Cayin C9II Portable Headphone Amplifier Review

The Cayin C9II is a portable headphone amplifier that the page describes with a Gen5 NuTube 6P1 circuit, Classic and Modern tube timbres, a Solid State option and a high or low anode setting. The amplifier is described as fully discrete and fully symmetric with four channels, and its page text lists no DAC. HiFiGO's page prices it at $2,399, and the page text gives no output power, battery or weight.

Specifications

Options and pricing

The C9II appears in one option, C9II Titanium, at $2,399 under the Color heading, orderable when the page was read and with no crossed-out price. The page text lists no cables, case, power adapter or box contents, and does not name the plug sizes behind its single-ended and balanced input and output modes.

How it compares

The Cayin RU9 is $499.99 against $2,399 here, also uses a NuTube 6P1 and adds two AK4493SEQ chips named in its title, where the C9II page text names no DAC. The iBasso PB6 MACAW is $499 and is a tube headphone amplifier with four JAN6418 tubes by its title. The QULOOS MUB5 R2R is $1,300 and its spec line mentions a resistor array matched to 0.01% tolerance. The C9II suits buyers who want a dedicated tube amplifier with feedback and anode switching; the RU9 suits those who want a DAC in the same box at a lower price.

Shipping, returns and warranty

HiFiGO sells from hifigo.com and says every order leaves its warehouse in China, usually 1-3 business days after it is placed, and says its delivery times are estimates, not promises. Its shipping policy gives the United States 1-2 weeks (about 10 days on average) by Priority and 6-10 days by Premium, both with duties and taxes prepaid by the store; Canada 2-3 weeks; the United Kingdom 1-2 weeks; and Australia 10-15 days. Express couriers (DHL, UPS, FedEx) take 3-7 days, but then the buyer pays any duties and taxes. No shipping page names New Zealand, PO boxes are not accepted, and the free-shipping thresholds differ between the store's own pages, so check the cart. One of its two shipping pages adds that a lost parcel on an order above $50 gets only a 50% refund. A US buyer reported a $40 tariff charge in August 2025, after which HiFiGO said it had added a customs notice at checkout.

Read the return terms before you order. The homepage advertises 7-day returns. Both of HiFiGO's policy pages offer a 7-day dead-on-arrival cover (a replacement or a full refund, with the return postage refunded) and also describe 30-day returns, but a request made 7 to 30 days after delivery loses 30% of the MSRP as a restocking fee (10% more if the packaging is incomplete), plus shipping both ways and duties, and the FAQ on the same pages says there is no refund or exchange once 7 days have passed. One version recommends reselling an opened product locally. Custom IEMs and custom cables cannot be returned, no return address is published, and buyers describe sending items back to China.

HiFiGO's warranty runs one year from the order date for parts and labor; its policy names desktop DACs and amps, IEMs and dongles at one year and gives cables and adapters three months. HiFiGO decides between repair and replacement, the buyer pays the shipping, and faulty items go back for service, not for a refund. Claims go to [email protected], the only contact the store lists: its pages name no company, street address or phone, and its terms are governed by the laws of China.

On Trustpilot, HiFiGO had 4.6 out of 5 from 378 reviews when we checked on 2026-10-28 (91% five-star, 5% one-star), and it had replied to about 75% of negative reviews; Trustpilot notes the store has not invited customers to review recently. The one-star reviews mostly concern the short return window and the deductions on returns, items listed in stock that turned out back-ordered, slow email support and a tariff charge on a US delivery in 2025. HiFiGO says its products are genuine and come in the brands' retail packaging; it does not claim to be an authorized dealer.