[HiFlight]

Hey guys my question is maybe a bit stupid(I’m new to this hobby) but is it possible to use the RU7 line out on a Bluetooth capable device like the BTR7 to get the portability of the BTR7 but the sound of the RU7?

Not sure why you would need to do that as the RU7 and the BTR7 both output about the same power

 

[DBaldock9]

Hey guys my question is maybe a bit stupid(I’m new to this hobby) but is it possible to use the RU7 line out on a Bluetooth capable device like the BTR7 to get the portability of the BTR7 but the sound of the RU7?

The RU7 only has USB digital audio in, and analog audio out.
The BTR7 has USB digital audio in, and Bluetooth audio in ; and analog audio out.

There's no way to connect the two devices together, from output to input.

 

[Capunk]

Hello, it seems I can't get ASIO to work with Foobark2K
I have installed the driver, and I'm on Windows 11

 

[boodi]

had occasion along last few days to compare ru-7 , e1da 9038s g3 , truthear shio

sure the ru-7 left me surprised more then the others for overall level of refinement , the thing is quite evident from first plug

the truthear shio is nice for the price but quite relaxed , sweet delicate , balance and timbral rendering is nice for the price , sound/attack is soft though . Power is limited but I like her sound, unfortunately can't drive some of my headpones and bass " bloats nicely " on some of them .

the e1da 9038s a bit too clinical / cold for my taste , lot of power and cut , bass doesn't bloat at all here but eq couldn't inject the soul and smoothness I'd prefer on my listenings .

the ru7 sounds more tubey , full , wide and layered , warm and detailed , more body to notes through frequencies.. not so short of a little regular dac+amp system really ..even with the steeper price depending on personal mileage it might be the more valueable of the bunch
I concurr that -while resolution and behavior are not short then "mighty" for a dongle - it might be a bit warm for purists ; as well it accomodates well some all-BA iems ; can drive he1000se too to deafening levels btw, bass is good enough not managed with supreme level of control or kick and tightness , still it leaves happy smile on face on some heavy-bass tracks

I'd say for anyone valuing the ru-7 over a regular DAP , if you don't mind DAP functions and can live without ultimate level of refinement , then it's a decent compromise..not sure other dongles can match the performance as I have a limited experience with dongles .. , the sound is not ultimate and not in the league of totl daps , power may be slightly missing for hungry / planar headphones where bass performance and control can show the limits as well as some missing dynamics expression , still pure sound performance is sensibly better and a tad closer to regular daps then what btr5 and qudelix offer ( imo )

 

[Capunk]

I don't know how to write a good comparison anymore, but what I have right now is:
RU7, E1DA 9038S3, 9038D, PowerDacV2, Qudelix5K and Creative SXFI

RU7 feel more organic (if that is the right term), everything sound less sharp but without losing any details, but the constant audio delay before every audio start annoys me a bit. But for gaming, I still prefer 9038S or SXFI, you need that spatial precision and details.

 

[NeoArk90]

Hi, does anyone have any personal opinions on the various dad 64 128 256 modes? I always use 128, but I don't notice such big differences between one and the other!

 

[boodi]

most transparent yet unbrided sound is in LO mode (imo)
best sound ?, depending on your mileage
64dsd is the slower less defined more analouge , 128 and 256 ( my choice ) faster and a touch less analogue , still on the analogue side and warm, LO has definitely the more clear sub bass impact VS PO through different IEMS and headphones and I hear it more transparent more linear and with a more correct prat , more monitor alike VS PO .
be sure to lower the smartphone volume ( to very low ) if you want to try it, with any headphone and IEM

 

[Capunk]

Hol up, LO mode technically Line out mode right? as if the device will crank it to 100% volume?

 

[Andykong]

most transparent yet unbrided sound is in LO mode (imo)
best sound ?, depending on your mileage
64dsd is the slower less defined more analouge , 128 and 256 ( my choice ) faster and a touch less analogue , still on the analogue side and warm, LO has definitely the more clear sub bass impact VS PO through different IEMS and headphones and I hear it more transparent more linear and with a more correct prat , more monitor alike VS PO .
be sure to lower the smartphone volume ( to very low ) if you want to try it, with any headphone and IEM

Hol up, LO mode technically Line out mode right? as if the device will crank it to 100% volume?

Line out is the fixed level (volume) output of RU7 headphone output, it is not the maximum output of the phone amplification circuit like many other pseudo line out implementations, Cayin opts for a different take by selecting a lower output that aimed at best possible dynamic at lowest distortion. While it is an optimized output, the fixed volume nature will mean the line out is too loud for sensitive monitors, and not enough juice for demanding IEMs or headphones. In other words, whether line out is the best output of RU7 depends on your choice of IEM/headphones. I do encourage users to try this out in person and please follow boodi's suggestion to turn down the volume of your mobile phone before you plug in your IEM/headphones, and turn the volume up gradually after you hit the play button. However, please be reminded that resistor network-based DACs are very sensitive to the data integrity of incoming data bitstream, if you need to turn down the volume of your mobile phone significantly in order to achieve a reasonable sound level for your IEM/headphones in RU7 line out, that probably means your IEM is not suitable for this setting. IMHO, turning down the volume to 70 is the lowest I'll live with. the RU7 DAC circuit perform at its best when you turn your mobile phone to FULL output (Max volume).

 

[Capunk]

Hello, it seems I can't get ASIO to work with Foobark2K
I have installed the driver, and I'm on Windows 11

I uninstalled and re-install the driver and tweak the settings in F2K (changing channel mapping in ASIO output); it worked for a while.
but after restarting Windows, the same problem persists. I'm not sure if this happened to anyone else, but I never had any ASIO or driver problems with my previous DAC (iFi Gryphon, Denafrips Ares II, etc.).

 

[oldkid]

The recent posts about the possibility to use the line out feature with some IEMs directly plugged into the RU7 made me want to try a slightly less portable setup, but still manageable if you happen to have big hands and deep pockets, literally that is.

So, I took advantage of the line in feature on the FiiO Q3 and plugged the RU7 in line out mode into it.
The result is a huge improvement in soundstage compared to RU7 alone. I don't know if I'm ready to carry this chain on a daily basis while commuting, but sonically, this is amazing.

@Andykong I would really like a RU6 revision with a dedicated line out feature and the same volume controls as the RU7

Not gonna lie, I'm starting to look like this guy with this setup. At least, he still has hair !

 

[Andykong]

The recent posts about the possibility to use the line out feature with some IEMs directly plugged into the RU7 made me want to try a slightly less portable setup, but still manageable if you happen to have big hands and deep pockets, literally that is.

So, I took advantage of the line in feature on the FiiO Q3 and plugged the RU7 in line out mode into it.
The result is a huge improvement in soundstage compared to RU7 alone. I don't know if I'm ready to carry this chain on a daily basis while commuting, but sonically, this is amazing.

@Andykong I would really like a RU6 revision with a dedicated line out feature and the same volume controls as the RU7

Not gonna lie, I'm starting to look like this guy with this setup. At least, he still has hair !

We didn't add pseudo line out in RU6 because R2R circuit is more demanding on resistor accuracy and is prone to thermal noise, more so than 1 bit DAC in RU7.

Pseudo line out will push the amp circuit to opetate in higher power, hence generated more heat internally, which is undesirable to R2R (RU6).

 

[Capunk]

IMHO, turning down the volume to 70 is the lowest I'll live with. the RU7 DAC circuit perform at its best when you turn your mobile phone to FULL output (Max volume).

I tried the Line Out mode with my android phone and Mest MKII, i was surprised how drastic the difference in airiness, it feel more spacious than Phone out mode, and yes the bass section also improved. The only downside i noticed that upper treble suffered loss of definition, sometime i can feel distorted or clipping.

50% volume is the max i can tolerate with this mode. Quick question tho, in LO mode, gain setting is disabled by default correct?

 

[Polky74]

For those interested, you can transform your RU7 into an excellent desktop DAC as well as say goodbye to problems regarding power consumption on the streamer (phone/tablet/pc). In addition to this you will have a marked improvement in the audio performance of the RU7 due to the physical separation between the data and power signals implemented by the hub. The kit consists of two pieces (which you can find on Amazon) to be connected as in the photo and in this order:

1) Connect the power bank to the hub
2) Connect the hub (via the long cable) to the streamer
3) Connect the dongle to the hub in the first available position next to the cable that takes the signal from the streamer


The parts are not chosen at random, so if you use other types of hubs and power-banks, the improvement and integrity of the RU7 is not guaranteed.

Example: The hub does not carry power to the streamer so it is safe even for use with a PC/MAC and the power-bank is equipped with an internal control chip to supply power even to small equipment so it regulates the current based on the dongle's request.

I and many of my friends use it with enormous satisfaction, if you want to try it you will be very satisfied.

HUB 4 USB 60 cm:

https://www.amazon.com/Aceele-𝟏𝟎𝐆𝐛𝐩𝐬-Extender-Compatible-MacBook/dp/B0BZ471P5L/ref=sr_1_5?crid=1MMQRLZDD5I7S&keywords=aceele+usb+hub&qid=1698367218&sprefix=aceele+usb+hub+,aps,193&sr=8-5&th=1


POWERBANK:

https://www.amazon.com/INIU-Portabl...Flashlight/dp/B07YPY31FL?ref_=ast_sto_dp&th=1

 

[shrisha]

Bought a Cayin RU7 and just received it today. Here are some short impressions:




Accessories wise, it comes with:
- USB A-USB C adapter
- USB C to USB C cable
- leather case



This dongle is extremely light, with smooth surfaces and an elegant glass LED panel. Build is good, the ports are reinforced with gold plating. It is a plug and play device, no issues with Windows 10 or my smartphone recognizing it immediately (I apologize as I'm not an Apple user and can't test compatibility with Apple architecture).

On to sound (these are out of the box impressions before burn in). The RU7 is warm neutral, very musical yet retaining good technical chops. It is a smooth dongle with minimal harshness even with "shouty" tracks. Soundstage (depth, height and width) is expansive and instrument separation is a standout on this dongle. Music is spaciously layered on a dark background, with instruments easily pinpointed in their own space. Notes edges are rounded and not piercing. Note weight is hefty with organic timbre for acoustic instruments.

There's high gain and low gain options, and the RU7 has huge power on tap with 400 mW @ 32 ohms, allowing it to drive most gear out there, perhaps other than some planar headphone behemoths or extreme outliers. These are my usual acid tests when trying out a new source:
- Final Audio E5000 (low sensitivity at 93dB/mW)
- Sennheiser HD650 (high impedance at 300ohm)
- Yinman 600 ohm (600ohm impedance and 87db/mW sensitivity!)

If the Final E5000 is not powered well, it sounds very bloated and muddy in the bass. The RU7 powers the E5000 well on 4.4mm (high gain) with complex bass tracks. Test passed.
For the HD650, it can sound boring and undynamic if not powered well. The RU7 passes this test too on 4.4mm (high gain).
The final boss, the Yinman 600 ohm earbuds, has very low sensitivity with a high 600 ohm impedance. The bass can be very nebulous and fuzzy when it is not juiced well, and the RU7 does a decent job powering it on 4.4mm (high gain), though perhaps desktop amps with larger power on tap may do a better job with regards to bass tightness and dynamics.

The RU7 has 0.5 ohm and 1.0 ohm output impedance respectively on the 3.5mm and 4.4mm ports, allowing it to be paired with fussy sensitive IEMs (based on audiophile rule of eights), so it doesn't skew the frequency response of these fastidious IEMs, which is something I appreciate (ie no change in sound signature). There's no hiss with these sensitive IEMs too.

When compared against the RU6, the RU7 is slightly less warm/analoguish, but the RU7 beats the RU6 handily in technical chops.
When compared against the Questyle M15, the RU7 has a more expansive soundstage, with better instrument separation. The M15 is a bit more neutralish with slightly better imaging/micro-detailing and more edge definition to notes. The RU7 can power more demanding gear compared to the M15, which is a bit limited in this department.

I do notice the RU7 gets slightly warm especially on high gain/4.4mm, but nothing scalding. I will do further tests and burn in and report back. Would like to also see how is its battery consumption with smartphones, but out of the box, I think the RU7 is an excellent dongle that melds musicality and technicalities well into a very smooth and pleasant soundscape. A keeper in my book!

I see you had or still have E1DA 9038D, how's RU7 is compared to E1DA 9038D soundwise?
Thank you.