Cayin, hailing from China has been making high quality audio products since 1993. They have been very active with their range of sources. Mostly known for their high quality desktop DAC/amps and portable players they rose to glory with their N7 DAPs and haven’t looked back since then. They have an arrey of products under their belt but their portable USB dongles DAC/amps are highly popular and since the launch the mantle has been carried by their highly popular USB dongle DACs, RU6 which still is one of the rare USB dongles will R2R and RU7 which has 1bit decoding capabilities. Earlier this year they launched their flagship USB DAC/amp RU9 with tubes and very recently Cayin has launched their cheapest USB DAC/amp, RU3. Priced at just $100 it has more capable amp section that produces nearly twice as much power as their more expensive RU7 and RU6 and this time around, we have a colour display too. Interestingly, Cayin has launched their app to offer better usability but its Custom EQ section needs a bit more attention. I will be comparing this beauty with a couple of similarly priced dongles like Tanchjim Luna and Shanling UA6. Let’s explore!!
Get one from these links:
For our Indian buyers:
UNBOXING AND ACCESSORIES:
RU3 comes in a small, cute looking box. Lift the upper cover and we have the dongle staring at us, stuffed in foam. Just like any other USB dongle DAC/amp , we barely get any accessories except a C to C cable, no C to A adaptor here. There is some documentation that ends the list of things out of the box.
BUILD QUALITY AND CONNECTIVITY:-
RU3 is fairly compact, usual for dongles in this price range. With dimensions of 60/ 25.4/ 11mm it tips the scale at just 24G. Thanks to its metal housing, it feels sturdy and can take a few dings without any obvious damage. The only problem I see here are the sharper edges which should have been more rounded. Its colors are eye catching too. We get a good looking 0.96 inch color display. Its round buttons look aesthetically pleasing and have good tactile feel to them.
TECH TALK, DRIVING POWER AND BUTTONS:-
RU3 is one of the most formidable portable DAC/AMPs under $100. It can be used with mobile phones and PCs but looking at its size and convenience I assume most of the users use it with their mobile phones while on the go. It houses an ESS 9069Q2M chip which can handle PCM up to 32-bit/768kHz and native DSD512. Doesn’t matter which port is in use the RU3 delivers plenty of power, going as high as 560mw per channel at 32ohm while the 3.5mm can do 180mw per channel. It supports UAC 1 for gaming consoles.
APP AND NAVIGATION:
We get a decent app to control the settings of the RU3, it got the filter and gain settings but sadly the PEQ isn’t available at the time of writing, I hope it will be available soon. For navigation within the dongle, hold the home button for a couple of seconds to enter the settings, use the volume + and – buttons to navigate the menu, press the hold button to enter and use + – buttons for options, press the home button to select and hold it a couple of seconds for default screen.
SOUND QUALITY:
This is my first review of a Cayin product but I have previously auditioned a couple of their more expensive USB DAC/amps. RU7 with its bit perfect capabilities sounded slightly more rounded and smoother while the RU3 is slightly more engaging and considerably more powerful than both RU6 and RU7. We still get a warmish signature with very good end to end extension.
I have used a handful of IEMs, mostly Kiwi Ears Septet and Sivga Que UTG for this review.
BASS:
I love this to be real, it’s not turned for best resolution or clarity but the soothing feeling while extracting most of the details and clarity, puts a smile on my face. Overall we get a slightly warmish lower end with a bit of focus on mid bass body with very good sub-bass extension too but the rumbles and body isn’t as big or full. Mid bass is a bit fuller and heavier yet fairly clear of bloating or muddy passages. RU3 doesn’t add more area or change the flow of the notes but slightly slows the notes giving them the extra bit of weight and punch. So how’s the dynamics? It’s very good. “Sucker for pain” shows its ability of keeping the upper bass notes separated from mid bass notes. If the IEM has well layered delivery, RU3 will only add better resolution to them. We get a bit more texture too. The best thing is it can add a bit more oomph to balanced sounding IEMs, making them more engaging.
Mids:
If your IEM is a bit hard edged and slightly shouty, pairing it with RU3 is one of the best things that can happen to it.
The instruments are not lacking resolution or definition but are on the calmer and slightly smoother side which takes of the extra sharpness and excess energy, offering a bit more tranquility and cohesion. It offers excellent macro dynamics while the micro details might feel slightly less transparent. I do find the decay to be slightly slower which gives the notes a wider landing area making them more comfortable but does sacrifice a bit of cleanliness, back and foreground contrast and layering. On the other side we get better texture, more organic and pleasing timber and tonality with vocals. Male vocals sounds a bit more throaty and grunty while female vocals are slightly less sharp or accurate making them very much comfortable. There is no upper mid energy to worry about either so it’s a smooth sailing with the RU3.
HIGHS:
Even when it’s not very energetic, we do get aptly sparkly, agile and lively presentation. I am impressed with the extra resolution, transparency and energy it offers when compared to the RU7. I like this slightly forward yet aptly clean presentation, delivering engaging and comfortable notes without any scope for sharpness. While doing all this, we get very good extension and I won’t hold my words while appreciating its above average clarity and definition. We get very good layering and separation with good amount of air between instruments.
It’s not all rosy though, RU3’s only flaw can be found here. Can be, because this might not be a flaw for you, but if you put it through high BPM music like house, or synths while using a warm sounding IEM, it’s hard to ignore a hint of clipping, making it slightly less clean and resolving.
STAGE AND IMAGING:-
The Stage size of the RU3 is very good for the price. We get a well expanded stage with excellent height and width. The Z-axis depth is slightly lacking but it’s not something we get with other DAC/Amps in this price range either so, no complains. Imaging is very good, so is the out of the head presence of instruments. Instruments have nice density and even distribution, it don’t feel clumsy, cramped or hollow.
PAIRING WITH IEMS:
Kiwi Ears Septet:
Septet when paired with neutral sounding sources can be a bit boring but pairing it with the RU3 yields much better tonality and cohesion. Another thing to keep in mind is, Septet needs good amount of power to open up and RU3 has plenty of power to drive it effortlessly. Septet gains a bit more mid bass body and rumbles with added air movement. Mid range gains a bit more body too, especially vocals sound fuller and more organic while the highs are slightly more comfortable too. Good thing is, it easily maintains resolution and definition across the spectrum.
Sennheiser HD569:
Can this power a full sized headphone? The short answer is yes, it does a decent job of driving this reasonably demanding headphone. We get a slightly warmer presentation across the spectrum, mid bass gains a bit more body, it offers slightly fuller notes too. Male vocals sound fuller and throatier, female vocals could have been slightly taller yet offers well enough finishing energy. It offers a more natural and organic tonality throughout the mid range. Treble on the other hand sounds slightly softer but offers good agility and reasonable air between instruments, it could have been slightly cleaner though. Stage gains a bit more height but the Z-axis depth isn’t something to write home about.
COMPARISONS:
VS Shanling UA6:
VS Tanchjim Luna:
Luna is a more balanced sounding source with a precision and accuracy oriented output. It has tighter bass, offers slightly better sub-bass rumbles while the overall area of impact is smaller. It is a bit cleaner with the upper bass too. Mid range sounds slightly less full or organics, vocals aren’t as juicy and can be slightly dry with the timber. It offers better resolution and more transparency with micro details. Highs are a bit more extended with better air between instruments too. RU3 has a taller stage while Luna has a slightly width. RU3 is more subtle with the background instruments while Luna sounds less contrasty.
It has EQ support in the APP but on the down side, it has no display and is more susceptible to scratches.
CONCLUSION:
Color me impressed, RU3 is a big step forward for $100 USB dongles. I have used a handful of dongles in this price range and I have to admit RU3 sounds complete while offering a lot of power with good amount of refinement and clarity. The good thing is, there is no compression or unnatural phases, while offering very good tonality and resolution across the spectrum. It would have been better if the PEQ was ready but I guess it will be available soon. Overall, RU3 offers excellent value proposition.
One Response
Cayin’s done it again.