12 but it’s big

  • Reply August 22, 2017

    JeroenW

    Seems to me that of the two players this one is better suited to classical and opera than the AP60. Both seem an excellent upgrade from my venerable Clip+.
    Thank you for the review!

  • Reply September 6, 2017

    Shit-brain

    The Ciyan N3 is terrible. Slow, sluggish and awful build quality. How much are you being paid to lie?

    • Reply September 7, 2017

      Lieven

      100 gazillion Monopoly money. It were tough negociations

  • Reply October 15, 2017

    Ryan

    Hi, can I pair the N3 with ha2-se via usb out ? so the N3 will be used as a transport only.

    • Reply October 18, 2017

      Lieven

      Really? The HA2-SE is an amplifier, how on earth would it work from the USB out. You’re missing a component then 😉

      • Reply October 18, 2017

        Ryan

        Oppa ha2-se is a dac + amp, I can pair the ha2-se with my phone via usb otg and based on sound quality alone which one do you prefer the n3, x5ii, x5iii ?

        • Reply October 18, 2017

          Lieven

          Wow, I’m sorry. It’s been a long time since I saw someone use it. HA2-SE to me is the Auris Tube amp.
          N3 will shine!

          • Reply October 18, 2017

            Ryan

            N3 must be a hell of a DAP, it even can compete with x5iii sonically. Will get mine today.

  • Reply October 18, 2017

    Mateo

    I have the n3 and I love it. If you had to choose between the 99 Classic and Fidelio X2 to pair with the Cayin, which would it be?

    • Reply October 18, 2017

      Lieven

      both really good, I would go for the 99 because of the X2’s size

      • Reply October 18, 2017

        Mateo

        And sonically which one is the best pairing for you?

        • Reply October 18, 2017

          Lieven

          I have no preference, they’re both darker and bassy with a clean clear source (N3)

  • Reply November 21, 2017

    Ron Lynn

    Just came across you review and have to say the N3 sounds just what I’m looking for. This will be my first DAP which I want to use with closed head phones, I’m afraid I tend to have the volume quite high (bit mutton), I was wondering what the volume is like and what reasonable priced head phones you would recommend.
    Thanks.

    • Reply November 23, 2017

      Lieven

      It depends on the head or earphone you’ll pair with it. look for low impedance and high sensitivity

  • Reply November 24, 2017

    Marco

    Hi, do you think that’s a good upgrade for my FiiO X3 2nd gen?
    ty

  • Reply November 27, 2017

    joe blow

    Which is better overall the n3 or fiio x3 mark III. Both are in the same price range more or less.

    • Reply November 27, 2017

      Lieven

      They’re a very different flavor. N3 for clarity and precision. Fiio for musicality and smoothness. Both aren’t the most fun to work with.
      My choice would go to the Cayin as it is more versatile.Check out the Fiio X3iii review for a short comparison

  • Reply November 28, 2017

    Sulabh

    Can you compare it to fiio x5ii?

  • Reply March 5, 2018

    Juan Luis

    Hi Lieven,

    For you, what is the best digital filter to use with the N3?

    Regards.

    • Reply March 5, 2018

      Lieven

      Hi Juan,

      I with most DAPs tend to go for the Short Delay Sharp setting. It’s most pleasing to my ears.
      My advise is to just go with what you like most.

  • Reply June 17, 2018

    Arsen

    Hi,
    may I ask you please, I want to use Cayin N3 as a digital source for my portable DAC via usb otg. The question is: do the digital filters (sharp, slow, etc.) affect digital usb output? In other words does the signal flow to my DAC after DSP and before AK4490EN D/A converter? I just need a clear data transfering to my DAC, only with eq possibility.
    Thank you.

    • Reply June 20, 2018

      Lieven

      That’s a really good question. Unfortunately I haven’t used in in a very long time and out of my head I can’t reply to the question. I’d have to take it out of storage and try

  • Reply September 8, 2018

    John K.

    Thanks for this useful review. At Musicteck.com the Cayin N3 & Shanling M0 are currently just $20 apart ($129 and $109, respectively). Would you have a preference between the N3 and the M0? Both appear to be strong DAPs; I’m a little worried that reviews of the M0 often mention a lean bass. (I’m not a basshead, but I like it to be present and heard.)

    • Reply September 26, 2018

      Juan Luis

      I have the n3 a year ago and recently I was able to hear the m0. Technologically, the m0 is very advanced, is connected by bluetooth / ldac immediately, the interface is simple and very good. It has the necessary power to drive iem’s and high sensitivity headphones. As for the sound, I still prefer the n3, although they are not far away, the n3 has the advantage of resolving more details, a little better dynamics and sounding something more spacious.

  • Reply February 5, 2019

    dennis

    Hi. Can I use N3 like external DAC for my android phone ? With a cable otg? How?

  • Reply August 1, 2019

    Masters

    How it compared to hidizs ap80?

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.