The Incredible Cayin N6iii
Master Quality Digital Audio Player
........with the N6iii: Nothing is Impossible
At a glance :
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 665 Octa-core x64 Processor
- Customized Android 12 with Google Play
- 6GB RAM and 128GB storage, expandable up to 2TB
- Bluetooth 5.0 with LDAC and UAT support and more
- 5.0-inch Sharp TFT Display (1080×1920)
- S/PDIF, USB Audio In/Out
- Fast charge support PD2.0
- Quick Release Tool-Free Motherboard installation
- Size: 126mm x 77.8mm x 23mm & Weight 295g
- C201 Motherboard pre-installed with 8x CS4319 DACs
The All-new Gen2 User-replaceable Audio Motherboard
After the shocking 30th Anniversary release of N30LE and Pearl 30 series CD transport, DAC, and integrated amplifier, Cayin’s main focus in 2024 has been on refreshing and upgrading its classic product lines.
Despite a slower release schedule in an increasingly competitive market, Cayin’s dedication to serving the niche HiFi community remains its strength and challenge.
In February 2024, Cayin launched the “888” 8-series 3-piece suit (Streamer, DAC, HeadAmp), a major upgrade of the desktop “666” 6-series 3-piece suit; March saw the release of the N3Ultra, the third generation of our entry-level DAP (illustration); and in September, the C9ii replaced the groundbreaking C9 since early 2021. Within weeks, the C9ii earned widespread recognition from users, partners, and the media, just as its predecessor did, becoming yet another standout product
When our dealers thought we had an unusually busy year and the C9ii would be our final 2024 new product, Cayin decided to surprise everyone.
The upcoming launch of the N6iii, a new generation of fully modularized DAP, holds even greater significance for Cayin. Back in 2014, Cayin’s first venture into the portable player market was with the N6
DAP. Cayin was a new kid in town at that time. When an unheard brand released a strange- looking DAP, we were teased by many DAP early adopters, but the N6 DAP thread had gathered the first online community for Cayin portable users.
In 2019, Cayin introduced the N6ii DAP, the industry’s first DAP featuring an Audio Motherboard concept: a modular audio circuit board that allows users to swap out the complete DAC and analog amplification circuitry.
The N6ii is a product that balanced cutting- edge design with portability, offering users the ability to experience different sound profiles with interchangeable audio motherboards. We can safely claim that, after five years of reflection, innovation, and evolution, this innovative approach made the N6ii one of Cayin’s most celebrated and successful DAPs.
Builds on the Past and Paves the Way for the Future
On top of observing the sales and user/reviewer feedback, we can also measure a product’s success by industry recognition and leadership.
The N6ii Audio Motherboard builds on the past and paves the way for the future of portable audio. Firstly, we must credit HiFiman for their vision and contribution as we all know they pioneered swappable amplifier cards since the renowned HM-801.
The concept was further elaborated by several brands such as FIIO and iBasso and quickly became a well-perceived solution among the portable audio community
The N6ii, however, went further by allowing users to swap out the entire audio circuitry, from DAC to analogue headphone amplifier.
This approach expanded Cayin’s R&D workload significantly, but the goal was to offer users a unified platform where they could seamlessly enjoy different audio technologies. Cayin firmly believes that all Audio Motherboards should be an independent solution in their own right.
We never intend to develop (or market) a new Audio Motherboard to replace an existing Audio Motherboard, or to serve as a direct upgrade from a particular Audio Motherboard, we try to be as non-redundant as possible. Each of the six audio motherboards offered a unique and specialized function, pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in a DAP.
We market the N6ii as a DAP with “Unlimited Possibilities”, and the market validates our vision. The N6ii received raving reviews from reviewers and users, and the interaction has continued for years.
Even today, discussions about the different N6ii motherboards continue, with each audio motherboard offering a distinct focus and character. The user-replaceable audio motherboard concept has since been embraced by other brands.
Major players in the industry like Astell & Kern (AK) and L&P launched portable players with similar concepts, further expanding the range of personalized options in the niche HiFi market. This collective effort has brought more diversity and choice to HiFi enthusiasts, advancing the entire industry.
The N6ii Audio Motherboards collections
The N6ii and Gen2 Audio Motherboard Design Considerations Five years later (from 2019 to 2024), out of the blue, the N6iii Engineering prototype struck like lightning.
It surfaced in the CanJam SoCal suddenly and within a month, we are here to announce the long-awaited, highly-anticipated fully modularized DAP officially.
Just like the N6ii, the N6iii continues the innovative approach of using user-replaceable audio motherboards, with each board optimized to match the DAC's characteristics and designed for maximum analogue circuit performance.
The focus remains on showcasing distinct personalities and musical styles, rather than cramming every possible feature into a "Swiss Army knife" player.
Two key design goals were set at the start of the N6iii project. First, despite the trend of mega-size DAP, Cayin wanted to retain the portability and handling comfort of the N6ii.
Second, we received a lot of feedback from N6ii users asking for a quick release “tool-free” mechanism so that they can swap out audio motherboards conveniently. These two requirements posed significant challenges for the N6iii’s design and structure.
The N6iii features a 4.97-inch display, noticeably larger than the 4.2-inch screen on the N6ii but well within the one-handed operation limit.
To avoid getting bulkier, Cayin eliminated any structural extension around the chassis, giving the front an all-screen appearance.
To minimize the width of the DAP, the playback control buttons, and volume knob are tucked beneath the screen. The curved sides improve grip, ensuring that even with a slightly larger screen, the device remains comfortable to hold.
As a result, the N6iii delivers a superior visual and control experience, while its size increase is minimal. In today’s era of ever-larger DAPs, the N6iii retains excellent portability.
One of the N6iii’s most significant design breakthroughs is the development of a new quick-release locking mechanism to swap the audio motherboards swiftly.
Fortunately, we have dealt with a similar problem when we develop C9ii and we can modify the “tool-free” quick-release latch into a three-point locking mechanism with a self-locking push-button system, completely doing away with the need for screws. You can watch the video below to see how incredibly easy it is to switch audio motherboards on the N6iii.
The N6iii also has a unique antenna design. In earlier models like the N6ii, the antenna was integrated into the upper back section of the device, with relatively low signal gain to avoid interference.
In more recent models (N8ii, N7, N30LE), Cayin adopted an external ring antenna placed on the top of the device, providing high gain and interference-free audio circuitry for a better online streaming experience.
For the N6iii, due to strict size limitations, the antenna has been moved to a semi-exposed area, right beneath the top panel of the N6iii DAP.
While this placement results in a slightly lower gain than the external antenna design used in N7.N8ii and N30LE, it offers a significant improvement over the previous N6ii without increasing the length of the DAP. It offers excellent streaming performance with minimal interference with analogue audio processing.
Five years after the N6ii, the N6iii brings major upgrades in its main processor, RAM, operating system, and numerous improvements to meet the growing demand for streaming services.
That’s a wrap on the N6iii’s core design: details of what will be applicable regardless of which Audio Motherboard you are going to use with the DAP.
Now, let’s move on to what makes each model unique: the audio motherboards. The following table compares the hardware architecture between N6ii and N6iii.
The C201 Audio Motherboards
We have adopted a new naming convention given the arrival of Gen2 Audio Motherboards.
The new naming convention consists of an initial letter followed by three digits:
The first letter corresponds to the DAC chip manufacturer’s initial, such as C, E, A, etc. (same as the N6ii).
The second digit is the generation code. For audio motherboards that will be used in N6iii, this will always be 2, representing the second-generation audio motherboard design.
The third and fourth digits are serial numbers. For example, C201 represents the first application of a second-generation audio motherboard using Cirrus Logic (CS) chips.
Currently, the DAC chip is the CS43198. Hypothetically, if we develop another audio motherboard for N6iii with CS43131, it would be named C202. The Gen2 Audio Motherboard is not backward compatible with the first generation N6ii Audio Motherboards.
To accommodate the audio technologies we have mastered in the past 5 years, we need to use a larger PCB in the new generation Audio Motherboard. This is like playing a zero-sum game: when we increase the PCB, we need to make the DAP bigger, and then it becomes less portable.
After a lengthy industrial design process, we finalized the N6iii physical design with the following attributes:
N6iii over dimension (126mm x 77.8mm x 23mm): 26.8% increased from N6ii
N6iii battery (9000mAH @3.8V): 52.5% increased from N6ii
N6iii Audio Motherboard PCB: ~30.9% increased from N6ii (based on C201) First up is the N6iii’s debut audio motherboard, the C201.
We can summarize the standout features with a few key terms:
Parallel Full-Differential Matrix DAC
High-precision Cascade Volume Control
Parallel Amplifier
Parallel Full-Differential Matrix DAC
The C201 is the first time Cayin has used a Cirrus Logic DAC chip in a portable product. Historically, in the early 2000s, the CS4398 and PCM1792 DAC chips were dominant in the audio industry, and Cayin used them extensively in its early DAC and CD players.
The CS43198 chip featured in the C201 is no stranger to audiophiles, as it is a low-power, high-quality DAC developed by Cirrus Logic based on the CS4398. It has been widely recognized and adopted in the audio industry.
In the C201, Cayin uses eight pieces of CS43198 chips, forming a "Parallel Full- Differential Matrix DAC” design. The core principle is that the digital audio processor (FPGA) in the N6iii main unit feeds each DAC individually with I2S signals. All DACs work in MONO mode, outputting differential signals (L+, L-, R+, and R-).
Four DACs form a group, and their outputs are paralleled to create a full-differential output channel. The power supply and peripheral circuitry for each DAC chip are fully discrete and symmetric, ensuring highly stable DAC performance.
This design ensures precise phase alignment for all DACs, while low-jitter synchronous clock technology, and minimizes distortion in the parallel DAC output, significantly improving sound density and overall audio performance.
High-precision Cascade Volume Control
Volume control in the C201 also features a unique cascade volume control system. It uses four Nisshinbo passive volume chips (NJU72315) forming a We employed four Nisshinbo passive volume chips (NJU72315), with every two chips connected in series to control one channel.
When the first stage volume chip adjusts the volume partially (in 2db steps), the audio signal will then go through the second volume chip for further adjustment. A buffer circuit built with independent op-amps follows each volume stage, significantly improving load capacity and reducing distortion.
The advantage is that the control range for each stage is smaller and more precise, ensuring a smoother volume adjustment process.
This ensures the left and right channels maintain consistent signal levels across the entire volume range, delivering clearer, purer sound with enhanced transparency.
The Nisshinbo NJU volume chip being a passive device, is very compact. Its low power consumption and low heat generation make it an ideal solution for DAP implementation.
Parallel Amplifier
For headphone amplification, the C201 employs four pieces of Texas Instruments OPA1622 chips, each configured in parallel to drive the headphone load.
Combined with the buffer circuits, this greatly improves control, sustains a heavier loading, and reduces output impedance. This circuit design pays homage to the headphone amplification circuit of the classic N8 DAP
Start with an All-rounder
Rather than dive into too many technical details, let’s summarize the key features of the N6iii with the C201 audio motherboard:
1. Long battery life: The CS43198 is a voltage-output DAC, known for its low power consumption. Despite having eight DACs, the N6iii—equipped with a 9000mAh battery - can achieve balanced PO output for 12 hours and single-ended PO output for over 14 hours.
2. Low heat generation: Our tests show that after more than three hours of continuous operation, the surface temperature only increased by about 7 degrees, thanks to the DAC’s low power consumption and the circuit design.
3. High-performance specs: With its advanced DAC architecture, volume control, and power circuit design, the N6iii delivers impressive performance. On the 4.4mm balanced PO, it reaches 130dB for dynamic range and signal-to-noise ratio, with a total harmonic distortion of 108dB (0.0004%).
4. Comprehensive functionality: As the first audio motherboard for the N6iii, the C201 offers balanced performance and powerful features. In addition to PO (headphone output), it also supports fully independent LO (line out) for both single-ended and balanced connections, allowing users to connect to external amplifiers easily. For the record, our subsequent Audio Motherboard will adopt a specialized approach. We’ll attempt to deliver ultimate performance in a compact form factor by focusing on a specific feature at a time.
Now, let’s briefly describe the sound characteristics of the N6iii equipped with the C201. The sound offers excellent transparency and layering, with an ethereal, airy quality.
At the same time, it delivers powerful energy in dynamic moments and offers a tight, deep bass extension. To reiterate: whether you’re focused on technical specs or sound descriptions, the true value of a HiFi product can only be fully appreciated through hands-on listening. The ear is the final judge.
That wraps up the introduction to the N6iii. The N6iii with C201 Audio Motherboard will be demoed at the CanJam Dallas (2-3 November 2024) and the Toyko Fujiva AVIC (2 November 2024) respectively.
Bonus News: In the first quarter of 2025, we plan to release the N6iii’s second audio motherboard: E203. Long-time N6ii users may already have a sense of what’s coming—stay tuned!
Cayin, Never be the Same Again.
