Candidate asked about salary 5 minutes into the first round interview

I had a first round interview this morning and about five minutes in the candidate asked what the salary range was because they didn’t want to go through multiple rounds if it wasn’t close to what they expected. I get why they asked since a lot of people have been burned by long processes that end with a low offer, but the awkward part was the hiring manager never gave me a clear range, just a rough idea. I had to answer in a vague way and I could feel the candidate losing interest a bit. The rest of the call was fine but the energy definitely shifted. Honestly I don’t blame candidates for asking early anymore but it still puts recruiters in a weird spot sometimes.