Apple Dongle, Cayin RU6 & xDuoo Link v2 Review - 3-way dongle action!

[@marlowe1537]

I've had the RU6 for about a month and really like it. I just wanted to note that the RU6 is not a true balanced design. Cayin was very frank about this when introducing the RU6 on Head-Fi, noting that there was simply no space in the device for true balanced operation. They added an extra op-amp to the 4.4mm output which "will provide extra power and current from the regular 3.5mm phone out, but the channel separation is not as good as a full balanced design." FWIW, I'm using the RU6 with a Fiio FH9 in low gain and NOS from the 4.4mm output. It sounds great.

[@PassionforSound]

Thanks for sharing that info! Glad you're enjoying the RU6. Truly balanced or not, it's a great device!

[@r00s.]

Nice review, Lachlan. I have had the RU6 for a few weeks now and quite enjoy it. It just sounds very "natural" for lack of a better term. And I agree that NOS/OS comes down to the headphone or sound you're looking for. Portable R2R FTW. Couple of things: The RU6 is not a true balanced design, so the 4.4 output is ran through an Opamp to double the power. 2nd, the volume is controlled by the resistor ladders so that's why the music briefly cuts out during adjustments. Cayin says that was the only way to make the unit for in the "small" case. Overall, I really dig it. My portable listening set up is currently an LG V50 > Cayin RU6 > Aune B1S. Favorite IEMs currently (in no particular order): Ikko OH10 Tripowin x HBB Olina 7Hz Timeless Fearless S8F Moondrop Kanas Pro. As always, RESPECT!

[@PassionforSound]

Thanks for the extra info! Glad you're enjoying the RU6! I'd definitely be grabbing one if I still needed highly mobile sound regularly - it's a great device.

[@PartyMusic775]

Glamour video for apple dongle made me laugh. The dark humour is good.

[@PassionforSound]

😁

[@falcogol3451]

nice review. covered quirks i didn't see in other reviews of ru6. thorough and insightful 👌

[@PassionforSound]

So glad it was helpful!

[@chefsteve8381]

Team Apple dongle here, won't say "i told you so, but i told you so", Apple's cheapest product is their best product...great review..

[@mmorales508]

Least they could do for starting that garbage trend of removing the 3.5 jack

[@PassionforSound]

Haha. So true, M Morales! I think you were one of the many that recommended the Apple Dongle, Steve. Thank you!

[@chefsteve8381]

@@PassionforSound It proves price is not always a true reflection of sound quality...ps i just brought the sivga phoenix you reviewed off Jon, great bloke and great headphones.

[@PassionforSound]

Very true! In my experience, the price is a good indicator about 85-90% of the time, but there are always exceptions that perform better or worse than they should. Glad you're liking the Phoenix. It's a wonderful can!

[@tanyet]

I have the Apple dongle and the RU6. The Apple dongle is a great device but the RU6 for me is a game changer. I use it with a pair of 6XXs and TA-26 tube amp. This is simply a fantastic combination that rivals my more expensive setup. Great vid.

[@PassionforSound]

Glad you liked the video and I completely agree with your thoughts on it too

[@mden2490]

When you say Apple dongle are you referring to the Lightning to 2mm. Was the the sound that much better with the RU6?

[@tanyet]

@@mden2490 yep. I was a bit of a dongle skeptic but the RU6 and Hidizs S9 Pro have made me a believer.

[@siddharthtandon7588]

@@tanyet hey, how does S9 pro compare to ru6?

[@tanyet]

@@siddharthtandon7588 it’s a little clearer with a touch more detail but the RU6 is more pleasing IMHO. Especially in NOS mode. I listen to the RU6 about 70% of the time. Both are great though.

[@jb678901]

I have purchased a number of dongles and my favorites are: #1) HillAudio CS-Pro CS43141 DSD256 (US$24) /32Bit-384KHz; #2) Abigail CX31993 (US$11). The CS-Pro does have play/pause button. Andy.EF AudioVault reviewed 100 dongles (ranging from below $10 to >$200 in price) and these are well rated...I believe the Abigail is one of his 5 daily drivers.

[@PassionforSound]

Great tips! Thanks for the recommendations

[@jb678901]

@@PassionforSound To note, the CS-Pro "DSD" does not have any detailed reviews to date. However, when I looked into the specs, I took a low risk chance (it was only ~$24) and it proved a pleasant surprise to me. I use this DAC for ease of mobility with my Win10 notebook; from its type C (USB 3.0) port. DAC chip: cs43131 + SA9312L combo THD+N:

[@fuzail3379]

What about AVANI

[@PassionforSound]

Another one I haven't tried yet!

[@fedebo1233]

Great review! It would be also nice to know your opinion about another dongle dac, the Violectric Chronos!

[@PassionforSound]

I don't have easy access to Violectric, but will gladly review one if I ever get the chance

[@WaytooFastSpeed]

Surprised no one is reviewing anything from iBasso like the DC03 or the newest DC05. I have the 03 and it's VERY nice for the price. Unsure about the 05 as I just ordered it.

[@PassionforSound]

A lot of it comes down to the company's policies and approach to sending out review units. I can't speak for the larger channels, but I can't afford to buy all these products so I rely on what retailers and manufacturers send to me to review. Ibasso gear is hard to get I find. Hope you love the DC05

[@WaytooFastSpeed]

@@PassionforSound I understand your perspective. Thank you

[@NeilBlanchard]

The noise on the Cayin RU6 *might* be when your phone is sending a query for any new wireless networks? This is the source of noise on a Zoom setup at my church. I think the volume control on the RU6 is an analog stepped attenuator?

[@PassionforSound]

It's definitely the phone signal, but I'm not sure it's searching for wireless networks as it happened when I switched off wifi. I think it's probably about the positioning of the dongle vs the phone and might also be related to the earphones I'm using (or their cable) acting as an antenna - I'm not sure as it was seemingly random so I couldn't isolate a consistent variable. As for the attenuator, I didn't notice anything about it in the marketing material so ok not sure.

[@doifeellucky]

Though I do like your reviews the Apple to Link-V2 comparison is a bit redundant as the Link is USB C so you’d need the camera adapter to use it with an iPhone. I think most iPhone owners use the Apple dongle due to the faff of all the extra cables you need with any other external DAC, which I fully appreciate is Apple’s fault. Out and about with external noise I’ll stick with convenience over a 5% improvement. Both reviews on Linsoul mention that the Link died within a month. On a side note I believe the ifi Go Bar actually comes with a dedicated lighting cable which doesn’t need the camera adapter so hopefully you can review the Go Bar when it comes out. Though I’ll probably stick with the Apple dongle based on the improvement I unfortunately don’t get with my Mojo 2 and Moondrop Kato combination.

[@PassionforSound]

I stated pretty clearly hear that this was a review of the USB-C version because I'm not an Apple user. I get that it's less helpful for some iPhone users, but there are also a lot of iPhone users who already have the camera adapter so not sure it's irrelevant. Sadly, I can't get access to iFi units yet (still working on it) so I'm not sure if I'll get to review the Go Bar. ☹️

[@doifeellucky]

@@PassionforSound Sincere apologies, I was skipping through and missed that bit, more for iPad I guess though not so portable.

[@PassionforSound]

No problems. Thanks for the response 🙂 It's a shame that Apple are committed to the Lightning adapter when everything else uses USB-C. (I don't know enough about Lightning to know if it actually offers a benefit over USB-C)

[@wengezhu1]

Nice review as always. Wondering if you will come up with your ranking list of IEM/Headphones? or at least a list of recommended.

[@PassionforSound]

I have a recommended list linked in the description of all videos and update it constantly as I review new gear. I'm unlikely to do any true tier videos, but never say never...

[@chrisdearmitt7474]

I've been very impressed with the Cayin RU6 even compared to the Chord Mojo, Dethronay Honey H1, Hidizs H9 Pro, DH80, DH1000 and Earstudio HUD100 MK 2. Enjoyable, natural sound. The OS setting is far better in my experience.

[@PassionforSound]

It's definitely a great device. I think preferences on the OS vs NOS mode will often come down to the headphones we're all using it with (and maybe music tastes too)

[@lextr3110]

did you test centrance one? Also hiby RS6? Mojo2?

[@chrisdearmitt7474]

@@lextr3110 hello. I have not tested those.

[@TF2ReplayMaker]

How does it hold up to the ES100 even without a dedicated app/ fully customisable EQ? I'm considering it as an upgrade but the lack of driving power is holding me back

[@chrisdearmitt7474]

@@TF2ReplayMaker from what I see it has one of the highest power ratings "The RU6 achieves 213mW of output power with a 4.4mm balanced connection, which is considered quite powerful on a dongle."

[@jeremywilliam79]

Haven’t watched the video yet but didn’t want to forget to mention. I’ve heard multiple times the EU version of the apple dongle only has half the power of the US version. Not sure if you mention which one you’re using here.

[@PassionforSound]

That's interesting! Mine was bought locally in Australia so whatever we get would be the answer. I've thrown away the packaging now so can't check.

[@scared2o]

@@PassionforSound The versions are labeled on the wire of the dongle. A2049 is the US, A2155 is the EU version(USB-C). I have the US (A2049), and TBH it sounds aloooot better than many built-in DACAMPs. It's plenty power for efficient stuff.

[@matusjurcik6974]

Hi Lachlan :) is the shanling ua1 also only minor upgade to the apple dongle like the xduoo link v2 is? And also did you try the ru6 with better hifi grade usb cable, like audioquest usb A to C for isnstance? :) I dont know if you own something like that or only usb A to B variants...

[@PassionforSound]

Hi Matus, the UA1 would be about the same as the Link V2 I think (I don't have one here to test). As for cables, I didn't think to try the RU6 with my one good USB-A to USB-C cable. Sorry!

[@matusjurcik6974]

@@PassionforSound thats ok 😊 I am just that, they can boost a sound quality a lot (my experience)... In the desktop and also in the dongle options.

[@matusjurcik6974]

Hi :) the apple dongle should be based on cirrus logic chips.

[@PassionforSound]

That makes sense based on its sound (although I'd never trust that enough to predict which chip based on sound given the variability possible from other design factors)

[@spamcan9208]

Is your PayPal link a set amount or does it have a custom option? I couldn't tell and didn't want to blindly hit "send." I'm really curious about r2r dacs and the ru6 is relatively affordable. From what I've heard in reviews, it might be the sound I'm looking for. One of the things I notice now is that crash symbols sound wrong to me, like smeared pshhh noises. It's harsh and unpleasant. I'm mainly looking to get lost in the music but with enough detail and separation that I can pick out and follow along anything that interests me. I'm also very treble sensitive. To make it even more difficult, I need something I can use in bed or next to my recliner because of health reasons. Either a dongle or something battery powered, even if it's on the bigger side. I did find it interesting that some have optical/coaxial connections for things like the wiim mini. Or is something like the Geshelli J2 so good I should make room for a bedside stack lol

[@PassionforSound]

The PayPal link is entirely variable - I don't believe there's even a default amount. (Let me know if there is anything strange about using it) The RU6 is great and will likely help to keep the treble under control for you. As for the dongle vs a stack, a larger, mains powered setup will always outperform a simple dongle so there's an argument there for the stack, but it won't give you the R2R smoothness of the RU6 so it depends on where your priorities lie (no pun intended) 🙂

[@CesarEnglishTeacherCesar7Peru]

Hi there Love your content How does it compare Luxury and Precision W1 to Lotoo Paw S1 Which is better in sound quality Just to use it with iems (no need for more amplification) Love dongles (Separation, details) Neutral is my thing 🤙🤓 Thank you so much 🤟🎧

[@PassionforSound]

So glad you're enjoying the content. Unfortunately I haven't yet tried the L&P or Lotoo dongles - sorry!

[@jayem1826]

Good evening Lachlan, Thanks for doing the RU6. I need some advice. I'm in the 3rd world. High end gear is rather sparce. I have 4 DACs. I put the Audio Alchemy stuff from the 90's away. Two years ago I got a second hand Peachtree DAC IT X. When it started giving me trouble I got the Topping e30. I couldn't for the life of me hear any differences. Got interested in Sundara's because of the plan-demic the kids were always home and in my listening room. So I got the Khadas Tone 2 Pro.. I wasn't impressed with the highfimans. I do use the DACs with my main system which consists of Maggie's. I got into streaming. Use an old MacBook pro with either DAC to stream Tidal, Qobuz and Apple Music from phones. I got the special balanced cables from Khadas and go straight into the power amp. The Tone 2 Pro can act as a pre. How does it sound? Very good, but I am still trying to reproduce the hollograpgic sound I used to get with an Accuphase power amp and conrad-johnson PV-3 tube pre. The Accuphase died and that was that . When I want to use Audirvana I go through the MAC. I'm very interested in the RU6, Zen DAC v2 with True Bass and the Denafrips Ares II. Because I'm overseas the Ares II is nearly impossible to get and would be doubly hard to sell if I wanted to. So now I'm interested in the ifi stream. I am aware that Audirvana works with the Zen, but I'm guessing that's the subscription form of Audirvana and not the application on my Mac. Right? The reason I really like Audirvana is because of the SonEQ Plugin.. I wonder if the True Bass on the Zen DAC would give me a similar sound. If so I wouldn't need Audirvana any longer. If I could simply audition these devices all would be clear to know which one I'd prefer. That's impossible in the country I'm in. Well, thank you for obliging me. Any advice? The RU6 over the Zen DAC? Ares II over both? Thanks J

[@PassionforSound]

Hi J, this is a tough one because I haven't tried any of the recent iFi gear. I do know that dongle DACs will basically never match a decent desktop unit with dedicated power supply so that's worth considering. It sounds to me like the iFi is probably a good choice although the Ares II would likely be better, but then there are the purchase and resale challenges. It is a very tricky decision and sadly one that I can't help much with beyond suggesting proper desktop devices over the dongle.

[@jayem1826]

@@PassionforSound I understand. Thanks for getting back to me though. I appreciate it. 😀

[@nikolaygramchev]

I get no noise never. I use the RU6 on 3 phones - no noise. The music interruption happens to me only when crossing from 9s to 10s and back; I get no interruption increasing from 22 to 23 or 33 to 34, only from x9 to y0 or back. For ne, the biggest strength of RU6 is timber, smoothness, and depth without loosing too much detail.

[@PassionforSound]

I'm glad to hear the noise issue isn't too common!

[@vishistaryan3883]

Hi! Is there any perceivable sound quality difference when we use a dongle with a phone(uapp) vs a dongle with a dap as transport?? They say that emi and rfi from phones kills the sound quality. Thanks!!!

[@PassionforSound]

It will depend on the dongle and on the phone, but a DAP does have the ability to sound better if it's not transmitting data via WiFi/cellular/Bluetooth

[@keithjohnson2863]

Do you try these dongles with different sources? I tested my Fiio BTR3 dongle as a USB DAC/Amp with my phone, tablets and laptop. It sounded the best with my phone and laptop as the source. My tablets have lower spec'ed chipsets than my phone and they do sound OK, but not as good compared to the phone. I ran my tests with an IEM using the balanced output on the dongle.

[@PassionforSound]

I tried them with laptop and Android phone only because I don't have a tablet these days. It's interesting that you noticed a difference, but that makes sense given the variability of USB output quality (noise, etc.)

[@juanblanco7898]

That's almost definitely a thing. I'm not entirely sure if it's mainly due to the varience in SoC and RAM performance and efficiency or USB implementation on hardware and/or software level, but I've been noticing a difference with different digital sources ever since I got into the hobby. What I know for sure, though, is that even a pretty basic level of software optimisation universally bears noticable results on any device. The widespread notion that digital sources do not have any influence on the sound as long as it's not explicitly altered (by DSP or resempling) is erroneous and naive in it's oversimplified understanding of how digital signal transmission works, the factors at play and their implications for audio playback. This issue is quite complicated and can be very frustrating to tackle, so generally only the most meticulous and hardcore audiophiles are even aware of it, let alone concern themselves with it. You have to pay close attention to how things sound and notice patterns some may easily overlook. I'd be happy to overlook it myself, but it's easier said than done once you are aware of it. It's decidedly better to just enjoy what you have and draw pleasure from the music itself, not the "quality" of it's reproduction. If you're able to, that is. With all this in mind, I bought myself an used smartphone with good specs and a relatively "barebone" Android build (free of any preinstalled non-essential bloatware software like apps, plugins and such) to use as dedicated digital transport. I didn't even mess with root access to allow for a deeper level of software optimisation, which is desirable but requires some knowledge I have no time or even will to acquire as of now. I've stuck to the basic OS resource management available via the system settings and Developer Mode to achieve a sufficient degree of optimisation. The benefits are definitely worth it, to me at least. I changed this setup for a dedicated entry-level-to-mid-range Android DAP built around basically the same audio-related hardware as one of my favourite portable DAC/Amps for the sake of convenience and usability. Now this wasn't worth it at all, as the loss in sound quality I got as a result is too great. If you value sound quality over convenience and simplicity of use, I'd say that you're better off getting yourself a dedicated digital source in a form of a decent smartphone to pair with a good DAC/Amp, rather than venture into the midrange DAP territory. TOTL DAPs may be a different story, but it's also a completely different price range.

[@PassionforSound]

Great detailed write-up. Thank you! 🙂🙂

[@juanblanco7898]

@@PassionforSound Why thank you, the pleasure is all mine. There's little actual substance to my comment, though. I could try to name a few simple things I do to optimise an Android device for audio output, which are pretty basic but nevertheless can make a noticable difference depending on the device, audio setup and listeners themselves, if anyone would be interested.

[@PassionforSound]

You're welcome to post more here, but people are more likely to find it and benefit from it on a forum like Head-Fi or similar 🙂

[@mickouzz]

Hi and thanks for the video! So I've just bought my first pair of "serious" headphones, the focal celestee, tried them with my laptop and was so happy with them. then I ordered the moondrop dawn to go with them, but was very disapointed, compared to my laptop's dac ( YES I KNOW) it was sounding brighter, edgy, it killed the dynamic feel and the bass in general wasnt there anymore. So I was wondering if you think that the cayin would do a better job at this, thanks again and keep it up! i like your videos

[@PassionforSound]

The RU6 is an excellent dongle and definitely smoother than some of the other offerings. I don't know the Celestee's sound or the Moondrop Dawn so it's hard to be certain though. It might be that raising resolution from your source device is revealing the true nature of the headphones so do be prepared for that possibility

[@amanieux]

You mentionned apple dongle is 95% as good as the link v2, how does apple dongle compares with ru6 ? Is is more like 80% or more like 50% ?

[@PassionforSound]

That's an interesting question and I'm normally reluctant to put numbers to these things, but I think the Apple Dongle is closer to 50% of the RU6. Maybe it's 60 or 65%, but definitely lower down than compared to the Link v2

[@Milo_Molnar]

Will it be a noticeable improvement in sound if I use the DAC Shanling UA4 after the brand Xduoo v2 link?

[@PassionforSound]

You can't run one DAC after another because the DACs output an analog signal, but can only accept a digital signal. You'd need an amp (e.g. Topping NX7) after a DAC for this type of setup to work and that can bring some improvements depending on the combo.

[@Milo_Molnar]

@@PassionforSound Thanks.

[@larrydunn4626]

you and Crinacle in agreement! does that make you famous? I think the fact that Apple knew they would sell tens of millions of these allowed them to allocate their very top skilled engineers (the best in the world) to create it... and its brother the lightning to 3.5 dongle. With that sales volume, they profit even at $9 US. My only experience with the Apple dongle is with IEMs, including Timeless, and the Senn/Drop HD58x. No issues ever, but I've never tried the Apple with harder to drive cans.

[@PassionforSound]

It's a pretty impressive device at the price!

[@saaleempanhalkar846]

Please just give a simple answer. If I use them with blon bl03 is apple dongle enough or should I buy tempotec hd pro. Will there be any difference on blon even with high 192 khz flac files. I am really frustrated and confused. Plz help

[@PassionforSound]

The Apple Dongle is absolutely enough with the BL-03. Save the extra cash and enjoy great sound! 😁

[@saaleempanhalkar846]

@@PassionforSound thanks so much.

[@abhishekgupta2437]

Sir, I watched your eartips video and i want to know the model of Spinfits you use in the moondrop starfield!!! Please reply.

[@PassionforSound]

Sorry about my slow response! I don't have the packaging anymore so I don't know the model number, but SpinFit have a great website which should help you find the right version. It's just their standard tip that fits most IEMs (either the SP100 or SP200 I think)

[@681278]

I was getting occasional clicking sound with usb-c ver of apple when connecting from ipad pro to dusk iems - minor gripe. tried thx onyx but returned (thx & parent razer had bar 1st & 2nd worst customer service experience trying to troubleshoot it's shielding issue before rma-ing for return of the hundreds of companies I've bought from over the years) because when near iphone or connected to it when it's syncing to cloud gets terrible feedback. Then tried cobalt but got faint high pitched tone when playing something - faint enough only apparent when using my dusk iems [22ohms] couldn't hear with grados [38ohms] - was only occurring when using usb-c either included dragontail or apple camera adapter usb-c ver not issue with lightning ver. So back at all apple dongle when on move.

[@PassionforSound]

I think mobile devices are always challenging for noises and also the vast range of possible versions of Android and iOS they have to deal with!

[@681278]

@@PassionforSound Yes but funny how from my experience at least that something costing less than $10 outperforms [so long as amplification isn't an issue] dongles that cost hundreds when trying with the newest apple devices. I'm hoping some day [prob in vain] Schiit gets into dongle given how flawless my desktop Multibit/Mini+/Heresy stack is lol. I do wonder if my experience with onyx was owing to it being built by a gaming company with less experience in audio & didn't come up in reviews b/c to have issue have to continuously listen perhaps for hours vs A/B-ing, or if it was simply a defective unit oh well goes to show importance of good customer service. As for AQ that high pitched tone had me stumped & it seems them too given unlike other times I've emailed them instead of 1-3 days response it's been weeks & I ended up just RMA-ing & going back to marvelously engineered apple dongles. I wonder if at some point they'll release a ver that can actually play their high-res lossless, but that's prob as likely as them doing driver upgrades to max in future or using diff BT codec to allow streaming at higher-res.

[@Rurike]

Ive heard some complaints with the apple dongle that it doesnt work as well off of apple devices or apple programs, it certainly sounded very quite when i tried it on my Android

[@PassionforSound]

It might be limited by the EU volume regulations on some devices. On Android, you need to run an app that's able to bypass the Android PS. USB Audio Player Pro is my preferred app for this

[@J4nda]

Apple Dongle is great for work where its microphone input can be used in online meetings when not used for listening to music.

[@PassionforSound]

Great point!

[@mrerwinbudiman]

I would like to try cayin ru6. Is there anyway to increase the power? Like adding headphone amp? I got hd6xx

[@PassionforSound]

The RU6 will drive the HD6XX just fine, but you can add an extra amp like the Topping NX7 if you want to. Just raise the volume on the RU6 to max or nearly max and then adjust the volume on the NX7 accordingly

[@keithjohnson2863]

Is there any way to confirm if the the Apple dongle actually takes a digital signal from source and converts it to analog? Or is it just taking an analog signal that's been converted in the source? If the latter is true then sound quality will be highly dependent on the source. On a side note I read there is bug in the Pixel 6 line where it's only capable of sending an analog signal through the USB C port (without using a 3rd party app to correct this).

[@PassionforSound]

I'm not sure, Keith. That's a bit beyond my current technical understanding of the Android systems. Interesting about the Pixel 6 if that's true! I always recommend using USB Audio Player Pro anyway though so that should solve it.

[@dante19890]

make sure u are using Usb audio player pro app to be sure that the dongle is actually doing what it is supposed to. Android is known to be a bit unreliable with audio and do its own thing.

[@clickbaitpro]

@@dante19890 It's more of Apple dongle thing than Android because everything works with Android but apple dongle. Heck even audio interface works as intended with Android.

[@Milo_Molnar]

Is it worth to buy for example Shanling UA4 ? I have Xduoo V2 link. Is there improvement in sound?

[@PassionforSound]

I don't specifically know the UA4, but the higher dongles in general are an improvement on the Link V2. I can recommend the Simgot DEW4X as an excellent step up without spending too much money.

[@Milo_Molnar]

​@@PassionforSoundThank you very much.

[@MrMrwaz]

Just wondering if it's possible to use this like a desktop dac? Would love it as a source for my tube amp.

[@PassionforSound]

Which one are you referring to specifically? (You can use all of them to take a line output by just maxing out the volume)

[@MrMrwaz]

@@PassionforSound thanks for the reply using a darkvoice 336se. Was planning on a 3.5mm or 4.5mm to RCA cable to use the cayin as a regular DAC . The combination of R2R dac and a tube amp is the plan.

[@PassionforSound]

That will work, but make sure you go from the 3.5mm output of the RU6. You don't ever want to adapt a balanced output down to single ended because it can cause 🔥 (not actual fire, but can blow up your device)

[@MrMrwaz]

@@PassionforSound thanks for your help and great reviews as always. Was definitely going to be from the 3.5mm ...

[@PassionforSound]

Perfect! Happy listening 🙂🙂

[@ekjellgren]

Will you be able to get the ej07m Kinda Lava as well?

[@PassionforSound]

Possibly. The availability of review units is being controlled by HBB I think so I'm not sure as I have no direct relationship with him at this stage

[@Viewer13128]

is btr5 sound comparable to RU6? how about RU6 vs M15 or DC06 or MoonRiver2?

[@PassionforSound]

I haven't heard the current BTR5, but the RU6 is significantly better than the old one. I've got the M15 and Moonriver 2 coming up in a review very soon, but I think the RU6 is still better overall

[@letsmobiles3396]

@@PassionforSound is the RU6 better than the M15?

[@PassionforSound]

That's a tough one because I haven't had them here at the same time. I think the M15 probably has stronger attack and clarity, but the RU6 is probably more spacious

[@JoseFerreira-zb7wh]

Can anyone tell me if this works with a Mi Box S through usb?

[@PassionforSound]

Not me - sorry ☹️

[@julianfrancofarinas4280]

Have you tried the RU6 with an iPhone?

[@PassionforSound]

No - sorry. An Android user

[@619RobdoG]

The cayin cable doesn't work on iPhone. Idk why they sell it. Low volume works but cuts out

[@Abhi-wn7sw]

Would you say the RU6 would make U12t more organic, natural, and warm?

[@PassionforSound]

Definitely. I suspect that would be a great pairing

[@manfrediamato5280]

Which open back headphones can i match with my apple dongle?

[@PassionforSound]

It depends entirely on your tastes. The Apple Dongle will drive most regular headphones

[@manfrediamato5280]

@@PassionforSound any recommendations? I already have Koss porta pro but i want something with more soundstage and more neutral sound signature

[@PassionforSound]

What's your budget?

[@manfrediamato5280]

@@PassionforSound 150/200€

[@PassionforSound]

The Sennheiser HD560S is about the only open back option I can think of around that price. The Beyerdynamic DT 900 Pro X is also excellent, but maybe too much?

[@MrMch122]

fiio ka1 vs xduoo link v2?

[@PassionforSound]

I haven't yet heard the KA1 so I can't help with that one - sorry!

[@The_lastfallen]

plz help me, i want to buy a DAC with eardphone for trance, Ambient , house, electro, Downtempo style music , what model of DAC and eardphone do you think I should buy under $ 500 ,also maybe under $600 ??

[@PassionforSound]

That's a very big question because it depends on your personal tastes and how you like to hear those genres. Take a look in the description of this video and you'll find a look to the gear I recommend. That's a good place to start 🙂

[@The_lastfallen]

@@PassionforSound tnx , but very important question!! does the bluetooth dac suffer from sound quality loss? how much?? considering the priority of sound quality, is a bluetooth dac better or a normal dac? in your opinion, according to the sound quality, UP5 or UA5 is better??

[@PassionforSound]

A wired connection will ALWAYS beat a Bluetooth connection (at least until true lossless BT is available). So, the UA5 would be my choice for pure sound quality while the UP5 is more about convenience

[@CJDilag]

The Cayin RU6 as it's a R2R DAC but in portable dongle form. You should make a "Great Dongle Fondle Part 2" Lachlan!

[@PassionforSound]

Sadly, I didn't have enough dongles to fondle to make that type of video 😉

[@Salfordshire]

I just purchased the Moondrop Aria’s as my first foray into iem’s as they were just £55 on Amazon Prime. I’ll be travelling a lot soon and iem’s are more practical for me with my iPhone 12 Pro Max. Using just the Apple lightning to 3.5mm dongle the Arias sound very low in volume to me even on full whack so I don’t think they’re sufficient personally. I’m currently looking at dongle dacs to give me more power/volume so any recommendations would be appreciated. I don’t really have a budget but it doesn’t seem smart spending 100’s of £’s considering the cost of the Aria’s. Any suggestions brothers & sisters?

[@PassionforSound]

I'm surprised you can't get sufficient volume from the Apple Dongle, Hank. I'm not sure you'll get significantly more from other dongles and it sounds to me like there's a settings issue somewhere because the Apple Dongle has way more power than you should need for safe listening levels. Unfortunately, I don't use Apple products so I can't test this for you and offer suggestions.

[@Salfordshire]

@@PassionforSound thanks very much for the reply all the same. Greatly appreciated. If I solve this I’ll be sure to post here in case others find it useful. Have a great day and thanks again. Peace and Love from Manchester, England.

[@PassionforSound]

Thanks Hank. Good luck!!

[@noob_strikes0011]

​​@@PassionforSound hey Mate, would you recommend RU6 r2r (DAC only) over other standalone Delta sigma DACs in 500usd range , such as SMSL D300/M500 Mkiii/Topping D70s/. For fatigue less musical sound over to loudspeakers. We have wharfdale Evo 4.2s . Thanks a lot.

[@PassionforSound]

You'll generally find that desktop DACs clearly outperform dongle style DACs because they have dedicated power supplies and more space for better circuitry. Unless you specifically want the smoothness of the RU6, the desktop units will perform better.

[@mden2490]

Will the RU6 work with the MEZE 99 Classics?

[@PassionforSound]

Absolutely. If you've got the balanced cable for them with the 2.5mm plug, you'll just need to buy a 2.5 to 4.4mm adapter

[@mden2490]

@@PassionforSound I am getting the accessories that come in the box and the Lotoo Type C to Lightning OTG cable V2 for use with my iPhone. I do not have the balanced cable for the 99 classics. If i buy the 99 classics balanced OFC 4.4mm, can I just plug it directly into the RU6 with out the need of an adapter correct? The balanced output (4.4mm) delivers more power, which i suspect would make it easer to drive the headphones?

[@PassionforSound]

That's correct about the 4.4mm balanced cable. It's been ages since I reviewed that one so I didn't know there was a 4.4mm version. Don't feel like you need it though. The RU6 has plenty of power and quality from the single ended output 🙂

[@mden2490]

@@PassionforSound Thanks for your reply. I ended up getting the 4.4 mm balance cable and it works perfectly fine. The RU6 sounds really good, and I can here some better detail and separation then from just using the apple dongle. I am really pleased with it!

[@PassionforSound]

That's great news! Enjoy

[@bitterbuffalo8997]

i fart

[@jayem1826]

As in WNY?

[@casanova9227]

will i try apple usb its usless s hit ever waste of money not even clear sound only make it nice lil bit not too much when i use jacaly 6 there lot of diffrent also i will try i basso 90 in future

[@PassionforSound]

There are definitely better options out there than the Apple dongle. How much improvement it offers will depend on what you're coming from (i.e. the quality of the source without using a dongle)