Cayin N5ii Impressions

Introduction/Disclaimer:

I recently took part in the Cayin N5ii review tour. I had 10 days with the player before shipping it at my own expense to the next reviewer. I am not being compensated by Cayin for writing this piece or being pressured to come to a pre-determined conclusion.

About Me:

I listen mostly to heavy metal, hip hop, and electronic music, as well as movie and video game soundtracks. I value detail, resolution, and separation above other acoustic qualities, and generally prefer a V-shaped sound signature.

The headphones in my possession at the time of the review included:

Campfire Audio Polaris, Mee Audio Pinnacle P1, Mee Audio Pinnacle P2, VE Monk Espresso, E-MU Teak, KZ ATE, Mixcder X5, and Archeer AH07

I primarily used the N5ii with the Polaris and the Pinnacle P1, through both the SE and balanced outputs.

When I review DAPs, I prioritize ease of use and functionality above raw sound quality.

Source files and other equipment used:

I used 44.1kHz/16 Bits FLAC on a 128GB SD card for most of my listening. I also…