[originalsnuffy]

Nonetheless, after over 128 of dongles, funnily I found that my top 5 regulars are comprised of two AKM based units, one R2R (RU6) , one CS (xDuoo Link2 BAL) and only one ESS (M15), with the crown being held by the AKM of CEntrance DACport HD followed closely by RU6

I remember reading some of your favorites on your website a while back. I wonder if you could share your top list at this time?

Have you had a chance to play with the new FIIO Q3-MQA? Methinks FIIO has done a bad job of promoting a very nice unit.

 

[OspreyAndy]

I remember reading some of your favorites on your website a while back. I wonder if you could share your top list at this time?

Have you had a chance to play with the new FIIO Q3-MQA? Methinks FIIO has done a bad job of promoting a very nice unit.

Those are my best of the best and I regularly use daily CEntrance DACport HD, RU6 mostly.

No O haven't tried Q3

 

[Nabillion_786]

Those are my best of the best and I regularly use daily CEntrance DACport HD, RU6 mostly.

No O haven't tried Q3

The other day I believe I got the only centrance dacport hd left on the internet because of your impressions and my god am I completely impressed! It has a killer of a sound for my tastes and the upgrade compared to my normal sources was a big jump. First thing that struck me was how realistic everything sounds compared to the others, it was like going from a ba to single DD. The sound was also smooth without lacking speed or sounding dull which usually is not the case with a lot of iems that I have heard. I'm more a fan of the thicker, weightier, natural and emotional tuned stuff which the centrance produces with effortlessness and finesse. Quite amazed tbh and it blows away my Sony a55 away with much better dynamics and weight. Soo glad I got one of the only remaining ones left and this is a lifetime keeper for me for sure. Thanks for your reviews that persuaded me to buy this.

Btw do you have recommendations for any other dongles that do male vocals justice, maybe something a tad bit more vocal centric? Just want to try out a few more especially since the great experience I'm currently having with the centrance.

 

[OspreyAndy]

The other day I believe I got the only centrance dacport hd left on the internet because of your impressions and my god am I completely impressed! It has a killer of a sound for my tastes and the upgrade compared to my normal sources was a big jump. First thing that struck me was how realistic everything sounds compared to the others, it was like going from a ba to single DD. The sound was also smooth without lacking speed or sounding dull which usually is not the case with a lot of iems that I have heard. I'm more a fan of the thicker, weightier, natural and emotional tuned stuff which the centrance produces with effortlessness and finesse. Quite amazed tbh and it blows away my Sony a55 away with much better dynamics and weight. Soo glad I got one of the only remaining ones left and this is a lifetime keeper for me for sure. Thanks for your reviews that persuaded me to buy this.

Btw do you have recommendations for any other dongles that do male vocals justice, maybe something a tad bit more vocal centric? Just want to try out a few more especially since the great experience I'm currently having with the centrance.

Lucky you! I treasure mine above all else.
Mids Centric dongle, you should try Ovidius B1 or Lotoo PAW S2, see if that will work. But really most great DAC/Amps are neutral and does not boost anything. The difference being how rich they render dynamic transients, how dense the presentation are while keeping balance of not being outright colored. I would swap IEMs to find the sound signature I want instead, works better that way

 

[Nabillion_786]

Lucky you! I treasure mine above all else.
Mids Centric dongle, you should try Ovidius B1 or Lotoo PAW S2, see if that will work. But really most great DAC/Amps are neutral and does not boost anything. The difference being how rich they render dynamic transients, how dense the presentation are while keeping balance of not being outright colored. I would swap IEMs to find the sound signature I want instead, works better that way

Thanks for your advice!

Btw if someone asked you your top 3 dongles for male vocals in order what would it be? It's because most of the stuff I try just sounds too thin and unrealistic to me when it comes to male vocals.

 

[Nabillion_786]

Soo I got the cayin ru6 tonight and must say that the initial impressions aren't as great compared to the dacport that I received the other day. I mean it sounds really nice with its emotions and that but just sounds a bit slow and slightly muddy to me. It may have slightly fuller notes and a touch more forward vocal presentation that I like but I still feel that the dacport is on a whole another level for my tastes. Dacport has much better air, separation, precision and stage, along with sounding nearly as realistic. I usually always pick the thicker and emotional sound but something of the cayin right now is not grabbing my attention like how the dacport did.

Maybe after a little bit of burn in I could have a completely different impression but honestly more times then not I don't usually notice much of a change.

 

[nettuno65]

Soo I got the cayin ru6 tonight and must say that the initial impressions aren't as great compared to the dacport that I received the other day. I mean it sounds really nice with its emotions and that but just sounds a bit slow and slightly muddy to me. It may have slightly fuller notes and a touch more forward vocal presentation that I like but I still feel that the dacport is on a whole another level for my tastes. Dacport has much better air, separation, precision and stage, along with sounding nearly as realistic. I usually always pick the thicker and emotional sound but something of the cayin right now is not grabbing my attention like how the dacport did.

Maybe after a little bit of burn in I could have a completely different impression but honestly more times then not I don't usually notice much of a change.

Have you tried the balanced output?
With my Hifiman Sundara and Tin P1+ (both balanced) it doesn't sound slow and muddy at all, voices and acoustic instruments are very realistic

 

[Nabillion_786]

Have you tried the balanced output?
With my Hifiman Sundara and Tin P1+ (both balanced) it doesn't sound slow and muddy at all, voices and acoustic instruments are very realistic

I only have a single ended cable for my Kato unfortunately. Are you sure there's much of a difference between the balanced output of the ru6 vs se? I think I read somewhere that the balanced output of the ru6 isn't true balanced but rather upscaled but Im not sure.

 

[Brain Damage]

I only have a single ended cable for my Kato unfortunately. Are you sure there's much of a difference between the balanced output of the ru6 vs se? I think I read somewhere that the balanced output of the ru6 isn't true balanced but rather upscaled but Im not sure.

I have to agree with @nettuno65 , my RU6 sounds anything but muddy with all my iems and headphones (IEMs: Tin HiFi T4, KZ ZSN 10 Pro and Rose Mini MKII)(Headphones: Beyerdynamic DT880 Pro and DT770 Pro; Takstar Pro82). SE and Balanced both sound great - perfectly harmonised in terms of instrument separation, clarity and analogue sounding tonality. Your right about the RU6 not having a fully balanced architecture, the 4.4 just gives an extra oomph from the op amp associated with the 4.4 output.

I don't understand why the Centrance Dacport HD has been discontinued. Looked online and can't find it anywhere. I had kept an eye on it up until a few months ago and sadly no luck now.

 

[andjayik]

What if your car stereo has no aux port? All i have is usb and when that's connected to phone i can't use my usbc to aux dac?

 

[Hyde00]

What if your car stereo has no aux port? All i have is usb and when that's connected to phone i can't use my usbc to aux dac?

Does your car stereo let you play from USB? (The one you plugged in, in that case it will use the built in car dac) or alternatively I just connect to car stereo through Bluetooth.

I find for outside Bluetooth is good enough when driving since I won't be doing critical listening on road LOL.

 

[andjayik]

Does your car stereo let you play from USB? (The one you plugged in, in that case it will use the built in car dac) or alternatively I just connect to car stereo through Bluetooth.

I find for outside Bluetooth is good enough when driving since I won't be doing critical listening on road LOL.

Yes it has usb, carplay ect. I find it better sounding when I connect the m11 dac player via usb. But don't want to carry that all of the time as I have all the same tunes on phone .

 

[Hyde00]

Yes it has usb, carplay ect. I find it better sounding when I connect the m11 dac player via usb. But don't want to carry that all of the time as I have all the same tunes on phone .

Can it work off the phone from USB C to USB A cable? Otherwise I still find Bluetooth probably simplest solution lol.

 

[andjayik]

Can it work off the phone from USB C to USB A cable? Otherwise I still find Bluetooth probably simplest solution lol.

The phone will work yes , but I have a portable dac I used to use with the phone via aux port on old stereo. New one has usb. Only now, and can't connect the dongle as I has 3.5 or 4.4 plugs for output. I can hear the difference without the usb c dac

 

[Hyde00]

The phone will work yes , but I have a portable dac I used to use with the phone via aux port on old stereo. New one has usb. Only now, and can't connect the dongle as I has 3.5 or 4.4 plugs for output. I can hear the difference without the usb c dac

Hmmmmm I don't think there's any other way to do it, to my understanding you have:

Old Car Stereo
phone -> portable dac/amp -> 3.5 mm -> analogue input -> old car stereo

New Car Stereo
phone -> usb -> digital input -> new car stereo

Because your old way is decode using your portable dac then send analogue signal to car stereo, new way is your phone send digital signal and your car stereo decode using its dac.

So unless there is way to send analogue chain to your car I don't see there's really anything we can do.....?????? Unless you buy another car stereo with analogue input, but that might be overkill in my opinion....... lol.