That is funny, and I asked over Facebook to Cayin directly, to whoever claimed to be Cayin engineer, and got a respond from Cayin
that we tried many scenarios, and there were no damages to the sources that is related to the C9 protective mode.
I originally asked about this because I was investigating the possibility of this scenarios in relations to the possibility of making a linear power supply for the C9. It seems that the Chips on the source that is taken care of the separate virtual ground to control and manage the battery would be fried due to this short which triggers the C9 protection mode. While something is as simple as this, it may be very hard to fix, unless you can tell exactly what is going on, and the parts that are damaged by the laptop, also the ability to order this parts and the ability to fix it yourself.
Otherwise, you may end up killing your very expensive Source, whatever that may be.
So, there are only 2 possibilities:
1/ dont buy into the C9 if you are not ready for this
2/ if you adore the C9, then always make sure to charge it with it own charger and into a separated outlet. Why did Cayin, I assume, fully aware of this, having
@Andykong to post about this, and yet to not include the charger with the expensive purchase is beyond me
I have triggered the C9 protective modes a few times, and I can tell it as much as this . If your source, that has a connected ground, and charged together with the same charger that also use the same ground.....you will trigger the protective mode and it will end your good day.
These following are the scenarios by far
1/ using any 3.5mm, or single ended connection. You are basically having ground connected on the 3.5mm from the source, for example a laptop, a DAP, a PC. If connected to the C9 input, this 3.5mm ground will connect to C9 ground, to do the job that the Single Ended is supposed to do.
If you then charge the C9 out from any USB outlet of this very same source, the DAP, Laptop, PC, you will short the Ground controls of the C9 charging/protecting circuitry into the DAP/PC/Laptop together to the Single Ended ground for sound. You will end up frying something beautifully.
Now, to make it clear, please don’t be confused between usb outlet from the source VS AC outlet from the same AC socket that connects the source. You can use another charger, and plug it into the same AC wall outlet of your Source just fine. I am talking strictly ABOUT UsB outlet from your Laptop/DAP/DAC/PC
2/ Using Balanced connection by 4.4mm and whatever the source offer.
If the source has a ground chassis connected for the so called (The right shielding). Then you also use the Interconnect that has ground connected (The right shielding), that connects both the Source chassis, and the C9 Chassis. Then you are using the very same charger that has it own Power control such as Anker with multiple USB outlets, then your C9 will enter protective mode.
This protective mode, either leave the C9 not powering on, until you remove the tray or charge the C9 alone for 10 seconds, or it could fry your Source, your charger......don’t know about the C9 being fried much, but I don’t want to risk it until Cayin starts making the tray available separately
So, my advices is that, you do not charge the C9 if using the 3.5mm interconnect from the same laptop/pc/DAC outlet that connects the 3.5mm into the C9.
Also, use interconnect that has no ground connected for balanced connections of all kinds. You do not need this kind of shielding, unless you are connecting a 25 Feets length apart, which I would think you better have a real desktop system instead.
Except, if you know what you are getting into, and Adore the right shielding ideas, then be my guess. By the way, as long as the grounds are connected, you will thread upon the #2 listed above, and that mean that it doesn’t have to be the right shielding to trigger it.....just as long as it is connected. ....You have been warned
