I finally tried a RU7, it’s a big overall improvement from the RU6, finally something that can compete fully with the W2 imo. It’s more spacious, more neutral, more organic, and more textured, but I think the W2 is more dynamic, better edge, more resolving of lower level info. Both awesome for dongles, all depends on what you want
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I still need to pick one of these up (RU7). They sound pretty interesting, with lots of positive feedback.
I don’t know if you’ve posted impressions, but have you tried any of the iFi units (GObar/GOldbar)? They’re similar to the W2 (Cirrus chip as well).
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Ah the ifi, no I have not, I’ll have to check that one out while I can
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Does anyone have a recommendation for an IEM that pairs well with the Luxury & Precision W2? Im not sure if im ready to spend more than$500, but I’m easily convinced.
Both my Andromeda and IER-Z1R are pretty excellent with it off my iPhone. Andromeda usually goes for close to or under $500 used.
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For a sub-$500 IEM, I’ve liked the DUNU EST 112 decently well off of the L&P W2.
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Agreed. It’s not quite as dynamic as even some of the last gen stuff, but the timbre is too sweet to ignore and the stage beats something like my Tone2Pro. Resolution is there tho (imo) and I think the DSD modes are the first time any dac “filter” (yeah I know that’s not quite what it is, but whatever) has made a clear difference for me without out really having to pay attention to the nitty gritty. I’ve got my Zen Pros and the RU7 as my mobile/office setup and the combo works very well. I was worried about the PCM > DSD conversion sounding funny, but so far nothing of note there.
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Has anyone compared a w2 vs a questyle m15 or any of the other solid dongles AS A DAC ONLY? whats the best cheap dongle for dac-ing
The m15 is definitely tempting at its price
I’ve recently had the opportunity to compare the two, along with some others.
The CS chip is a more natural sound IMO over the Sabre chip found in the M15. The current amplification is better than the W2’s but I prefer the overall sound of the W2 (both as DACs and as dongles).
The Hiby FC6 is an excellent option. It’s a touch forward in presentation, but has excellent imaging and a very natural timbre (typical R2R trait).
The RU6 is a softer, warmer sound. Very laid back.
The RU7 is also a nice option. It has a more technical sound, but still has that DSD ‘softness’ that people love or hate (I mostly like it).
If the FC6 wasn’t trying too hard (being a bit too forward) it would be my top choice. It also has current mode amplification similar to the M15, but it’s less powerful.
R2R and current mode amplification really seem to hit a sweet spot for me sonically. I’d like to explore this combo in the future with desktop sized gear.
I hope this helped. 
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You had a little trip, useful stuff thanks
Seems like w2 still kinging in 2024 id go for it
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Yeah, W2 is good, but I haven’t heard the W4 which many have said is better. I’m sure I’ll try it eventually.
My favorite so far is actually the iFi GOld Bar, but that’s no longer available. It’s similar to the W2 (same CS chip), but much more refined with more power and impact. It’s really a very sweet sound.
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Impressive coming from ifi sometimes they can really deliver, I heavily regret selling my xdsd gryphon it had so much value and a ton of connectivity, easily pocketable.
I hope they make a version with a slightly more powerful amplifier, the dac it uses is already way too good for the price and size but the amplification kinda tried to accomodate for driving very sensitive iems so it sometimes lacks just a bit of power.
I wonder if the w4 could sound better than the gryphon, it could be very worth trying if so
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Luxury & Precision W4 (and LCD-5)
I picked up an open box W4 about 2 months ago and I’m impressed. This dongle has a lot of power and sounds great as a DAC even with the most revealing of my gear.
The use case for me is extended trips and vacations. I have IEMs I really like, but if I am going to be in the same Airbnb for a week and I have driven there with no concerns about luggage space, I want some favorite over ear headphones. I get up early in the mornings and I like to listen to music before I start answering emails, reading news etc. It is my best focused listening time. I have even gone so far as to bring my Raal and Jotunheim R in a travel case, LOL. But that is big and has a lot of leakage.
This little combination makes more sense, and to my aging ears, sounds incredible.
I got the LCD-5 by trading my D8000 Pro. I am not sure I would have ventured to buy them at full pop because I have no experience with Audeze planars. Previously, the only Audeze I owned was the CRBN. Their planars were just not on my radar for some reason. For all of my trading and buying over the last 4 years, I never owned an Audeze planar. So, I cannot compare these to any previous iterations. What interested me about the LCD-5 was their more compact size and sensitivity. I didn’t want another planar that needed a massive amp or speaker amp. As I listen to the LCD-5, I can only ask what took me so long! I love these, they are very much tuned to my preferences for detail, and with Oratory’s profile, I like them even better. I include them here in the dongle section just to indicate in my opinion the W4 drives them well.
The W4 simply makes me smile. The fact that such great tech can be squeezed into such a small space is exciting. If a lightning strike fried all my gear, I know I’d be able to plug this into a laptop and still have incredible fidelity.
Although it has (I think) slightly lower output than a desktop DAC, I did spend some time with the W4 as a DAC (4.4mm out to XLR) into my Raal VM-1a. Aside from a slightly more intimate presentation, it was otherwise indistinguishable to me from any other DAC I had over the last couple months. This is of course a little fidgety, but still fun to be able to run what I consider my pinnacle system off a phone with no loss of quality. (To my ears at least.)
The only other important dongle I have owned recently was the RU6. They did not overlap so I will not venture to make any sound comparisons from memory, except to say I think the W4 is a bit more powerful, so if you want to use a dongle for over ear headphones, it might be the better choice. The LCD-5 is probably as far as I’d go however. I tried the HD800s on the W4 and it worked, but it was maxed out and the bass sounded terrible. The Verite Closed sounded better than the 800s, but still nothing special on the W4. The Sonorous X sounds great, but those sound great off of anything, even the Apple dongle, they are so very sensitive.
I like what the W4 does for my Final Audio a8000 IEMs, which is a very dynamic and incisive IEM already. The a80000 are inefficient, so the power of the W4 is nice. But the surprising combination with the W4 is my custom 64 Audio a18s. Normally I dislike this CIEM, an impulsive purchase made without ever auditioning the universal version. I almost never think to grab them. But the W4 transforms them, giving them the separation, detail, and texture they lack with other portable solutions. The W4 makes them almost incisive.
In my opinion, this little device meets the high standards of the other elevated gear members here are accustomed to listening to.
My dog Gary thinks so too, seen here wondering why I always have strange things on my head.
Mokhamark
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