Disclaimer: Cayin Japan kindly loaned me the N6MKII for the purposes of this review, an RMAA article, and more.
Want to see this review in motion? Check out its corresponding video on YouTube:
I’ve had the N6MKII since late October last year. In quick succession I tore apart its boxes and took a handful of purdy photos of it. But software problems (my end, not Cayin’s), kept me from doing much testing. (Apologies to both Cayin and to those next in the review queue.) Those issues are long gone.
Despite the delays, I am readay to say what I was ready to say from day one: that the N6MKII is beautifully made, nicely branded, but not for me. I say this not because it is too big; I say this because it is too complicated; I say this because its battery life is poor. I say this because I’m a mid-range guy and the N6MKII obviously aims higher than that.
Not sound
The N6MKII’s biggest problem is lithium-ic. Even when shut off, its battery drains in less than a week. Playing back music, its battery drains in (less lthan fifteen hours), but add browsing, fiddling with various controls, and album swapping, and that number quickly dips below ten hours. Considering its power, that isn’t bad. Typically, however, the DAPs and other audio gear I use, can, under the most demanding use, keep up a steady fifteen hours. To be fair, many TOTL DAPs similarly fare, but to be fairer, getting through a modern work day and the commute home on a single charge should be par. My most used audio devices are MD recorders, none of which gets worse than 15 hours of battery playback, some of which get more than 20. And then there are my Cowon Plenue DAPs, each running for more than a day. Even Onkyo’s DP-S1 gets at least twenty hours.
The N6MKII’s second biggest problem is robotic. Under the bonnet resides a robust Android OS that can play any file type you want, connects to the Google Play Store, and browses both media and the web just like a smartphone. The problem is that the N6MKII is neither as smart, nor as fast as your typical Google or Sony Android phone. The latest iPod touch is much more deeply integrated. Jumps from music, to web browsers, and other apps, are smoother, and uniformity between apps gels. (Show photos and album artwork.)
Certain Android touches: swipe down access to audio and other settings, a robust files system, better lock screen controls, are superior to iOS’s abstruse OS sandbox. Regarding volume controls, Cayin read my mail. 100 discrete steps? Touch-defeatable volume screen? Plus/minus controls? Utility over looks? Dayum. Add to that combination controls for attenuation/mains, and Bob’s your uncle.
Minor victories aside, the N6MKII is still a boat. Across its top are: a stereo line out, 3,5mm stereo, and a 4,4mm TRRRS balanced output. Both its headphone outputs are among the most powerful I’ve ever used. Along its right side are a combination attenuator/mains dial, tracking back, play/pause, and tracking forward controls. Along the bottom edge are a USB-C and i2S port. The latter is pretty novel in DAPs. I have only ever used them in home DACs.
The entire thing is buttoned up really well into a single block of milled aluminium. Its seams are perfect. Its edges are kind. And, while I don’t like its stylistic flourishes, I have to admit that Cayin’s grasp of gentle branding is refreshing. The attenuator hides between two protective horns and isn’t easily riddled one way or another. Its tracking controls, however, are. I accidentally hit them ever time I pick it up. Thankfully, they can be disabled in the settings app.
To me, the N6MKII is a boat. And it handles like one. Because it arrays its outputs across the top, it tips forward, forces you to hit the attenuator and/or navigation buttons, and catches on things when used in and out of the pocket. Heck, even in the hand, cables running from the top are unwieldy.
It comes with a nice leather case. That case protects all the necessaries, but makes it hard to access the swipe down menu. Ho hum.
Cayin offer a small but good range of after-market amp modules for the N6MKII, each of which is powerful and catered to a certain type of listener and use case. Each is also punctuated by commensurately differentiated performance curves, measurable, or otherwise.
It also features modern Bluetooth, though, probably due to antennae design, one that can’t hold a candle to a smartphone. For instance, using AirPods Pro, which, on a sunny day, can get a solid 60 metres away from an iPhone, get only twenty metres from the N6MKII.
Sound
The N6MKII just about nails gapless playback. When forced, errors are minor. Better, they seldom appear. This means no more cue sheets, or other workarounds. Live music, trance sets I love, and good number of studio and classical albums will be happy.
You won’t find too many DAPs that hiss less than this bad boy. As far as I can tell, they sit between an iPhone SE and an AK380, both of which are practically noiseless.
The Cayin Music app, and its associated settings, are impressive. A total of seven DAC-level PCM antialiasing filter settings )Sharp Roll-off, Slow Roll-off, Short Delay Sharp Roll-off, Short Delay Slow Roll-off, Super Sharp Roll-off, Super Slow Roll-ff, and Low Dispersion Short Delay) work wonders to de-digitalise or re-digitise certain music. My favourite of course is is the Super Slow Roll-off. It de-peaks the top end of my favourite earphones, and otherwise comfies up harsh music.
With the exception of Burson’s Fun, the N6MKII easily outstrips every desktop audio amp and DAC I own or have owned for output power. Of course, Fun is as crazily overpowered as Rise of Skywalker’s Creamy Sheeve. As hardware tests bear out, the N6MKII also sends ample current to earphones, headphones, and lines out, ensuring music totally free of frequency fluctuations.
It also means that, regardless the load, stereo signals are kept truly discrete. In fact, the N6MKII remains among a handful of mid and high end DAPs I’ve used that treats harsh loads as complete stereo afterthoughts. Yes, an Earsonics SM2 presents a higher stereo load effect than a DT880/600. But, that effect is basically Even Stephen from 20Hz to 20.000Hz. And the same goes for every load I’ve tested. Such control is truly inspiring. But it leaves me wishing for low-level controls over crossfeed. Why? Because, while I love headphones, I much prefer listening to music through a decent 2,1 system where both channels feed into both of my ears.
Even in sharp roll-off form, the N6MKII sports an undefeatable low-pass filter. It starts its slow descent from 10.000Hz and continues to 20.000Hz, where it measures -1dB on my system. Yes, it is totally inaudible, but because someone is bound to mention it, I thought I’d sound the bell first.
Even spitting volume levels that far exceed typical thresholds for pain, the N6MKII is able to output over -90dB of stereo separation into an Earsonics SM2. Of course, at normal listening levels, that number drops down. But -90dB is nothing to scoff at. In fact, no measurement the N6MKII returns is worthy of anything but respect.
That said, the N6MKII isn’t a measurement king. It’s more about power and feel than absolute signal sanitisation. The way stereo fades to the sides makes vocals float to the front. Gentle reverb and soft, muscular tremble really, really brings out tender emotion and feel from female vocals.
The other thing I think the NK6II totally nails is low-frequency stereo. Texture resolution down there is good to great, but stereo reverb and wide-set gradations force attention to the centre, whilst gently extruding the most important details from the periphery. Combine this with a good super slow low pass filter and your peaky Audio Technica CK10s are as soft-edged and beautiful as any high-end earphone out there.
Apart from output power, all of that can be passed downstream via the optical output to a DAC or MD recorder of your choice. That means, SPDIF’d through the N6MKII to your favourite MD recorder, you basically get a different/better master of your favourite albums. Dayum.
End Words
I dislike the N6MKII’s stylistic flourishes. I dislike the location of its navigation buttons. I dislike its implementation of Android. I wish it got better battery life. In short, Cayin have a long way to go where design meets utility. Still, they managed to treat the human to a clean base-10 volume scale, fast UI, and a good screen. The N6MKII is built and finished as good as any TOTL DAP out there. Better yet, it sounds truly amazing. No, it doesn’t measure as well some high-end DAPs (or, for that matter, a few lower end DAPs), but with the right DAC filter applied, what comes through is truly breathtaking. And, the N6MKII is powerful enough for your 600Ω Beyerdynamics and is good enough for a number of voltage-hungry planars out there.
Impressive.
ohmage: 3
porridge: 2