[kumar402]

No wonder it got soooooooo so hot to the touch… I’ll call musictek tomorrow and see about returning for a full refund. I’ll do a desktop amp at this point… as this is hardly portable in the first place. I’m sorry it came to this… but… here we are. I refuse to throw another single dime to this amp/dac combo thing.

I guess you got the faulty unit. Why not return it and get the new unit unless you don’t like the sound signature at all.

 

[adriansticoid]

Got my RU6 a few days ago. Is it normal that there is a bit of a static noise on the left side when a new song starts? I'm using Hiby.

So I was speaking with John from Cayin and we have found the issue. Normally, I set my USB DAC to maximum volume (whenever possible) and I control the volume through my phone. That's just how I prefer it and this is how I do it with my FiiO KA3 without issues (the KA3 doesn't have a physical volume control but it does have hardware volume control through the FiiO Connect app). Now with the RU6, if I set the volume to 90-100, that is when the static noises come up. If I set my phone to maximum volume and set the RU6 to my listening levels, around 30-60 depending on the gear plugged in, that noise is gone and the background is really, really clear. I do hope that Cayin can fix this through a firmware update.

 

[Haden2866]

No wonder it got soooooooo so hot to the touch… I’ll call musictek tomorrow and see about returning for a full refund. I’ll do a desktop amp at this point… as this is hardly portable in the first place. I’m sorry it came to this… but… here we are. I refuse to throw another single dime to this amp/dac combo thing.

With respect, why not request a replacement from Musictek under manufacturers warranty, as has been suggested several times, since your unit is faulty?

 

[twister6]

No wonder it got soooooooo so hot to the touch… I’ll call musictek tomorrow and see about returning for a full refund. I’ll do a desktop amp at this point… as this is hardly portable in the first place. I’m sorry it came to this… but… here we are. I refuse to throw another single dime to this amp/dac combo thing.

Getting hot to the touch, is that something new? Cause I don't remember you mentioning that before when you were daisy-chaining and switching between all those splitters, adapters, cables. If it is overheating now, then you are right, you probably shorted something.

 

[HiFiHawaii808]

Few words about RU6, vs LG V60, W2, Dragonfly Cobalt, Mojo. Using 64 Audio U12 IEM.
(For LG V60, I use UAPP, and turn on 'RAW' of HiRes driver flags. This will by-pass the 3 LG HiFi filter settings. I feel its result is similar to set RU6 to NOS mode)


(The following is RU6 in NOS mode, LG V60 in LG HiFi filters OFF mode)

• Is the sound 'true', artifact-free? RU6: yes, absolutely. I can hear no artifacts, unrealistic feelings that can be found in Delta sigma dacs. 10/10
  W2 and Mojo: sometimes I can hear some artifacts, some unrealistic instrument presentation 7. LG V60: everything is correct and realistic as RU6, it's hard to achieve this by DS 10/10. Cobalt: similar sound as LG V60, 9/10
• Bass quality? RU6: great density, however I feel it is not deep and linear enough, and a little bumped. 8/10.
  LG V60: perfect, fast, linear, deep and right amount. 10/10. Cobalt: great, a little bumped. 7/10. W2: a little boosted, not deep and linear enough. 7/10. Mojo: not deep enough. 7/10
• Details, resolution? RU6: great, it's not blurred or anything, and the amount of information is balanced through-out the frequency range. when listening to RU6 I don't feel I miss anything. But compared to it, DS dacs can push crazy amount of details to my face. So from listening experience point of view, RU6 should be 10/10. But for technical comparison, it should be 5/10.
  LG V60: absolute TOTL amount of information, details. it is absolutly transparent, direct, no information is missing at all. at the same time there is no digital feeling, it is not clinical at all. LG V60 is just amazing. 10/10
  Cobalt: although it is DS, but it is not very detailed. 5/10 W2: great amount of information, I think technically it's chip's ability is == LG V60, however I feel that a little bit filter has been applied, so it's detail level is slightly lower than V60. 9/10 Mojo: great, 7/10
• Sound stage? RU6: great. 9/10
  LG V60: great. 9/10 Cobalt: small. 5/10 W2: great, 8/10 Mojo: magical, life-like, widest. 10/10
• Tonal balance? RU6: good, but bass is a little bumped. 8/10
  LG V60: reference level correct. 10/10 Cobalt: bass is boosted. 7/10 W2 and Mojo: bass is not linear and deep enough 5，6

The following is subjective, higher score mean it is 'better' or 'worse' depends on personal preference:

• Realistic and refined highs? RU6：in NOS mode, highs are truethful reproduction of the recording. So, for bad recordings, it can be 'grainy' and 'digital'. 5/10. For bad recordings if turn on OS mode, it will filter out all the 'digital' and 'grainy' feeling, making it just perfectly smooth and musical. 7/10
  （NOS mode is more truethful, more information, better sound stage and bass. So I use NOS by default for every album, but will try OS mode to see if it can make this album much more 'realistic', if yes, then I will use OS for this album, otherwise NOS is the best.)
  LG V60, similar to RU6, I can turn on the filter and turn off the filter, get different result. 5 and 7
  Cobalt: no filter setting. it has some grainy feeling on bad recordings. 6/10
  W2: has 'magic' filter, making highs really refined and realistic feeling. 9/10
  Mojo: it's filter is not as 'magic' and 'high-end' feeling as W2. 7/10
• Musical like listening to tape? RU6: nope. it is direct, true, but nothing like tape. 6/10
  LG V60: nope. it is absolutly truthful, not like tape. 5/10
  Cobalt: it is fine. 7/10. W2: musical. 8/10. Mojo: Amazing, it is like listening to tape! 10/10

What I like the most, used most often?
1. RU6. although I gave LG V60 higher scores, but RU6 is more energetic, mids and lows are denser, it make music more exciting and enjoyable than V60.
2. Mojo. tape-like feeling is fun and reminds me of old-school times.

What is the most under-estimated, under-discussed DAC?
LG V60! Maybe I am just crazy. If I am not crazy, then LG V60 really deserve some attention and serious reviews.
I feel it is a reference level, amazing DAC.


(I have had Hugo 2 for awhile. It is in between Mojo and LG V60. Compared to Mojo, Hugo 2 is moving toward the direction of V60 (more details and truthful, less musical), but hasn't really achieved V60 yet. If Mojo is 1, V60 is 10, then Hugo 2 is at 8 or 9. I sold Hugo 2 because I already have the two ends: Mojo and V60, I don't see why I need to keep something in the middle.)

Thanks for doing the comparison. What is the LG V60? Is that a smartphone? The DAP in your picture looks like a HIby R3 Pro.

 

[blotmouse]

With respect, why not request a replacement from Musictek under manufacturers warranty, as has been suggested several times, since your unit is faulty?

Naw, easier to flame a single possibly faulty unit that may or may not have been damaged by a ludicrous daisy chaining of cheap adapters with known fragility, like the Apple adapters I need to replace due to shorts 4 times a year.

 

[peterinvan]

So I was speaking with John from Cayin and we have found the issue. Normally, I set my USB DAC to maximum volume (whenever possible) and I control the volume through my phone. That's just how I prefer it and this is how I do it with my FiiO KA3 without issues (the KA3 doesn't have a physical volume control but it does have hardware volume control through the FiiO Connect app). Now with the RU6, if I set the volume to 90-100, that is when the static noises come up. If I set my phone to maximum volume and set the RU6 to my listening levels, around 30-60 depending on the gear plugged in, that noise is gone and the background is really, really clear. I do hope that Cayin can fix this through a firmware update.

The RU6 user instructions clearly ask you to set the USB source device (phone or computer) to max volume and to control the volume by the RU6 buttons. This is design feature that suits the R2R DAC, and not something that needs to be "fixed".
With my iPad pro I find that the iPad volume has no effect (so long as it is not muted).

 

[F208Frank]

Who those who tried both w2 and ru6. Which do you prefer and why?

Thanks in advance!

 

[OspreyAndy]

Who those who tried both w2 and ru6. Which do you prefer and why?

Thanks in advance!

W2 is treasured for being slightly more resolving than most Dongles, but it suffered from lack of power which is lower than the manufacturer suggested. Keep it driving something already very sensitive and it is flawless. RU6, the X factor for it is that RU6 is among the very few Dongles that has analogue sound which I consider as realistic. It is as resolving as it can be and most importantly it has the power to emit an output that is rich in density and textures. Even when subjected to driving 600 Ohm Beyerdynamic DT880, RU6 was able to match the output of iFi ZEN Stack of ZEN DAC V2 + ZEN Can at approx 90%, losing only on absolute headroom staging and Mids density due to less power (2 Vrms) as opposed to ZEN stack 15.1 Vrms. At the mark of over 40 Ohm, W2 will start to sound lean and sometimes slightly dry, but not RU6. So it depends on your needs, driving super sensitive IEMs that are already very efficient and technical, W2 would appear suitable. But in the bigger picture RU6 is simply superior in many aspect and a better value overall. Yes I owned both and have tested them very extensively with all sort of pairing partners

 

[F208Frank]

W2 is treasured for being slightly more resolving than most Dongles, but it suffered from lack of power which is lower than the manufacturer suggested. Keep it driving something already very sensitive and it is flawless. RU6, the X factor for it is that RU6 is among the very few Dongles that has analogue sound which I consider as realistic. It is as resolving as it can be and most importantly it has the power to emit an output that is rich in density and textures. Even when subjected to driving 600 Ohm Beyerdynamic DT880, RU6 was able to match the output of iFi ZEN Stack of ZEN DAC V2 + ZEN Can at approx 90%, losing only on absolute headroom staging and Mids density due to less power (2 Vrms) as opposed to ZEN stack 15.1 Vrms. At the mark of over 40 Ohm, W2 will start to sound lean and sometimes slightly dry, but not RU6. So it depends on your needs, driving super sensitive IEMs that are already very efficient and technical, W2 would appear suitable. But in the bigger picture RU6 is simply superior in many aspect and a better value overall. Yes I owned both and have tested them very extensively with all sort of pairing partners

Since W2 is more resolving if I am only using IEMs, would you lean towards w2 or still would consider the ru6? I specifically have the a18t/u18t, are those considered sensitive iems? I do not even know.

 

[kadinh]

Since W2 is more resolving if I am only using IEMs, would you lean towards w2 or still would consider the ru6? I specifically have the a18t/u18t, are those considered sensitive iems? I do not even know.

out of the 100+ dongles andy has rated, the RU6 is #2 overall. the W2 is not even in the top 10.

 

[F208Frank]

I did see that yes, but I did not want to rely on just one reviewer. He must be really highly regarded for you to point that out.

I generally enjoy gathering multiple perspectives, but noted and thanks!

 

[OspreyAndy]

Since W2 is more resolving if I am only using IEMs, would you lean towards w2 or still would consider the ru6? I specifically have the a18t/u18t, are those considered sensitive iems? I do not even know.

Not for me to decide on your behalf. I merely share my findings that perhaps can give you some ideas since you asked for comparisons between W2 and RU6. And I don't know your preference in sound specifically. We all have different way of appreciating sound, to me W2 is just uninspiring when it comes to musical element compared to RU6. But if technicalities is more important to you, then W2 with highly efficient partners

 

[Andrew_WOT]

out of the 100+ dongles andy has rated, the RU6 is #2 overall. the W2 is not even in the top 10.

With Centrance DACPort HD taking the crown, why not get that instead, cheaper too?

 

[Zachik]

I did see that yes, but I did not want to rely on just one reviewer. He must be really highly regarded for you to point that out.

He is, IMHO