Cayin
Cayin - RU6
Portable R-2R DAC & Amp With USB-C Connection
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24 Hours
Delivery
Chi-Fi
Excellence
1 Year of
Warranty
4.4mm
Balanced Output
Connect With
USB-C
Upto 213mW @ 32Ω
Power Output
An R2R DAC, is pretty much the buzzword of the year. Everyone wants one. But most are incredibly expensive, and need a big fat setup. The Cayin RU6 is set to change that. Pocket-sized, on the go, R2R goodness for everyone.
RAGHAV SOMANI
Headphone GuruPAIRS WELL WITH THESE ACCESSORIES
INNOVATIVE 24BIT DISCREET R-2R RESISTOR LADDER DAC CIRCUIT
The Cayin RU6 features a self-developed 24bit discrete R-2R resistor ladder circuit that can decode up to 384kHz PCM audio. The basic idea of the R-2R ladder is a matched pair of resistors, the first is “R” and the other is “2R'' which has twice the value of R. To achieve 24 bit decoding, RU6 equips 48 units of resistors (23 x R and 25 x 2R), and that’s for one channel. So for a stereo 24 Bit R-2R decoder, RU6 features 96 units of resistors for life-like audio reproduction. With the advent of the R-2R circuit, Cayin RU6 establishes itself as master of the fully-discrete resistor DAC topology in portable audio.
OFFERING OVERSAMPLING AND NON-OVERSAMPLING DA MODES
Cayin offers both Oversampling and Non-oversampling DA modes in RU6. For Oversampling mode, the Digital Audio Bridge will upsample the digital audio data to 384kHz through digital filters. This will enhance the resolution, reduce noise and improve the anti-aliasing of the digital signal. The Oversampling DA mode will offer a noticeable improvement on details and frequency extension. The playback is clean and sharp with a darker background. On the other hand, NOS DA mode maintains the sampling rate of the original bit-stream and playback will become very musical with a natural and organic presentation.
EQUIPPED WITH FULLY ANALOGUE RESISTOR ARRAY VOLUME CONTROL
Most USB DAC/Amps will rely on the volume control of your mobile phone to control the volume of the headphone output. Technically this was not a viable solution to Cayin RU6. Understanding this issue, Cayin developed a fully analogue resistor array volume control circuit that provides 99 steps volume control through 9 segments of resistors and switching relays. Resistor Array volume control features a very high-quality volume control design, extremely transparent when implemented correctly and it is found in a lot of high-end preamps and integrated amplifiers.
FEATURING DUAL CIRCUIT BOARD LAYOUT FOR DSD AND PCM PLAYBACK
To minimise audio signal interference, Cayin has split the RU6's circuit into two 6-layers PCB, with digital and analogue circuits installed on separate boards. This safeguards the audio signal integrity and ensures the noise from the reference clock and DSP do not bleed into the amplification circuit. This architecture in turn delivers artefact free audio every single time. This circuit design combined with the R-2R architecture enables the RU6 to support hi-resolution PCM and DSD audio formats with support for 384kHZ PCM and DSD 64/128/256 natively.
INTUITIVE AND VERSATILE OPERATION WITH LOW POWER CONSUMPTION
Discreet R-2R circuitry is a low power DAC circuit when compared to other highly integrated DAC chipsets. This architecture minimises power drain from the mobile source allowing you to enjoy music without the need to worry about battery drain. USB-C connection offers compatibility with a wide range of phones, consumer electronics and computers. The hardware has been designed in an intuitive manner, where the volume buttons double as menu selectors and the OLED screen displays playback information accurately. The Cayin RU6 also offers two gain settings to enhance performance with various IEMs and headphones. All this is wrapped in a 28g package.
| DAC | 24bit Discrete R-2R |
| HEADPHONE | 3.5mm + 4.4mm Balanced |
| USB | Type C USB Audio Input |
| DISPLAY | 0.96 inch 128x64 OLED |
| DIGITAL DECODING | PCM: 44.1kHz ~ 384kHz DSD: DSD64/128/256 |
| CONTROL | Volume +/-, Mode |
| DIMENSION | 65mm x 25.4mm x 13.7mm |
| CHASSIS | CNC Aluminum |
| NET WEIGHT | ~28g |
| POWER RATING | 138mW @ 32Ω |
| FREQUENCY RESPONSE | 20Hz-20kHz (å±0.5dB) |
| THD+N | 0.032% (1kHz, Output: 0.5V) |
| DYNAMIC RANGE | 109dB (20Hz-20kHz, A-Weighted) |
| SNR | 113dB (20HZ-20kHz, A-Weighted) |
| OUTPUT IMPEDANCE | 0.5Ω |
| POWER RATING | 213mW @ 32Ω |
| FREQUENCY RESPONSE | 20Hz-20kHz (å±0.5dB) |
| THD+N | 0.04% (1kHz, Output: 1V) |
| DYNAMIC RANGE | 110dB (20Hz-20kHz, A-Weighted) |
| SNR | 114dB (20HZ-20kHz, A-Weighted) |
| OUTPUT IMPEDANCE | 1.0Ω |
| BOX CONTENTS | 1. Cayin RU6 |
| 2. USB C to C cable (shielded) | |
| 3. USB A to C adapter |
| GENERIC NAME | Headphone Amplifier |
| COUNTRY OF ORIGIN | China |
| IMPORTER DETAILS | Importers Name: Ferrari Video Address: 63/18, 1st Main Road, Gandhi Nagar, Chennai - 600020 Contact No: 044-24420733 |
| NET QUANTITY | 1 |
Cayin
Cayin is a premium audio brand hailing from China, that brings the world's best DAPs to the table with its years of experience. Hi-Res audio players are specially designed to produce high-resolution sound through your high impedance headphones and earphones.
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Hi-Res Audio
Cayin's portable audio players feature aluminium chassis, coaxial output, vibrant attractive colors, a gain toggle, and more. With the Cayin audio players, you will only listen to master quality sound and not the same old music ever again. They are compatible with Android and iOS devices. We have a wide range of Hi-Res audio players that fit every buyer's need and budget, from the best brands across the world. Plug in and enjoy a louder and better music experience with sound clarity that makes you feel like you're in a studio.
To ensure 100% customer satisfaction, Headphone Zone offers a 7 Day Test Drive and 7 Day Replacement Guarantee. Our content rich product page is your one stop to get all the required information about the product. We also have a Buying Guide with various comparison posts to help you pick the right Hi-Res audio player. If that isn't enough, our Headphone Gurus are always there to help you out with any other queries that you may have. Call our Gurus to find the best audio player that suits your style and need. Shop for the best Cayin Hi-Res audio player online with the best service from Headphone Zone.
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1 Year Warranty
Don't sweat it, this Cayin - RU6 comes with a warranty
from Cayin that covers manufacturing defects.
All products featured on Headphone Zone are backed by an original manufacturer's warranty.
Read more about Cayin's warranty in India.
"At the RU6's business end sit two headphone outputs: a 3.5mm single-ended socket and balanced 4.4mm Pentaconn socket. Switchable high/low gain assists with headphone/earphone matching."
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"The Cayin RU6 offers a different “analog” approach in the world of highly integrated delta-sigma chipset packages& DSP filters. Preserves a tube-like musical quality but with much finer volume control."
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"If you are in the market for a very high-end Dongle DAC that delivers a lot more than most — the Cayin RU6 is the one you want. It offers all the features most need, great sound, and good power."
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"RU-6 is the 2021 dongle for me, a dongle that will make premium brands sweat. RU-6 value is its naturalism of replay and presenting the flavor of R2R w/o dropping technicalities."
Read MoreYouTube Reviews
Watch the most popular YouTube reviews for the Cayin - RU6
Customer Reviews
Hi all
I bought cayin RU6 because I wanted to test the R2R technology.
The dongle is very well built. The type C poty, the chasis, the SE and balanced ports look premium. The matte finish of sides and back, glass front, the metallic line along the sides - all look very good. This is a sturdy device. The buttons are kept at horizontal orientation to the sides rather than conventional parallel orientation. They work perfectly.
Connection was easy. Just plug and play.
Setting- three settings. Gain - high/ low, sampling - OS/ NOS. OS is oversampling, which makes the sound slightly warm and add more flavor to it. NOS is slightly boring but detailed. Last is screen backlight timing. These can be changed just like looto paw.
Sound- Accurate and lively. Details- its NOT one of the most detailed dongle DAC. That accolade belongs to Looto paw s1 and L&P W2.
Soundstage- definitely one of the largest, if not the largest among dongle dacs.
Localisation- average. Sound notes mix together and less separation among instruments. So pin point accuracy of instruments on soundstage not possible.
Highs- they are well represented.
Mids- Lush and full vocals. Both male and female vocals feel very good. Its not mid-forward presentation but gives perfect representation.
Bass- very good, solid bass with good sub-bass and reverbs. Not the fastest like A&K dongle. But still very well regulated. Slight bass bleed to the mids.
Power- good for iems. Not for power hungry cans but its understandable.
Tonality- here W2 and DAPs like ibasso dx160 and m11 plus are slightly ahead. Overall very good DAP like tonality compared to many other dongle dacs available in market.
Timbre of instruments- its accurate and lifelike
Competition- L&P W2 is priced similarly. Both are good. W2 slightly ahead in SQ but background noise in W2 is more while streaming.
Its ahead of looto paw S1 and A&K dongle in terms of tonality and presentation.
Overall verdict- if you wamt to experience R2R technology, this thing doesn't disappoint. Good organic warm sound with good technical capabilities. It'll be among top 5 dongle DACs definitely.
Hi Samrat,
We are so happy you took out time & elaborately reviewed the product with a comparison. We are sure this will help our customers to make an even better & informed decision.
Tried with both IOS ( iphone 11) and android LG G8x.
Initial impressions: no regrets
Probably the best usb dac in market right now.
Currently using - Earmen sparrow and LP W2. This is definitely a good addition to them
Using to drive primarily IER Z1R , UM MEST MKii , IMR EDP+
Excellent tonality and bass. Widest sound stage you can get through a USB DAC till now.
Really impressed. As many say it requires some burn in, hope it may open up better and settle on treble.
Pros
1) Natural sound signature that is forgiving of even low resolution mp3 files but scales well with hires files.
2) Quite holographic soundstage and good imaging capabilities
3) Very dynamic sound signature with great bass thump and impact
4) Treble is detailed but not sibilant or overly sharp
5) The least expensive R2R Dac out there in the market
6) Powerful enough for almost any iem in the market
Cons
1) Not a truly balanced circuit despite the 4.4mm port
2) Rare instances of EMI interference noises
3) Volume changes can sometimes be a bit slowdue to the switching relay resistor volume control
My Setup
Smartphone: Oneplus7Pro
Apps used: USB Audio Player Pro (bit-perfect playback with Tidal and Qobuz integration), YouTube vanced, Apple Music
Iem used: 7hz Timeless through the 4.4mm port
First of all thanks to Headphonezone for bringing this unique product to the Indian market. The USP of this product is that this is the world’s first R-2R Dac in dongle format. R-2R Dacs are generally known for their more natural sound signature and huge difficulty involved in engineering one correctly as precise resistors have to be hand selected and arranged in ladder format. This Cayin RU6 uses 96 precise resistors in ladder form for 2 channel audio.
The combo of Cayin RU6 plus 7hz Timeless produces a highly dynamic, engaging, and wide sound signature. The naturalism of the R-2R Dac especially helps in adding more midrange lushness to the sound signature of the 7hz Timeless compared to my Hiby R3 Pro Sabre Delta Sigma-based DAP which I used earlier. The soundstage also gained a more holographic nature with the Cayin RU6 compared to the Hiby. Songs such as ‘Thriller’by Michael Jackson, ‘Jack Sparrow’ by Royal Philharmonics Orchestra as well as ‘Doors and Distance’ by Antonio Sanchez illustrate the soundstage capabilities of the RU6. ‘Chali Kahani’ from Tamasha gives a clear illustration of the great dynamics of RU6.
A note on value for money: This is priced at the Summit Fi range of dongle dacs at the moment and encroaches upon the price category of a Mid-Fi Dap such as Shanling M3X. I would say that for anyone ok with carrying a dongle with their smartphone, RU6 is a great value for money product especially when you consider the high-end and niche tech inside as well as the highly natural and engaging replay of music offered by the RU6.
Hi Harisankar,
We are so happy you took out time & elaborately reviewed the product. We are sure this will help our customers to make an even better & informed decision.
R2R DAC in such a small form factor is insane. It sounds incredible. In the space of compact dongle DAC the RU6 definitely shines and provides insane value for money.
Thank you for the awesome reviews & ratings Yash!
So, let me start by saying that Cayin is a pioneer in making audiophile geeky sorta gear. This little guy lets you switch between 2 modes making it super convenient. The screen is super clear, conveys information perfectly fine.
Hey Salil, thank you for the great review. Absolutely delighted to read you are loving this!
The Cayin RU6 is equipped with an R-2R DAC that is in producing a really natural sound. It’s extremely small & easy to use so no complaints there. The player also lets you switch from (NOS) to oversampling mode easily scrubbing any last bit of distortion. A cherry on the cake is that this dongle is backed up by a low power volume control solution. Thank you headphone zone for the fast delivery!!
Happy to know you are loving the RU6 Gajendra. Hope it was a comfortable shopping experience. Cheers!
How does the RU6 sound? One has to listen to it to understand - once you've heard the RU6 you can't go back to anything else. Just a few hours of listening on my HfiMan Edition XS and Sennheiser HD650 - and I was packing up 3 of my desktop DACS - Hidizs S9 Pro, Topping D10 Balanced and Aune X1s Pro - and listing them on HPZ's Trade Up Program. The RU6 just makes everything sound so much smoother and enjoyable - takes the edge off by just the right amount - without losing out on detail. Listening to "Charles Watts' Watts At Scotts' " - a recording that has a pronounced top end which was getting fatiguing on other setups - the RU6 did its magic and I was enjoying it like I never did before. I even tried it with my Grado SR80e - which also accentuates the top end in my experience - and wasn't disappointed. If this is what R2R sounds like - then I can't wait to save up enough for something like a Denafrips
Hi Dipanjan Biswas,
We are so happy you took out time & elaborately reviewed the product. We are sure this will help our customers to make an even better & informed decision.
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