Cayin iDAP-8 HIFI DIGITAL AUDIO PLAYER

Introduction

We would like to express our sincere gratitude to you for selecting the Cayin iDAP-8 High Fidelity Digital Audio Player. To assist you in comprehending its features, as well as becoming acquainted with its operation, we have prepared this manual. We highly recommend that all customers thoroughly review this manual before commencing usage of the device.

Contents

• Contents

• Package Content

• Product Features

• Front Panel Functional Description

• Rear Panel Functional Description

• I2S Interface Definition

• Instructions for Hard Drive Replacement

• Setup of the machine

• Basic Operation

• Specification

• Troubleshooting

Attention

• Please make sure the serial number on the package, chassis and warranty card are intact and identical. In case of damage, missing or tempered on warranty card or serial number, Cayin reserves the right to refuse warranty service for the machine.
• All rights reserved. Any form of reproduction, transmission, distribution, or storage of the iDAP-8 documentations and/or tamper of the system firmware is strictly prohibited without written approval from Cayin.
• The user manual is a documentation of the product based on the specification at the time of print. Cayin reserves the right to change product specification without prior notice.

Package Content

Please examine the product package before you open it, the package should be free from any physical damage or water stain. You should find the following items when you open the package:

1. iDAP - 8 High Fidelity Digital Audio Player × 1 unit
2. User Manual × 1 copy
3. Replacement Fuss × 2 units
4. Warranty Card × 1 copy
5. Power Cord × 1 piece
6. WiFi/ Bluetooth Antenna × 1 piece

Attention: The product package should only include the items listed.

If maintenance services are required, please complete the warranty card and submit it to the authorized dealer within two weeks or mail it back to our sales department. We will provide you with comprehensive and attentive after-sales service. It is recommended to save the packaging and packing materials for future shipment use.

Design Features

• The iDAP-8 is a DAP (Digital Audio Player) based on the Android system;
• A 5-inch full HD TFT display screen.
• Support for multiple digital audio outputs including USB DAC Output (Both front and rear USB-A socket), I2S (HDMI), and S/PDIF (AES/EBU, BNC, RCA, OPTICAL).
• Two USB 3.0 Type-A sockets for playing music from USB flash drives or card readers.
• One SD card slot for playing music or firmware upgrades.
• One USB 3.0 Type-B socket for connecting to a computer to manage files on USB drives and hard drives.
• A hard drive slot capable of accommodating a 2.5-inch SATA hard drive.
• Support file sharing via Ethernet or WiFi connection, facilitating communicate with a diverse array of networked devices through Samba, DLNA and Airplay.
• Control of playback through HiBy Link from a smartphone via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi.
• Support for controlling playback via a BLE universal Bluetooth remote control.

Front Panel Functional Description

The front panel features the following controls and indicators:

1. Standby Switch (STANDBY): Used for powering on and entering standby mode. To power on when in standby mode, press and hold the switch; to enter standby mode when operational, press and hold the switch. A short press when the device is powered on and the screen is illuminated will turn off the screen; when the screen is off, a short press will illuminate it. Note: The main power of the device is controlled by the power switch on the rear panel. Before powering on, make sure to turn on the main power switch on the rear panel of the device.
2. USB slot: Connects to USB flash drives, card readers, portable hard drives, or a USB DAC.
3. Power Indicator Light: In standby mode, the indicator light flashes. In operational mode, the indicator light remains on.
4. SD Card Slot: Supports up to 1TB.
5. Return Button: A short press returns to the previous menu; a long press returns to the main menu.
6. Display Screen: Displays the operational status of the device.
7. Previous Track/Next Track Knob/Play/Pause Button: Rotate counterclockwise (two clicks) for the previous track, clockwise (two clicks) for the next track. Press the button: in the song list interface, it plays the selected song; in the playback interface, it pauses or plays the current song; in the state when playback icon was highlighted, a long press stops the playback and returns to the main menu. On the playlist screen, rotate to select a song and push the button once to start playback. On the Playback screen, you can rotate the knob to highlight a control icon (previous, play/pause, next, playlist, my favorite etc) at the bottom of the screen and then push the button once to activate the action. Hold the button for 2 seconds will always go back to the Home Screen.

Rear Panel Functional Description

The rear panel features the following ports and controls:

1. Bluetooth/Wi-Fi Antenna (2.4/5GHz): Before use, please install the Wi-Fi/Bluetooth antenna onto the socket.
2. LAN Network Interface: The LAN network interface facilitates connections to either a local area network or the internet.
3. USB 3.0 Ports: Connect USB flash drives, card readers, portable hard drives, or a USB DAC.
4. USB-B Port: Enables connection to a computer for managing internal memory, SD cards, USB flash drives/portable hard drives, or hard drive files.
5. AES Digital Balanced Output: This output terminal is designed for connecting to DAC with AES/EBU digital audio input terminals.
6. Optical Digital Output Terminal: This output terminal is designed for connecting to decoders with optical input terminals.
7. I2S/DSD Digital Output (HDMI): This output terminal is intended for connecting to DACs featuring I2S (HDMI) input terminals following the wiring order provided by our company. Compatibility with DACs from other brands cannot be guaranteed.
8. RCA Coaxial Digital Output: This output terminal is designed for connecting to DAC with coaxial input terminals.
9. BNC Coaxial Digital Output: This output terminal is designed for connecting to DAC with coaxial input terminals.
10. Power Input Socket: Please connect through this socket with AC power. Before use, ensure that the voltage of your local power grid complies with the power requirements indicated on the rear panel of the device.
11. Fuse: If replacement is necessary, please use a fuse of the same specifications (Two replacement fuses are provided within the package).
12. Main Power Switch: Before using the device, ensure that the switch is pressed upwards to the "On" position to turn on the main power.

Tips: If you are not going to use the player for a while, it is recommended to turn off the main power supply.

I2S Interface Definition

The I2S connector on this unit adopts the standard 19-pin HDMI-A connector, however, the pinout is customized by our company for better compatibility with Cayin's Transports and DAPs that feature I2S. We cannot guarantee that it is compatible with I2S connectors of the other brands, nor standard HDMI connectors.

The following is the definition of the HDMI connector pinout for this unit:

• Type-A Connector
• Pin 1: NC
• Pin 2: NC
• Pin 3: GND
• Pin 4: NC
• Pin 5: NC
• Pin 6: DSD/PCM
• Pin 7: MUTE
• Pin 8: MCLK-
• Pin 9: GND
• Pin 10: MCLK+
• Pin 11: LRCK+/DSD DATA L+
• Pin 12: GND
• Pin 13: LRCK-/DSD DATA L-
• Pin 14: SCLK-/DSD CLK-
• Pin 15: GND
• Pin 16: SCLK+/DSD CLK+
• Pin 17: DATA+/DSD DATA R+
• Pin 18: GND
• Pin 19: DATA-/DSD DATA R-

Instructions for Hard Drive Replacement

The unit is equipped with a hard drive bracket for a 2.5-inch SATA hard drive.

Steps:

1. Turn the machine upside down and unscrew the four screws on the hard drive bracket to remove it.
2. Once the hard drive bracket is removed, you can proceed to replace the hard drive. Pay attention to the direction of insertion and removal, and pull it out along the horizontal direction of the hard drive slot on the machine.
3. After replacing the hard drive, reattach the hard drive bracket, tighten the four screws, and position the machine properly.

Note: 1. The hard drive interface of this machine is SATA. 2. Before inserting or removing the hard drive, be sure to turn off the main power switch and unplug the AC power cord. 3. The machine is compatible with 2.5-inch hard drives.

Preparation

1. Connecting the Power Cord: Before use, verify that the voltage of the power grid matches the voltage requirements of the machine. Once confirmed, proceed to connect the power cord.
2. Connection of the Separates System: The connection diagram illustrates the audio line connections between this device and the Cayin iDAC-8 DAC as well as iHA-8 headphone amplifier. If connecting to other products, you can refer to this example.
   • a) Connect to the DAC: Use a standard 75Ω coaxial cable to connect the coaxial digital input terminal of the DAC to the coaxial digital output terminal of the iDAP-8; or use an optical cable to connect the optical digital signal input terminal of the DAC to the optical output terminal of the machine; or use a balanced digital cable to connect the balanced digital input terminal of the DAC to the balanced digital output terminal of the machine; or use an HDMI cable to connect the HDMI-A port of the DAC to the HDMI port of the iDAP-8.
   • b) Connect to the Computer: Use a USB cable to connect the USB Type-B port of the machine to the USB port (Type-A) of the computer to manage the files on the machine.

Note: The USB-B port of the machine cannot be used simultaneously with the LAN port of the iDAP-8, otherwise it may result in the computer being unable to read the files on the machine or the machine being unable to access the internet.

c) Connect to the Headphone Amplifier: Use a balanced audio signal cable to connect the balanced digital input terminal of the iDAC-8 to the balanced output terminal of the machine; or use an unbalanced cable to connect the unbalanced digital input terminal of the iDAC-8 to the unbalanced digital output terminal of the machine. Use a balanced audio signal cable to connect the balanced analog input terminal of the headphone amplifier (such as Cayin iHA-8) to the balanced output terminal of the DAC (such as Cayin iDAC-8); or use an unbalanced cable to connect the unbalanced analog input terminal of the headphone amplifier (such as Cayin iHA-8) to the unbalanced analog output terminal of the DAC (such as Cayin iDAC-8). Please pay attention that the left and right channels are connected correctly.

4. WIFI and Bluetooth Connection: Connect to Bluetooth devices for wireless music playback. Bluetooth devices need to be paired with the iDAP-8 before use. Turning on WLAN connection allows access to the international internet or local network.

Note: To avoid damage to your headphone amplifier and headphones due to high volume of noise during connection, please turn off the power of each unit before connecting.

Basic Operation

Before powering on, please confirm once again that the grid voltage matches the machine's requirements, and verify that the system connections are accurate and error-free.

1. Power On Procedure: Turn on the main power switch on the rear panel to activate the main power. At this point, the machine is still in the powered-off state. Press and hold the power button on the panel until the startup screen appears on the display.

The main interface displays the following options:

• Folder: Manage files in the machine, SD card, USB flash drive, or hard drive.
• Local Music: Refers to music files stored on the machine, SD card, USB flash drive, and mobile hard drive. On the local music interface, click "Scan Music" to complete the scanning and update of the music library. After that, you can select music files for playback based on your preferences by clicking on "Songs," "Albums," "Artists," "Genres," and other music category interfaces. The HiBy Music app comes pre-installed in the current firmware and serves as the default music playback application.
• Network Functions:
  • NAS: Supports NAS local network sharing playback. Select to enable the NAS function, search for network storage servers, and connect to the NAS server to access NAS resources.
  • HiByLink: Select to enable the HiByLink function. After downloading and installing the HiBy Music app on your Android device (such as a smartphone, tablet, etc.), open the app, click on the " icon in the upper right corner to find Cayin iDAP-8, and connect directly. This allows you to remotely control the machine operation and playback using your Android device.
  • WiFi Song Transfer: Select to enable the WiFi Song Transfer function. After downloading and installing the HiBy Music app on your Android device (such as a smartphone, tablet, etc.), open the app, click on the profile icon in the upper left corner, and find "Import music via WIFI". Choose "Transfer music files from smartphone" or "Transfer music files from computer" as per your preference. Note: Ensure that both devices for transferring songs are connected to the same WiFi network. Ensure that the receiving device enters the song transfer interface and keeps the screen on.
  • HiByCast: Select to enable the HiByCast function. After downloading and installing the HiByCast app on your Android device (such as a smartphone, tablet, etc.), open the app, enter the machine's connection code or IP address to connect to the machine. This allows remote control of the machine from your Android device.
• Music Streaming App: Third-party software can only be added through the pre-installed "Streaming Media App" on the device. Only apps available within the "Streaming Media App" can be installed.
• Playlists: Various playlists can be categorized based on preferences.
• Output Selection:
  • S/PDIF Output: The S/PDIF signal of the device is output through optical, RCA coaxial, BNC coaxial, and AES balanced terminals. When selecting S/PDIF output, all four output ports have signals simultaneously, and can be individually or collectively connected to external digital-to-analog converters for use. Selecting S/PDIF output will disable the I2S of the device.
  • I2S Output: The I2S signal of the device is output through the HDMI interface. Please use a up to standard HDMI cable to connect to an external digital-to-analog converter with I2S decoding capability. Selecting I2S output will disable the S/PDIF of the device.
• Audio Settings: Configures audio-related functions, including digital output and MQA decoding. Note: These audio settings apply to all media playback software running on the device.
• System Settings: Android system settings, including network, connected devices, display, audio settings and system. Settings can be adjusted according to actual needs.

Quick Settings Explanation: To access the Quick Settings panel, swipe down from the top of the screen, then, swipe down once more to access the quick settings page for making adjustments. To access more detailed settings, tap the "Gear" icon located below the Quick Settings menu.

In addition to common Android functions, the quick settings page provides the following shortcut settings:

• a. Digital Output: Allows selection between I2S or S/PDIF.
• b. HiBy Cast: Enables screen mirroring via the HiBy Cast feature.
• c. Audio Settings: For detailed instructions, refer to "Audio Settings" under "Basic Operation Explanation 7".

Specification

Basic Specification

Digital audio output

Troubleshooting