[DaYooper]

Both of the newest brands products from Cayin and Shanling are crazily good , C9 and M30

So sound wise do you think the M30 and C9 are on par with one another? Curious minds want to know. Also, does the M30 have a thread since the release besides the Announcement thread? I'm not seeing anybody posting over there.

 

[Marat Sar]

I see that you have N3 Pro. Its 3.5 is true LO while 4.4 is pseudo LO. But, just want to emphasize that it is not necessarily the case that pseudo LO will not give good performance; it is just that a true LO is generally preferable.

More importantly, in using C9, it is essential to remain consistency in your audio chain for the best audio performance: BAL-in to BAL-out, and SE-in to SE-out. The BAL/SE convertor works fine, but it seems to require serious burn-in.

I have an ibasso dx200 titanium with an amp card (amp3) that offers 2.5 line out -- a rare thing, apparently. The 200ti is a very holographic source and a big step up from the regular dx200, with special soldering and better capacitors. It's not quite as wide or detailed as SP2000 but isn't far off either. I can try that vs my SP2000 tonight, to see the difference between SP2000 pseudo LO and dx200 true LO. That should put my heart to rest for a while...

But for now, I can tell that yes, double-amping is clearly taking place between SP2000 and C9 4.4 (the amp has not been totally bypassed) but! First, it's nice to control the volume on my sp2000 and not the scary "BLOW YOUR IEMs" power-wheel of the C9. And second, the ear is the king -- and the combo sounds absolutely incredible. More importantly, not at all like my SP2000. The SP2000 output is ultra-detailed, clinical, huge soundstrage -- but a bit too neutral. When I add the C9 I not only get an even bigger soundstage and more musicality -- I also get more details. The improved layering reveals new things and I also get more timbre information than on the SP2000. Every little bell and whistle has its own timbre, and I'm often surprised to hear them. The SP2000 did not reveal this information to me. So, double-amping or not, I hear don't hear too much of the SP2000s characteristics (and bottlenecks) in the C9 output. Layering is improved, timbre information is improved -- it doesn't seem like the amp is getting in the way.

Anyway, I'll know more once I compare it to the dx200ti's LO, but for now I can say the SP2000 is a very very good match for the C9 indeed. I'm talking boundless soundstage with an incredible marriage of the SP2000s clinical details and the C9s musicality.

Also, doesn't hurt that they look very handsome together. Profiles match nicely

BTW, would love to hear from someone who's rolled the SP2000 and L&P LP6 pro (The green one -- I'm thinkin it probably has true LO in 4.4?) or some other true LO source...

 

[Whitigir]

So sound wise do you think the M30 and C9 are on par with one another? Curious minds want to know. Also, does the M30 have a thread since the release besides the Announcement thread? I'm not seeing anybody posting over there.

Official thread here I think
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/int...desktop-hi-fi-streaming-player.952808/page-18

Yes, they are on Par, at least with clean Lo like A02

The C9 may be a little complicated in charging , but the M30 is just plug in and forget it

 

[gazzington]

I’ve done some initial listening with dx300-c9-Solaris og/th900. Mainly using tubes and class a at the moment. Very impressed. Solaris felt like it opened up further than normal and the th900 felt authoritative but smoother. Will keep listening
By the way a very well built unit. I love the volume wheel

 

[twister6]

So the LPGT 4.4 is true line out ?

I never got a defenitive answer about this one because it has selectable voltage outputs and variable output in LO mode. So, I'm not 100% sure if it is a truly direct output due to that variable output control. The same with R8 and R6 2020.

 

[bluestorm1992]

I never got a defenitive answer about this one because it has selectable voltage outputs and variable output in LO mode. So, I'm not 100% sure if it is a truly direct output due to that variable output control. The same with R8 and R6 2020.

Lotoo got a lot of praise in Asian audio shows for the LO quality, so I believe it should be.

 

[xand]

Official thread here I think
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/int...desktop-hi-fi-streaming-player.952808/page-18

Yes, they are on Par, at least with clean Lo like A02

I wish the M30 wasn't stuck with a M8 equivalent UI, or without a screen covering it's full size.

Both wasted opportunities, the first will be fixed but not sure the second is possible.

Maybe there will be a M30Screen

 

[piercer]

Cayin N6ii with A02 Motherboard

I meant the software It does not look like the cayin music player.

 

[HiFiHawaii808]

So here is my little innovation for carrying the stack. I really only use it indoors, I am one of those people who doesn't sit in one spot for long, and this way I don't have to interrupt my listening. This is actually very comfortable.

You have about as much chance of convincing me that is very comfortable as you do of convincing me that my huge beer belly is also comfortable.

 

[Andykong]

Now you make me want to try Empyrean. I almost bought it previously, but picked up the Mason FS instead. Perhaps Empyrean should be on my future purchase list again.

You really should, at least give it a serious audition. The Empyrean is quite different from other premium headphone at this price range, it is a very refined product that exhibits quality in all perspective.

I agree. The empyrean gets slated on several YouTube channels. Yes it’s not as detailed as say an utopia but after a couple of hours I’d rather keep the empyrean on my head

There is a fine line between music appreciation and music demonstration, and for those who invested in a headphone system to enjoy music, they know this is the way to go.

 

[DaYooper]

The C9 may be a little complicated in charging

That will be helped when Cayin make spare tray available.

 

[soundblast75]

Otherwise..

 

[blackgreen15]

You have about as much chance of convincing me that is very comfortable as you do of convincing me that my huge beer belly is also comfortable.

comfort is relative, but for me I can walk around and tidy the house while listening, I don't notice it at all. Honestly I also used to be quite the portly little fellow. Everything in life is more comfortable now.

 

[HiFiHawaii808]

comfort is relative, but for me I can walk around and tidy the house while listening, I don't notice it at all. Honestly I also used to be quite the portly little fellow. Everything in life is more comfortable now.

It works for you. That's really all that matters. For me, I've decided that all solutions are trade offs. The biggest one is the trade off between sound quality and convenience. When I go for sound quality, I have to put up with some inconvenience. I usually connect to my desktop and when I need to get up, I pause the music and unplug the cable, do my thing and then restart. Carrying around a rig like yours probably won't work for me. Lately, I have been very happy with the DX160 and Fiio UTWS3 bluetooth options. I definitely lose sound quality, but I can keep the music playing and it's seamless.

 

[bluestorm1992]

I meant the software It does not look like the cayin music player.

I think that is Tidal.