Cayin announces the N8iii at $3,999, limited to 500 units
The flagship digital audio player returns with tube modes, an AKM DAC, up to 1.285 watts of output and a 13,500 mAh battery, in a run of 500 worldwide.

Cayin has announced the N8iii, a flagship digital audio player at $3,999 with selectable tube modes, an AKM DAC, output rated up to 1.285 watts and a 13,500 mAh battery. It is a limited release of 500 units worldwide.
1.285 watts is a great deal of power for a portable, enough to drive full-size headphones that normally need a desktop amplifier, though as always the figure only means something alongside the impedance it was measured into. The tube stage is the part that will divide opinion: it is a deliberate colouration, and whether that is a feature depends entirely on what you want from a source.
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This is an announcement, not a verdict. Specifications come from the manufacturer and nothing here is measured until a unit reaches the rig. For tested daps, see DAPs reviews. Back to all new releases.