Following up. I pulled the trigger on the RU-6. I am blown away by this device. I can't call my mojo 2 better or worse, they are just different machines, both doing great at what they're designed for. I just can't put my finger somewhere to give a reason why i love the sound of it, but i really do. The imaging is just stupidly good. The dynamics perfect, soundstage is all there, musicality just wow. I highly encourage you to give it a try. I ordered mine from amazon thinking that i will just probably try it and then return it just to check another box of trying some different dacs. I am definitely keeping this one. So that you understand where i'm coming from...i have tried a few modest dacs, so you know where i'm coming from and how i judge the sound as a reference of improvement or degradation in quality. Dragondly cobalt, quadelix 5k, fiio k5 pro, chord mojo 2
I've had my RU6 for a while now, and it's nice to see one positive after another on it. Also when it comes to the price, I think it's worth considering that other "high end" dongle DACs with comparable build quality and features such as the L&P W2 and Lotoo Paw S2 are actually even more expensive. The Dragonfly Cobalt which I still see frequently recommended is fully $100 more and underperforms even compared to many under $100 Delta Sigma DACs. Regardless of all that, when you consider that this is literally the only R2R dongle on the market currently, it essentially has no direct competition. In my own use, I've tested it on the Moondrop Starfield, Ikko OH1, Beyerdynamic DT1350, Audio Technica AD700X, Focal Elegia and Sennheiser HD660s. In every case it had an extremely smooth and enjoyable delivery that in some ways was more enjoyable than the output of my 3w per channel balanced desktop setup. It was just plain nice to listen to, regardless of how it measures, to the point where I would gladly use it as a dedicated desktop dac/amp as well as a portable. I will say I did not bother trying it with my HD650 because I already figured it probably would not be worthwhile trying to drive a 300ohm headphone, but it had no problem with the 150ohm of the HD660s. As far as the clipping issue due to the power limitations with the lightning cable, I have not experienced that with anything I've tried running it with the standard USB-C cable on android. Android also has the option to turn off battery management on specific apps, which is probably worthwhile when using a dongle with Uapp or Hiby Player, but I didn't have issues before doing that either.
happy to see another 1350 owner. Mine's still rocking since 2011 despite the completely exposed wire due to material deterioration over time. thanks for the very nice inputs can't wait for my RU6 to arrive hopefully next week!
I still love my RU6 after a year of use. It's not as technical sounding as my other DACs (dongles and desktops), but the tone is my favorite. Reminds me more of a good vinyl system, and plays well with older music that originated on tape.
I just got an RU6 and did a direct comparison with the Mojo. The Mojo was definitely clearer and slammed harder, but I would rather daily drive the RU6. It sounds great and is super unfatiguing. My first R2R setup was the Hifiman R2R red which I loved. Too bad it bricked 😞
Currawong: Spot on...Thank you for the complete takeaway on this dongle. I too have this and love it! I was unaware of the poor measurements, I guess I don't really pay attention to that as it just "sounds good"...I don't need a graph to tell me if I am going to like it or not... Cheers
Hifiman blue mini, it has its own power, Bluetooth, usb, and is an r2r dac and amp which is quite powerful, can drive Deva pro, I’ve tried with Sundara 2020 and hd6xx so not just low impedence drive ability but they designed their own chip.
Andy from Cayin actually addressed the question of a battery powered version of the RU6 on Head-Fi yesterday (I've seen you in that thread but this review was likely done earlier). He said that Cayin have no plans to do this (or develop another dongle DAC in general) because while it is technically feasible it doesn't make business sense for them since such a device would be less a dongle than a DAC/amp like Mojo but even more expensive. I got the RU6 three days ago to use with a newly acquired FiiO FH9 (I'd love to see a review of that BTW). I have used it on walks but am primarily using it for convenience at home (especially since my primary amp, a Monoprice Liquid Platinum, does not play nice with IEMs). I am a far less educated listener than you (an understatement) but am floored by the quality of sound from a device this small and (relatively) cheap. Using my go to test tracks for slam and impact (the opening three tracks of Echo and the Bunnymen's Heaven Up Here--great driving drums and bass) the RU6 was not quite up to my primary setup (stack of LP and original AKM Topping D90, usually with ZMF Aeolus) but it certainly wasn't embarrassed.
I quite like the way it sounded with well recorded vocals especially when paired with the right earphones. From a value point of view I don’t know if it’s worth double some of the cheaper dongle DACs but that’s a personal subjective assessment so your mileage will vary depending on your budget. But as Amos pointed out it can be pleasant especially for long listening sessions.
It does not work well with my iPhone but great with my iPad and MacBook. It has great synergy with my Sennheiser ie 600. It just sounds natural and enjoyable. I’m planning on keeping it but not to use with my phone. I would recommend buying it.
I got an RU6 because the volume steps with my Dragonfly Red are not fine enough for high sensitive IEMs and perfect channel balance was also a concern, which the ladder volume control addresses. Unfortunately I had to send it back because I couldn't get it to work reliably with neither my Android phone nor my Android tablet. 9/10 times the device simply wouldn't recognize the RU6. Too bad, otherwise I was happy with the device (except for the doubling in power consumption compared to the Dragonfly).
With my meze 109 pros and schiit midgard amp - for my taste this RU6 (in OS mode) gives me an absolutely perfect sound with all genres. This is a much preferred combination compared to using my bigger and more expensive Musician Draco dac (in NOS mode) which sounds too intense, vocals and instruments too forward, almost cluttered presentation in comparison (even though the soundstage is technically bigger) - the RU6 pushes vocals and instruments out into the room a bit more and I can hear more colour and subtleties in the music somehow. However the draco sounds much better with my speaker setup (kef Is50 hegel h95), the ru6 sounds vague and hazy in comparison on speakers. Just shows.. Taste, synergy and balance are so important in this hobby - not necessarily technicalities and cost.
I bought the Cayin RU6 almost a year ago, and finally got around to hooking it up to my stereo system. This little dongle DAC is just blowing me away right now! It actually sounds better than my Ares II if you can believe that. I have it hooked into my Denafrips Hades preamp via an XLR cable, to the Denafrips Thallo amp and out to a pair of KLH Model 5's... The source is my iPad mini, 6th gen. I think the reason it sounds better than the Ares II is the slight bit of gain it puts out. I don't know what to say, the soundstage sounds larger, the mids and highs are more defined. This is in NOS mode. I have been playing iTunes, their Chill compilation in their version of High Res. If you are looking at this little DAC, I would highly recommend it. Kicking myself I waited a year to break it out. I still cannot get over the sound I am getting out of this silly little device, and only $249!
I got mine today, and yes, it totally rocks, I love it. I will take organic and musical over precise and digital any day of the week. It just sounds real.
Ru6 is certainly a great source of listening pleasure for me. It's in the pocket with me all the time. Works rather well with the laptop and phone when on the go and I have been using it more often with Volumio through the Raspberry Pi at home as well. I can listen through them for hours so I agree with your comment that it's strength is the easy to listen tuning it comes with.
Please consider reviewing the Violectric CHRONOS. Chifi and mad in China stuff seems to be everywhere in the IEM and portable DAC/amp market. A competitive option from anywhere else seems rare. I try to avoid buying stuff made in China for various reasons. The Chronos is made in Germany for $250, so it is at the top of my list. Unfortunately there are hardly any reviews.
I have an L&P W2. But I use the NOS filter and the Tune filter on 02. With those settings it is much more relaxed and I feel the soundstage feels a tad wider. No sharp leading edges, definitely less analytical sounding and quite nice IMO.
I still recollecting some information about different point of view about using tune 1 versus tune 2 How would you describe the differences between the two of them Either way having a lot of fun with my Luxury and Precision W2 131 My music sounds amazing (I'm still wondering in sound quality and other characteristics W2 131 would sound close to which DAP model from Fiio, Astell and Kern, shanling, Hiby, etc?
I've ordered one of these as I love the R2R sound having used CD players in the past using the legendary TDA1541 chip but now iam streaming from my windows PC thought this might be a doorway solution to that sound I love. I'm using an apogee groove which I do think although it's quite old now is one of the better sabre dongles out there with masses of power and voltage to drive my AKG K701s, giving a smooth analogue sound, I'll report back when I have the RU 6 and compared it to the Groove
I love my ru6 definitely has faults as you mentioned but the sound feels like there’s no edges to it if that makes sense it sounds like the music is free
I buy RU6 due to my previous MOJO breakdown. I had been using RU6 with my HIFIMAN HE-560 & Thieaudio Monarch mk2, it sounds very nice and enjoyable to listen to. Mojo give you more detail and more in everything and keep the music somewhere neutral to warm side compare to RU6.
sitting around with a bunch of darker tuned headphones and iems... waiting for this review since the unboxing stream. sounds like a great fit for my life, thanks for the insights mate
I whole heartedly agree with your assessment. Warm, kind of soft, rolled off on the extreme top end, but also very musical and enjoyable. It has that space between instruments that kilobit does so well. I will only add that at High gain, unbalanced output is 2V and balanced at 4V, but yes, not true balanced. This is from a computer or a phone. Oh, and a Modi Multibit is being held back by the output op amps. A stock Modo MB will sound more “cloudy” in comparison.
Amos did you read Archimagos blogspot on his RU6 measurements? I enjoy listening to my RU6 a lot and am baffled how much I enjoy a DAC that is "not a "high fidelity" or "high resolution" DAC in that the objective resolution actually does not approach even clean 16-bit conversion and the distortion amounts are clearly higher than the norm", he also wrote how "the resolution doesn't even beat the multibit chip DACs from CD players of the 1980's!". This kind of makes me rethink my pursuit of high fidelity sound reproduction. I'd love to hear your thoughts on this.
I reckon that Archimago was quite reasonable in his thoughts. But in over-summary, my thoughts are: We don't listen to test tones, we listen to music. The reason we like the RU6 is *because* of its distortion.
I’ve got an RU-6 and quite enjoy it. I think Amos nails it with “it’s just pleasant to listen to”. I’ve got better sources, sources that don’t require warming up a minute to sound good, sources without hiss, etc and yet I spend a lot more time listening to the RU-6 than those “better” options. Fair warning to the hiss sensitive though, it’s got a fair amount of hiss with the super sensitive IEMs.
Hiss is unnoticeable if music is playing or during quiet passages. Has to be paused to hear popping and clicking passed through from the source though.
Got mine last week. NOS is really the way. The OS is harsh and you don't have the treble roll off with sample rates above 96 and esp not with 192. Only complaint is the magnets are weak as heck with the case.
I got this too but i think it is not entirely compatible with my Samsung android phone because the original samsung dongle (usb c to headphone) sounds even better in my opinion. However, the RU6 really comes alive when i plug it into my personal computer. I suspect you have to connect the RU6 to a samsung OTG adapter in order to realise its full benefits.
@@Currawong Recently i got a software update from Samsung and the audio output from UA-cam files went up from 44.1khz to 48 khz, and somehow the Cayin RU6 sounds good now when paired to this android phone, it now sounds better than the standard Samsung dongle 🤷♂️ I played the song 'yuki no hana' (accoustic ver.) on UA-cam and i notice that the Cayin can produce a more pronounced guitar strumming sound than the standard dongle.
Any solution to clipping on an iPhone? I have the Hidizs S9 Pro and the ddHiFi TC44B. Clipping is less of an issue on the TC44B. RU6 and S9 Pro have similar output specs.
Interesting take on the RU6! I was very tempted to get the RU6 but I ended up going with W2-131 due to some compatibility issues with my phone (for some weird reason Oneplus 9 Pro does not detect RU6 without any USB hub). By the way, is the W2 you showed actually the W2-131 (blue, with CS43131) instead of the original W2 (black, with CS43198)?
@@Hari-kx2er Only OnePlus 9 and 9 Pro have this issue. I tried on 6 and 8 without any issue either. I've reported the matter over to OnePlus but I doubt it'll get anything done. Even my W2-131 has intermittent connection issues sometimes with 9 Pro.
I'm in the same boat I still recollecting some information about different point of view about using tune 1 versus tune 2 How would you describe the differences between the two of them Either way having a lot of fun with my Luxury and Precision W2 131 My music sounds amazing (I'm still wondering in sound quality and other characteristics W2 131 would sound close to which DAP model from Fiio, Astell and Kern, shanling, Hiby, etc?
@Currawong thank you for the review. With 4.4mm you mentioned there is an "op amp with phase splitter". Besides giving more power, does it improve channel separation (i.e. separate grounds) or anything else besides just having more power? also, if I were to plug this into an amp (say Cayin C9 which has 4.4mm and 3.5mm inputs) --> does 4.4mm provide any benefit since the amp will be doing all the work?
Necromancer here... Do you all still love it after owning for a while ? Heard the Hiby FC6 r2r that came out more recently ? Any recommendations on using it for a home system ? I am hoping that I can dongle it right to a USB out streamer then phone to 2 coaxial right to my pre-amp ? Several of you have mojo 2 as well. Which would you recommend or both ? I can get both.
The review is perfection. I feel like you covered everything I wanted to know. It’s so rare to hear someone discussUsability as well as qualifications that actually matter. Thanks. Anyone know if the magnates be used for MagSafe? I’d been using my Mojo with MagSafe on Iphone and it works better than you’d expect. You will need some copper foil or some type of barrier to keep the iPhone signal from causing the Mojo to chirp.
I haven't tried, but maybe if you put a magnetic plate up beside the cameras, or all the way at the bottom it might be ok. You'd need a longer USB/lightning cable though.
Q1: I found your explanation of volume control @5:03 a bit confusing, so to clarify did you mean that you need to set the source volume (Roon DSP Volume) to maximum and adjust the volume from the RU6 or set the RU6 to maximum and adjust the volume via Roon DSP Volume? Q2: Can the RU6 be used to connect to an Amp via SE trs to rca? I'm thinking of pairing it w/ a tube amp.
You set maximum volume in the software, and control the volume using the RU6 for best results. You can definitely connect the SE output to RCA to use it as a DAC. I've done this myself.
Late to the party but I just bought it yesterday. Out of the box it was on par with my apple dongle. I hope it gets better over time. Using it with oh10s
@@Currawong You are right. I left them playing some music over night and they sound way better. The bass and mids are awesome and soundstage better as well. I haven't tried the OS mode yet. Do you suggest to use in low gain mode with higher volume or high gain with lower volumes? Thanks for the reply and awesome review, a long time fan.
Hi! I am seriously considering buying this with lighting cable for my iPhone and for my android Lenovo tablet. Will both work well? Can work IPhone well if I lower volume with the phone?
That was unexpectedly super-interesting! So why is it that the whole resistor network has to be duplicated for different volume levels? Could there be an amplifier in-line with a single set of resistors?
In my experience I would totally suggest you and save you some money Go for Luxury and Precision either way W1 W2 W131 all of them works better than the options you've mentioned Thank me later I promise you won't regret about it 🤟🎧
Pet peeve of mine re: any DAC or DAP that has a display screen like this- why doesn't it display the bit resolution, ie 16/20/24 bit audio data1? Like too many other units, the display only shows the sampling rate. Why is this relevant? First, most audiophiles and enthusiasts are OCD by nature, and would prefer to "see what you got", ie verify the audio data coming into the device to ensure the source is outputting correctly, regardless of what the output/source device claims it is outputting- sources can be wrong due to a bug, error, etc For example, HDCD's should be decoded to 20 bits by the source, unless this DAC recognizes HDCD data and decodes itself. Seeing 20 bits displayed tells you the source is decoding the HDCD correctly. You want to be sure you are getting 16/20/24 and not all upsampled to 24 or 32 bits by the source, unless you want it to. Probably other reasons
My understanding is that it is not as straight-forward to display the bit rate as it is the sample rate. As for it being accurate, as long as it isn't lowering the bit rate, it wont make any effective difference. For example, if my computer is sending out a 16/44.1 audio stream as 24/44.1, the extra bits are just empty (zeros) and aren't actually changing the musical data.
@@Currawong Understood, but point still stands- I want to verify correct decoding of HDCD, or ensure source is not downsampling or truncating from 24/20 bits to 16 bits.
can you use this as a DAC only device and send the signal to a headphone amp without double amping? I'm guessing you can't with the balanced PO since you mentioned the signal goes to an opamp with it but can it be done via SE?
Nice video. I dislike the sterile, cold, digital sound that toomany dongles make, even if they're technically perfect. I like a clear, balanced yet musical, organic, sound. That's why I'm a little confused with your video. Is the RU6 a better sounding dongle than all those ESS/AKM based dongles or not? Which one is better for enjoying listening to music?
@@Currawong I’m reading around here that it has clipping issues when used with an iPhone. That’s a deal breaker for me as I’m a iPhone user (iPhone 11). 😟
@@pftvfc66 I've seen people pair it with a portable amp like the topping nx7 I think It's called. I've heard the iPhone is doesn't like high power draw from its connector but the camera cable lets you get away with it
I still recollecting some information about different point of view about using tune 1 versus tune 2 on Luxury and Precision W2 131, How would you guys describe the differences between the two of them Either way having a lot of fun with my Luxury and Precision W2 131 My music sounds amazing (I'm still wondering in sound quality and other characteristics W2 131 would sound close to which DAP model from Fiio, Astell and Kern, shanling, Hiby, etc?
On an iPhone, yes. I have clipping issues with the Hidizs S9 Pro and the ddHiFi TC44B, but the TC44B (now updated to the TC44C) has lower output and I can drive headphones and IEMs louder. It’s also one of the cheapest dongles, and it sounds very good. The RU6 and the S9 Pro have similar outputs on the balanced ports.
R2R DACs, because they use resistors, need time to thermally stabilise. It was easiest just to plug it in and leave it on then test it when I was ready.
@@Currawong so it's not that they needed 2-3 days to be thermally stabilised , but so you knew they were ready once you were, right? :) Do you think the Caying RU6 also needs some time to fully shine?
Thanks for the video. I have a question: I own the Mojo 2 but it's really hard for me to use it as a portable device due to it's size. Do you recommend to use the RU6 for that purpose?
I am the same situation. I own a mojo 2 and a quadelix 5k. The mojo is too bulky for me to be portable use and quadelix is perfect, but the mojo spoiled me completely of how good it sounds, and now i want something that is better than the quadelix and can be easily portable
i used to have a 300B cayin tube amp, with a metrum octave R2R dac. loved the sound and hoping this lttle device with IEM can get some old school tube sound. got my hands on ru6...deeply dissapointed, sounds thick and muffled. mid bass transistion is bloated like something is missnig inbetween then comes sub bass. and there is intermittent buzzing sound when connected to phone...this is old school though...its like the cracking sound with vinyl..HAHAHAHa...overrated..ru6
Following up. I pulled the trigger on the RU-6. I am blown away by this device. I can't call my mojo 2 better or worse, they are just different machines, both doing great at what they're designed for. I just can't put my finger somewhere to give a reason why i love the sound of it, but i really do. The imaging is just stupidly good. The dynamics perfect, soundstage is all there, musicality just wow. I highly encourage you to give it a try. I ordered mine from amazon thinking that i will just probably try it and then return it just to check another box of trying some different dacs. I am definitely keeping this one. So that you understand where i'm coming from...i have tried a few modest dacs, so you know where i'm coming from and how i judge the sound as a reference of improvement or degradation in quality. Dragondly cobalt, quadelix 5k, fiio k5 pro, chord mojo 2
IFI Go Bar is tangibly better. Similar price.
I've had my RU6 for a while now, and it's nice to see one positive after another on it. Also when it comes to the price, I think it's worth considering that other "high end" dongle DACs with comparable build quality and features such as the L&P W2 and Lotoo Paw S2 are actually even more expensive. The Dragonfly Cobalt which I still see frequently recommended is fully $100 more and underperforms even compared to many under $100 Delta Sigma DACs. Regardless of all that, when you consider that this is literally the only R2R dongle on the market currently, it essentially has no direct competition. In my own use, I've tested it on the Moondrop Starfield, Ikko OH1, Beyerdynamic DT1350, Audio Technica AD700X, Focal Elegia and Sennheiser HD660s. In every case it had an extremely smooth and enjoyable delivery that in some ways was more enjoyable than the output of my 3w per channel balanced desktop setup. It was just plain nice to listen to, regardless of how it measures, to the point where I would gladly use it as a dedicated desktop dac/amp as well as a portable. I will say I did not bother trying it with my HD650 because I already figured it probably would not be worthwhile trying to drive a 300ohm headphone, but it had no problem with the 150ohm of the HD660s. As far as the clipping issue due to the power limitations with the lightning cable, I have not experienced that with anything I've tried running it with the standard USB-C cable on android. Android also has the option to turn off battery management on specific apps, which is probably worthwhile when using a dongle with Uapp or Hiby Player, but I didn't have issues before doing that either.
I really like your input. How do you compare these to the L&P W2-131?
For me, RU6 dethrone every dongle king, L&P W2, Dragonfly Cobalt, Hidisz s9 pro (never heard Paw S2). The best dongle of now.
@@Riomulen ขอบคุณครับ อ้านเม้นฝรั่งเจอเม้นไทยคอนเฟิม ต้องจัดละครับ
happy to see another 1350 owner. Mine's still rocking since 2011 despite the completely exposed wire due to material deterioration over time. thanks for the very nice inputs can't wait for my RU6 to arrive hopefully next week!
That's some high praise. I'm very interested after watching a few reviews and reading comments.
I still love my RU6 after a year of use. It's not as technical sounding as my other DACs (dongles and desktops), but the tone is my favorite. Reminds me more of a good vinyl system, and plays well with older music that originated on tape.
I ended up ordering one and got my RU6 last week. I can’t quite put it or explain how, but this device sounds exquisite, simply exquisite!
I just got an RU6 and did a direct comparison with the Mojo. The Mojo was definitely clearer and slammed harder, but I would rather daily drive the RU6. It sounds great and is super unfatiguing. My first R2R setup was the Hifiman R2R red which I loved. Too bad it bricked 😞
So basically, Mojo is better.
@@kovy689 I would say Mojo is different 😉
@@kovy689 maybe it can be concluded that Mojo is for analyzing music, and RU6 for enjoying music.
@@stevencau3077 But have you tried them side by side yet?
@@kovy689 OP clearly did but you misinterpreted his statement
Currawong: Spot on...Thank you for the complete takeaway on this dongle. I too have this and love it! I was unaware of the poor measurements, I guess I don't really pay attention to that as it just "sounds good"...I don't need a graph to tell me if I am going to like it or not...
Cheers
Hifiman blue mini, it has its own power, Bluetooth, usb, and is an r2r dac and amp which is quite powerful, can drive Deva pro, I’ve tried with Sundara 2020 and hd6xx so not just low impedence drive ability but they designed their own chip.
Available separately for around 150 usd, I made an easy 2 part adapter and can use with any balanced headphone
Andy from Cayin actually addressed the question of a battery powered version of the RU6 on Head-Fi yesterday (I've seen you in that thread but this review was likely done earlier). He said that Cayin have no plans to do this (or develop another dongle DAC in general) because while it is technically feasible it doesn't make business sense for them since such a device would be less a dongle than a DAC/amp like Mojo but even more expensive.
I got the RU6 three days ago to use with a newly acquired FiiO FH9 (I'd love to see a review of that BTW). I have used it on walks but am primarily using it for convenience at home (especially since my primary amp, a Monoprice Liquid Platinum, does not play nice with IEMs). I am a far less educated listener than you (an understatement) but am floored by the quality of sound from a device this small and (relatively) cheap. Using my go to test tracks for slam and impact (the opening three tracks of Echo and the Bunnymen's Heaven Up Here--great driving drums and bass) the RU6 was not quite up to my primary setup (stack of LP and original AKM Topping D90, usually with ZMF Aeolus) but it certainly wasn't embarrassed.
As always it's pleasure to listen to your reviews. Your presentation style, your knowledge is amazing. Thank you, very appreciated.
Holy shit this guy knows what he’s talking about. Subscribed
I quite like the way it sounded with well recorded vocals especially when paired with the right earphones. From a value point of view I don’t know if it’s worth double some of the cheaper dongle DACs but that’s a personal subjective assessment so your mileage will vary depending on your budget. But as Amos pointed out it can be pleasant especially for long listening sessions.
This might be what I've been looking for sound wise. I don't gaf about measurements, I just want to enjoy my music.
It does not work well with my iPhone but great with my iPad and MacBook. It has great synergy with my Sennheiser ie 600. It just sounds natural and enjoyable. I’m planning on keeping it but not to use with my phone. I would recommend buying it.
I got an RU6 because the volume steps with my Dragonfly Red are not fine enough for high sensitive IEMs and perfect channel balance was also a concern, which the ladder volume control addresses. Unfortunately I had to send it back because I couldn't get it to work reliably with neither my Android phone nor my Android tablet. 9/10 times the device simply wouldn't recognize the RU6. Too bad, otherwise I was happy with the device (except for the doubling in power consumption compared to the Dragonfly).
With my meze 109 pros and schiit midgard amp - for my taste this RU6 (in OS mode) gives me an absolutely perfect sound with all genres. This is a much preferred combination compared to using my bigger and more expensive Musician Draco dac (in NOS mode) which sounds too intense, vocals and instruments too forward, almost cluttered presentation in comparison (even though the soundstage is technically bigger)
- the RU6 pushes vocals and instruments out into the room a bit more and I can hear more colour and subtleties in the music somehow.
However the draco sounds much better with my speaker setup (kef Is50
hegel h95), the ru6 sounds vague and hazy in comparison on speakers. Just shows..
Taste, synergy and balance are so important in this hobby - not necessarily technicalities and cost.
I bought the Cayin RU6 almost a year ago, and finally got around to hooking it up to my stereo system. This little dongle DAC is just blowing me away right now! It actually sounds better than my Ares II if you can believe that. I have it hooked into my Denafrips Hades preamp via an XLR cable, to the Denafrips Thallo amp and out to a pair of KLH Model 5's... The source is my iPad mini, 6th gen.
I think the reason it sounds better than the Ares II is the slight bit of gain it puts out. I don't know what to say, the soundstage sounds larger, the mids and highs are more defined. This is in NOS mode. I have been playing iTunes, their Chill compilation in their version of High Res. If you are looking at this little DAC, I would highly recommend it. Kicking myself I waited a year to break it out. I still cannot get over the sound I am getting out of this silly little device, and only $249!
I got mine today, and yes, it totally rocks, I love it. I will take organic and musical over precise and digital any day of the week. It just sounds real.
Ru6 is certainly a great source of listening pleasure for me. It's in the pocket with me all the time. Works rather well with the laptop and phone when on the go and I have been using it more often with Volumio through the Raspberry Pi at home as well. I can listen through them for hours so I agree with your comment that it's strength is the easy to listen tuning it comes with.
Please consider reviewing the Violectric CHRONOS. Chifi and mad in China stuff seems to be everywhere in the IEM and portable DAC/amp market. A competitive option from anywhere else seems rare. I try to avoid buying stuff made in China for various reasons. The Chronos is made in Germany for $250, so it is at the top of my list. Unfortunately there are hardly any reviews.
Is the CHRONOS also an R2R DAC?
I have an L&P W2. But I use the NOS filter and the Tune filter on 02. With those settings it is much more relaxed and I feel the soundstage feels a tad wider. No sharp leading edges, definitely less analytical sounding and quite nice IMO.
Using the same settings. 👍
Tune 02 is closer to Cirrus Logic house sound, IMHO. Probably, L&P do some DSP for Tune 01.
I still recollecting some information about different point of view about using tune 1 versus tune 2
How would you describe the differences between the two of them
Either way having a lot of fun with my Luxury and Precision W2 131
My music sounds amazing (I'm still wondering in sound quality and other characteristics W2 131 would sound close to which DAP model from Fiio, Astell and Kern, shanling, Hiby, etc?
I couldn’t wait for your review, so I bought and enjoy it very much with my Andromedas.
I've ordered one of these as I love the R2R sound having used CD players in the past using the legendary TDA1541 chip but now iam streaming from my windows PC thought this might be a doorway solution to that sound I love. I'm using an apogee groove which I do think although it's quite old now is one of the better sabre dongles out there with masses of power and voltage to drive my AKG K701s, giving a smooth analogue sound, I'll report back when I have the RU 6 and compared it to the Groove
I love my ru6 definitely has faults as you mentioned but the sound feels like there’s no edges to it if that makes sense it sounds like the music is free
I buy RU6 due to my previous MOJO breakdown. I had been using RU6 with my HIFIMAN HE-560 & Thieaudio Monarch mk2, it sounds very nice and enjoyable to listen to. Mojo give you more detail and more in everything and keep the music somewhere neutral to warm side compare to RU6.
Can IT Drive hifiman sundara
You have such a great review style! Very informative, loved it.
sitting around with a bunch of darker tuned headphones and iems... waiting for this review since the unboxing stream.
sounds like a great fit for my life, thanks for the insights mate
I whole heartedly agree with your assessment. Warm, kind of soft, rolled off on the extreme top end, but also very musical and enjoyable. It has that space between instruments that kilobit does so well.
I will only add that at High gain, unbalanced output is 2V and balanced at 4V, but yes, not true balanced. This is from a computer or a phone.
Oh, and a Modi Multibit is being held back by the output op amps. A stock Modo MB will sound more “cloudy” in comparison.
I was just reading about the Mimbi and the opamps. I reckon the whole fuss about "true balanced" is meaningless anyway, not the least in a dongle DAC.
@@Currawong The Modi MB op amp swap is legit. I’ve done it.
I describe “musicality” by the amount of inadvertent foot tapping I find myself doing.
Amos did you read Archimagos blogspot on his RU6 measurements? I enjoy listening to my RU6 a lot and am baffled how much I enjoy a DAC that is "not a "high fidelity" or "high resolution" DAC in that the objective resolution actually does not approach even clean 16-bit conversion and the distortion amounts are clearly higher than the norm", he also wrote how "the resolution doesn't even beat the multibit chip DACs from CD players of the 1980's!". This kind of makes me rethink my pursuit of high fidelity sound reproduction. I'd love to hear your thoughts on this.
I reckon that Archimago was quite reasonable in his thoughts. But in over-summary, my thoughts are:
We don't listen to test tones, we listen to music.
The reason we like the RU6 is *because* of its distortion.
I’ve got an RU-6 and quite enjoy it. I think Amos nails it with “it’s just pleasant to listen to”. I’ve got better sources, sources that don’t require warming up a minute to sound good, sources without hiss, etc and yet I spend a lot more time listening to the RU-6 than those “better” options. Fair warning to the hiss sensitive though, it’s got a fair amount of hiss with the super sensitive IEMs.
Hiss is unnoticeable if music is playing or during quiet passages. Has to be paused to hear popping and clicking passed through from the source though.
The hiss is gone after putting my phone in airplane mode. Some said changing the cable would do the job as well but I haven't tried it.
Got mine last week. NOS is really the way. The OS is harsh and you don't have the treble roll off with sample rates above 96 and esp not with 192.
Only complaint is the magnets are weak as heck with the case.
MrAyrit uses this as a desktop dac feeding an amp. I'm considering trying that, and would have liked more feedback using a separate amp with it.
I got this too but i think it is not entirely compatible with my Samsung android phone because the original samsung dongle (usb c to headphone) sounds even better in my opinion. However, the RU6 really comes alive when i plug it into my personal computer. I suspect you have to connect the RU6 to a samsung OTG adapter in order to realise its full benefits.
Thanks for the comment. 😀 Make sure that the phone or computer's volume control is set to maximum. This is one dongle that absolutely requires that.
@@Currawong Recently i got a software update from Samsung and the audio output from UA-cam files went up from 44.1khz to 48 khz, and somehow the Cayin RU6 sounds good now when paired to this android phone, it now sounds better than the standard Samsung dongle 🤷♂️ I played the song 'yuki no hana' (accoustic ver.) on UA-cam and i notice that the Cayin can produce a more pronounced guitar strumming sound than the standard dongle.
I am so waiting for your L&P W2-131 review!
Any solution to clipping on an iPhone? I have the Hidizs S9 Pro and the ddHiFi TC44B. Clipping is less of an issue on the TC44B. RU6 and S9 Pro have similar output specs.
I even prefer it to my D70s x SA1 on ocassion!
Interesting take on the RU6! I was very tempted to get the RU6 but I ended up going with W2-131 due to some compatibility issues with my phone (for some weird reason Oneplus 9 Pro does not detect RU6 without any USB hub). By the way, is the W2 you showed actually the W2-131 (blue, with CS43131) instead of the original W2 (black, with CS43198)?
Yes. I have the W2-131.
It is interesting! My older Oneplus7pro recognises Cayin RU6 without any issues whatsoever.
@@Hari-kx2er Only OnePlus 9 and 9 Pro have this issue. I tried on 6 and 8 without any issue either. I've reported the matter over to OnePlus but I doubt it'll get anything done. Even my W2-131 has intermittent connection issues sometimes with 9 Pro.
@@inscythe I hope Oneplus is not going downhill with their smartphones. My 7Pro is still going strong after 2 and a half years.
I'm in the same boat
I still recollecting some information about different point of view about using tune 1 versus tune 2
How would you describe the differences between the two of them
Either way having a lot of fun with my Luxury and Precision W2 131
My music sounds amazing (I'm still wondering in sound quality and other characteristics W2 131 would sound close to which DAP model from Fiio, Astell and Kern, shanling, Hiby, etc?
15:13 Cayin RU6 compared to Luxury and Precision W2 131
19:30
Is the op-amps used in the high gain mode for the 3.5 out ?
Or is the output op-amp only utilized when the 4.4 output is used ?
@Currawong thank you for the review. With 4.4mm you mentioned there is an "op amp with phase splitter". Besides giving more power, does it improve channel separation (i.e. separate grounds) or anything else besides just having more power?
also, if I were to plug this into an amp (say Cayin C9 which has 4.4mm and 3.5mm inputs) --> does 4.4mm provide any benefit since the amp will be doing all the work?
Necromancer here... Do you all still love it after owning for a while ? Heard the Hiby FC6 r2r that came out more recently ? Any recommendations on using it for a home system ? I am hoping that I can dongle it right to a USB out streamer then phone to 2 coaxial right to my pre-amp ? Several of you have mojo 2 as well. Which would you recommend or both ? I can get both.
The review is perfection. I feel like you covered everything I wanted to know. It’s so rare to hear someone discussUsability as well as qualifications that actually matter. Thanks. Anyone know if the magnates be used for MagSafe? I’d been using my Mojo with MagSafe on Iphone and it works better than you’d expect. You will need some copper foil or some type of barrier to keep the iPhone signal from causing the Mojo to chirp.
I haven't tried, but maybe if you put a magnetic plate up beside the cameras, or all the way at the bottom it might be ok. You'd need a longer USB/lightning cable though.
I'm here because of Somnium Est, will there be a review?
Does the sound change when used as a desktop dac (more slam, better transients)?
Q1: I found your explanation of volume control @5:03 a bit confusing, so to clarify did you mean that you need to set the source volume (Roon DSP Volume) to maximum and adjust the volume from the RU6 or set the RU6 to maximum and adjust the volume via Roon DSP Volume?
Q2: Can the RU6 be used to connect to an Amp via SE trs to rca? I'm thinking of pairing it w/ a tube amp.
You set maximum volume in the software, and control the volume using the RU6 for best results.
You can definitely connect the SE output to RCA to use it as a DAC. I've done this myself.
Late to the party but I just bought it yesterday. Out of the box it was on par with my apple dongle. I hope it gets better over time. Using it with oh10s
My Apple dongle sounds harsh in comparison. The resistors will change a bit as they warm up as well.
@@Currawong You are right. I left them playing some music over night and they sound way better. The bass and mids are awesome and soundstage better as well. I haven't tried the OS mode yet. Do you suggest to use in low gain mode with higher volume or high gain with lower volumes? Thanks for the reply and awesome review, a long time fan.
I think either gain mode should be fine. I haven't noticed any difference between the gain modes personally.
Hi mate, do you think this the Cayin RU6 could drive the DCA Aeon 2 Noire without issues? I hear they are power hungry….
Hi! I am seriously considering buying this with lighting cable for my iPhone and for my android Lenovo tablet. Will both work well? Can work IPhone well if I lower volume with the phone?
That was unexpectedly super-interesting! So why is it that the whole resistor network has to be duplicated for different volume levels? Could there be an amplifier in-line with a single set of resistors?
@Milo Prager in series with
So informative thank You
Will the RU6 work well with the MEZE 99 classics and an Iphone?
I love musical sound, should i pick RU6 or Paw S2?
Can these power my hifiman edition xs headphones?
And if I use it thru my samsung galaxy ultra smartphone, will it drain my phone's battery quickly?
山灵ua2，飞傲ka3，七彩虹m1，杰仕声jm50哪个好听？
In my experience I would totally suggest you and save you some money
Go for Luxury and Precision either way
W1
W2
W131
all of them works better than the options you've mentioned
Thank me later
I promise you won't regret about it 🤟🎧
Pet peeve of mine re: any DAC or DAP that has a display screen like this- why doesn't it display the bit resolution, ie 16/20/24 bit audio data1?
Like too many other units, the display only shows the sampling rate.
Why is this relevant?
First, most audiophiles and enthusiasts are OCD by nature, and would prefer to "see what you got", ie verify the audio data coming into the device to ensure the source is outputting correctly, regardless of what the output/source device claims it is outputting- sources can be wrong due to a bug, error, etc
For example, HDCD's should be decoded to 20 bits by the source, unless this DAC recognizes HDCD data and decodes itself.
Seeing 20 bits displayed tells you the source is decoding the HDCD correctly.
You want to be sure you are getting 16/20/24 and not all upsampled to 24 or 32 bits by the source, unless you want it to. Probably other reasons
My understanding is that it is not as straight-forward to display the bit rate as it is the sample rate. As for it being accurate, as long as it isn't lowering the bit rate, it wont make any effective difference. For example, if my computer is sending out a 16/44.1 audio stream as 24/44.1, the extra bits are just empty (zeros) and aren't actually changing the musical data.
@@Currawong Understood, but point still stands- I want to verify correct decoding of HDCD, or ensure source is not downsampling or truncating from 24/20 bits to 16 bits.
Posso usar isso num DAP Ibasso ?
can you use this as a DAC only device and send the signal to a headphone amp without double amping? I'm guessing you can't with the balanced PO since you mentioned the signal goes to an opamp with it but can it be done via SE?
I wouldn't worry about double-amping. We're still talking about a relatively low-end device! :)
I’m getting the RU7
So, audiophiles need 24 or 32 bit high-res files, so they can play them through a device that can't reproduce 16 bits? Sounds like audiophiles.
Can I use it in car audio system?
17:53
Cayin RU7: Hold my beer
Nice video. I dislike the sterile, cold, digital sound that toomany dongles make, even if they're technically perfect. I like a clear, balanced yet musical, organic, sound. That's why I'm a little confused with your video. Is the RU6 a better sounding dongle than all those ESS/AKM based dongles or not? Which one is better for enjoying listening to music?
The RU-6 is definitely better if you want a more "musical" sound.
@@Currawong I’m reading around here that it has clipping issues when used with an iPhone. That’s a deal breaker for me as I’m a iPhone user (iPhone 11). 😟
@@pftvfc66 I've seen people pair it with a portable amp like the topping nx7 I think It's called. I've heard the iPhone is doesn't like high power draw from its connector but the camera cable lets you get away with it
Wow, Audiodream iem right there
I still recollecting some information about different point of view about using tune 1 versus tune 2 on Luxury and Precision W2 131,
How would you guys describe the differences between the two of them
Either way having a lot of fun with my Luxury and Precision W2 131
My music sounds amazing (I'm still wondering in sound quality and other characteristics W2 131 would sound close to which DAP model from Fiio, Astell and Kern, shanling, Hiby, etc?
Finally
How do you find the RU6 compares to their R01 DAP module?
I no longer have it here to compare.
Any issues with clipping?
On an iPhone, yes. I have clipping issues with the Hidizs S9 Pro and the ddHiFi TC44B, but the TC44B (now updated to the TC44C) has lower output and I can drive headphones and IEMs louder. It’s also one of the cheapest dongles, and it sounds very good. The RU6 and the S9 Pro have similar outputs on the balanced ports.
Did you say that you warmed up the Modi Multibit for several days? Why?
R2R DACs, because they use resistors, need time to thermally stabilise. It was easiest just to plug it in and leave it on then test it when I was ready.
@@Currawong so it's not that they needed 2-3 days to be thermally stabilised , but so you knew they were ready once you were, right? :) Do you think the Caying RU6 also needs some time to fully shine?
According to Cayin, the thermal drift of the resistors in the RU6 is low, so it probably only needs a few minutes at most.
Thanks for the video. I have a question: I own the Mojo 2 but it's really hard for me to use it as a portable device due to it's size. Do you recommend to use the RU6 for that purpose?
I am the same situation. I own a mojo 2 and a quadelix 5k. The mojo is too bulky for me to be portable use and quadelix is perfect, but the mojo spoiled me completely of how good it sounds, and now i want something that is better than the quadelix and can be easily portable
@@samuelbeniuga9116 we agree on the outstanding quality of the mojo 2. What a piece of musical art
@@sicness0 i just bought it, you need to get this one. I am blown away. En fin
Can anyone tell me if this works with a Mi Box S through usb?
The Mojo 2 sounds too digital for my taste, do you believe the RU6 Will be a better choice?
Could be indeed.
its unbelievable that terms musical and enjoyable are consider lo fi to the audiophile community !!
How about Samsung phones? This looks like a great idea. Yes i so very new to this world of DAC.
DSD would be possible with the same R2R ladder.
Only if converted to PCM first, which is what the RU6 does internally.
Thank you!
I think cayin or someone else should make R 2R mojo with abit more power and battery instead of this dongle.
i used to have a 300B cayin tube amp, with a metrum octave R2R dac. loved the sound and hoping this lttle device with IEM can get some old school tube sound. got my hands on ru6...deeply dissapointed, sounds thick and muffled. mid bass transistion is bloated like something is missnig inbetween then comes sub bass. and there is intermittent buzzing sound when connected to phone...this is old school though...its like the cracking sound with vinyl..HAHAHAHa...overrated..ru6