Cayin N3Ultra high angle bottom whitebox
Cayin N3Ultra high angle front whitebox
Cayin N3Ultra high angle front with applied stock screen protector whitebox
Cayin N3Ultra closeup on stock case over wood cabinet
Cayin N3Ultra | Triple Timbre Digital Audio Player
Cayin N3Ultra | Triple Timbre Digital Audio Player
Cayin N3Ultra profile with attached 3.5mm cable whitebox
Cayin N3Ultra DAP on top of and connected to Macbook
Cayin N3Ultra profile closeup highlighting volume wheel and buttons

Cayin N3Ultra | Triple Timbre Digital Audio Player

Regular price$529.00
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Experience the Elegance of Simplicity, Vintage Tubes, and Cutting Edge Sound with the Cayin N3Ultra

  • Classic, modern, solid-state triple timbre
  • Dual AK4493S DAC mono mode
  • Two Raytheon JAN6418 military-grade miniature direct-heated pentode NOS vacuum tubes
  • 3.5mm SE + 4.4mm Balanced phone and line outputs
  • Genuine Cayin Leather case available in Blue or Green
  • New Firmware v1.3 available with new features!

Cayin N3Ultra DAP leaning on pumic stone over vintage newspaper

The Beauty of Simplicity

The N3Ultra uses a fully-customized operating system streamlining to focus solely on audio application. Crafted with intention, the device provides an authentic and minimalist experience, allowing users to enjoy the new auditory pleasure brought by the vintage JAN6418 vacuum tubes.

Cayin N3Ultra diagram with feature thumbnails

Shock Absorber and Suspension

Custom-molded shock absorption Silicon housing to hold and shield the JAN6418 vacuum tube. Designed pairs of suspension pins into the CNC aluminum frame of N3Ultra, the JAN6418 is hanged vertically with suspension effect.

Cayin integrated the miniature vacuum tube with the body frame, achieving multi-directional stress relief for the tube's filament. The DAP offers enhanced stability by introducing an appropriate amount of inter-stage loop NFB to inhibit the closed-loop gain. FET is employed to control the power supply of the vacuum tube and stabilize the working current of the tube filament.

Classic. Modern. Solid-State

Instead of using the miniature pentode tube as an audio buffer, N3Ultra adopts Cayin's Gen3 vacuum tube technology and employed a two stage timbre circuit for JAN6418.

Cayin N3Ultra DAP profile highlighting active glowing tubes

By varying the connection method of the screen grid of the pentode tube, the JAN6418 incorporates local NFB through the screen grid, resulting in two distinct styles of circuit response, distortion, and output impedance.

Dual Line Out

On top of a dedicated 3.5mm single-ended line out, the 4.4mm balanced output can be configured into Phone out or Line out.

Maximum compatibility with configurable output levels

  • 3.5mm: 2.1V (High), 1.6V (Mid), 1.0V (Low)
  • 4.4mm: 4.2V (High), 3.2V (Mid), 2.0V (Low)

This enables users to connect the N3Ultra to a variety of portable desktop and home audio devices.

Cayin N3Ultra on side connected to Macbook on wood table

Clean and Unamplified

Line Out is fixed voltage line level output bypassing volume control and headphone amplification. This serves as high quality source for headphone amplifier (portable or desktop) and integrated amplifier home audio systems.

Applicability of Tube Timbres

Solid-State, Classic tube and Modern tube timbres are available to all analog outputs, including 3.5mm and 4.4mm headphone and line output options.

Versatile Interface Expands Beyond DAP

DAC/Digital Transport

  • USB Audio (Input/Output) - USB-C
  • S/PDIF Coaxial (Output) - USB-C embedded

Amplifier/Active Speakers (Line Out)

  • 3.5mm Single-ended
  • 4.4mm Balanced (Shared)

Headphone

  • 3.5mm Single-ended
  • 4.4mm Balanced (Shared)

Cayin N3Ultra left channel schematic

Customizing with Parametric EQ

A 10-bands parametric EQ is specifically designed for the N3Ultra, offering unlimited sound tuning possibilities. This allows detailed customization of IEM pairing according to listening preferences, creating a personalized audio experience tailored to the user.

Digital Audio with Fully Differential Output

Dual AK4493S DAC chipset operates in Mono mode for fully differential output. Independent DAC chips and analog audio circuits for each channel minimize crosstalk, enhancing the audio clarity and stereo separation.

Professional Precision

  • Employs JRC NJW1195A 4-channel volume controller
  • Employs (x2) Accusilicon AS318 Femtosecond Oscillators
  • Low noise distortion resistance ladder analog volume chip commonly used in audiophile preamp
  • Ultra low phase noise (-100dBC) maintaining signal conversion accuracy with significantly lower jitter
  • 4-channel in one integrated controller offers high precision and lower power consumption
  • Minimize digital artifact and enhance the musicality and naturalness of playback

Fast Charging, Long Playback Duration

The N3Ultra employs a hefty 3.85V 4500mAH Lithium battery with a carefully tuned power management system. Continuous playback is available up to 11.8 hours with 3.5mm SE connected IEM in solid-state timbre, and 7.6 hours with 4.4mm balanced connected IEM in vacuum tube timbre. Recharge quickly with QC3.0 which yields an 80% charge in about 1 hour!

High Performance + Portability

  • One TF card supports up to 1 TB, can further expand storage through OTG USB for flash drives and card readers
  • 4.1" 720x1280 touch screen, fast response times and high frame rates for clear, wide-angle viewing and intuitive operation
  • Cater to operational preferences, provides physical knob and buttons on top of touchscreen
  • Weighing just 7.20 oz, the device is perfectly sized for one-handed use and pocket-friendly
  • Runs on an Android-based system with a Qualcomm 425 CPU, offering a tailored UI for smooth and responsive control
  • The Smart glowing HOME button serves as sampling rate indicator. It also doubles as BACK key for routine file/menu operations

Specifications

  • MCU: Snapdragon 425
  • System: Customized Android 8.1
  • Memory: 2GB RAM
  • Storage: TF x1 (support up to 1TB)
  • Display: 4.1" (720x1280) TFT multi-point touch screen
  • Physical control: Volume knob, Power On/Off, Playback control
  • USB-C: USB3.1, OTG Storage, Digital Audio QC3.0 (PD2.0 not supported)
  • Chassis: Sandblasted CNC-machined Aluminum
  • Vacuum Tube: Raytheon JAN6418 x2
  • DAC: AK4493SEQ x2 (Mono Mode)
  • Headphone out: 3.5mm SE, 4.4mm BAL, shared
  • Line Out: 3.5mm SE, 4.4mm BAL, shared
  • Digital Interface: USB Audio (in and out), SPDIF Coaxial (USB-embedded)
  • Battery: 3.85V 4500mAh (17.3Wh)
  • Battery Charge Time: ~3.5 hours (5V-2A) | ~2 hours (QC3.0)
  • Playback Time: ~11.8 hours (3.5mm SS) ~7.6 hours (4.4mm BAL Classic Tube)
  • Dimensions: 4.9" x 2.6" x 1"
  • Net Weight: 7.2 oz
  • Cayin 1 Year Warranty

In the Box

  • N3Ultra Digital Audio Player
  • N3Ultra Silicon Protective Case
  • Temper Glass Screen Protector x1
  • USB-C Cable x1
  • User Manual
  • Hi-Res label x2

Cayin N3Ultra with retail box and accessories on wood table

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Customer Reviews

Based on 2 reviews
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J
Joel Lerner
Incredible tube player-must have!

Cayin N3 Ultra punches way above its price point. Having tubes in a reasonably price point is fantastic! This is a simple unit that focuses solely on sound. No streaming services or blue tooth. If you’re looking for a great sounding unit that uses two tube options or solid state, this is your unit. Basic easy interface-this new version lets you listen to music through tube selection on balanced output. Pervious Cayin didn't allow that. Tube classic selection is just incredible. Detailed airy soundstage. Go grab one now!

B
Bruce Baker
Cayin N3 Ultra

Interesting and versatile DAP for those who want a dedicated player (no wifi, bluetooth) and great sound. Great equilization choices (including saving unlimited settings with titles). Snappy OS even with 180gb of mostly hi-res music loaded. Battery life fair. No auto shutdown of unit or sleep timer so unit has to be shut off manually. Mfg says those items can't be added through software updates so likely a hardware problem. Battery replacement requires either sending unit back to China or finding a battery that will fit, match specs, and doing yourself with mfg directions. Tested on various types of music with Bose Quiet Comfort headphones, Campfire Audio Honeydew IM, Audeze iSine 20 (all unbalanced output). No problem driving (iSines required higher volume and also work on line out but have to reset maximum volume in OS). Simulated tube glow is fun but don't buy the unit for that feature.

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