[karloil]

We don't have specific guidelines or requirements for 18650 batteries. Theoretically, they all work fine, and most of them sound alright with C9. The 10A discharge rate will benefit the headroom and transient of the amplifier but batteries with 5A discharge rate are valid options. Be reminded that the discharge rate is NOT the only factor that matters. We didn't pretend we know a lot about battery manufacturing, so we can't explain whether the changes in tonal characteristics are related to the material or the special formula of the battery.

I have tested the Panasonic NCR18650GA and they sound very good with C9, if the Orbtronic are out of stock, maybe you can consider the Panasonic.

I
affects the overall sound signature

Thanks a lot @Andykong for confirming this information

Actually, I'm more concerned in adding listening time to the C9 (Sonic changes is a bonus for me). So I'm now eyeing on 3500mAh capacities.

Thanks for the feedback on Panasonic NCR18650GA - I was specifically looking at this and LG MJ1.

EDIT: Follow-up question @Andykong regarding the NCR18650GA - did you use the protected or unprotected model?

 

[karloil]

A year late (as I was on hiatus) but still a very happy purchase! Finally got mine!

Step aside (for a moment) Gryphon, the C9 will be taking some of your ear time

 

[hoofman]

Ordered since CanJam SG 2022 and finally got my hands on the C9 today. Now I have 371 pages to catch up with everyone

 

[karloil]

Ordered since CanJam SG 2022 and finally got my hands on the C9 today. Now I have 371 pages to catch up with everyone

Saw you earlier!

 

[hoofman]

Saw you earlier!

Oops was you at Zepp this afternoon too hahaha

 

[karloil]

Oops was you at Zepp this afternoon too hahaha

Hahaha yes, picked up my cable that I ordered during CanJam as well. Saw you playing around the C9 when I passed by your table

 

[hoofman]

Hahaha yes, picked up my cable that I ordered during CanJam as well. Saw you playing around the C9 when I passed by your table

Yay! Let's hangout some time. I go there every now and then whenever I have time.

 

[karloil]

Yay! Let's hangout some time. I go there every now and then whenever I have time.

Sure man

 

[Slim1970]

A year late (as I was on hiatus) but still a very happy purchase! Finally got mine!

Step aside (for a moment) Gryphon, the C9 will be taking some of your ear time

Best portable amp I have heard. Congrats, on the purchase!

 

[karloil]

Best, portable amp I have heard. Congrats, on the purchase!

Thanks!

In all honesty, even if I'm in a country where I can easily audition this - I didn't. This was a blind purchase - the BEST blind purchase that I did!

 

[Slim1970]

Thanks!

In all honesty, even if I'm in a country where I can easily audition this - I didn't. This was a blind purchase - the BEST blind purchase that I did!

I’ll let you know how many items in my collection I bought blindly, everything . There are no dealers or distributors in my area for me to demo an item. The only way I can listen to anything is to buy it. Most of the time it works out.

 

[MrNailhead]

I'm curious if anyone in here has used the Fiio M11 Pro with C9 and how they pair together. I've had my M11 Pro for close to a year now and am starting to feel upgraditis - the M17 looks cool but the C9 seems like a much safer long term investment as it seems to be more future proofed. I still dearly love and enjoy my M11 Pro and am not looking to replace it with any other DAP in any near term timeline.
I've never actually used the line-out function on mine - from what i've read it has full line out function on the 3.5mm port but not on the balanced ports - does that even make a difference if it's going into an amp like the C9?
I've been enjoying this thread and been enjoying learning more about the higher end world of audio over the past year or so.

 

[jlemaster1957]

18650 recharging question here:
I have noticed when recharging the 18650 batteries – –be they Orbotronics or Sony VTC6 (I have 1 set of both) – that the fourth light starts blinking about 2/3 of the way through the recharging process, so it’s difficult to know when to stop i.e. unplugg. I very often let recharging continue until all four lights are solidly lit.

Conversely, when playing the C9, I have not noticed when down to the last light, that one light starts blinking before the C9 shuts down. It seems that the blinking must be a relatively short process at the one light stage because I never see it. So I very often keep using the C9 until the batteries are totally discharged and the C9 shuts off.

Does it harm the batteries if I allow them to completely discharge, i.e. allow C9 to turn off and then recharge them until all four lights blink steadily, and immediately unplug there after? I never leave them plugged in overnight or for any length of time after all four lights light up solidly ie stop blinking, and I never leave them in a completely discharged state after the C9 has turned off. I always recharge them immediately.

 

[gLer]

There are several happy WM1Z/C9 users in this thread, and Cayin had included WM1Z as a testing reference for C9 projects. To be frank, I can't think of a better reference, in terms of reputation and popularity, when we want to develop a feature that enables a portable amplifier to pair with a DAP that doesn't have a line out.

This makes me very excited to try out the C9, since I expect to use the WM1Z as my primary source for a very, very long time.

 

[karloil]

I’ll let you know how many items in my collection I bought blindly, everything . There are no dealers or distributors in my area for me to demo an item. The only way I can listen to anything is to buy it. Most of the time it works out.

You're located in Missouri right? US return policy is still in your favor if ever you didn't like the item.

In Singapore, there's no such return policy. So we really have to be sure of what we are buying