Hello! Unfortunately I have not yet tried the RU7 and do not have one on hand. However comparing the power output specs shows that the K11 has more power, especially on its 4.4mm BAL output, I hope this helps.

Hi, How would you compare the performance vs the RU7 (well powered)?

That would be helpful information and make your good, systematic reports even more useful!

WOw!This is the comparison I was waiting for! Thank’s for your analysis Ed. I got my mouse on the “buy” button for a Musician Pegasus since yesterday but reading your comments just might me go ahead and do it!

Hi Roger! Unfortunately I do not have access to a DX3 Pro plus for comparison.

Thank you Ed! This was very illuminating!

Thanks Ed for your insights.

I own RU6, RU7, Denafrips Ares II (in the past), and Musician Draco. The DAC stage of the K11 R2R is a class above RU6, and provides probably 85% of the performance of Ares II or Draco for 1/4 of the price. It easily defeats the RU6, it’s not even a contest. The RU6 makes far too many compromises in order to function off of a phone battery, and to be easily pocketable. Space and power constraints conspire to limit the RU6’s performance to a huge degree. What K11 R2R’s DAC lacks to really be on level with the Musicians and Denafripses of the world is a higher degree of detail extraction and bottom end extension.

As for a lot of the deficiencies mentioned for the K11 R2R in this review, I attribute much of it to the highly mediocre amplifier in the K11. Hook the K11 R2R to a better amplifier and let the magic truly bloom. I’ve run my K11 R2R in my primary speaker chain (Freya+ rolled with Linlai E-6AN7 tubes, Fosi V3 Monos, KEF LS50 Metas, and an SVS SB-3000 subwoofer) as well as with an xDuoo TA-66 driving modified HD 6XX and also Monolith M1070C planar cans and the sound is just astounding for the price point. It really held decent ground in the speaker chain against my normal configuration (Gustard U18 DDC sending I2S to Musician Draco), except, as I said, for some bottom end extension and a slight lack of detail extraction. The missing detail extraction with K11 R2R is what will force buyers to decide what they prefer between, “R-2R sound,” and delta-sigma sound, which will get you that detail, but is less musical, less holographic. When you get into the Musicians, Denafripses, Gustards, it is only then that you get the best of both worlds, the musical and holographic, you-are-there presentation combined with the detail extraction where you miss nothing.

-Ed