As I sit listening to War on Drugs, I am reminded of not just how much I missed my Lotoo for 3+ weeks. My cables became compromised (my best cat) right when my PAW S2 arrived.
And so I am comfortably at Vol 47 on Flat with the new PAW S2. Easy to compare from a razor-sharp memory, despite the absence from my PAW S1. I read several reviews that leaned me into asking Andrew @ MusicTeck a couple questions, but he wisely did not sell me on these, and rather let me read a more detailed review by an expert greater than I.
In a word, the PAW S2 is brilliant. Sure, louder. But the music is more forward on my Unique Melody MEST than before. I did not have issues with my S1 amp or my UM MEST. But as a guy into tech, you learn to grow into new shoes each year or so. The S2 will drop you to your knees a bit. The sheer presence of texture will bring it.
It is well far more warm, textured, deep and fast in the sub-bass and I’m hearing very thinly audible nuance at the high end on the same songs I’ve heard 20x before. It’s reaching me, subconsciously, deeper into the music than before.
And maybe the best thing I can say for this amp is “you don’t know what you don’t know.” What you are not hearing on the S1 you don’t know is actually there. I hope that helps. I’m just a guy who loves his instruments, his vocals — this passes through my ears like the fingernails of a lover scratching my back. It feels like THAT.