very well known among fans of serious sound, their tube and transistor amplifiers, transports, speakers and other products have won worldwide recognition. Recently, the company decided to pay attention to the portable audio market and began to expand into this niche. One of the debut products of their portable line was about which today will be discussed.
Given the price (about 170 dollars) and size, the Cayin C5 is clearly a competitor to the well-proven Fiio E12. The size of E12 is slightly shorter, but wider, the thickness almost coincides. They use similar chips, the Cayin C5 is built on the basis of OPA134 (OPA1611 in Fiio) and LME49600 (as in E12), and the output power is also close.
Of the interesting advantages - Cayin C5 can be used as an external battery that can charge your smartphone. Given the modest battery capacity of 1000 mA / h, this is unlikely to be the most demanded feature, but the ability to emergency recharge the phone will not be superfluous.
Specifications
- Output Power: 800 mW @ 32Ω
- Signal to noise ratio: ≥101 dB
- Frequency range: 20 Hz - 100 KHz (± 1 dB)
- Sensitivity: ≤500 mW (high gain)
- Total harmonic distortion: ≤0.02% @ 1 kHz
- Battery: Lithium Ion, 1000 mAh, 11.1 V
- Operating time on one charge: up to 12 hours
- Charge time: about 4 hours
- Dimensions: 136 mm x 63 mm x 15 mm
- Weight: 185 g
Package and Delivery
Cayin professes a different approach to packaging. A box of recycled cardboard beige color, it is larger than the competition. On top there is a fixing paper ring with a company logo. Inside - the amplifier in the bag to make sure that you have not used it, it is sealed with a seal. Under the cardboard tray you will find a manual, a small cable with two corner jacks, a pair of rubber bands for mounting the amplifier, a short cable with microUSB connectors for charging devices, a gray bag with puffs and 4 self-adhesive transparent silicone legs.
A little surprised at the lack of a standard microUSB cable for charging, although it is unrealistic not to have it in our time. In addition, the blue color of the gum looks a little unexpected, but this is clearly a nagging one.
Design and management
The appearance of the player is very unusual. Against the background of other amplifiers, the Cayin looks apart, it is clear that the development company has been successfully operating on the HiEnd-technology market for a long time. Design Cayin C5 can be described by the word "retro". It is very good vintage and has direct references to the classic electronics of the late 80s - early 90s. The body is made mostly of metal, it is the golden color, which is now called "champagne". On the side is the junction of the two halves, it is deliberately accented. At the top end there is a projection closed with a smoky plastic, hiding the volume control, combined with a switch and two connectors: input and output. There is also a power LED.
On the bottom panel there are two sockets, one for charging the amplifier, the second for using it as an external battery. Also in the lower part there are three LEDs showing the battery charge. They have a pleasant orange color, which also gives the appearance of vintage. On the right side are two triangular switches. One controls the gain, the second includes bass boost.
The assembly level is very good, there are no flaws, everything is monolithic, it does not creak or hang out. In the first version of the amplifier there were problems with the plastic lining, but they were quickly eliminated.
The operating time of the amplifier is close to the declared one, it worked for me 12 hours and 9 minutes. The indicator works a little unevenly, and if there is only one LED left, it means you have no more than an hour left. Full charge time was 3 hours 41 minutes.
Sound
The following headphones were used for listening:
I used Fiio X5, Yulond DA8 and iHiFi 770 as sources.
The sound of the player is devoid of a pronounced color, very energetic, with high detail. Amplifier perfectly copes with dynamic music, great volume and improves the imaginary scene, not only in width but also in depth.
Low frequencies are deep enough, they are well controlled and served with confidence. The player has the function of bass boost, it is very delicate, the number of bass increases slightly, but the music becomes more physical. The bass is confidently controlled and does not drown out the midrange.
The mids are lively and emotional, their detailing is at a high level. This benefits vocal and acoustic instruments. The volume of the room is transmitted just fine. Tools are easily distinguished from each other and clearly positioned.
High frequencies are musical and soft, almost no sharpness, sibilants do not stand out. The detailing is also very good, the after-sounds are played out at a decent level.
The power reserve of the Cayin C5 is outstanding, it is easily enough for most dynamic headphones, including high-impedance models, and not even the most tight in disclosing isodynamic models. On the back of the scale are sensitive IEM, the amplifier copes with them, too, is excellent, the noise is not audible, and at low heine the volume is regulated very smoothly. It is pleasantly pleased that the “pickup” from the C5 phone does not catch, which is important if you use the smartphone as a source.
Naturally, it is impossible not to compare the Cayin with its closest competitor from Fiio. C5 is slightly less bright in sound, initially it seems that it is more muddy compared to E12, but after listening to C5 for a while, you realize that it plays live, music, and the detailing is very good. His strong point is live rock, opera and many other genres for which volume transfer is important. The rest of the musical directions, of course, are also good, but it is with them that the brainchild of Cayin shows its strong side especially frankly. The sound of the Cayin C5 is somewhat "three-dimensional", and this benefits a lot of compositions.
findings
I think one thing is for sure: Fiio’s solo domination in the price segment “under $ 200” comes to an end. Cayin C5 is a very strong competitor, it offers an interesting retro design, comparable to the E12 power level and a more musical presentation with an imaginary three-dimensional scene. If you listen to music that requires such an effect - Cayin C5 will especially please you.
The article is based on materials .
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