Got an order in for the IDAC-8 at musicteck. Hasn’t shipped yet so they probably don’t have their stock yet but I’m sure they will soon. It will be paired with a Headamp gs-x mini and be an upgrade over my capable but somewhat boring smsl su-9. Will share my impressions when it arrives. In...

There are Windows drivers on the website. Do they not work? https://en.cayin.cn/drive/9/18/484.html

Very nice. Love some vannuys. Looks like you could probably get a set of smaller iems in there too?

Can you order from linsoul? International shipping is really fast. took a week to get to me in New York.

Just go with the the MFi07S Cable. No issues on high gain at dsd256 with iPhone 13 pro max.

Yes the Gryphon offers a 4.4 (and 3.5) line out on the bottom of the device. Which also work as line in when used in that mode. The LO doesn’t bypass the volume which is why it’s a variable voltage line out - but thankfully the c9 has the pre-amp mode so volume only needs to be adjusted on the...

Yeah I don’t think that should cause any issues. It’s the desktop DACs that are putting out 6V or 8V via balanced that can be an issue.

Not sure which review it was but they did some measuring and found that yes you get some clipping and/or distortion when feeding the c9 with more than 4V. I confirmed this when using the 4.4 LO in the ifi Gryphon at max output which I think is close to 6V, it was clipping. With the gryphon I’ll...

Short answer is yes. The c9 is the perfect amp to pair with the ru-7. One, because of the 4.4 i/o and two, because the c9 prefers a more modest amount of voltage input, ideally never going beyond 4V. It’s up to your ears whether you think an easy to drive headphone gets enough benefit from...

You mean my hearing? It’s not about volume but dynamics. The ie600 lacks definition with less power, especially in the low end. With less power it doesn’t sound like a $700 dollar iem but something closer to what you get for like $200.

I’ve found the RU-7 and Softears Twilight to have a very good synergy. I got the RU-7 mostly as a simple DAC to pair with the Cayin c9. And it does that very well via the LO mode (even if it’s not a traditional LO). But the Twilight doesn’t seem to really need the c9. Compared to @baskingshark...

They aren’t really comparable due to p1’s unique vocal-focused tuning. S12 has more low end and much wider stage. P1 has better transients and treble clarity. P2 and s12 are much more similar. S12 has the more impactful bass but p2 has more neutral tuning with improved resolution compared to s12.

The microphonics on the cable is due mostly to stiffness and is not that big of a deal, it will generally subdue over time. But the combination of cable noise and driver flex is really too much. I’ll just be returning these for a refund. Like I said originally, I can tell they are very good for...

That’s not driver flex as it’s not dependent on there being any power… it’s audible when unplugged. It’s usually due to air getting trapped in the membrane. What you’re likely talking about is distortion.

The s12 stock cable’s microphonics plus the driver flex makes these some of the noisiest iems I’ve ever put in my ears. Driver flex is very loud when no music is playing and audible at quiet levels of music. It’s just a bad experience… I also mentioned there’s distortion, should I live with...

S12 arrived. Obvious driver flex in the right monitor. Slight distortion as well. So these will be going back. Sucks because they do sound pretty great for $150. Maybe the best timbre in a planar iem I’ve heard. Scales with power like all planars do - ignore anyone who tells you otherwise...

Excellent review. Could you possibly share a little more about the 4.4 LO sound and how it compares to the 4.4 LO on the 6000 when paired to cayin c9? Would the s2 be as good or nearly as good as the 6000 when just looking at LO performance? I just got a c9 today and hoping the s2 can be the...

Whenever I see disagreements about whether an iem is too bright or peaky in the treble, it’s often revealed that person on the hot side listens to a lot of electronic music. And I think this makes sense. Electronic music is made purely digital so you can do a lot more in the upper treble regions...

Yeah I have amp8ex which I absolutely love and is all I need as I have 4.4 cables for all my headphones. I got the 220 originally for the dual 9028Pro but 9038Pro has been my preferred desktop dac chip. So really the 240 ticks all the right boxes for me. I don’t need a big screen nor storage...

Oh gdi - so basically they made all the improvements the 220 needed. I guess I’ll probably have to upgrade now. 😂 Thanks for the photos of the amp8, that was my biggest concern.

Do you know if they do pads for the PM-2 as well?

I refuse to A/B them because I'm liking the SA6 too much. :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye: The SA6 gets my recc over the Z5 right now simply due to ergonomics and the excellent stock cable.

The hip-dac looks great... and sounds great... If I was at home I could try and compare them directly but don't have the HA-2 with me for the rest of the week. The hip-dac is sonically superior to the xd-05 basic (which is what I have) but the xd-05 has more i/o options. The hip-dac is quite...

The m7 is twice the price of the e5000 and it’s also a multi BA and the e5k is a single DD. So It’s a weird comparison... and if you think the m7 outclasses the e5k in visceral bass response you are massively under-powering the e5k.

The z1r is the only true upgrade to the z5 that I've heard. Plenty of side-grade options out there, or sets that can do certain things better than the z5, but if you're looking for "what if z5 but better" it's just the z1r. The closest I have to the z5 is the Final E5000. E5K has a little...