Cayin RU6 Review - Finally, an R2R DAC we can all afford!

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I’m firmly in the R2R (or Multibit) camp when it comes to DACs. The main issue with them being that there isn’t really a great entry-level option to try out that yummy R2R sound… until now. Enter the Cayin RU6-my new favorite DAC. That isn’t to say the RU6 is the end-all-be-all, but it’s good enough that it is taking on the role of my main DAC in two of my listening areas, replacing something that costs literally 6x as much. Needless to say, I think it’s good, probably good enough for most people. Certainly, if you have been waiting to try out R2R, this is your ticket in the door.
I’d recommend buying used, but here is a non-affiliate link to the one online retailer I can find:
Cayin RU6: shop.musicteck.com/products/c...
Here’s some affiliate links to some of the accessories I mentioned in the video:
4.4 to XLR cable: amzn.to/3OXD01d
3.5 to RCA cable: amzn.to/3PVUxrR
Lightning to USB-C: amzn.to/3oZmqn7
If you’d like to support the channel, please check out my Patreon link below.
Patreon Link: / mrayrit
List of Gear for Sale (for patrons only at this time): docs.google.com/spreadsheets/...
Look down below for links to all that gear and some other recommendations.
Of course, I always recommend you take a look at the used market, below are some sites that are great for that.
Head-Fi: www.head-fi.org/
HifiGuides: forum.hifiguides.com/
Reddit: / avexchange
Hifi-shark: www.hifishark.com/
US AudioMart: www.usaudiomart.com/
Some of my favorite equipment for various niches (some links are affiliate):
Supre Budget IEM: Moondrop Chu: amzn.to/3mIY93v
Super Budget Headphone: Koss kph40: koss.com/products/kph40-utility
Need these pads for the kph40 though: www.aliexpress.com/item/10050...
Cheap Gaming Headphone: AD700X: amzn.to/3b4ACUS
Super Cheap Closed-Back Gaming: Recon 500: amzn.to/3numqem
Cheap All-Around Headphone: SHP9600: amzn.to/3b6aUiP
Entry Level DAC: Modi 3+: www.schiit.com/products/modi-1
Entry Level Amp: IEMagni: www.schiit.com/products/magni-1
Cayin RU6 R2R: look used
soekris.modhouseaudio.com/soe...
Recommended Solid State: Violectric V280 Final Edition: massdrop.7eer.net/4exdO1
Or Schiit Mjolnir Gen :1 (gotta look used)
Tube Amp: Feliks Audio Echo Gen 1 (gotta look used)
Headphone #1: Drop + Sennheiser HD8xx: massdrop.7eer.net/yR60ZD
Headphone #2: OG Focal Clear:
Headphone #3: OG NIghthawks: (look used)
Closed Back: t60 Argons: www.modhouseaudio.com/t60-argons
Gaming Headphone: HE560v4: adorama.rfvk.net/6bnGoG
Budget Bluetooth Portable DAC/Amp: XCan: amzn.to/3vJG8WA
Higher End Bluetooth Portable: Gryphon: amzn.to/3R214lT
Wired Portable DAC/Amp: Cayin RU6: (I’d look used, lots on the market)
TWS: Sony XM4: amzn.to/3Glr7Py
Cables:
Hart Audio Cables: hartaudiocables.com/
Worlds Best RCA Interconnects: amzn.to/3pB2Oa7
Worlds Best XLR Interconnects: amzn.to/3vEdwxO
Recording Gear:
Canon M50: amzn.to/3ba7KKJ
Sigma 16mm 1.4: amzn.to/3vF6SaB
Beyerdynamic Fox Mic: amzn.to/3hoQ01v
Canon M100 (overhead): amzn.to/31lZAxT
Canon 22mm 2.0 (overhead): amzn.to/3dowiAO
#cayinru6 #r2r #dac

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7 авг 2022

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Комментарии : 97

@lonestar1664 Год назад

Thanks for the review, I was truly shocked when I used it first time, I was looking for a long time to replicate the sound of my bulky Chord Mojo for mobile use and in past few years tried lot of DAPs from Fiio, Ibasso some costing 4 times the cost but this little device is so good I prefer it over my Mojo which says a lot.

@JTB-- Год назад

I am firmly now in the R2R DAC camp. I've had the Hifiman EF400 R2R DAC/Amp combo for 2 weeks and just got the latest Bifrost 2/64 DAC today which is some sort of R2R DAC on a chip technology. The EF400 may use the same type R2R technology. Not sure. I've got Both DAC's going to the Schiit Lokius and out to the LYR 3 Hybrid Tube Amp and the new A90 Discrete SS amp. To keep it short I'm blown away by the results. These pairings really breath new life into the HD 600 and take higher end headphones up another notch. And the EF400 and A90 Discrete amp (as well as the LYR 3) can drive the HE6se V2 pretty damn good... especially with a little boost from the Lokius tone control. I will defintltey consider this Cayin RU6 if I need something compact and portable. Looks like good bang for the buck for an R2R DAC/Amp Dongle

@GrahamAtDesk 4 месяца назад

I've had one of these a while now, and really enjoy it with headphones. I've got Sennheiser HD580's, a Feliks Echo II, and this DAC works very nicely with them. I've just tried using it as the main DAC in my hi-fi, connected to a Pi 4 running as a streamer. It's a lot of fun in the hi-fi, but I feel that there's a notch somewhere in the higher mid range/treble area. It's as if there's a veil over that part of the frequency range. I don't get this at all through my tube headphone amp with headphones though, I love it for that. I've also had weird distortion issues with the Pi 4. I was running piCorePlayer 6.1.0, and about once per day I'd hit play and music would play at half speed with some significant noise/distortion. Restarting squeezelite (in the web UI, which only takes a few seconds) fixed it each time. I'm switching back to my previous Pi based streaming approach though (a HiFiBerry HAT into the S/PDIF input on my Audiolab CDQ).

@MrAyrit 4 месяца назад

You might look at one of the Wiim options for a value-streamer. My Pi streamer was always a headache.

@kerryvanderkamp5051 Год назад

Huge thumbs up on this device as a great way to try R2R. It has a lovely sound that I completely agree is spectacular with a tube amp. It was also a surprise to me that this was not too much of a good thing and I preferred that pairing to my very solid delta sigma desktop DAC. It’s also a great portable solution so I can’t imagine anyone being disappointed at the $250 price point.

@marvinkentvillamor1570 Год назад

I have Cayin RU6 and I'm loving it.

@michaelwright1602 Год назад

This thing blew me away, it is stomping all over my Ares II right now. Yes, I hooked the RU6 into my stereo system via XLR using the Cayin 4.4 adapter, the XLR cable was bought on Amazon. I cannot get over how good this damn thing sounds. Open, airy, huge soundstage. The voicing too, it is more forward sounding, clean and clear, much better than the Ares II. Everything is better than the Ares II, seriously. And I have had a few Schiit DACs, have the Gumby, Cambridge audio, etc... This little DAC blows them all away. My system, Denafrips Iris DDC, Ares II, Hades pre, Thallo amp, pair of SVS SB3000 subs and a pair of KLH Model 5 speakers. This thing ROCKS!

@arthurkillen396 Год назад

I agree with your Switch vs PS5 analogy. Some of my more expensive ESS and AKM DACs have more detail and precision, and that's great for short term listening when I want to be wowed. But long term, the RU6 has more natural sound to me. I run at 100 volume, balanced, OS, from an Android tablet with a big battery, into my living room system. I prefer NOS with headphones and IEMs. I think comments which pull from real world experience are more helpful than the, "I heard/read somewhere that "X" happens", types of comments. Just my opinion.

@RiseFall123 Год назад

Exact model of the cable you are using to the amp?

@Trappeur05 11 месяцев назад

Bonjour Je viens de récemment acheter un RU6 et j'en suis très content. J'ai l'impression de retrouver le son de mon Walkman WM-503, j'adore..... J'ai trouvé malin ta comparaison avec une Nintendo switch et le son Hi-Res. V Good morning I recently purchased an RU6 and am very happy with it. I have the impression of finding the sound of my Walkman WM-503, I love it..... I found your comparison with a Nintendo switch and Hi-Res sound clever. V

@r00s. Год назад

Cool review. I have one of these and enjoy it quite a lot. Pretty sure the RU-6 is not truly balanced. It sums the single-ended signal, IIRC. DSD is converted to PCM internally. And not every USB C to lightning cable will work. It needs to be able to have enough power, but I have an android so can't remember how much you need. Look look it up if you have an Apple device.

@petermartin9494 Год назад

The RU6 is a kick ass product. I have other dacs that I thought were good, but they have no chance against the RU6. Well done, Cayin!

@nirajktm Год назад

What headphones or IEM are u using

@Rsalmond83 Год назад

Nothing like the Moondrop MoonRiver 2! Such a fantastic beast!

@619RobdoG Год назад

That's the point

@Viewer13128 Год назад

is moonriver 2 bad sounding?

@619RobdoG Год назад

The RU6 sounds natural at the sacrifice of rolled off treble and bass. Absolutely thumps the mid bass and produces the smoothest treble ever.. best final touch to an iem set up. Instrument placement and imaging are far superior to sigma/delta, it's like it's own instrument (RU6)

@asan1050 Год назад

Thanks MrAyrit

@nirajktm Год назад

@MrAyrit, thanks for the review. Will it be abke to drive a planar like Hifiman edition XS?

@charlienyc1 Год назад

I'm happy with my Musician Pegasus at home. I would definitely try this if my phone didn't already have a more-than-decent DAC and I travelled more. For commuting, though, it's too noisy on public transit to make much of a difference. I've been living in major cities most of my life. How are others using portable rigs? In the car? On a commuter rail from the 'burbs? At work?

@MrAyrit Год назад

Personally, i like something small that can go to work with me. I also use them doing chores around the house.

@kerryvanderkamp5051 Год назад

I’m curious about the settings you are using running it as a desktop DAC. I’m guessing NOS mode? What about gain and volume level? Can you hear any sound quality differences or does it not really matter?

@MrAyrit Год назад

I'm running high gain, NOS, usually around 50 for the volume. I'd say slight differences in NOS and OS, and gain, but nothing crazy. I just set it for what functions well for me and forget about it.

@reflection1119 Год назад

I have the case, the buttons on mine have markers to indicate what does what. Maybe you should get your case replaced Love the idea of using it for desktop. Will be great if you could do a long term review at some point.

@irun2sanaxox Год назад

also wanna try their tube dac.. i know that’s also good buuut now to finish the video

@RajivKumar-fn9xw Год назад

@MrAyrit Do you sometime get clipping sound with the RU6, especially with Android phones.

@MrAyrit Год назад

I haven’t, but I’m an iPhone user. No issues from iphone, ipad, or mac for me.

@mtnmankeith9069 Год назад

What’s your opinion on the schiit modi multibit dac? Is it worth looking into? I would try the RU6 but need an optical connection.

@MrAyrit Год назад

This comparison is on my to-do list. I have a Modi Multibit, and have used it a lot. I like it, but I prefer the RU6. I’ll try to do that vid soon.

@Winsentc Год назад

Hi, thanks for the detailed review. I own a Cayin ru6 with my Beyerdynamic dt 990 250 ohm and am about to buy a Hifiman Arya Stealth.Which I read likes power.Maybe you also tried sound test ru6+Arya?

@ThinkDoTA Год назад

Any chance that you would compare this with the new Ifi go/gold bar?

@MrAyrit Год назад

I can contact ifi to see if they'll send me a gold bar. I did do a review of the go blu, if you want to check that out.

@villageroma Год назад

Get the Questyle M15 and thanks me later. I have both and a qudelix 5k as well. Get the M15 especially with cans and discover dynamics.

@rahul78710 6 месяцев назад

Hi! How does the Cayin RU6 compare to the Bluemini R2R that comes with deva pro? I have the Deva Pro + Bluemini R2R right now and wondering if RU6 would be an upgrade

@MrAyrit 6 месяцев назад

I haven’t ever liked Hifimans dac/amps too much. I’d say it would be worth a try.

@quantumcreator8888 Год назад

RU7 coming soon 🔜 awesome 😎 Cayin

@MrAyrit Год назад

I'll be interested to try that one.

@lxmcc Год назад

@@MrAyrit been looking at R2R and I'm real torn between checking out the RU6 and RU7 (I know 7 is not actually R2R). Seems like 7 is more technically proficient but leans further away from the more 'organic' or analogue sound of the 6. I feel like I should start with the 6, see if the sound suits me and whether I actually miss the resolution and clarity at all. In many reviews its hard to get a read on how these things stack up in a desktop sense, and not just to other dongle DACs. Desktop use is my intent (main source is a JDS Element 3), so I appreciate you primarily using it in that setup for your review.

@DonutsReview Год назад

Does the Caryin RU6 produce 2V? I was thinking of trying this out with my Asgard 3 amp with single 3.5mm to RCA cable.

@MrAyrit Год назад

Did a little research. Looks like the SE is .5V and the balanced is 1V. Can I ask why you want it to have 2V?

@DonutsReview Год назад

@@MrAyrit I recently went on a trip and took my atom amp and hooked it up to my Dragonfly Black which only produces 1V out I believe. It did not sound right. It sounded shouty and slightly compressed. I think I'll look for something like the SMSL SU-9MQA. I heard that one has good spatial qualities too.

@MrAyrit Год назад

@@DonutsReviewout of delta sigma dacs, the Su9 is one that I liked. A solid choice.

@DonutsReview Год назад

@@MrAyrit does it have that holographic quality similar to the R-2R dacs? I’m honestly torn on whether to upgrade to SU-9.

@nikokomac3185 Год назад

Hello.. I have sennhesier hd660s and try it with ifi zen dac but no good sound is to thin sterile and to match highs..how it sond cayin ru6 with sennheiser..it make bolder weighter sound and more relax which is need it?

@MrAyrit Год назад

I enjoyed it, but I’ll give it another listen later today or tomorrow.

@nikokomac3185 Год назад

@@MrAyrit please after testing it with sennheiser hd660s tell me if have less bass and maybe warmer meatier sound that is better match than delta sigma variant...? I also have chord mojo but I search something just litter more mellow relax sound and if cayin ru6 is that I will buy it immediately...

@nikokomac3185 Год назад

If you tell me from you memory which is more mellow relax sound with sennheiser hd660s, mojo or cayin ru6? It would be appreciated for me...thanks

@theodorezurla496 Год назад

How do you think this will pair with my gsx mini and he1000v2?

@MrAyrit Год назад

I think it’s worth a shot. The RU6 is very smooth. If that sounds appealing to you, I say go for it.

@kas4751 Год назад

I saw a review that says that if you're using this with your mobile phone, it's gonna drain the battery at a very fast rate. iPhone 13 Pro Max from 100% gets reduced to 30% in just 1 hour.

@MrAyrit Год назад

I have an iPhone mini, so doing anything drains my battery fast. I’d say that’s probably an more or less accurate statement.

@leonardopapantoniou4227 Год назад

Do you know Tempotec E44? How does it compare to this one?

@MrAyrit Год назад

Sorry, don't know that one.

@amanieux 6 месяцев назад

is r-2r dac or multi bit type of dac really different sounding than typical delta sigma dacs that represents 95% of the dac designs ?

@MrAyrit 6 месяцев назад

I don’t think you can make that general of a statement, but there’s definitely a difference.

@amanieux 6 месяцев назад

@@MrAyrit can the same magnitude of difference be hapening between two delta sigma dacs ?

@remedyofficialvlogs47 Год назад

Thanks for this review. The nintendo comparison is clever!! I have the questyle m15, a pinnacle in resolution and details. But everytime i listen with it, the music doesn't connect with me. It always make me on analyzing mode rather than immersed in the music. I just sold it yesterday and I'm getting this one. I hope I'm making the right decision. I love resolution really. I love details too much. But i think it's time to enjoy more, than being too analytical on my music.

@MrAyrit Год назад

I'll be curious to hear how it works out for you.

@young_of_the_mill9560 Год назад

Will the RU6 drive my DT 1990 Pro?

@MrAyrit Год назад

Same response as on the 5k.

@petetalbert Год назад

What are the best used markets out there to find gear like this? I know about head-fi classifieds. Where else?

@MrAyrit Год назад

Reddit avexchange, and the hifiguides forum are my main go to sites. If you’re looking for an RU6 specifically, I’ve got one for sale currently.

@petetalbert Год назад

@@MrAyrit Yes, I'm interested! How to contact?

@MrAyrit Год назад

@@petetalbert Sorry, you missed it. Sold it a couple of weeks ago.

@irun2sanaxox Год назад

CAYIN DOES NOT PLAY.. i hot ha-1a mkii after a long time having it & its 100% my fave sounding amp, super dynamic, more than my thx & class a sa-6… i hope to get these nos tubes i’ve been also wanting :]

@JoseFerreira-zb7wh Год назад

Hey. Can anyone tell me if they can use this with Tidal in exclusive mode on an android phone? I'm having trouble with this and would be most appreciated if someone could help with this.

@MrAyrit Год назад

I don’t use Tidal or Android, so I can’t be much help. Sorry!

@JoseFerreira-zb7wh Год назад

@@MrAyrit thanks

@leonardopapantoniou4227 Год назад

How much battery drains from android tablets ?

@MrAyrit Год назад

Sorry, I don't have an android tablet. It would drain my iPhone Mini pretty quick, but the Mini has a crap battery anyway.

@vetreportsaei4605 10 месяцев назад

Anyone compare this directly to the Hiby FC6 ?

@Viewer13128 Год назад

from what i recall, problem with RU6 is the increased battery drain on mobile devices, which is just killing the phone's lifespan. only use for me would be laptop. otherwise, it's too weak at 213mW@32Ω from the 4.4mm balanced to power demanding IEMs and headphones. But it's $250USD, so i wouldn't call it cheap for something that i'd only use with my laptop and easy to drive IEMs.

@MrAyrit Год назад

I use it as a DAC to feed other amplifiers. I can see the complaint about the battery drain for sure though.

@Reeeepicheep Год назад

I want an RU-6 without hardware volume control.

@RiseFall123 Год назад

I’ll going to try it in a normal 2 channel rig. Firstly, with ordinary rca cable.

@Reeeepicheep 11 месяцев назад

@@RiseFall123 It worked well with my iPad using a short USB cable. But for my PC and Mac, it was a noise magnet (even on the Mac Mini surprisingly) so I added a Topping USB isolator in between which got rid of the noise but then led to the Cayin RU-6 not getting enough power resulting in clicks on tracks. Then I switched to the iFi iGalvanic and that seems to be working. Also had to get a 4.4 to dual RCA cable for the extra power from the balanced output which was needed to get this to work without further power issues.

@robertlucskai Год назад

How owould you compare this to the R2R dac in the Deva Pro, if you remember? Thanks, appreciate all your efforts.

@MrAyrit Год назад

I was not super impressed with the Devas DAC/amp. I thought the xCAN was superior.

@robertlucskai Год назад

@@MrAyrit Thanks! I have my IFI Zen DAC (as my main DAC at the moment), do you think the Cayin RU6 could be an upgrade?

@MrAyrit Год назад

@@robertlucskai I do.

@kyron42 Год назад

My understanding is that the Denafrips Ares II is much better.

@MrAyrit Год назад

It’s possible, how much better? 4x? Like the price? I haven’t tried an Ares yet, but I’d be surprised if it is way better. Again, I’m coming from a $1500 DAC.

@kyron42 Год назад

@@MrAyrit hopefully you'll get your hands on one sometime so you can tell us.

@JTB-- Год назад

Some say the Ares II has latency/lag issues when gaming and watching movies which is a deal breaker for many

@arrowzen7433 Год назад

Got your drift, but a lot of people can’t afford this…

@MrAyrit Год назад

I imagine that’s true, but in the audio world, it’s a fairly budget friendly option.

@nibelung1646 Год назад

Thanks for the review, colleague! But I don't quite agree with your assessment of the role of the dac in the headphone setup, especially when it comes to the 800. 8xx, as I heard they are configured somewhat differently (I had 2 pairs of 800), but nevertheless, these headphones require the closest attention to both the amplification and the DAC. Let's go back to the whistle. Most likely, with the accuracy of the resistors that are used, and with their number of 48 pieces (on channel), this is a 10-14-bit DAC, and perhaps its sound will somehow remind me of the wonderful TDA1540D, or something soulful on TDA1543. A curious little thing, which a priori cannot be too technical to reveal all the positive qualities of 800. But it seems that it is able to breathe something into the life of 800, especially if you are inclined to an emotional perception of music, and not to its technical presentation. But I am watching this keychain with great interest, nevertheless, and I also want to try it! Although its abundance on the secondary market, apparently confirms my guesses about the nature of its sound. I wish you good luck and success in everything, sincerely, Nibelung from doctorhead.ru .

@HobbyTalk Год назад

8XX you say…

@blejzerosamigos6115 Год назад

This is not a replacement for a desktop setup, not if you are serious about your headphone setup

@MrAyrit Год назад

Maybe not the amp portion, but the DAC in there is excellent (my opinion)

@blejzerosamigos6115 Год назад

@@MrAyrit if you are still planning to do reviews on headphones over 1k I have to strongly disagree. How are you planning to compare or even hear the potential of higher end equipment.? This will always be your bottle neck and the weakest link in the chain.

@eddiebaby22 Год назад

Needs bluetooth

@MrAyrit Год назад

Yeah, hopefully they'll release one with a battery and bt

@edwardh2153 Год назад

@@MrAyrit Thanks for the great videos. I'm burning in my RU6 as I'm typing this. I had been using a BTR5 for portable use, this RU6 is blowing my mind it sounds great! I have found a solution for the battery drain problem. I use a USBC 3.0 OTG dongle which allows for a power source which can be a battery brick or a wall wart. Now, my question is what amp should I use for power hungry headphones with balanced output. I ordered a Sabaj A20H for $119. but I'm having second thoughts. What do you think of that amp as a desktop with the RU6?

@MrAyrit Год назад

@@edwardh2153 I haven't heard it, so I can't comment. Please report back though, and let us know what you think.