

Cayin RU7 1-Bit Resistor Network Dongle DAC /Amp


This DAC makes every song come alive with clear vocals, bass, mids, highs.
With some phones PO isnt enough like my samsung s23 ultra, so you need to change to LO output and then it expands this wide soundstage with amazing details and bass.
But with Ipads for example it needs to be switched to PO or else your Iems or headphones will blast your ear drums.
The Cayin RU7 has added an entirely new dimension to my commutes. I formerly listened to largely news talk podcasts, largely due to the dismal sound of Bluetooth precluding serious listening. But The RU7 completely replaces the Android audio system with an exceptionally well-engineered and constructed miniature DAC with a very clean and powerful analog amplifier section.
This is a DSD transcoder, rather than a simple DAC, Cayin feels that the DSD output is superior to linear PCM. I cannot argue with the results. The sound is as analog as an R2R but retains the resolution of multibit conversion. The sound is as close to a high end R2R as I've heard.
The downside of this performance is that the RU7 will murder your phone's battery in cold blood, but you can adjust the settings to mitigate the power draw. The bit rate settings are key. My almost new sample was already set at DSD256 which is the highest resolution and the most processing which requires more power. Adjusting the bit rate to 128 or 64 will help with battery life.
The bitrate settings are also useful in tuning the sound of the RU7, with the higher settings being the smoothest sounding, but often a bit too unengaging. Lowering the bit rate will help in that instance, increasing detail at the cost of some smoothness. Different settings will suit different tastes and genres. I use DSD128 most of the time as I find it the best balanced, but experiment to find your ideal setting.
The unit does run quite warm at times, no surprise given the hundreds of discrete resistors and components, but it is never uncomfortable to touch. This is a great sounding dongle that shows you just what one of the world's best tube amp makers can do in the dongle market. Best sounding dongle DAC I've heard and well worth the price.
I have been an audio junkie for as long as I can remember. I have watched components get smaller and simply better when it comes to sound reproduction.
I had read about the RU6 and almost bought it but then I read the RU7 was coming so I waited as I read the RU6 just sucked battery power like crazy.
I have a plethora of desktop and Bluetooth dongles but most of them are what you find on Amazon and work pretty well for what I need them to do.
I decided to "upgrade" to the RU7 so I can use it with my PC and my phone plus, I wanted a bit of a "sound upgrade" on my phone. I seem to have become a bit more discerning (spoiled) when it comes to sound reproduction since my desktop DAC/AMPs are pretty decent. I wanted something portable, sounded really good, and just easier to move around.
The RU7 sound is just crazy good for how small it is. I can plug it into my phone then my PC/Laptop and so forth. The sound is just amazing for the size. It rivals my desktop DAC/AMPs for under 500.00. No joke. What I have been noticing is I am using this little guy more as a desktop replacement. It's just too convenient. I put on a pair of IEMs (or headphones) and just listen to my music and of course, Teams calls if it's on my work laptop. If I need to move it to another system, or my phone, I simply unplug it from one and plug it into the other.
From a sound perspective, it's just really good. The bass, mids, and treble are all done very well for something that fits into your hand. Like, surprisingly good. I love the screen. It has balanced and 3.5. It has drivers for my laptops and desktops and it didn't break the bank.
Some of you might be wondering about the battery draw and I was concerned about that as well. It does draw power from the device. My laptops are almost always plugged in but my phone is not. I have a newer phone and I had it running last week for about 2 hours off my phone, plugged into the balanced port. I was streaming music and noticed, after about 2 hours, that my phone was down 13% from a full charge. So, yeah...something to pay attention to. If you are playing music "locally" from your device you might get less of a draw from the battery.
Open Box. I bought the open box version from Music Teck and as always it shipped fast and looked good as new when I got it. Andrew and his team always answer any questions I have and do a great job when it comes to support. I wish I could afford some of the higher-end stuff from Music Teck but, when I have the opportunity (and the money) I head to Music Teck first. Just a great company to buy from.
Overall, the RU7 was what I was looking for. I have a terrific DAC/AMP that's portable, sounds fantastic, and can be moved around my devices with no issues at all. With how good these dongles are becoming, I wonder just how good the next generation of dongles will be. Do they really replace these large desktops setups? Guess we're all about to find out. For now, I'm just going to enjoy the RU7. What a great dongle.
Prompt delivery and replies for some aftersale query I had with the unit. Audioteck is an amazing seller! My second time dealing with them and there will be more!
I sifted through too many comparison videos and reviews looking for something more natural and perhaps analogue sounding to replace my basic Fiio BTR5. Huge upgrade in sound quality. Also steps up my Fiio K7 Pro's sound using the line out on the Ru7. Very pleased with it!
I’ll be honest, at first these were not good. Bright, shrill, piercingly sharp highs and a deeply recessed midrange with little bass, although what low end they did have was tight and clean. In short, if you hear these and that’s your initial impression, give them time. A lot of it. These took at least 100 hours to fully start to break in. They are still pretty V shaped (I only recently saw Crin’s graph and it does align with my sonic impressions) and the upper bass and mids could do with being slightly more fleshed out and fuller bodied IMO. But with much tip swapping (I tried foams but wound up with Type E’s and W1’s) and replacing the stock cable for an inexpensive OCC copper cable these started to improve drastically.
They still have some recession in the midrange, but the high frequencies greatly smoothed out while still retaining ample detail and clarity. Muted or veiled these are not. They are also not basshead IEM’s. The low end is tight and with good punch and well defined with excellent pitch accuracy and zero bleed in to the lower mids, but they aren’t sub bass monsters. I have other less expensive single DD sets that dig deeper in that area and it’s one thing I think that holds these back a little along with the midrange dip.
Even with the recession in the midrange making vocals (both male and female) sound a little thin on occasion they are remarkably clear and clean. I don’t get much sibilance on these, but I find myself riding the volume control more often to hit that sweet spot. A warmer source device is probably also a good idea here, but I favor more neutral sources and “flavor” my sound with the transducer itself.
What really sets these apart for me personally though from others I’ve heard in similar price points are the pinpoint imaging and staging. Both laterally and fore and aft. There is good layering here not just a flat 2 dimensional sound stage. But the imaging is just outstanding and they are soundstage champs.
While they are decent all rounders, smaller jazz quintets and chamber music are sometimes jaw droppingly good in all the right ways. Even rock, jazz, and soul & funk records sound great on these. They have the bass to propel a wide variety of genre’s, but metal heads should probably look elsewhere. As mentioned, they will reveal brighter source material as being such, and they don’t really hit hard enough in the bass to balance the rest of the frequencies to make that kind of music really kick IMO. Although AC/DC sounds marvelous on these. Slayer, not so much.
They aren’t a set that makes everything sound good, but they will reward with higher quality source material. I appreciate that they’re not making all my music sound the same. That’s the job of a good transducer. So they’re revealing, but not at the expense of limiting everything you play be “audiophile” recordings.
But I can’t stress enough just how important the tips and cable are with these. What comes with them will not show their true measure. And be patient with letting them break in. For some reason this set seemed to take an abnormally long time to smooth out and reveal their true character. Once they do though you wind up with something truly special.
I also have to mention the fit of these because for my ears at least, they fit like a glove. I know it’s just an aluminum shell version with the same profile and shape of the original Qdc Superior, but for some reason these just fit me perfectly.
A set that’s definitely worth owning, but not without flaws and probably not for everyone, but still one I keep reaching for almost instinctively. They just feel right to me. Huge thanks to MusicTeck for being the only place in the US to get these very special and unique IEM’s and their excellent customer support and service.
With the high quality silver wire, the sound is clear, accurate, comfortable. It deserves the price. A very good wire. Recommend to all.
I was at Can Jam NYC looking at the Vertex cable and the rep show me the Thunder Storm, as soon as I put the cable on I told the rep I want one not knowing the cost, impressive with the huge sound stage, great bass and clarity. That day I purchased the vertex Nadia and the Flash Acoustic Thunder Storm. Thank you for making my day
Super black, the darkness in the back ground is amazing, sound stage is great the weight in the bass is very satisfying, so much details. I am so happy with Vortex
This is the best headphone for the money in this price range. The design is in pair for what I paid for and the sound is one of the best , regardless of the price. Thanks MusicTech!!!