Cayin N5 Digital Audio Player

The Cayin N5 digital audio player features the same premium build and detailed sound quality as its predecessor, the N6, in a slimmer, truly portable package. Along with a new high-end DAC, it has dual microSD card slots, a USB 3.0 interface for fast file transfer, a bonus 2.5-millimeter balanced output, and an impressive battery life. The N5 supports most formats under the sun, up to 129 kHz / 24 bit for lossless files and DSD hardware decoding of DSD64 and DSD128 files. It looks pretty slick, too—with beveled edges, a large scrolling wheel with a grip-friendly pattern, and a carbon fiber backplate.

Cayin specialized in tube amplifiers for many years before producing DAPs, and the company’s expertise and attention to detail is evident throughout the N5. On the front of the device, a right-justified 2.4-inch screen displays a graphical user interface and menu selection nearly identical to the N6. The categories and settings are easy to navigate and offer a variety of options, including gain, digital filter, a 10-band EQ, four different background themes, and more.

The front-panel scrolling wheel has a multi-function button, and is flanked on the right by a charging LED indicator and on the left by three buttons with return/back, skip/fast forward, and skip/rewind functionality. The left panel features a volume button and a menu button that doubles as play/pause. The top panel houses a power button, a 3.5-millimeter dedicated coaxial port, a shared HO/LO 3.5-millimeter port, and a 2.5-millimeter balanced wired TRRS port. Along with a reset pinhole, the bottom panel features a USB 3.0 port and both microSD flash card ports beneath a protective dust cover.