Cayin N3Pro
Original price was: $1,900.$1,700Current price is: $1,700.
- Dual Timbre: Vacuum Tube and Solid Dual (3.5mm single-ended only)
- Dual Operation Mode: Triode and Ultra-linear (3.5mm Tube only)
- Matched pair JAN6418 in mechanically suspended shock-absorption protection
- Dual AK4493 DAC decodes up to 32Bit/384kHz and DSD256 native
- Fully balanced design with 4.4mm and 3.5mm phone out
- Powerful Headphone output, up to 800mW@32Ω Balanced
- 2 line out, 2 digital outputs, USB DAC
- Hi-Res Wireless DAC (LDAC, UAT, AAC)
For an entry level player the price is on the higher side but you do get those 4 different sound signatures. Offering a multitude of sound signatures from a DAP is quite special and something we see more and more. At this price level however, it’s remarkable. Kudos to Cayin for also trickling down the tube tech to their lower DAP model.
Versatility-wise, as we explained, the Cayin N3Pro scores really well. Cayin with the N3Pro at the same time goes back to basics: the user interface and options are more limited and installing other applications is a no-go here. It’s all about “music first” with the N3Pro and the fact that you can listen to four different signatures proves just that.
https://www.headfonia.com/cayin-n3pro-review/
The N3Pro may well be Cayin’s cheapest DAP currently on offer but in no way is the N3Pro an entry-level media player. In fact, I would call it a bit of a bargain given what it can do and how it sounds.
For those that felt, (and still probably do), that the N8 is a flagship beyond their budget then the N3Pro can give you a slice of that dual operational mode and 4 different sounds for far less out of the wallet.
Importantly, in this sea of midrange DAPs, the N3Pro creates a unique proposition with that sweet and diverse dual-tube output. Granted, it is not an Android DAP and lacks the expansive OS features Android can bring to the table. That may well be a deal-breaker to some.
However, as a pure player, I do think it has more thought put into it than the competition with regards to how sounds and emotion can and should connect.
Is it perfect? Not as much as I would like with that small screen. However, the soon to be included MQA functionality is an important addition, something which the N6ii and the N8 already have.
Right now, I think Cayin’s media player roadmap looks incredibly consistent. The addition of the N3Pro only adds to that sense of natural-sounding identity and thankfully, at an affordable price point.
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