Cayin iDAC-6 - Review tour (USA only for now), impressions, discussion
Jan 4, 2021 at 1:19 AM Post #275 of 286
looking for a pair for my Cayin HA6A amp...wonder if any chance to put 19 kg amp ON idac?
how does it sound on hard rock/metal music? I found 1 review by headphonics...not so popular i'd say

Not recommended. The iDAC-6MK2 is a lot smaller than the HA-6A, you can't even balanced the amp probably if you put it underneath the HA-6A.
On the other h and, the iDAC-6MK2 is a tube buffered DAC, it is fairly hot when decoding hi-res, and the HA-6A is also a heat source (naturally for powerful tube amplifier), not a good idea to stack them together.
 
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May 19, 2021 at 6:33 AM Post #276 of 286
Yesterday bought this unit. The biggest disappointment is it doesn't work with android devices! I can't use my fiio m15 as music transport via USB. Interesting is it software or hardware disadvantage? Is it possible to add such a feature with updating firmware?
 
May 21, 2021 at 2:28 PM Post #277 of 286
Yesterday bought this unit. The biggest disappointment is it doesn't work with android devices! I can't use my fiio m15 as music transport via USB. Interesting is it software or hardware disadvantage? Is it possible to add such a feature with updating firmware?

I frequently connected our DAPs to iDAC-6 and iDAC-6MK2 via USB Audio including N6ii which is an Android based DAP, they worked pretty smooth, so it should work with Android based DAP for that purpose.

Please check your manual for detail instruction. Did you use any USB adapter in your connection You probably need a OTG Type-C to Printer-B cable. Is there a manual item to manage the function of USB-C port, such as using it for charging, file transfer or DAC?
 
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May 22, 2021 at 2:13 PM Post #278 of 286
Thanks a lot for your response @Andykong but currently it doesn’t look like a DAC’s problem. It works with all platforms I could to test including android phones. All I need now is sort this issue out with fiio tech support
 
Oct 3, 2021 at 9:02 AM Post #281 of 286
ok, thanks for the info, but it doesn't tell us much more .... I find the design of this DAC quite interesting, but given the price it would be nice to have some opinions on it, if it exists! it doesn't seem to be very widespread .... :)
 
Apr 1, 2022 at 9:50 AM Post #282 of 286
Hello @Andykong ,
¿can you comment about the Idac6 MK2 performance as digital preamp? ¿is the volume controlled on digital or analog domain?

I have one unit since last year and have noted that using it on preamp mode the sound quality connected to a power amp degrades a lot, wich means that this function is useless as it really requires a separated preamplifier.

Looking at published product specs it shouldn't be that way. ¿So maybe the specs are wrong? It is really sad as I really like how this DAC sounds in line-out mode. The most noticeable downside on pre-amp mode is that the sound stage is completely lost.

Can we have access to a service manual or opening procedure? I tried to disassemble the unit to check if it has a defect inside but wasn't able to do it without risking it.
 
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May 14, 2023 at 9:47 PM Post #283 of 286
We don't have display control on iDAC-6MK2. The DAC does not facilitate firmware update.
@Andykong I recently purchased this model. It sounds great and looks great.
But I can't get it to work with 32 bit PCM output under either Windows (with latest driver)
or Mac (no driver needed).

I reached out to you support and they claim a firmware is under development to fix this.
Clearly the support has no idea about this device. I am very disappointed with this experience.
 
Apr 18, 2024 at 12:29 PM Post #285 of 286
Is this DAC still relevant today?
Any opinions comparing it to Denafrips Ares 12th-1 R-2R DAC or TEAC NT-505-X.
Thanks!

Cheers!

Not sure how we define "relevant" but it's still an enjoyable DAC and not necessarily blown away by newer models. That said, Cayin has since moved on to the updated iDAC-6 mk2 and now the iDAC-8 which should both offer at least some meaningful improvements.

At this point the original iDAC-6 should only be found on the 2nd hand market, where I suspect it makes for a great deal considering the original price/performance ratio. It's still "modern" in terms of handling pretty high rate DSD and PCM, having lots of inputs, etc. But I haven't heard the exact DACs you listed so not sure how they would stack up.
 

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