[cheznous]

Whilst I appreciate adapters are easy enough to find, is it not possible to get a good cable with male 4.4mm to 2.5mm make balanced. Must be many other SP2000 owners with C9s.

 

[piercer]

Though I'm aware of desktop audio components, tbh, I'm more comfortable with DAPs In a desktop component setup, matched pre-amp and tube power-amp building blocks should yield a better pair up synergy, but take a look at N8 design diagram below. If you look at the cleaner LO path vs a more convoluted internal dual amplifier stage, and add tube amp on top of that, you don't know what you are going to get unless you experiment

But, yeah, switch C9 to Pre-Amp mode (the front panel switch and a side button to activate it) and you should get better results!

Yes, you are absolutely right. The 4.5mm balanced line out would seem to be the obvious choice for connecting the C9. That is probably why I've had the best results so far using it!

TBH I have never got on with the 4.5 balanced SS from the N8, but have alway adored the 3.5 SE valve output. With the C9 I find the solid state implementation a lot more palatable.

 

[Zambu]

Whilst I appreciate adapters are easy enough to find, is it not possible to get a good cable with male 4.4mm to 2.5mm make balanced. Must be many other SP2000 owners with C9s.

Is there some degradation of SQ with the adapters? I've been using stock 2.5-->4.4 and 2.5 --> 3.5. of my Clairvoyance (since it came with 2.5 cable) to handle my various use cases but I guess now I might just replace it with a 4.4mm cable since I'll probably be listening mostly from C9 in the coming months... (and use some other IEM at 3.5 when I'm only listening to N3Pro tubes).
Though I've also considered getting better adapters, such as Penon Totem maybe?

 

[piercer]

So - I just realised what I want. I want a portable DAC with line out only. No money spent on internal amplifiers, just an extremely well made DAC with TOTL chips and a game-ending line-out.

It could be in a similar form factor to a DAP and have Android for streaming and sending music from the SD card.

Does anything like this exist?

 

[gazzington]

Gulp, just ordered one from hifonix about 10 mins ago. Going to partner it with dx300, wm1z and n8. What closed backs have great synergy with the c9?

 

[bluestorm1992]

So - I just realised what I want. I want a portable DAC with line out only. No money spent on internal amplifiers, just an extremely well made DAC with TOTL chips and a game-ending line-out.

It could be in a similar form factor to a DAP and have Android for streaming and sending music from the SD card.

Does anything like this exist?

Then you have come to the only and best option: Cayin N6ii with A02 motherboard. A02 is a LO only motherboard and its purity and control of music blows me away every time, (much) better than SP2000’s LO in my own use case.

 

[soundblast75]

So i got the Sony Murata batteries, i don't think i understand, i can't use them until i have the tray or can i charge them independently like with this and change one by one in the existing tray? Thanks
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B08R3DRFLB?ref=ppx_pt2_mob_b_prod_image

 

[bluestorm1992]

Gulp, just ordered one from hifonix about 10 mins ago. Going to partner it with dx300, wm1z and n8. What closed backs have great synergy with the c9?

I tried ZMF Verite Closed and it was good. If you go back a few pages, you can see @Andykong recommends a Planar closed back.

Post in thread 'Cayin C9: Dual Nutube, Fully discrete Fully Balanced Class A/AB Portable Headphone Amplifier'
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/cay...able-headphone-amplifier.943135/post-16301846

 

[bluestorm1992]

So i got the Sony Murata batteries, i don't think i understand, i can't use them until i have the tray or can i charge them independently like with this and change one by one in the existing tray? Thanks
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B08R3DRFLB?ref=ppx_pt2_mob_b_prod_image

Yes you can charge them independently using a charger list you have listed and then just swap them in. I have not done this myself but some others have and should be able to offer more details.

One small caveat, as I recall, is that whenever you remove and reinsert the battery module, it will trigger the protective mode of C9. To activate C9, just plug the usb-c charger to it for a second and it should be ready to go. You can double confirm this later.

 

[bluestorm1992]

Whilst I appreciate adapters are easy enough to find, is it not possible to get a good cable with male 4.4mm to 2.5mm make balanced. Must be many other SP2000 owners with C9s.

You can probably ask @Eric Chong to make one for you. Shoot him a PM for further inquiry.

I generally want to keep things consistent by having a 4.4 to 4.4 IC cable, and use a 4.4 adapter with SP2000.

 

[soundblast75]

Yes you can charge them independently using a charger list you have listed and then just swap them in. I have not done this myself but some others have and should be able to offer more details.

One small caveat, as I recall, is that whenever you remove and reinsert the battery module, it will trigger the protective mode of C9. To activate C9, just plug the usb-c charger to it for a second and it should be ready to go. You can double confirm this later.

Thank you, will try it when it arrives, hope i don't do some damage

 

[soundblast75]

Thank you, will try it when it arrives, hope i don't do some damage

Well, as it turns out you can't get these batteries anywhere, just got a call from the vendor and he was laughing, said, no idea whats happening, no one's got them..
For now i will have a charger though

 

[piercer]

Then you have come to the only and best option: Cayin N6ii with A02 motherboard. A02 is a LO only motherboard and its purity and control of music blows me away every time, (much) better than SP2000’s LO in my own use case.

OMG that board looks amazing - and exactly what I was looking for. AKM dacs too

 

[zen87192]

OMG that board looks amazing - and exactly what I was looking for. AKM dacs too

Be quick... only a few A02 Boards left for sale as they were made in low quantity from Cayin. No more will be manufactured now.

 

[zen87192]

Astell and Kern have just released details of their new DAP, SE180, with interchangeable Boards and the DX300 has a dedicated Line Out Board coming out shortly.