[bluestorm1992]

Interestingly, one week on from my DOA C9, I am still getting mixed signals from the Singapore AD on what is happening to my replacement C9.

@Andykong I've sent you a PM. Please respond. Thanks!

AFAIK, Cayin will/has already sent a new shipment of C9 to SG. Perhaps yours is on this shipment? Cayin has units in stock, so the supply should not take too long hopefully.

 

[Kiats]

AFAIK, Cayin will/has already sent a new shipment of C9 to SG. Perhaps yours is on this shipment? Cayin has units in stock, so the supply should not take too long hopefully.

Thanks @bluestorm1992 . Well, the store I got them from was informed by the AD the replacement unit was shipped out last Friday because it was a DOA. But today when the AD was asked again, the reply was it was just sent out and will arrive soon. So what happened to the unit which was allegedly shipped out last Friday? Hence you can understand why I am vexed. Whilst I do appreciate what Cayin is doing in this space, if the customer experience is so bad when I need help, then perhaps I wonder if it is worth the grief. Sigh...

 

[bluestorm1992]

Thanks @bluestorm1992 . Well, the store I got them from was informed but the AD the replacement unit was shipped out last Friday because it was a DOA. But today when the AD was asked again, the reply was it was just sent out and will arrive soon. So what happened to the unit which was allegedly shipped out last Friday? Hence you can understand why I am vexed.

Hmm that’s indeed mixed up, but the good news is that yours should have been sent out already. I also know that SG AD did request and get two shipments of C9.

 

[bluestorm1992]

Just arrived. Impressions to follow. First thoughts: I was *very* lucky not to pay a massive customs fee on this, after importing it from AMP3 in UK. Second: build quality is phenomenal! Wow. Impressive in the hand.

I literally just received it, but quickly tested out my ZMF VC and am thrilled with the sound. Drives them with ease, plenty of headspace.

More to come.

Congrats! Seems that C9 is worth the wait. I also think it pairs very well with VC.

 

[HiFiHawaii808]

Just arrived. Impressions to follow. First thoughts: I was *very* lucky not to pay a massive customs fee on this, after importing it from AMP3 in UK. Second: build quality is phenomenal! Wow. Impressive in the hand.

I literally just received it, but quickly tested out my ZMF VC and am thrilled with the sound. Drives them with ease, plenty of headspace.

More to come.

Please give us detailed impressions. I have a ZMF VC and the tube timbre is one of the reasons I bought the C9.

 

[Nostoi]

Please give us detailed impressions. I have a ZMF VC and the tube timbre is one of the reasons I bought the C9.

Will do.

Just been on a trip pairing my TH900 with the C9 via Hugo 2 - outstanding mix! I wasn't expecting the Hugo 2/C9 to be ideal, because of the lack of line out, but it actually pairs beautifully - generating a hefty but controlled bottom and making the overall presentation far more authoritative.

I was just comparing the C9 with my Sparkos Aires desktop amp, and the C9 easily holds its ground - indeed, technically they're about on the same level, give or take.

So far, enjoying the tube timbre with class a option - combines warmth with technical excellence, and not in any sense "lush," which is good news.

Will give ZMF VC report soon.

 

[HiFiHawaii808]

Will do.

Just been on a trip pairing my TH900 with the C9 via Hugo 2 - outstanding mix! I wasn't expecting the Hugo 2/C9 to be ideal, because of the lack of line out, but it actually pairs beautifully - generating a hefty but controlled bottom and making the overall presentation far more authoritative.

I was just comparing the C9 with my Sparkos Aires desktop amp, and the C9 easily holds its ground - indeed, technically they're about on the same level, give or take.

So far, enjoying the tube timbre with class a option - combines warmth with technical excellence, and not in any sense "lush," which is good news.

Will give ZMF VC report soon.

I am excited about H2 + C9 pairing. The Hugo 2 DAC out performs a lot of full sized desktop DACs. Great transportable DAC paired with great transportable and feature rich AMP. Perfect together on paper.

 

[bluestorm1992]

Will do.

Just been on a trip pairing my TH900 with the C9 via Hugo 2 - outstanding mix! I wasn't expecting the Hugo 2/C9 to be ideal, because of the lack of line out, but it actually pairs beautifully - generating a hefty but controlled bottom and making the overall presentation far more authoritative.

I was just comparing the C9 with my Sparkos Aires desktop amp, and the C9 easily holds its ground - indeed, technically they're about on the same level, give or take.

So far, enjoying the tube timbre with class a option - combines warmth with technical excellence, and not in any sense "lush," which is good news.

Will give ZMF VC report soon.

Looks quite promising in your setup! For H2 + C9, you may also try the pre-mode from C9 as recommended by @lumdicks, but please be VERY careful the first time you operate it. Make sure not to have your IEMs/headphones on your ears when testing the pre mode.

 

[zen87192]

Welcome to the owners club Nostoi. You are in for a real treat!

 

[Nostoi]

I am excited about H2 + C9 pairing. The Hugo 2 DAC out performs a lot of full sized desktop DACs. Great transportable DAC paired with great transportable and feature rich AMP. Perfect together on paper.

First impressions of C9 and ZMF VC:

1. Oodles of power. I never have to turn it beyond 13:00 to achieve maximum listening level. So, there is no question whatsoever of the C9's power potential.
2. Again, I'm A'B'ing with my Sparkos Aries, which is my default amp for the VC. With the Hugo 2 as source, the C9 gives the VC an authoritative clout, with excellent control and impressive technical merits. Imaging, seperation, and micro-details are all stellar.
3. Running through my "audiophile reference" playlist, the overall impression is of an immersive presentation with impressive 3D like quality (currently listening to Morph the Cat by Donald Fagan). The timbre is also very engaging; incredibly natural and lifelike without at all being fatiguing. The Sparkos Aries also shares this character, but it's a more revealing and more unforgiving amplifier.
4. Even with tube mode on, I don't sense any significant colouring to the point it overpowers the source. The Hugo 2 is still present, but enhanced in every sense. BTW: I find the Hugo 2 picky when it comes to amp pairing. I've tried it with a few tube amps, and it never worked. Here, it works supremely well. Kudos to Cayin.
5. I'm almost tempted to say I prefer the C9 with the VC over the Sparkos. It has an incredibly satisfying sense of "oomph," as though there was more air passing through the VC. The VC also sound fast with the C9. This is definitely not a sloppy or mushy pairing. Metal (at least classic metal from 1982-1992) sounds outstanding. Tight, punchy, outstanding clarity, impressive resolution.
6. On pure class a, SS mode - you gain some sense of transparency, a little more air, with a slightly more precise imaging.

In sum, VC and C9 - winning combo. I can't imagine anyone not hearing this combo and feeling satisfied.

I'll go through my other headphones soon (curious to see what the C9 does with my 600ohm Beyers, just out of interest).

 

[Nostoi]

A brief thought on the C9 vs BX2 Plus, as a few people were curious.

There's no doubt to me that the C9 drives the ZMF VC as well as the BX2 Plus, despite having less output power than the BX2 Plus. I think ultimately the choice would come down to budget and taste. The BX2 Plus has a more linear tuning - a reference tuning. The C9's SS mode seems to have a little more weight to it. Ostensibly, the C9 is "better" on all fronts (technically, in terms of implementation, build, features, etc), but it should be at the price. That said, as a SS portable amp, the BX2 Plus remains a fantastic amp.

 

[HiFiHawaii808]

First impressions of C9 and ZMF VC:

1. Oodles of power. I never have to turn it beyond 13:00 to achieve maximum listening level. So, there is no question whatsoever of the C9's power potential.
2. Again, I'm A'B'ing with my Sparkos Aries, which is my default amp for the VC. With the Hugo 2 as source, the C9 gives the VC an authoritative clout, with excellent control and impressive technical merits. Imaging, seperation, and micro-details are all stellar.
3. Running through my "audiophile reference" playlist, the overall impression is of an immersive presentation with impressive 3D like quality (currently listening to Morph the Cat by Donald Fagan). The timbre is also very engaging; incredibly natural and lifelike without at all being fatiguing. The Sparkos Aries also shares this character, but it's a more revealing and more unforgiving amplifier.
4. Even with tube mode on, I don't sense any significant colouring to the point it overpowers the source. The Hugo 2 is still present, but enhanced in every sense. BTW: I find the Hugo 2 picky when it comes to amp pairing. I've tried it with a few tube amps, and it never worked. Here, it works supremely well. Kudos to Cayin.
5. I'm almost tempted to say I prefer the C9 with the VC over the Sparkos. It has an incredibly satisfying sense of "oomph," as though there was more air passing through the VC. The VC also sound fast with the C9. This is definitely not a sloppy or mushy pairing. Metal (at least classic metal from 1982-1992) sounds outstanding. Tight, punchy, outstanding clarity, impressive resolution.
6. On pure class a, SS mode - you gain some sense of transparency, a little more air, with a slightly more precise imaging.

In sum, VC and C9 - winning combo. I can't imagine anyone not hearing this combo and feeling satisfied.

I'll go through my other headphones soon (curious to see what the C9 does with my 600ohm Beyers, just out of interest).

Awesome. Do you have a full sized tube amp? Wondering how the C9 compares.

 

[Nostoi]

Awesome. Do you have a full sized tube amp? Wondering how the C9 compares.

I don't have one to hand but I've owned and demo'd various tube amps before. It definitely outclasses something like the Pathos Aurium (which is a great amp). I'd say the C9 is a little closer to the microZOTL MZ2 (another great amp). I had most of the other portable tube amps, and they're not even in the same discussion as the C9 (tbh, I'd consider them more of novelty tube amps).

 

[kwilkins]

Hi, I am hoping someone can give me advice on paring the Hugo 2 with the C9. I've had the C9 for a while and love it, I just received the Hugo 2. Comparing the two (sound quality wise) I find them in the same league as each other, just with different sound signatures. I was hoping adding the H2 to the C9 would give a nice leap in sound quality but was a bit disappointed in my first listen.

I've put the H2 in 3v RMS line level mode and connected to the C9 via a cheap RCA to 3.5mm cable. I had one of these $5 cables and know I should get something better but wanted to give it a try. I was using Tube A mode to listen to a few songs on the Utopia's, that is the only HP I have tried so far because I was pressed for time. Things sounded fine but I didn't notice a significant improvement in SQ from just using the C9 or the H2 on their own.

I see from some posts a few people are very impressed with the H2 and C9. Can you share with me what cables you are using and how you have that stack setup? Maybe the cheap RCA cable was limiting things more than I thought it would. The H2 has so many connection options that I'm not sure which I should be using to get the very best SQ when paired with the C9. I'm happy to purchase high quality cables, I just want to be sure I'm getting the right ones.

Thanks for any advice you can give me. I'm fairly new to this hobby and still have a lot to learn.

 

[Nostoi]

BTW, fits very neatly into a Peli 1170 case plus DAP, though I need to re-foam mine: