Like a Pro on Steroids.
PROS: choice of Solid State or Tube (Modern and Classic tube modes) timbre from SE and BAL ports, 2x Raytheon JAN6418 miniature tubes, unnoticeable tubes microphonics, updated faster user interface, Parametric EQ, 3.5mm and 4.4mm PO and LO outputs, compact size and solid build, and price.
CONS: no internal storage, no wireless connections.
The product was provided to me free of charge for review purposes in exchange for my honest opinion.
Manufacturer website: Cayin. Available for sale from official retailers like Musicteck.
Intro.
Three and a half years ago when Cayin introduced its N3Pro DAP there was some confusion due to the Pro version being an all-new design with miniature tubes that had nothing to do with their original N3 DAP. Afterward, Cayin’s focus shifted to the other side of the price spectrum with the flagship releases of N8ii and later the anniversary N30LE, each with dual NuTube. With more releases, such as their popular C9, RU7, and N7, I almost forgot about N3Pro until CanJam NYC ’24 when Cayin made a surprise announcement of N3Ultra. It surely got my attention for many reasons, including why the name was changed from Pro to Ultra instead of Pro II.
I had a chance to hear it during CanJam, and as many probably noticed in my report, to me this DAP was one of the highlights of the show even with the limited time I spent testing it in a noisy environment. Thus, I looked forward to spending more time with N3Ultra and appreciated the opportunity to review it. Like with N3Pro, it was still hard to believe you could have a pocket-friendly audiophile-caliber DAP loaded with many features, including miniature tubes, at a reasonable entry-level price relative to other portable audio gear releases with Tubes. After spending a month with N3Ultra (N3U) which felt like N3Pro on steroids, here is what I found.
Unboxing and Accessories.
Similar to N3Pro and considering this being Cayin’s “entry” level DAP, the packaging is more minimalistic, in a smaller compact all-black box. Inside the box, you will find N3U in a top removable tray surrounded by a secure foam cutout, and a collection of accessories such as a detailed manual booklet, screen protector, durable usb-A to usb-c cable, and a TPU case.
While these are basic accessories, I found all of them to be very practical. Usb-c cable was rather nice, and I’m glad Cayin still recognizes the need for usb-A connector. The screen protector was tempered glass, not a cheap film material. And instead of just a protective perimeter bumper like in N3Pro, here you get a nice quality TPU case. The case wasn’t clear but smokey-transparent, so you won’t see a discoloration in time. It had generous cutouts for all the buttons and ports, including microSD card opening and cutouts for tube windows, and even a narrow protective cover over the volume wheel. But what I like the most is the small holes on the back, great for venting.
You can also get the optional leather case ($29.99, here) which IMHO is worth every penny. In either a blue color or an aged green with gold-infused swirls, the case features a cutout with a metal mesh on the back, similar to popular Dignis cases. N3U slides from the top with a case fitting the DAP like a glove. MicroSD card is covered, and playback control buttons are covered as well, though easy to feel and press. The volume wheel has easy access, and all the ports are open and easy to access at the bottom. Plus, you get cutouts on the left to view both perforated tube windows.
Page 2 – Design and Under the Hood.
Page 3 – GUI.
Page 4 – Sound Analysis and Pair up.
Page 5 – Comparison, Wired connections, and Conclusion.
Twister6 Reviews 
How does cayin n3 ultra compare soundwise to ibasso dx300 or dx320 wirh amp13. I want a more compact player butj like the tube sound alot.
cheers Jonathan
LikeLike
I have dx320 with amp14 now, tonality should be the same as amp13. Based purely on the tonality, N3U in Classic Tube mode still has warmer and more textured sound. Dx320 w/amp14 mids sound more revealing. Also, N3U soundstage has more depth while both have the same L/R width spread. Of course, keep in mind, dx320 is a modular android device, so completely different functionality.
LikeLike
Tell me how the 10-band equalizer works in this dap, does it narrow the stage and cause distortion? I own a shanling m7, the equalizer is similar to the m9. When I just turn on the equalizer, it seems to make the image more compressed and, most importantly, it makes the sound quieter. In the end, I can’t compare with and without an equalizer because the volume levels are different. I heard that Sony dap and Lotoo gold toch are good in equalization. Which dap equalizer really works?
LikeLike
I’m not too familiar with the latest Shanling daps, thus can’t comment on it. Hiby used to write software for many manufacturers, including Cayin, Fiio, Shanling, etc until FiiO and Shanling decided to use someone else. I can only speak for Cayin DAPs I tested and their fw/sw which is written by Hiby. In N3U just like other Cayin daps just by enabling EQ you don’t change the sound. I have N3U in my hand now, playing a song, and turned on and off EQ and PEQ without any changes; you can’t even tell a difference in sound. Then, depending on the song mastering if you start boosting some eq bands, pushing them to the max, you could get some distortion. Then, you use pre-amp setting to lower the input so you get more headroom for eq band boosting/adjusting… So, as far as N3U goes and its EQ/PEQ algorithm by Hiby, there are no issues I encountered.
LikeLike
I am afraid they use some “obsolete” cheap hardware, so I really wonder when this device set in DAC mode behind a smartphone, the connection is compatible with UAC 2.0, so with still active hardware button (FF/Play/RW) ? a little device like Qulooz MBU1 can manage it perfectly.
LikeLike
from audio playback perspective, there is nothing obsolete. I have SP3000T with the same dual JAN6418 tube config and it picks up noise and ringing when tube is enabled and wifi/bt is on with sensitive iems. So, for pure audio performance, Cayin nailed it by getting rid of all the wireless stuff. Now, regarding Snapdragon 425 and old Android OS, it would probably be an overkill to use 665 and Android 13 on a device without any wireless capability, no streaming, no BT, and then putting a ton of work to optimize the OS by disabling 80% of its functionality 🙂 Plus, draining the battery faster… With remote playback control in USB DAC mode, are you referring to wireless Bluetooth or wired through OTG cable connection? I’m not aware of too many DAC devices that support this protocol wired. But as part of the BT wireless profile, similar to how you can control the playback remotely from your wireless headphones, it is supported. If that feature is important to you and at the top of your priority list, N3U doesn’t support it. This DAP is all about the sound quality, mainly in Classic Tube mode with a design that tricked down from their $5k flagship N30LE.
LikeLike
Thank you for you answer
I was just refering from a wired DAC mode setup. the recent Quloos MBU1 manage to keep their hardware button activated like in BT DAC receiver mode…
I am not really sure to be interested in any Vacuum tube solution, but as the N3Ultra is a rather “cheap” device, it could be like a chance to give a try to such tech, before investing in more high end DAP if I am convinced that it’s a real step up for some of my IER Z1R&M9 from my usual NW-WM1A/Z.
Hardware button of the DAC are necessary for me on the way, as I need to ba able to play Streaming music (online and offline).
LikeLiked by 1 person
Will the sound of the SP3000T in tube mode be similar to the N3Ultra?
LikeLike
Just from a sound perspective, not too far off. But obviously, these DAPs have a very different set of features.
LikeLike
I am curious about the difference between SP3000t and N3ultra, as well as the difference between SP3000t in OP mode and SP3000.
If possible, could you talk about these differences?
LikeLike
I covered SP3k vs 3kT difference in my 3kT review I just posted. And as I mentioned in another reply, from the tonality/sound perspective the difference between 3kT and N3U (both in Tube modes) is not too far off, but they do differ in functionality and the set of features.
LikeLike
wie klingt die N3u im Vergleich mit N8II ? Ich habe ein N3u aber ich interessiere mich an N8II Kann mir jemanden was sagen nur über Klang mehr nicht
LikeLike
Had to use Google translate 🙂 Based on a sound alone, N8ii will be more revealing, not as smooth or as analog as N3U. NuTubes don’t have the same tonality as this JAN6418 vac tubes. But with N8II you are getting solid state and dual nutube, class a and ab amp mode, P+ power boost, cleaner and more detailed tonality, fast android performance with streaming of all the apps. N8ii is a great DAP, but N3U Classic Tube tuning is still very unique.
LikeLike