Cayin C9: Dual Nutube, Fully Balanced Class A/AB Portable HeadAmp

[jonstatt]

Yes yes please work with Dignis to make this happen!

@Andykong You have a working relationship with Dignis already. Can you send them a C9 shell so they can make a case?

 

[ahossam]

yes, maybe not full body case, just enough to protect from light bump and scratches.

 

[TheNameIsGerald]

What store in the EU has the C9 in stock?

Any pointers? I couldn't find it at any of Cayin's official dealers.

 

[Nostoi]

Any pointers? I couldn't find it at any of Cayin's official dealers.

I asked at both Son Video in France and Hifi Sound in Germany. Didn't hear back any from them. Ended up ordering from AMP3 in UK who are very responsive.

 

[Whitigir]

I am surprised no one seems to care about a good IC with real Furutech or Pentaconn OFC lol

 

[LabelH]

I am surprised no one seems to care about a good IC with real Furutech or Pentaconn OFC lol

Between Furutech or Pentaconn OFC, which one provide wider soundstage?

 

[Whitigir]

Between Furutech or Pentaconn OFC, which one provide wider soundstage?

Furutech for sure, but Pentaconn has better reliability and denser tonal body

 

[Whitigir]

Small corner at home for a poor man just learning about music

 

[normie610]

Small corner at home for a poor man just learning about music

Still learning after all these years?

 

[Whitigir]

Still learning after all these years?

the curves seem going on forever to be honest.

 

[bluestorm1992]

Good to hear about the Hugo 2 synergy. Any more impressions of this pairing? Are you going via RCA or 3.5mm to 3.5mm IC?

I am doing it through 3.5 to 3.5 mm IC, and I have tried both the Pre-in mode and line-in mode of C9. The effects are quite similar: You get mostly Hugo 2 sound signature plus a lot more power in the output. The sound did become slightly more analytical, I think partly due to me using the SS mode of C9.

In addition, I have found that the degree C9 (even in line-in) changes the signature of the source vary from source to source. For example, I have always found Hugo 2 to have a dominant sound signature (in a good way), so what C9 does is mainly giving it more power. If I use a source like LPG, the change in sound signature is much more noticeable.

 

[Whitigir]

I am doing it through 3.5 to 3.5 mm IC, and I have tried both the Pre-in mode and line-in mode of C9. The effects are quite similar: You get mostly Hugo 2 sound signature plus a lot more power in the output. The sound did become slightly more analytical, I think partly due to me using the SS mode of C9.

In addition, I have found that the degree C9 (even in line-in) changes the signature of the source vary from source to source. For example, I have always found Hugo 2 to have a dominant sound signature (in a good way), so what C9 does is mainly giving it more power. If I use a source like LPG, the change in sound signature is much more noticeable.

Isn’t the 3.5mm the phone out ? RCA will be your true line out. I think the differences of influences between sources that you observed is from the True line out on LPG vs the phone out ?

 

[bluestorm1992]

Isn’t the 3.5mm the phone out ? RCA will be your true line out. I think the differences of influences between sources that you observed is from the True line out on LPG vs the phone out ?

I have checked this. Hugo 2's line-out mode is really just setting its volume/output power to max. RCA and phone out all share the same source in the back, just different output formats as I understand it.

 

[Whitigir]

I have checked this. Hugo 2's line-out mode is really just setting its volume/output power to max. RCA and phone out all share the same source in the back, just different output formats as I understand it.

So it doesn’t have any Line out, and that is why the C9 influences it differently than LPG which I assumes having true line out

The C9 has the ability to expose the quality of line in performances from the source very well. That is how I come to realize the Max has a true Balanced Out Vs others which has Pseudo Line Out and especially VS just phones out

 

[bluestorm1992]

So it doesn’t have any Line out, and that is why the C9 influences it differently than LPG which I assumes having true line out

The C9 has the ability to expose the quality of line in performances from the source very well. That is how I come to realize the Max has a true Balanced Out Vs others which has Pseudo Line Out and especially VS just phones out

I think this is very true. From a different angle, this is not necessarily a bad thing for the combo of Hugo 2 + C9; I enjoyed its sound signature very much, but just have some complaint for its power in driving full-size headphones. Adding a C9 to it helps to address this.