Cayin company can show a master class on the topic "conquering the portable audio market in the shortest possible time." Of course, with their experience in the Hi-End market, this is not so surprising, but given how many big companies here have screwed up, the results of Cayin inspire confidence. Starting with a very good N6 and no less cool N5, the company decided to take a new segment of the market and released a player with the i5 index.
Behind this alphanumeric code is a player built on the Android OS, with all the buns inherent in it. Let version 4.4 at the moment is already quite outdated, it is enough to ensure what other players can not give: access to streaming music on the web, including from network storage, additional applications from Google Play, support for third-party DACs connected by USB, and much more. On top of Android pulled a pretty good custom shell based on Hiby Music, so you can interact with the player, not even facing all the features of the OS from Google.
For the music in the device is about the same iron as in the younger model N5: AK4490 in the role of DAC and in fact the same chips in the amplification. Therefore, the sound of this model did not even have to worry much. In addition, Cayin managed to please users with a good touch screen, stylish design and even support for USB C. The player understands all formats, including various DSDs, can work as a USB DAC with computers, pleases with a capacious and very tenacious battery.
The price turned out to be surprisingly democratic. Of course, to say that 31 000 rubles (at the time of writing this article) is cheap - you can not. But if you compare with other devices and take into account the functionality, you can say that Cayin - those are still philanthropists.
Specifications
- Processor: Quad-Core LC1813
- OS: Android 4.4 with a custom shell based on Hiby Music
- DAC: AKM AK4490
- Volume control: BB PGA2311
- Low pass filter: AD712
- OU: OPA1652 + BUF634
- Output power: 190 mW per channel @ 32Ω
- Frequency range: 20 Hz - 20 kHz (± 0.2 dB), 5 Hz - 50 kHz (± 1 dB)
- Total Harmonic Distortion + Noise: 0.006% @ 1 kHz
- Dynamic range: 108 dB (20 Hz - 20 kHz)
- Signal to noise ratio: 108 dB
- Noise level: ≤0.01mV (headphone output), ≤0.005mV (line output)
- Output Impedance: ≤0.1Ω
- Line output level: 1.2 V
- Support for lossless formats: APE, FLAC, WAV, AIFF, ALAC, WMA
- Resolution support: WMA up to 96 kHz / 24 bit, the rest up to 384 kHz / 32 bit
- Support lossy formats: MP3, MP2, AAC, OGG, APE
- DSD support: up to DSD128, supported by DFF, DSF, SACD-ISO
- Screen: 4 "IPS, 480 × 800
- Built-in memory: 4 GB for system + 32 GB for the user
- External Memory: MicroSD up to 200 GB
- RAM: 1 GB
- Input: USB Type C, supports connection of external USB DACs
- USB DAC mode: up to 32 bit, 384 kHz
- Outputs: 3.5 mm TRS for headphones, 3.5 mm TRS linear
- Wireless interfaces: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth
- Battery: 4800 mAh
- Operating time on one charge: up to 11 hours (up to 10 hours of streaming over Wi-Fi)
- Charging time from 2A charger: about 4.5 hours
- Dimensions: 126 mm × 64 mm × 14 mm
- Weight: 196 g
Packing and delivery kit
Of course, the luxury of packing N6 here and does not smell, but it is obvious that the margin in this case is clearly lower. First we are greeted by an outer box made of white cardboard with very good design to make sure that nobody's mischievous pens get to the player before you, everything is sealed tightly in cellophane. According to the tradition of the last time, inside the first box is the second, it is minimal in polygraphy (recently somehow it does not happen otherwise), made of black cardboard (the same remark). Remove the lid and under it we see the player. Suppressing the delight of appearance (and it really does), we take out the device and put it aside. For a special ribbon, we raise the upper lodgement and see what else the careful employees of the Cayin assembly lines put in the kit. The keyring is not there this time, but it's a pity, but there's a USB C-cable, an adapter from USB C to Micro USB (the right thing), a pair of films on the front screen, a film on the back carbon cover and various warranty papers.
And yes, I'm sorry, but you'll have to buy the cover yourself, by the way, it's very good in quality.
Design and management
In Cayin they are still searching for their design, but we can already note a vector aimed at increasing rigor. In the past, there is a round porthole N6, and even a corrugated wheel-solstice N5. In i5, almost everything is subject to the triumph of simplicity and restraint. To my taste, of course, they decided to do so in vain, but judging by the reviews on the Internet - I'm in the minority, and most people prefer more or less identical bars, lacking the characteristics. Fortunately, to this extent in Cayin has not yet descended, and i5 pleases a number of unusual design moves.
The case of the player is made mainly of aluminum, marketing materials have usual in such cases references to aircraft and space. The back cover, like the N5, is covered with carbon fiber, at the bottom is a plastic ledge, most likely, traditionally hiding antennas.
The front panel is almost entirely occupied by the black insert, which, in turn, is almost entirely a screen. The screen is very decent, it pleases with its resolution and color rendition, it responds well to touches and even keeps some readability in the sun, however, traditionally the readability is not spoiled by the most contrasting color scheme. Under the screen there is a touch button "Home".
At the ends there are mechanical control buttons, on the left - on / off and lock, on the right - switching tracks and playback / pause. There is also a slot for memory cards. By the way, you can not rejoice, a memory card is not included in the kit, but in the socket you just put a plastic cap (hello Astel and Kern!). Although in our time, perhaps, a gigabyte card at 16 costs about the same as a simple plastic, in Cayin decided that the role of a free bonus is enough and 32 GB, built-in player.
The bottom panel housed USB C-connector, on top - two outputs: linear and headphone, all traditionally. In the upper right corner, attention is drawn to the volume control knob that rotates around the horizontal axis. It is surprisingly pleasantly spinning, demonstrating a tight move, at first it is difficult even to force yourself not to rotate it just like that.
As the OS is used the good old Android 4.4, but Cayin clearly understand that the garbage must be kept under the mat, so the OS is covered by a launcher based on Hiby Music (and the Android version and the player-base coincide with the solution from Fiio, the interface is, however, radically different ). The shell of Cayin is a bit lurky, they put different functions in different, sometimes unexpected places. In addition, some button labels are too small for a successful finger tap, I hope that the shell will be further developed. The Russian language is present, but, apparently, translated it the same algorithm that on AliExpress. Fortunately, there is information that work on improving localization is already under way.
The main screen after launching the application is reserved for large buttons that serve to access the main music sources: internal memory, MicroSD, Dropbox, LAN and external USB disks. If there are files, histograms of free space are displayed (not for network drives, of course). Immediately you can see the media library by albums (the covers are beautifully displayed), artists and genres. Not without a list with all the tracks in a row, and in it Cayin shows for the tracks icons of high and normal resolution, so that those who use the usual 44.1 / 16, felt ashamed of their non-audiophilicity. The second major section shows various lists: favorites, recently sounded tracks, the most popular music and playlists (which you can create directly on your device). The player is very omnivorous and well reads most formats, including CUE.
To fans to twist a sound too expanse - the convenient equalizer, two levels of amplification, 5 digital filters allow to change a sound in wide limits. There are all the expected settings like the sleep and sleep timer, playback of folders, etc. After getting used to the location of different menu items, the player management becomes convenient and does not cause any censures, the shell is more convenient than not. There is an opportunity to install third-party applications (Google Play and traditional ES Explorer are hidden in the sidebar). On the other hand, I would not really count on the advanced features of Android, 1 GB of RAM is not so much, and enough mostly only for the native shell. Therefore, the script "I listen to music, playing a toy, while the torrent pumps a freshie" here is not particularly implemented. By the way, AnTuTu for this player (survive) gives 14 065 points.
Bribes the player and opportunities such as streaming over the Web and using external media, these are the features that you quickly get used to and build into your usage scenario. It's also interesting to connect external USB DACs, but this function is still in development.
The time for pure music playback was 10 hours and 45 minutes (FLAC 44.1 / 16 on a low Gain with a volume of 30 on MeeAudio Pinnacle P1 headphones), but the operation of the screen and wireless modules have a strong effect on the battery, so the real figure for normal use will be below. Charging with a charger from the iPad took 4 hours and 20 minutes. In general, the numbers are good enough for such a function-rich player.
Sound
To listen to the device used the following headphones: ZMF Omni, Meze 99 Classics, Lear LHF-AE1d, Ambient Acoustics AM10, HiFiMan HE-400S, Audio Zenith PMx2, Noble Kaiser K10AU, Campfire Audio Jupiter, Dita Audio Brass.
i5 uses a set of chips similar to the N5, so "in general" the feed is similar, but, naturally, Cayin collected the feedback on the previous model, and took into account a number of points that caused the most complaints. Therefore, i5 still takes a step forward compared to the younger model, but about it is lower in the comparison section.
The bass in i5 is deep enough and moderately dense, a lot of it and quantitatively, the resolution is slightly worse than the maximum, but the textures are worked out quite well. With headphones that focus on bass, the player will please, perhaps even the bassheads. Positively affects the fact that Cayin is not overdone with the bass, there is no attempt to give a "taste" color, making the bass either unnecessarily shock, or vice versa soften it, adding a "vintage" sound.
Medium frequencies are traditional for modern devices. Resolution, microdynamics, emotions, all this is there (if, of course, is present in the recording), the player does not add anything from itself, that's why the fans of the painted i5 sound will not do. Like many other devices based on the AK4490, this player significantly changes the sound significantly depending on the selected digital filter, and at mid frequencies it is especially noticeable. As always, I like the option super-slow, to my ears, it sounds most natural. Perhaps the strongest nit-picking of the i5 sound is the construction of an imaginary scene in depth, the sound is divided into "layers", but for some reason they are quite unusual located, for example, the vocals almost never come to the fore, and some records sound flat. It's heard on a fairly small number of records, but sometimes there is a place to be. The width of the imaginary scene is very good, although not a record one. The nature and location of the instruments are transmitted reliably.
The upper frequencies deserve the epithet "normal". There are no tangible problems here, no sharpness, no strong simplification. They do not have enough work out, but taking into account the price of HF are quite good. Separately happy that Cayin removed the emphasis on the lower HF, which was in the N5, it was beneficial to the overall perception of the new device.
Traditionally, there are a few absolutely subjective comparisons.
Cayin N5. Actually, the overall neutral style of the devices is similar, the difference in nuances. In i5, the developers made the bass more deeply and removed the slight emphasis on the lower high frequencies that the N5 had, because of this i5 seems to be half a "higher" by the sound.
Cayin N6. Overall, the N6 plays a little softer and more impressive than the younger brothers, but surprisingly, it combines it with an incredibly musical pitch, so it's perceived to be more engaging.
Fiio X7. Here, of course, it all depends on the chosen amplifier, I compared it with AM2, because, for my taste, this is the best choice for most users. Fiio offers a more correct construction of an imaginary scene and a better study of HF. Also Fiio has a bit more detail. On the other hand, lovers of bass will have more to taste i5.
Aune M2S. If we take ergonomics, functionality and time for brackets (here i5 does not leave Aune chances) and compare pure sound, then M2S offers a slightly more "drivey" and assertive sound, achieving this by some departure from naturalness. Also, M2S is better at building a scene in depth on complex records.
QLS 360. A player with a very different feed, coarser, more dynamic, more stressful emotions. In general - the representative of another school of sound, so the choice will ultimately be determined by the taste preferences of the owner. And, of course, do not forget about the size and functionality of the firmware.
Compatibility
Overall i5 is versatile enough, 180 milliwatts of power per 32 ohms - enough for the vast majority of headphones, and near-zero resistance allows using it even with moody armatures. The only thing is to avoid very sensitive models, as i5 has a slightly audible background noise. Personally, he does not interfere with me, and I hear him only in pauses, but there are people who make a noise out of themselves by the fact of their presence.
The genre player is traditionally universal, but first of all I would recommend it to fans of technical filing and complex music: classic, jazz, advanced metal styles and stuff. However, with a thoughtful selection of headphones, the player is able to play anything. Sensitivity to the quality of recording on a 10-point scale, I would rate scores at 7.
As usual, a few tracks for an example.
Rush - Tears. Lyrical ballad from Canadian masters of prog-rock pleases in the performance of i5 by working out the small nuances with which the track is so rich.
Louis Armstrong - Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen. It's unlikely that this track needs a special introduction, so I'll just say that the player copes well with all the nuances of voice transmission.
Mekong Delta - Janus. A very heavy and saturated track is a hard load for many sources, but Cayin takes this height (however, without a large margin).
conclusions
In general, the player turned out to be very interesting. Functional wealth is combined in it with a pleasant design and quite convenient management. The sound, too, was generally a success (despite the fact that there will obviously be those who do not like the player with the pitch), but a reasonable enough price complements this pleasant picture, which can not be overshadowed by small shortcomings.
The article is based on materials .
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