Does Anyone Here Own Both Cayin RU7 and iBasso DC Elite?

[ryder78]

And kept both, finding both to sound equally excellent in their own unique ways.

Thanks.

 

[zeroshiki]

i had both, let go of the ru7, as good as it sounds, the clicking noise on beginning of tracks (and sometimes in middle of) kinda gets annoying.

 

[ryder78]

i had both, let go of the ru7, as good as it sounds, the clicking noise on beginning of tracks (and sometimes in middle of) kinda gets annoying.

Thanks for the post. I don't hear any clicking noise with the RU7. Disregarding the clicking noises which you experienced with the RU7, which one do you like better in areas of sound quality, the RU7 or DC Elite? May I ask what dongle are you using right now which I assume has a higher sound quality than both RU7 and DC Elite?

I currently have the RU7 and like it very much. I find the sound quality to be superb for the money. I may have plans to add the DC Elite to the collection if it's a worthwhile move.

 

[ryder78]

By the way, I had intermittent clicking it static noises with the RU7 before and Cayin's customer support resolved it for me. To eliminate the noises, the volume on the source needs to be bumped to the maximum level while the volume on the RU7 is adjusted to suit.

 

[zeroshiki]

Thanks for the post. I don't hear any clicking noise with the RU7. Disregarding the clicking noises which you experienced with the RU7, which one do you like better in areas of sound quality, the RU7 or DC Elite? May I ask what dongle are you using right now which I assume has a higher sound quality than both RU7 and DC Elite?

I currently have the RU7 and like it very much. I find the sound quality to be superb for the money. I may have plans to add the DC Elite to the collection if it's a worthwhile move.

If disregarding the noise, i'd say the ru7 has equal level of sound quality compared to dce.

Difference being ru7 more organic lusher warmer sound, and dce more precise and detailed, and super transparent.

Both are superb technically and superbly musical. One cannot go wrong with either.

As for the clicking sounds, i only use my dongles for pc via usb, volume maxed on pc and adjust on dongle. The clicks isnt that bad and usually only occurs when skipping tracks and switching between files bitrates/formats. Outside of that it rarely happens.

Volume control is definetely much better on ru7 than dce(this is the weakness on dce). And ease of use(settings etc) also much better with screen on ru7.

My dongles left now is the dce and ka17. Kept ka17 because i like it for the price. Its really underrated.

Another favorite which i really like but probably does not qualify as a dongle is the q15. This one sound really2 good, powerful, and i really2 like the sound tuning.

Anyhow dont listen to me, i have too many fiio stuffs. So all these are quite subjective.. Lol.

 

[ryder78]

Thanks for the comprehensive response! Surely useful and appreciated.

Last question if you don't mind and I'll keep this short. I don't have experience with KA17 but actually have the KA13. To me, the RU7 has a higher sound quality than the KA13 and for this reason the KA13 has been left untouched for several months now after few comparisons. I recently compared the KA13 to the RU7 earlier this week and similarly the RU7 pulls ahead but the difference in sound quality is not very significant. Anyway, it's the small differences that make a big difference, if you get what I mean. It's diminishing returns.

Back to my question. If I want to add just one(1) dongle to my already excellent sounding RU7, which one would you pick if I want a sound that is slightly brighter with better clarity, extension and detail in the midrange and treble, or perhaps with punchier bass? The iBasso DC Elite, FIIO Q15 or KA17?

FWIW the FIIO KA13 doesn't sound too good to me but perhaps the KA17 and Q15 are totally different and sound noticeably better.

 

[zeroshiki]

Thanks for the comprehensive response! Surely useful and appreciated.

Last question if you don't mind and I'll keep this short. I don't have experience with KA17 but actually have the KA13. To me, the RU7 has a higher sound quality than the KA13 and for this reason the KA13 has been left untouched for several months now after few comparisons. I recently compared the KA13 to the RU7 earlier this week and similarly the RU7 pulls ahead but the difference in sound quality is not very significant. Anyway, it's the small differences that make a big difference, if you get what I mean. It's diminishing returns.

Back to my question. If I want to add just one(1) dongle to my already excellent sounding RU7, which one would you pick if I want a sound that is slightly brighter with better clarity, extension and detail in the midrange and treble, or perhaps with punchier bass? The iBasso DC Elite, FIIO Q15 or KA17?

FWIW the FIIO KA13 doesn't sound too good to me but perhaps the KA17 and Q15 are totally different and sound noticeably better.

i would suggest, if possible to test it first before deciding which one to go for, because hearing is such a subjective matter and not everyone hears the same.

but to answer your question, for better clarity extension and detail, maybe ka17, but it may sometimes sound sharp(rarely though). for punchier bass, no question it's the q15, it has an unique sound signature with warmth like r2r mids, and it excels at imaging too..
the DCE excels most in holographic imaging and grander soundstage, it's very transparent and black background just shows even at first time plugging iem to it(zero noise). it excels as a whole sum of the performance.. music just flows and presented beautifully. can't go wrong with any in my case because i like them all. including the much missed ru7 too. usb dongles has come very far in sound quality compared to the early days.

 

[sajesak]

If disregarding the noise, i'd say the ru7 has equal level of sound quality compared to dce.

Difference being ru7 more organic lusher warmer sound, and dce more precise and detailed, and super transparent.

Both are superb technically and superbly musical. One cannot go wrong with either.

As for the clicking sounds, i only use my dongles for pc via usb, volume maxed on pc and adjust on dongle. The clicks isnt that bad and usually only occurs when skipping tracks and switching between files bitrates/formats. Outside of that it rarely happens.

Volume control is definetely much better on ru7 than dce(this is the weakness on dce). And ease of use(settings etc) also much better with screen on ru7.

My dongles left now is the dce and ka17. Kept ka17 because i like it for the price. Its really underrated.

Another favorite which i really like but probably does not qualify as a dongle is the q15. This one sound really2 good, powerful, and i really2 like the sound tuning.

Anyhow dont listen to me, i have too many fiio stuffs. So all these are quite subjective.. Lol. Tüm dövüşçüler ve görünümler açılmış, sınırsız para ve mücevherlere sahip, tüm yıldız güçleri, aletler, dişliler ve diğer mod özellikleri maksimum seviyeye getirilmiş bir Brawl Stars oyununu düşünün https://nullsbrawlindir.com.tr/. Bu, oyun deneyiminizin ne kadar heyecan verici olabileceğini hayal edin.

So wanted a small dongle amp for travel, and a less expensive set of IEMs. I want to focus this post on the Dongle DAC I bought a Hiby FC4. Bought this for small light and cheap. My home unit is a Shanling H7. I didnt expect much of a sound difference, but the difference is enormous. The Hiby sounds very bright with no base. Tried two sets of IEMs both the Truthear Novas and my reference MESTS. Same issues on both, was careful that its not just a volume issue. Massive Attack Mezzanine, Chris Whitley Dirt Floor, were the main test tracks. Can a dongle Dac really sound really noticeably bad? I bought the shanling to be able to drive some planars as well as IEM, but shocked at the difference. Can someone recommend a Dongle DAC that doesnt suck?

 

[Pirastro]

So wanted a small dongle amp for travel, and a less expensive set of IEMs. I want to focus this post on the Dongle DAC I bought a Hiby FC4. Bought this for small light and cheap. My home unit is a Shanling H7. I didnt expect much of a sound difference, but the difference is enormous. The Hiby sounds very bright with no base. Tried two sets of IEMs both the Truthear Novas and my reference MESTS. Same issues on both, was careful that its not just a volume issue. Massive Attack Mezzanine, Chris Whitley Dirt Floor, were the main test tracks. Can a dongle Dac really sound really noticeably bad? I bought the shanling to be able to drive some planars as well as IEM, but shocked at the difference. Can someone recommend a Dongle DAC that doesnt suck?

I've owned a number of Dongle DACs: Questyle M12, M15, and iFi Go Bar. I've also owned both Chord Mojo's 1 and 2, and currently using the iBasso DC Elite. I liked aspects of all of them. If I could rank them purely based on sound quality it would be:

1. DC Elite
2. Mojo2
3. iFi Go Bar
4. M15
5. Mojo
6. M12

 

[ryder78]

I've owned a number of Dongle DACs: Questyle M12, M15, and iFi Go Bar. I've also owned both Chord Mojo's 1 and 2, and currently using the iBasso DC Elite. I liked aspects of all of them. If I could rank them purely based on sound quality it would be:

1. DC Elite
2. Mojo2
3. iFi Go Bar
4. M15
5. Mojo
6. M12

Thanks for the post. It is unfortunate you didn't try the Cayin RU7 but still, it's useful. Interesting that the DC Elite is at the top of the ranking, beating the Mojo2.

 

[nightrider69]

Hey there, can't really say about the i-basso....but the RU7 is so lovely.
It's got better dynamics and a more pleasing timbre. The RU7 sounds more 3-dimensional and you'd feel the sound is all around you.

 

[keribillen]

Hi,
Great question. There are many reviews that compare the two, but they are hard to find. In general they are pretty accurate. I posted my own review in a couple of places, and I will copy it here for you:

A few months back I reviewed the Cayin RU7, a device I raved about (https://www.amazon.co.uk/Cayin-RU7-USB-Headphone-Amplifier/dp/B07PMBY3TH/). It is a fantastic device.

Many reviews online compare the Cayin RU7 and the iBasso DC Elite. Generally they describe the two as being very closely matched, with the Cayin sounding more 'analogue' and having a recessed treble. Also the DC Elite is described as having a slightly bigger soundstage and a more detailed but less pronounced mid-range.

My curiosity is such that I gave in to temptation and bought a DC Elite. I confirm that the many online reviews are generally correct, i.e.

• The two devices to a casual listener or to anyone else during a brief review will sound the same.
• The Cayin sounds warmer, i.e. the bass is slightly more pronounced and enveloping. I would go as far to say that with my Focal Stellias, I wanted more bass from the DC Elite. This was close to be being a showstopper for me. More on that topic in a minute....
• The mid-range of the DC Elite is intimate, i.e. the singer is close, but not as close as with the RU7. The mid-range resolution of the DC Elite is higher. We are talking about VERY small differences here.
• The treble of the DC Elite is much more sparkly, to the point where listening on the RU7 made the treble sound drab. This makes the DC Elite a better pairing with the Focal Stellia, in my view. But more about that bass in a minute...
• The soundstage of the DC Elite is a tad bigger. Not too big, though. From my Focal Stellia's it still felt as natural as a pair of closed-back headphones can be.
• The more detailed mids and more sparkly treble combined with the bigger soundstage meant that more details were audible when listening to the DC Elite and they were more clearly imaged. Going back to the RU7 often made the sound more muddled.

About that bass...
The pairing of RU7 and Focal Stellia creates a very smooth and warm sound that often left me wanting more pronounced treble, so I bought some aftermarket pads for the Stellia that rebalanced the treble against the bass. I was very happy with the outcome...A lovely balance. Moving to the DC Elite pushes the sound even more towards the treble. The simple fix in my case was to revert to the original pads. This fix means that the pairing of DC Elite and Focal Stellia is a match made in heaven. So it should be because the DC Elite is almost 2x the cost of the RU7.

About usage:

• The rotary volume control of the DC Elite is superior in almost every way. It is far far easier to find and use than the buttons on the RU7. The only drawback is the bigger volumes steps sometimes don't allow the same level of control as the RU7 does. The neat solution to this is to use the button on the side of the DC Elite to fine-tune the volume. An extra step in changing volume sometimes, so a small faff, but it works well.
• The DC Elite stays cooler to touch.
• Reviews say that the RU7 drains phone batteries somewhat quickly. This is true. So does the DC Elite I think (about the same).
• The DC Elite is much less portable and pocketable than the RU7. Nothing that stops it being used on, say, a train or plane but walking around with it is much harder unless you have big pockets.

In summary:

1. Is the DC Elite better than the RU7? Generally yes but be careful with matching equipment because the differences are not big (except for the treble).
2. Is the DC Elite 2x better than the RU7? Of course not. Diminishing returns and all that. I'll say it again: the differences are not big.
3. Is the DC Elite worth buying? Only if your headphones and music source are of a high enough quality to demonstrate the difference over the much cheaper (and fabulous) Cayin RU7.

The review is a tad long, but I tried to be comprehensive. The key differences are not only sound presentation but also usage as well. Sometimes I yearn for the RU7's portability but to counter this I think the DC Elite's volume control is considerably more usable.

Hope this helps.

 

[ryder78]

Thanks for this. The response is certainly very useful and appreciated. I appreciate the fact that the difference between the DC Elite and RU7 is mainly in the treble while the rest of the differences are subtle. Similarly, I don't expect large night and day differences between dongles after comparing the KA13 to RU7 at length. I would be happy if I can hear a noticeable difference. I would be disappointed if I can't hear any difference between the dongles.

Currently I only have two dongles in my mind, the FIIO KA15 and the DC Elite. The latter is significantly costlier and time will tell which one I'll try first.

 

[keribillen]

Thanks for this. The response is certainly very useful and appreciated. I appreciate the fact that the difference between the DC Elite and RU7 is mainly in the treble while the rest of the differences are subtle. Similarly, I don't expect large night and day differences between dongles after comparing the KA13 to RU7 at length. I would be happy if I can hear a noticeable difference. I would be disappointed if I can't hear any difference between the dongles.

Currently I only have two dongles in my mind, the FIIO KA15 and the DC Elite. The latter is significantly costlier and time will tell which one I'll try first.

Good luck! The DC Elite will probably sound better, but it's 4x the cost. If you're after value for money then FIIO products can be fantastic. I've owned a KA2 and KA5 and was blown away by how good they are for the money.

 

[StarlingCurve]

I have both and have used both today. Driving my ie900s, the DC Elite has more detail and, IMO, outperforms the RU7 in every aspect that I have an interest in. Truthfully, I think some of this is from the amazing amplification and op amps in the DC Elite, but I can't be sure what the secret sauce is. I'm using the Cayin RU7 as I write this with a pair of wired T+A solitaire's and I've got to say, The RU7 beats the original Ifi Go Bar that I have here, but is blown out by the ibasso DC Elite. I will prob use this RU7 in line out mode to my desk amp at work and leave the traveling to the DC Elite.