[Currawong]

So does it sound more like one of those generic ESS/Sigma Dacs? Just what made the RU6 so unique was rationalized away with the RU7? That's too bad. It is not difficult to create a Dac with good qualities, but to convey the magic. Very unfortunate that they turned off the path

"Sigma delta". We probably shouldn't use the term as it very over-simplifies a considerable variety of types of conversion.
If anything, I find Cayin's 1-bit implementations are more like high-end AKM DACs, which are smooth-sounding, maybe too much so, but still enjoyable.

How close does the RU7 get to the OG Mojo?

Smooth vs rough sounding ..

Being portable, the Mojo can't use isolation on the USB input, so is susceptible to noise. But, using optical or an isolated/filtered USB source for both, the OG Mojo simply has better depth and detail, even before discussing headphone drive.

There the real miracle (for me) was done on consumption... I think it's the only iPhone-friendly dongle.

I don't find it so iPhone friendly. On my 12 Pro Max, it'll drop out during peaks in the music with full-sized headphones, unless the DSD rate is turned down to 64 or 128. It's really pushing the limits of what can be done with a dongle.

 

[Polky74]

I was referring to the W4 mentioned above...

 

[Patlezinc]

After reading some reviews, and after not having enough money for the N7, I have ordered a RU7. I want to compare with the 9038Pro of the Fiio M15s. 10_15 days before having it I guess. Will be plugged in the C9 directly, only interested in amp help with my Hifiman

 

[Polky74]

After reading some reviews, and after not having enough money for the N7, I have ordered a RU7. I want to compare with the 9038Pro of the Fiio M15s. 10_15 days before having it I guess. Will be plugged in the C9 directly, only interested in amp help with my Hifiman

Haven't you considered getting a Hifiman EF400 for the HE1000se (they say it's a fantastic combo) so you can sell the C9 and get an N7? So much to talk about...

 

[Patlezinc]

I have considered many options ^^. The HE400 doesn't always have good reviews. EF600 seems better (and better connectivity). But portability is poor. What I really love with the M15s is the desktop mode. Soooo useful. Well, let's see. M15s seems to be a very good one, I just want to try something else. The N7 doesn't have desktop mode if I understand well, and using it while charging seems to turnout in barbecue mode so...

 

[Patlezinc]

(And I read two times that the N7 is a bit bright and I really don’t need that with the SE )

 

[Currawong]

(And I read two times that the N7 is a bit bright and I really don’t need that with the SE )

Ultimately, I think the N7 is neutral. It doesn't hesitate to reveal imperfections in the music, nor add warmth, which might reduce the intensity of the treble with bright IEMs, of which there are way too many.

 

[Moris Renar]

After reading some reviews, and after not having enough money for the N7, I have ordered a RU7. I want to compare with the 9038Pro of the Fiio M15s. 10_15 days before having it I guess. Will be plugged in the C9 directly, only interested in amp help with my Hifiman

Will look forward to the M15s vs RU7 comparison!

 

[dakchi]

I just received my RU7 yesterday and I can confirm what has been said so far on it: it sounds amazing, not as warm and thick sounding as RU6 but more airy and detailed. It is certainly one of the best dongles I have listened to so far. However, I don't agree with those who say that it kills all DAPs. I have compared it to my A&K SE300 and while it really good but not nearly as good as SE300. Yes with RU7 you get a dongle that sounds excellent and can drive a lot of headphones, but don't expect that it will be as good or better than all DAPs. I agree that it could be as good as DAPs up to 1000$ which is amazing for a dongle that costs 280$
Compared to RU6, it is more detailed and less warm sounding. I agree with those who say that it is in the middle between an R2R and a Delta DAC. I also noticed that it is much less noisy than RU6; but one should keep both RU6 and RU7 because they sound different and they are good sounding in their way

 

[Polky74]

I just received my RU7 yesterday and I can confirm what has been said so far on it: it sounds amazing, not as warm and thick sounding as RU6 but more airy and detailed. It is certainly one of the best dongles I have listened to so far. However, I don't agree with those who say that it kills all DAPs. I have compared it to my A&K SE300 and while it really good but not nearly as good as SE300. Yes with RU7 you get a dongle that sounds excellent and can drive a lot of headphones, but don't expect that it will be as good or better than all DAPs. I agree that it could be as good as DAPs up to 1000$ which is amazing for a dongle that costs 280$
Compared to RU6, it is more detailed and less warm sounding. I agree with those who say that it is in the middle between an R2R and a Delta DAC. I also noticed that it is much less noisy than RU6; but one should keep both RU6 and RU7 because they sound different and they are good sounding in their way

If I were you I would wait for the end of the burnin... because it will become a completely different dongle.

 

[MicDavism141]

Just bought an RU7 for only $260 yesterday, and it sounds great (even without burn-in)

First Impressions:
- Enhance overall resolution, detail, technicality, soundstage & imaging much more than my previous dongle (Moondrop Dawn 4.4), which I already see as a 5-10% improvement in sound quality vs Apple Dongle.
- Somehow, RU7 also enhances macrodynamic, for example, My Campfire Ara is very boring to listen to, and I usually use it only for classical music or when I want to focus deeply on my work tasks since its flatness won't let me naturally dance to the beat like my Trio. RU7 makes Ara's bass and treble pronounced better, increasing the fun and dynamic enough to get me to nod my head unconsciously several times to follow the beat (which almost never happen before)
- Not to mention that RU7 also enhances the organic feeling in the timbre, especially in the DSD64 setting. I can hear my Ara bass timbre getting closer to what you got in a better BA's Bass such as M9 and U12T.
- DSD64 drains 7-10% battery life in 1 hour for my iPhone 13, pretty good for the sound quality provided.

Some problems that I discovered:
- I do find it creates hiss or pop in my sensitive IEM (Campfire Ara), especially between song playback. Idk it because my source is from Apple Lossless via Apple Music, or does it simply punishes more sensitive IEMs more (?). Nevertheless, the hiss and pop seem to get reduced after a day of use. I will be back for more updates abt this after 1-week of usage.
- I do find stuttering in several songs (i.e. Ooh Ahh My life be like, Grits) when demoing iPhone + ddhifi mfi07 + Hifiman Arya Organic, Susvara with more than 80 volumes, high gain. I don't find stuttering when connecting the dongle to my Macbook though (btw, yes, it can drive Susvara but it feels slightly underpowered for my usual listening volume, even at 95-100 volume high gain)
- DSD256 drains 12-15% of battery in 1 hour for my iPhone 13. However, I do find the DSD64 gives a more organic impression that's 70-80% similar to the RU6 (based on several hours of AB testing before the purchase), so I prefer DSD64 for now.

Overall first impressions are good. I find the sound quality beat all if not the majority of DAP under $1000-1500 that I've tried. Can't wait to use it more since I've read many said it will get even better after 100+ hours of burn-in!

Great Job Cayin!

 

[Polky74]

Just bought an RU7 for only $260 yesterday, and it sounds great (even without burn-in)

First Impressions:
- Enhance overall resolution, detail, technicality, soundstage & imaging much more than my previous dongle (Moondrop Dawn 4.4), which I already see as a 5-10% improvement in sound quality vs Apple Dongle.
- Somehow, RU7 also enhances macrodynamic, for example, My Campfire Ara is very boring to listen to, and I usually use it only for classical music or when I want to focus deeply on my work tasks since its flatness won't let me naturally dance to the beat like my Trio. RU7 makes Ara's bass and treble pronounced better, increasing the fun and dynamic enough to get me to nod my head unconsciously several times to follow the beat (which almost never happen before)
- Not to mention that RU7 also enhances the organic feeling in the timbre, especially in the DSD64 setting. I can hear my Ara bass timbre getting closer to what you got in a better BA's Bass such as M9 and U12T.
- DSD64 drains 7-10% battery life in 1 hour for my iPhone 13, pretty good for the sound quality provided.

Some problems that I discovered:
- I do find it creates hiss or pop in my sensitive IEM (Campfire Ara), especially between song playback. Idk it because my source is from Apple Lossless via Apple Music, or does it simply punishes more sensitive IEMs more (?). Nevertheless, the hiss and pop seem to get reduced after a day of use. I will be back for more updates abt this after 1-week of usage.
- I do find stuttering in several songs (i.e. Ooh Ahh My life be like, Grits) when demoing iPhone + ddhifi mfi07 + Hifiman Arya Organic, Susvara with more than 80 volumes, high gain. I don't find stuttering when connecting the dongle to my Macbook though (btw, yes, it can drive Susvara but it feels slightly underpowered for my usual listening volume, even at 95-100 volume high gain)
- DSD256 drains 12-15% of battery in 1 hour for my iPhone 13. However, I do find the DSD64 gives a more organic impression that's 70-80% similar to the RU6 (based on several hours of AB testing before the purchase), so I prefer DSD64 for now.

Overall first impressions are good. I find the sound quality beat all if not the majority of DAP under $1000-1500 that I've tried. Can't wait to use it more since I've read many said it will get even better after 100+ hours of burn-in!

Great Job Cayin!

To reduce hiss with the Campfires you should use the SE output instead of the balanced one, and in any case if you already like it very much at the end of the burn-in you will love it.

 

[dgjl]

. I agree that it could be as good as DAPs up to 1000$ which is amazing for a dongle that costs 280$

I've compared my fully burned in (200 hrs+) RU7 to a $1000 dap, the ibasso dx240 (amp8 mk2s). The ru7 just can't match the musical realism of the DAP - the timbre, richness and immediacy. Nor is it designed to - it's a great DAC, but don't get carried away.

 

[Polky74]

I've compared my fully burned in (200 hrs+) RU7 to a $1000 dap, the ibasso dx240 (amp8 mk2s). The ru7 just can't match the musical realism of the DAP - the timbre, richness and immediacy. Nor is it designed to - it's a great DAC, but don't get carried away.

But be careful... because the synergy with the IEMs also does a good part of it...

 

[Patlezinc]

I am even more curious to test it with the C9. In fact I wonder what are the real costs of a DAC. When you pay 1000€ for a DAP, you pay a lot of things, the screen, the processor, and so many other things. The DAC is a small part and at the end prices are no so meaningful (and prices can drop in 1 day when a new model comes out).