Cayin RU6: R-2R USB Dongle DAC with Head-Amp
Feb 6, 2023 at 12:41 PM Post #3,181 of 3,685
You guys must have really trained ears. I usually have a real hard time to differentiate from a dongle to another. It is hard to quantify the differences from the RU6 to the Ibasso D03 Pro and even the Apple dongle when used alone with the iPhone. I think I prefer the RU6 for some reason that I cannot explain but that can also only be placebo. The only thing I know for sure is that I prefer the NOS option instead of the OS. Again, cannot quantify why.

The RU6, double amping with my Rupert Neve RNHP is such a wonderful sound with any of my Headphones. I don't know if it is the amp or the RU6, or both together (the RU6 seems to be an easy pairing with mostly anything from what I have read) but I love the sound that comes out of that system. I have a SMSL DAC on the way so it will be very exciting to compare a dedicated DAC (even if inexpensive) to the RU6 in that position. So exciting!
It's not about being trained, it's just that you get used to the sound signature you ear every day. Try to only listen to one particular piece of gear for a few days and then switch to something different, you will be able to pinpoint all the differences.
 
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Feb 6, 2023 at 12:48 PM Post #3,182 of 3,685
It's not about being trained, it's just that you get used to the sound signature you ear every day. Try to only listen to one particular piece of gear for a few days and then switch to something different, you will be able to pinpoint all tje differences.
I understand what you are saying and trust me, I know my Dongles by now, but not as easy or as crystal clear as most try to make it, at least for me. When you compare a 10€ dongle to a 250€ on and have a hard time to explain the differences, it is clear in my mind that even if there are differences, they may be not worth especially considering the price difference we are talking. And that applies to everything else in a different price scale.

Obviously it all depends on the value money has to each one of us. The only thing I can tell you for sure, is that it is very easy, for newbies like myself, to be carried away by the hype in forums like these (and I guess it is just normal) but in the end of the day, I have to bread... close my eyes and try to think clearly with my head and not my heart. It is all about making smart decisions, especially for those like me who cannot test equipment in stores. Many times Amazon is your friend, especially considering Chifi stuff. You can order, test if for an all month and just return it. I'm doing that for Headphones and DAC´s at this point (just because I usually also order a lot of stuff, not audio related, that are not sent back). Step by step I will be able to make my own comparisons and conclusions. Then I will decide if it is worth to go for something "better", certainly more expensive.
 
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Feb 6, 2023 at 12:58 PM Post #3,183 of 3,685
I am not using dongle a lot these days, but RU6 is my endgame, was tempted by M15 and Gold Bar, but since I mostly use DAPs, not enough motivation for me to try any other dongles until we have a clear new winner.
 
Feb 6, 2023 at 1:21 PM Post #3,184 of 3,685
I understand what you are saying and trust me, I know my Dongles by now, but not as easy or as crystal clear as most try to make it, at least for me. When you compare a 10€ dongle to a 250€ on and have a hard time to explain the differences, it is clear in my mind that even if there are differences, they may be not worth especially considering the price difference we are talking. And that applies to everything else in a different price scale.

Obviously it all depends on the value money has to each one of us. The only thing I can tell you for sure, is that it is very easy, for newbies like myself, to be carried away by the hype in forums like these (and I guess it is just normal) but in the end of the day, I have to bread... close my eyes and try to think clearly with my head and not my heart. It is all about making smart decisions, especially for those like me who cannot test equipment in stores. Many times Amazon is your friend, especially considering Chifi stuff. You can order, test if for an all month and just return it. I'm doing that for Headphones and DAC´s at this point (just because I usually also order a lot of stuff, not audio related, that are not sent back). Step by step I will be able to make my own comparisons and conclusions. Then I will decide if it is worth to go for something "better", certainly more expensive.
Sometimes its about synergy. The best sound I get is using

Qobuz > iPhone 11 Pro max> Douk Audio U2 DDC > coax in to Chord Mojo DAC > Audeze Sine

it irks me that I have far more money spent on main system but get less transparency than this :persevere:

But I guess thats why many of us have separate headphone/main system solutions and so many different solutions exist
 
Feb 6, 2023 at 1:27 PM Post #3,185 of 3,685
So I tested it out. I connected my RU6 to my MT-602 amp and then im using the 3.5mm output of my amp to feed the FiiO Q3. I let the tubes get warm and let my desktop play music for five hours while I was away.

The amp section of the Q3 really brings in some sparkle in the treble. Really interesting to listen too. My hybrid amp does a lot of work too. The sound is now so full. The bass is authorative and full. Vocals sound effortless and very analogue. Large soundstage and a very powerful, musical sound. My setup is now fully geared towards an analog and musical sound. I wasted a few thoughts about using my Sabaj solid state amp as the final amp. But I wanted to keep using balanced cables and the sound was too clinical and boring. My FiiO Q3 did not see any use in weeks prior to today. Back then I really enjoyed the sound of this device. It had such a warm sound compared to the typical dongle. Just using the amp stage of the Q3 is enough for good sound. Also I now have a reason to use my Qudelix 5K more often!
 
Feb 6, 2023 at 2:16 PM Post #3,186 of 3,685
It appears the one I got is defective/janky. Weird delayed double popping for each channel during pauses and unpauses, starting in the left then slightly delayed to the right channel, also, the same sounding popping/crackling in both channels happening simultaneously during intermittent audio playback, doesn't even output audio half the time when pausing then unpausing the player at certain times, and wouldn't even output audio at all the first time it was plugged in and recognized by the OS. And yes, the latest correct driver was installed for Windows 10. Overall not happy at all, not at the price of $249, wouldn't even be happy at a much lower price for the performance it's offering, and quality of the unit. Looks like I have no choice but to send this unit back.
 
Feb 6, 2023 at 5:36 PM Post #3,187 of 3,685
The amp circuit is not turning on or off both channels simultaneously causing a double pop (slight delay, one for each channel), windows chimes are delayed and cut out until the end (you just hear a fade) because it hesitates to turn on/off, there's massive latency and driver crashes, it's causing complete crashes and buffering issues of players both online, and offline. In a player like Spotify, the amp is always on as long as the window is open and Spotify application is too, so the player responds instantly to pauses and unpauses without issues. Idk, there's something wrong, and it seems like I'm gonna lose some money out of this purchase, regardless if it's in my possession or I return, either way, because of the fees to ship back. I was already upset there's scratches on the aluminum, and loose feeling buttons out of the box.









Can someone confirm if Groove Music or VLC randomly doesn't output sound despite showing that the track is playing after pausing then unpausing after about-1-2 seconds with strange double popping noises in both channels from the amp turning on/off? In VLC, if it doesn't cut the output all together, it will skip the sound about 3 times, like a bad CD trying to catch up before returning back to normal playback. However, it appears, that the prior issue is happening in all players.

It's intermittent, but I can keep replicating this problem if I pause, then quickly unpause after a specific amount of time (approx within 1-2 seconds give or take), the track will then just play, and the audio from the device will not output an actual signal through anything, and will crash and prevent every other audio/video player from outputting sound; the system will display that it's playing in the sound settings despite no sound, if it doesn't crash the system all together.
 
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Feb 7, 2023 at 4:52 AM Post #3,188 of 3,685
The amp circuit is not turning on or off both channels simultaneously causing a double pop (slight delay, one for each channel), windows chimes are delayed and cut out until the end (you just hear a fade) because it hesitates to turn on/off, there's massive latency and driver crashes, it's causing complete crashes and buffering issues of players both online, and offline. In a player like Spotify, the amp is always on as long as the window is open and Spotify application is too, so the player responds instantly to pauses and unpauses without issues. Idk, there's something wrong, and it seems like I'm gonna lose some money out of this purchase, regardless if it's in my possession or I return, either way, because of the fees to ship back. I was already upset there's scratches on the aluminum, and loose feeling buttons out of the box.









Can someone confirm if Groove Music or VLC randomly doesn't output sound despite showing that the track is playing after pausing then unpausing after about-1-2 seconds with strange double popping noises in both channels from the amp turning on/off? In VLC, if it doesn't cut the output all together, it will skip the sound about 3 times, like a bad CD trying to catch up before returning back to normal playback. However, it appears, that the prior issue is happening in all players.

It's intermittent, but I can keep replicating this problem if I pause, then quickly unpause after a specific amount of time (approx within 1-2 seconds give or take), the track will then just play, and the audio from the device will not output an actual signal through anything, and will crash and prevent every other audio/video player from outputting sound; the system will display that it's playing in the sound settings despite no sound, if it doesn't crash the system all together.
It sounds like you have a bad device, or driver issues, or both.
Mine works flawlessly with Windows 10 across multiple apps - I hope this provides some assurance that what you are experiencing isn't normal.
To eliminate the possibility of driver issues, do you have a USB C source e.g. a mobile phone, tablet or DAP that you can connect to RU6, to test?
I hope that you persevere and get your issue sorted out, even if it means returning the device for a replacement. I'm enjoying mine immensely, and I'm sure you will too, eventually.
 
Feb 7, 2023 at 1:11 PM Post #3,189 of 3,685
It sounds like you have a bad device, or driver issues, or both.
Mine works flawlessly with Windows 10 across multiple apps - I hope this provides some assurance that what you are experiencing isn't normal.
To eliminate the possibility of driver issues, do you have a USB C source e.g. a mobile phone, tablet or DAP that you can connect to RU6, to test?
I hope that you persevere and get your issue sorted out, even if it means returning the device for a replacement. I'm enjoying mine immensely, and I'm sure you will too, eventually.
I'm gonna remove the driver all together, once again, then reinstall, and try it once more on my phone. If not, it's going back 100%, because at this point, it's not useable to me. The popping in the amp circuitry is worrisome enough, and not being able and seeing that high gain is even more glitchy and unresponsive is even worse.
 
Feb 7, 2023 at 1:54 PM Post #3,191 of 3,685
Ruled out driver issues, can't even jump to the next youtube video without the sound not outputting. I have to refresh the entire page just to get audio throughout all my apps.



UPDATE: I ran the troubleshooter while the system wasn't playing audio, and then suddenly audio came back with a message saying that "the audio format wasn't set to default", the high gain got much louder, but the sound quality degraded with more grunginess. There is still a double pop noise when muting and unmuting.



Nvm..... Happened again, had to run the troubleshooter again. I was in NOS mode, defaulted to "NOS 48khz", on the RU6 screen....
 
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Feb 7, 2023 at 3:21 PM Post #3,192 of 3,685
Does anyone have experience with using a Zen Can in combination with the RU6? I would connect the 3.5mm output of the RU6 to the SE input of the Zen Can. Does it sound good?
Yes, the Zen CAN is brilliant with the RU6. The Zen CAN sounds brilliant with the LGV40 in lo mode too. But, the RU6 just sounds fuller, more natural and analogue sounding. LGV40 sounds more for critical listening if that makes sense? I like the volume of the RU6 at 70, 72, 74 and depending on the recording, you can add a boost (dB) using the gain switch on the CAN. Sometimes this is needed for older recordings. The RU6 with the Zen CAN with my DT880 Pros (250Ω) is just brilliant. Would easily recommend.
 
Feb 7, 2023 at 3:26 PM Post #3,193 of 3,685
Ruled out driver issues, can't even jump to the next youtube video without the sound not outputting. I have to refresh the entire page just to get audio throughout all my apps.



UPDATE: I ran the troubleshooter while the system wasn't playing audio, and then suddenly audio came back with a message saying that "the audio format wasn't set to default", the high gain got much louder, but the sound quality degraded with more grunginess. There is still a double pop noise when muting and unmuting.



Nvm..... Happened again, had to run the troubleshooter again. I was in NOS mode, defaulted to "NOS 48khz", on the RU6 screen....
It almost definitely sounds like a faulty unit, which is sad to say. I can only echo what others have said:
a) this is not how your experience with the RU6 should be.
b) I would 100% send it back and get a replacement unit. It REALLY is worth it 👍🏻
 
Feb 7, 2023 at 3:29 PM Post #3,194 of 3,685
Yes, the Zen CAN is brilliant with the RU6. The Zen CAN sounds brilliant with the LGV40 in lo mode too. But, the RU6 just sounds fuller, more natural and analogue sounding. LGV40 sounds more for critical listening if that makes sense? I like the volume of the RU6 at 70, 72, 74 and depending on the recording, you can add a boost (dB) using the gain switch on the CAN. Sometimes this is needed for older recordings. The RU6 with the Zen CAN with my DT880 Pros (250Ω) is just brilliant. Would easily recommend.
Since yesterday I am using the RU6 together with a tube preamp and my Fiio Q3. In this case I would compare the Q3 to the Zen CAN. It seems that the Zen CAN indeed uses more space then my Q3. My Q3 is constantly plugged into a charger to keep it charger all day for desktop use. It works but using a portable device like this is also not perfect.

Before all of this I used a Topping A50s that I ended up selling. The sound was too lifeless for me.
 
Feb 7, 2023 at 10:35 PM Post #3,195 of 3,685
I have a quick question - I have a lotoo paw s2 for use with iphone and hidizs s9 pro for my mac.. wondering if there are any better dac's out there than hidizs s9 pro that doesn't have volume control or can bypass the volume. I want to control the volume just with my magic keyboard and not reach over to increase descrease the volume from the dongle dac.
 

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