Introduction:
During a recent tour initiated by @Deleeh, I had the unique opportunity to experience the Apos Ray 12AU7 tube, which is a very new entry among new production tubes. It's important to note that I have no affiliations with the manufacturer, ensuring an unbiased review of this product. I didn't even have direct contact with Apos staff, as Deleeh managed everything regarding tour logistics. Luckily I am last in the tour and have had extensive amount of time to test and enjoy them. (roughly a month at this point)

Packaging:
One of the first things that strikes you about this 12AU7 tube is its packaging. Unlike the standard presentation you might expect from 12au7 vacuum tubes, this one comes extraordinarily well packaged. It's clear that the manufacturer aims to deliver a high end product, starting with the unboxing experience.
Packaging

Front and Back print

Stacked on adapters

Price:
Before diving into the sonic qualities, it's worth mentioning the price point. The Apos Ray 12AU7 tube sits at the higher end of the market at 180$ for the matched pair. This might give pause to some potential users, but as we'll explore, the quality and performance may justify the investment for serious audiophiles. At the time of writing this review, the tubes are only available within the US, with no offers in europe.

Setup:
The setup used for this Review is the well regarded Feliks Envy 300B flagship amplifier. Power tubes used are the Elrog ER300B and in order to use the Apos Ray 12au7, an adapter is required, since the amplifier runs natively with 6SN7 tubes.
Both tube types can be used in the same circuit, since required voltage and amperage are the same, just the socket needs an adapter.
DAC used is the T+A MP2000R and the Source is a Rockna Wavelight Server running Roon with lots of local flac files and Tidal.
Aesthetically some Mini Elrogs paired with big Elrogs


Sound Quality:
Bass:
When it comes to bass, the 12AU7 tube impresses with its extension and solidity. The bass notes are not just heard; they're felt, providing a robust foundation that's neither overpowering nor underwhelming. It's a delicate balance that this tube manages to achieve, offering a satisfying quantity of bass that complements a wide range of music genres.
As a Basshead I instantly fell in love with the Rays 12au7s presentation of that aspect.

Mids:
The midrange is where the Ray 12AU7 offers a sweetness that's hard to come by, making vocal tracks particularly enchanting. Instruments have a natural warmth and presence, making each note distinct and full of emotion.

Highs:
In the High frequencies there's no harshness or sibilance, just smooth, refined highs that extend well, adding sparkle and detail to the music. This silky quality ensures that even after extended listening sessions, listener fatigue is minimal, if present at all.

Soundstage:
Compared to all the 6SN7 counterparts that I usually use in my amplifier, the soundstage is more intimate on the Ray 12au7. Instrument placement and separation remains excellent, even though the room size feels smaller than on Linlai E-6SN7 Elite for isntance.

Detail:
In terms of detail the Ray 12au7 also absolutely delivers. Even finest nuances can be heard very well, which certainly partially depends on the extraordinarily low noise floor, that this tube provides.

Overall:
Over the full frequency spectrum the Apos Ray 12au7 is mostly neutral with a slight tilt towards the warm side.

Conclusion:
In conclusion, the Apos Ray12AU7 offers a compelling auditory experience that justifies its premium packaging and price. Its ability to deliver extended and solid bass, sweet mids, and silky highs makes it a standout choice for those seeking to elevate their audio setup without the hassle of hunting for NOS tubes. Whether you're an audiophile or a music enthusiast looking for quality, the Apos Ray 12AU7 tube deserves your attention.

I personally will add these to my collection after the review tour is over. I'm also looking forward to further tube releases of Apos Audio, they are certainly on my radar now, after this excellent first release.

Cayin N7 Review

Thanks to @Andykong and Cayins N7 Review tour I'm able to audition the N7 extensively and share my thoughts on this product.
I want to stress that all impressions here are my own and in no way shape or form influenced by Cayin.
The Review unit was lend to me free of charge and I have to send it to the next reviewer by the end of the 14 days period at my own expense.

So with the disclaimer out of the way, what am I reviewing today?

The Cayin N7 DAP.

Overview:
This DAP is a first of its kind in the way that it converts everything to DSD first and then solely focuses on DSD to Analogue conversion.
PCM files will be converted to DSD as well instead of the regular PCM to analogue conversion found in most DAC chip and R2R implementations.
Cayin is a pioneer in that regard, since this has (to my knowledge) never been done in a DAP before.
At this point there are many reviews and official sources going into detail about the DAC used, I recommend checking it out for those that are interested in technical details.
This review will focus on subjective impressions of the usability and sound.


Connectivity:
In terms of connections the Cayin DAP offers everything one would want or need.
3.5mm Single Ended headphone out(250mW @32 Ohm)
4.4mm balanced headphone out(500mW @32 Ohm)
3.5mm Single ended Line out / Pre Out
4.4mm balanced Line out / Pre Out
Digital SPDIF over USB
Digital i2s out
Digital USB out
Bluetooth both as transmitter and receiver

That leaves the N7 with a huge set of application scenarios.
Full fledged DAP for an all in one device experience.
Streamer/DAC to feed into ones desktop amplifier.
Streamer/DAC/Preamplifier to feed into your poweramp even.
Streamer to feed into ones desktop DAC.
Bluetooth transmitter for Bluetooth headsets.
There are basically no limits to the versatility of the N7.

For unused connectors Cayin also offers covers to prevent dust from getting into the sockets. (and they also look sleek)


User Experience:
The Cayin N7 is an Android 12 based DAP. Luckily the OS is cleaned up and comes with basically no bloatware.
Being unrestricted Android, the N7 offers the ability to download and install all regular streaming apps or media players of chouice.
Even Youtube to watch videos could be utilized here as well as browsers to use it like a smartphone without the telecommunication features.

The shipped media players (and those used for this review) are the Cayin Music app as well as the Hiby Music App.
Cayins own app looks like a stripped down version of the Hiby app. The skin is nice but without the PEQ and Streaming features of the Hiby app, I see no point in using it.
Hopefully Cayin will update their own app to a more recent version of the Hiby Feature set, since the Skin is nicer than all of Hibys own functions.
If you have a favourite Android based media player there are no restrictions and you can use whatever you like (UAPP for instance or the official Spotify, Tidal, Qobuz Apps)
The Hiby App unfortunately suffers from a few bugs, e.g. it can't display more than 50 tracks in a single Album, while more than 50 tracks in a playlist are fine.

There is NO system wide EQ though, of you need one you have to rely on your player to bring one or download a separate one from the play store.
This is the first big downside for me, since offline data from streaming Apps is only supported with the official Apps, and none of them feature their own EQ.
Luckily this is something Cayin could fix with future software updates and nothing that requires hardware changes.
Performance wise the DAP is smooth. Apps open fast and are responsive. The question is how long it stays that way, since android is throttling performance with dimnishing battery life.
Similarly to how each and every smartphone is fast in the beginning and slow a few years later.

The advertised battery duration of 6.5h - 10h has been reached during review tests, even on the longer part of the scale even though the display was on a lot during the time to check out all the features.
Charging it back to full takes quite long with 5.5h though. Maybe this softer charge has positive impact on battery longevity. Unfortunately there is no way for users to replace the battery a few years down the road.

The DAP itself is noteably bigger and heavier than a smartphone. While it is portable for like a train ride, I wouldn't use it during sport activities myself. Many other DAPs are "more portably" in that sense.
The look and feel is great though. It's a very pretty DAP, the controls are easy to reach and to use. The haptics are great, making it a joy to use the Device. (it even comes with a case unlike most other DAPs for which you have to order one in addition)


Sound:
For many the most important part of the Review, how does the DAP perform sonically?
I used my Meze Rai Penta and Meze Liric for most of the evaluation unless stated otherwise in the Setup.

The Overall Signature is natural, effortless, organic and smooth.
Bass:
The DAP features decent Bass Extension. Not as deep as my desktop system but also nothing left to desire here.
Bass quantity might be a tiny smitch above neutral to give it a slightly dark tilt.

Midrange:
The midrange features nice body. Offering a rather full sound. Neither remarkably upfront nor recessed. Very balanced.

Treble:
The Treble is smooth and absolutely never fatiguing. Perfect for my taste or anyone who is treble sensitive, but at the same time it might be slightly too smooth for others.
Certainly a matter of taste here. There is energy up top, don't get me wrong. but Overall the player has a slightly dark tilt.

Soundstage:
The Soundstage is remarkable. Quite wide but not exagerated. Very well done and especially for IEMs a great fit to make it not sound so much "in your head" but more natural.

Detail retrieval:
In its price range it keeps up with the best here. ToTL DAPs might beat it in that discipline, but usually cost twice as much as well.

That's it for the general sound signature. It can be adjusted by switching from Class A mode to Class AB.
Class A features slightly fuller sound while AB sounds more cleaner and more neutral.

This DAP doesn't offer any Oversampling modes or similar that you might find in regular chip based DACs, so no choices for slow or fast rolloff etc.
It is possible to change the Upsampling to DSD64, 128, 256 and 512. Differences are very hard to hear to the point I might consider it imagination.
DSD64 goes easier on the battery though. Just in case DSD512 is superior it has been used for 99% of the listening time during this review.

Power wise it never felt like the N7 is struggling when driving my Rai Penta and Liric. Even when using the single Ended connection it had headroom to spare.
Nonetheless for more power hungry headphones the N7 can be used as DAC with it's line out.

Therefore I also connected the N7 to my Feliks Envy to drive my whole collection of headphones.
The results were very surprising. The DAC section is really good. I'd even go as far and say competitive in it's price range among desktop gear.
While it didn't reach the heights of my own dekstop setup (~15k retail) it did offer a very competitive (in its own pricerange) and enjoyable performance.

When used as preamp instead of the line out, it still bypasses all EQ functionality. Therefore in my case it didn't make any sense to include another preamp section into the chain.
If you need the higher output of the preamp vs the line out, this might still be a nice feature to have.

In case you want to use it including the players EQ features you have to use the headphone out, which didn't sound as clean as the line out to me, but I had to test it regardless.


Closing thoughts:
The Cayin N7 is a great Device, with an enoyable sound signature and a technical performance that certainly doesn't have to hide in its price segment, not even compared to desktop gear.
An absolute winner in my book and I hope to see a 1 Bit DAC + Tube combo in one of the upcoming players.
The synergy with the Meze Liric is marvelous, my new favourite portable combo.

Today I want to review the Meze Advar, the latest IEM of the masterminds from Baia Mare.

This review sample was sent to me at no charge for the purpose to write a review representing my honest opinion.
In the scope of this review tour I am only obligated to send it to the next reviewer in the queue at my own expense.
I am not allowed to keep the sample, nor does Meze in any other way shape or form try to influence my opinion, all impressions written here are my own.

Background:
I am an audiophile with several flagship over ear headphones and IEMs like the Meze Elite, Rai Penta or T+A Solitair P.
The Advar is in a more affordable price category than what I am used to, so any comparative attributes should be seen within that context.

The Setups:
During this review I utilized 4 different setups which I will describe briefly.
All setups use Tidal Master quality or local Flac files as source material.

Setup 1: Samsung Galaxy S10
As an IEM, I tried the performance on my most basic setup - directly from my daily use Smartphone.
The Advar is easy to drive and from a power perspective the Galaxy S10 is already sufficient to generate ear bleeding volume.
For on the go music listening, this works, but I prefer all of my other setups and therefore won't go into further detail driven directly from a Smartphone.

Setup 2: Samsung Galaxy S10 USB (via UAPP) -> Shure SHA900 DAC/AMP
The Shure SHA900 DAC/AMP is already a rather old device, but was a flagship in its time. Based on a Cirrus Logic DAC chip and with parametric EQ capabilities it still offers excellent sound quality and functionality.
This is my main IEM Setup and works very well with the Advar.

Setup 3: T+A MP2000R -> T+A PA2000R
As a comparative test I also tried the Advar on my main listening setup(s) for over Ear headphones. To my surprise the Advar scales really well with better source and amplification but I am unsure for how many IEM usage at such a rig is of importance.

Setup 4: T+A MP2000R -> Octave V16 Single Ended
As last setup I also tried it with my Octave V16 tube amp. Due to the high sensitivity of the IEMs the background wasn't 100% black, but when the music started to play it was magical.
The refined soundstage and midrange sweetness of the tubes had great synergy with the Advar.
I really need to look for a DAP with tubes, this seems to be an excellent combination.



The unpacking Experience:
The Meze Advar comes in a nice package with artful design. It sure feels like an audiophile gem and you can feel that, the manufacturer put thought into the unpacking experience.

Look and feel of the Advar also scream premium all the way. Meze always understands to find a nice combination of aesthetics and functionality. The Advar is heavier than the Rai Penta or Shure Se846 which will be used for comparisons later on. Certainly has a nice feel to it, from look and feel it actually feels "more premium" than the Rai Penta which is the current IEM Flagship from Meze.

It comes with a simple but nice 3.5mm terminated cable, tooling to change the cable, a cleaning tool and several eartips. The Eartips are the Type E from Final Audio, imo great fitting eartips, I even use them on the Shure Se846 because they have a good seal on my ear canal. Seal and fit of the eartips is something very subjective. The Advar is very seal dependant, therefore it is important to find a pair that fits for you.
A travel and storage case with enough space for all the tools is also part of the accessoires.

The comfort:
Meze is known for the pinnacle of comfort in the realm of over ear headphones. The Advar certainly doesn't change that image in any way. To me the Advar is extremely comfortable even when wearing them for 8h+
They are heavier thant my other IEMs, but not heavy enough to have a negative effect on long term comfort. I imagine that this is also earshape and size dependant but for me the Advar gets full marks in terms of comfort.



With all the setup, accessory, build quality and comfort topics out of the way lets' finally get to the Sound:
From the very first moments it's clear that this is a true Meze. This time in a thick, full bodied and warm iteration of their house sound, that most listeners either love or hate.
Very addictive and certainly toe tap inducing.

Bass:
The Advar has tastefully elevated Bass. The thick base tone puts focus on midbass albeit there is no rolloff into the subbass and the Advar features excellent extension down to 10Hz. It is a very dynamic and thumping type of Bass.
Excellently tuned quantity and good quality. In terms of Bass texture it is bested by its bigger brother though.

Mids:
Imo THE reason to get an Advar. The mids have excellent timbre and sound extremely natural. String instruments in particular sound very lifelike and real, but also vocals have an undeniable realistic quality!
Especially with some tube flavor in the mix this is an incredible strength of the Advar.

Highs:
The highs are the hardest to describe part on the Advar. The Advar certainly has sparkle, even though imo the great strengths of the Advar are the Bass and Mid sections.
The treble region is very seal dependant, and also source dependant to some degree. On my first listening sessions, directly from the Galaxy S10 I had some harshness in the Treble.
In later sessions when I was relaxing at my listening station and got the fit and seal perfectly, the treble smoothed out and the harschness was gone. However for someone that wants to use them on the go and can't fiddle around to get the perfect seal every time, this might become an issue.
My stationary listening stations also have a very analogue presentation and I didn't experience any harshness there.

Soundstage and Imaging:
The Advar has a rather intimate soundstage, it is certainly narrower than all my available headphones and IEMs. Together with the thick tone, the imaging is also a step behind the (a lot higher priced) competition in my collection.
However it is never muddy, just not on the level of my alternatives. In audio there are several tradeoffs a manufacturer has to decide on for the final sound, and this was certainly one of those.

Detail retrieval:
In terms of detail retrieval the Advar is really good, even though I am used to flagships day in day out, I never had the feeling that I miss detail when listening to the Advar.
Especially in terms of microdetail my other headphones are superior, but this is expected given the huge price difference. The Advar is a perfect example of "detailed enough"
It certainly fits the description of audiophile levels of detail. Detailheads might want to look at the Rai Penta instead.



Comparisons
with Meze Rai Penta:
So how does it compare to the bigger brother Rai Penta?

There is a striking similarity on how Meze sees their "flagship tuning" and their "high end flagship tuning" in both their Over Ear and IEM lineup. Comparing the Advar to the Rai Penta is very similar to comparing an Empyrean to an Elite.
The Rai Penta has a noteably wider Soundstage, increased detail retrieval and imaging capabilities and a thinner tone. The Advar is bassier, especially in the midbass region and has the better timbre in the midrange for my taste.

with Shure SE846:
The Shure SE846 has a terrible stock cable but uses the same MMCX Connector than the Advar and Rai Penta, therefore I used the cable of the Meze with the Shure for this comparison.
For Eartips I like the Final Type E and ordered a separate pair for the Shure as well. In the end I could compare the SE 846 with the Advar, both using the same cable and eartips.

The Shure features a more V shaped sound signature. It also offers elevated Bass but more focused on the subbass region. The treble is more pronounced and the soundstage is wider than on the Meze.
The Meze has overall a thicker tone and better timbre. All in all these are very different presentations for different tastes.

Pairings and Synergy:
The Advar can be used on a wide range of devices, from a Smartphone up to a high end stationary rig.
They scale quite spectacularly for an IEM. In terms of synergy they benefit from an analogue and smooth presentation to counter the treble peak. However since they already have a thick tone, they might benefit from a detailed well controlled amp unless one wants to really lock in on the thick sound.

Conclusion:
The Advar is an excellent addition to the Meze Family. Featuring their house sound, their aesthetics and comfort.

PS: I ordered an Advar for myself after sending off the review sample to the next reviewer of the tour.