Cayin has officially launched its most ambitious digital audio player to date, N30LE, to mark its 30th anniversary celebrations in style.
The new DAP is making its debut at this year’s Hong Kong High-End Audio & Visual Show, and is available for pre-order in two versions: N30LE, limited to 300 sets worldwide for US$4,999, and N30LE Amber Pearl Edition, limited to 99 set worldwide, bundled with – and optimised for – Unique Melody’s Amber Pearl IEM, for US$12,999.
Cayin has thrown the kitchen sink, plus a few extras, into the design and development of the N30LE. Music decoding is handled by a pair of AKM AK4499EQ DACs, connected in mono mode and programmed to provide fully balanced differential current output across 8 channels.
The company initially planned to build its N8ii flagship DAP around the now-discontinued AK4499EQ chipset, but a fire at AKM’s manufacturing facility rendered those plans obsolete. The DAC chips for the N30LE are therefore those that were initially brought in for the N8ii project, and Cayin’s extensive R&D around its implementation was the reason it was selected for N30LE.
Amplification is a smorgasbord of technologies and user-configurable options, including a set of balanced Kong Nutube 6P1 and a fully discrete solid state amplifier based on high-end TDK and MUSES components. N30LE features N8ii’s Class A/AB switchable solid state amplifier modes, dual output P and P+ modes, three gain modes, and a new ‘Hyper’ mode that almost doubles the rated output power. It also features what Cayin calls ‘multi-timbre’ tube modes, allowing users to switch tube amplification between ‘classic’ (warmer) and ‘modern’ (faster/cleaner) settings.
Made from a titanium and steel-milled chassis weighing a hefty 650g, N30LE is powered by a Snapdragon 665 chipset with 8GB RAM and 256GB internal storage. On the software side it runs a modified version of open Android 12, complete with Google Play Store and Play Services. Bluetooth 5.0 and dual-band WiFi ensure complete wireless connectivity options for both input and output, including HiBy Cast support for remote control. A 6-inch 2160×1080 touchscreen display and 12,578mAh battery round off one of the most feature-packed music players currently available.
Cayin’s N30LE will start shipping on August 28. Preorders are open now from Audio Essence, MusicTeck and other official Cayin resellers worldwide.
