Connect with us

Hi, what are you looking for?

DACs

Cayin RU6 R-2R Dongle DAC/Headphone Amp Unveiled

The brand new Cayin RU6 R-2R Dongle DAC/Headphone Amplifier looks to be a formidable challenger in a very competitive category.

Cayin RU-6 Discrete R-2R DAC connected to earphones and smartphone

Just in time for Black Friday, Cayin have unveiled a rather unique Dongle DAC that looks to be quite different than the rest of the products currently available. The Cayin RU6 R-2R Dongle DAC/Headphone Amplifier features something we have not seen before in the category; an in-house developed 24-bit discrete R-2R resistor
ladder circuit that can decode up to 384kHz.

Cayin has gone from being an unknown company in 1994 to a significant player in the headphone space. The brand launched with a series of stereo tube amplifiers that very quickly differentiated themselves from the other budget options of the day.

Cayin RU-6 Discrete R-2R DAC with Headphone Amplifier

The quality of their affordable tube amplifiers caught the attention of the headphone community and the requests for an affordable headphone amplifier started pouring in; the brand responded with the HA-1 and HA-6 headphone amplifiers and the floodgates opened.

Fast forward to 2021 and the brand now offers 5 desktop headphone amplifiers, 2 portable headphone amplifiers, 5 DAPs, and 2 earphones. The success of their headphone-related products enabled the brand to expand their offerings to include 3 CD players, 2 DACs, and 10 stereo amplifiers.

The one product missing from their arsenal has been a Dongle DAC; one of the fastest growing segments in the headphone category and a market that Cayin could not afford to ignore any longer.

Cayin RU-6 Discrete R-2R DAC Parts

Cayin doesn’t have a history of offering the same products as everyone else and the Cayin RU6 is not your typical Dongle DAC. A majority of manufacturers are using SOC designs (system on a chip) that allow them to build a finished product using the least effort and fewest number of components; the Cayin RU6 tosses that methodology out with the ear wax container.

Cayin had previously introduced an R-2R amplifier module for their N6ii DAP so some of the technology here is trickle down. The 24-bit resistor ladder is similar to what was used in the N6ii module, but a more cost effective resistor is used to keep the price in line with expectations and make the product affordable.  

Cayin RU-6 Discrete R-2R DAC Side

Cayin discovered that using the source to control volume digitally introduced way too much noise, so they decided to use a physical volume control on the RU6. They also discovered that there was not an available volume control that fit their needs; none matched their desired specifications or operational standards.

The only logical thing was to design and build their own 99-step thin film resistor array to handle the volume control on the RU6. 

Cayin RU-6 Discrete R-2R DAC with plugs

From there they added optional oversampling, two gain modes, both balanced (4.4mm) and singled-ended (3.5mm) outputs, compatibility with iOS, iPadOS, Android, Windows, most DAPs (via USB-C), and a 1-inch OLED display so all settings are visible without guesswork or multiple button presses to get to the mode desired.

The 3.5mm single-ended socket (0.5 Ohm impedance) delivers 138mW into 32 Ohms; and the balanced 4.4mm Pentaconn socket delivers 213mW into 32 Ohms.

Advertisement. Scroll to continue reading.

Cayin RU-6 Discrete R-2R DAC connected to smartphone

The casework is an aluminum stick that measures 65 x 25 x 14mm; the equivalent of two packages of gum and weighs 28 grams.

The $249 retail price is higher than the THX Onyx but lower than the AudioQuest DragonFly Cobalt that recently went up in price to $329.95.

The Cayin RU6 will go on sale later today (11/24/21) just in time for Black Friday sales and holiday gift giving and might be a perfect option for the audiophile on your list who has everything. 

Our full review of the Cayin RU6 is coming in December.

For more information: en.cayin.cn

Cayin RU-6 Discrete R-2R DAC PCB
Cayin RU-6 Discrete R-2R DAC Exploded

Specifications

Cayin RU-6 Specifications
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Advertisement

Latest Products

Cyrus Audio 40 Series hi-fi audio system components lifestyle

Integrated Amps & Stereo Receivers

The Cyrus Audio 40 series hi-fi components includes matching Integrated Amplifier, Streamer, CD Player and Power Supply for $16,480.

iFi hip-dac 3 Stealth iFi hip-dac 3 Stealth

Headphone Amps

At $199, iFi improves its hip-dac 3 portable DAC/AMP with new Stealth Edition but it's only available through Gramophone.

Schiit Gunnr Gaming Interface Lifestyle Schiit Gunnr Gaming Interface Lifestyle

Headphone Amps

Connect between PC/Mac and headphones to take your gaming to the next level with exclusive Width and Presence controls for $229.

Audio-Technica AT-LP8X Turntable Audio-Technica AT-LP8X Turntable

New Products

At $999, the Audio-Technica AT-LP8X is a three speed semi-automatic direct drive turntable with AT-VM95E cartridge.

Hisense 110UX Championship Edition 4K Mini-LED 110-inch TV Hisense 110UX Championship Edition 4K Mini-LED 110-inch TV

HDTV 4K & 8K TV

After being unveiled 9 months ago at CES, Hisense finally has its 110-inch MiniLED TV for sale in a limited edition version for basketball...

Goldring GR3 Turntable Lifestyle with Q Acoustics M20 Goldring GR3 Turntable Lifestyle with Q Acoustics M20

New Products

At $999, the Goldring GR3 turntable comes with an E3 cartridge and built-in phono preamp for compatibility.

Gift Ideas?

Early Holiday Gift Guide 2024

Gift Guides

New products from Apple, Beats, JBL, Sony and Hisense are sure to be atop everyone's wishlist this Holiday season. Order now to beat the...

You May Also Like

Dongle DACs

Merging artistry and Japanese swordsmanship with cutting-edge audio technology, the iFi GO Bar Kensei is the world’s first ultraportable DAC with K2HD technology.

Audio Cables

Connect to some of the great DACs of the past with ddHiFi's remarkable TC100 and TC100S USB-C to Digital Coaxial Converters.

DACs

Our Editor in-chief takes the iFi GO Bar Dongle DAC on the road with Grado and Meze Audio headphones. Find out what he heard.

Dongle DACs

With support for 32-bit/384kHz PCM and native DSD256, combined with singe-ended and balanced headphone outputs, the $99 HIDIZS S8 PRO Robin could be an...

Dongle DACs

2nd generation Questyle M12i and M15i dongle DACs quietly drop support for MQA, while improving compatibility with Apple devices.

Headphone Amps

Do the folks at FiiO ever sleep? 2024 is barely a week old and the Chinese manufacturer has announced 3 new products already at...

Articles

Not every Dongle DAC/Headphone amplifier plays nicely in the sandbox with Apple iPhones and Android smartphones. The Questyle M15 excels with both.

DACs

For those looking to maximise their desktop space and enjoy hi-res music as they work through a pair of headphones, the FiiO KB3 Hi-Fi...

Advertisement

ecoustics is a hi-fi and music magazine offering product reviews, podcasts, news and advice for aspiring audiophiles, home theater enthusiasts and headphone hipsters. Read more

Copyright © 1999-2024 ecoustics | Disclaimer: We may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site.



SVS Bluesound PSB Speakers NAD Cambridge Audio Q Acoustics Denon Marantz Focal Naim Audio RSL Speakers