I own several DAPs, they just can't beat the convivence of dongles. So I bought several, from $100 ones to $400 ones. W4 is probably the only dongle you need. I also have the W2, bought from MusicTeck as well. W4 is an improvement from every aspect of W2: better details, lower power consumption, higher output power, more expanded stage. The W2 is still a very good device. But the fact that it is discontinued right now and there is W4 existing makes W2 an obvious inferior choice to W4. If you have the budget for W4, or simply want to try the best that a dongle could offer, you will not be disappointed by this device. Also, this dongle is beautifully made, the original leather case is very pretty too.
Like always, MusicTeck is a great website to buy from. Shipment is always so fast and more importantly, the packaging is really nice: always wrapped in bubbles and tightly sealed.
It's been a long time since I was really impressed by some DAC products after 9038pro and AK4499 came out and flipped the desktop DAC market. Yeah, for the portable side of the game, an implementation based on CS43131 is also a significant improvement but somewhat underwhelming without reaching the threshold of theoretically comprehensible optimum. Kudos to L&P for striving above and beyond, even doing their own SIP to present the best CS43131 implementation with a measured SINAD of over 119 dB.
P.S. The leather case is kind of underwhelming compared to the device.
First, the shipping via DHL is escellent.
And, now, via Iphone+Roon ARC, the sound of a 300 ohms earbuds is perfect to my ears, at the good level.
The L&P sound is there !
I own the LP6ti7AE and my listening pleasure continues with the W4.
The same universe, analog and bright, precise and harmonious.
Stellar spec'ed dongle and MusicTeck shipped it to Europe really fast.
I am big fan of a good sound on the go in a small form factor.That's why I decided to buy another USB dongle. Before I had Lotoo Paw S1 and L&P W2.The first one was quite weak for the sound I was looking for but the W2 was a great success.
I am saying that I was, because now I have purchased from this great website the flagship L&P W4.
This is 10% or more better then the W2 in every single aspect including instrument separation, details, soundstage, sub bass.
I can't compare it with the other high end RU7 as I haven't heard it, but the W4 is very detailed, neutral with a black background, it uses very little battery power from your phone and is very powerful for it's size.
I really recommend it to anyone that is interested in quality powerful sound in a small device.
Preamble:
I spent a lot of time with the Triton source, tip, and cable rolling.
I’m not going to go into detail on every source, tip, and cable I rolled, but, offer the following as a general overview of my experience.
👉🏻 Source device sensitive. Warmer sources enhance the sub bass focus of the tuning.
More resolving sources tighten up the bass a bit and adds some definition between sub and mid bass.
👉🏻 Responds accurately to the recorded source. Bass heavy tracks fill the head stage with powerful bass, but, while the bass remains prominent, it eases off to very respectable levels on non bass heavy tracks.
👉🏻 Ear tips do as expected. Wide bore open up the mids, vocals and highs. Head stage opens up a bit.
Narrow bore tips, specifically the included Final E Series tips, favour the bass region and the sub bass is the star of the show.
👉🏻 The included Monarch cable pairs very well with Triton.
But if you find the sub bass focus to be a bit too much (it can be overpowering on bass heavy tracks) I found swapping on a silver plated copper cable gave the mid bass more impact and presence, and, lifted the mids and highs.
Sound:
Bass is the obvious focus of the Triton and for this evaluation I have Triton set up as Empire Ears intended, stock cable and stock ear tips.
I also choose a warmer source device to maximize the bass experience.
The bass is sub predominant and it fully fills the head space.
Mid bass lacks impact on most tracks and is easily over shadowed on sub bass heavy tracks.
Mids, vocals, and highs have very good presence, but they don’t present elevated or forward.
Vocalists for example sound like they are mid stage and pushing forward from there, rather than front of stage and elevated.
Mids have good detail retrieval, but not exceptional.
Highs are clear and bright, but again, not often elevated or overly airy and sparkly. Micro detail retrieval is limited.
The head stage is wide and tall with good depth as well, which gives it a decent holographic presentation.
The tamed presence of the mids and highs does limit imaging and layering.
Instrument placement is not overly precise.
Summary:
It took me some time to come to grips with what I believe Empire Ears was trying to achieve.
A true bass head IEM. No apologies.
Compared to other bass prominent IEM’s I’m familiar with like the Theiaudio Hype 10, 64Audio Volur, and even Triton’s older sibling the Legend EVO.
All of these iEMs have very strong bass presence, but they are configured and tuned to also have a strong mids and highs presence to balance things out.
These are all outstanding IEM’s, but, when you hear a bass heavy track and you crank up the volume for that extra bass boost, the mids and highs can at times become over energetic along with.
With Triton, on bass heavy tracks, you can crank it up to near brain mashing levels without the upper end becoming overbearing.
If EE’s plan was to have a true bass focused IEM with enough mids and highs to work well with a broad range of genre, I’d say they nailed it.
I find Triton works well with most of my library, the exceptions being symphonic and acoustic. Still good, but not the best fit.
Classic rock, blues, pop, rap, certain jazz and even most country sounds very good.
Electronic really shines.
At $1800 usd the Triton is a significant investment.
I typically prefer a more balanced “audiophile” tuning. But I do love my bass as well.
I can listen to Triton for multi hour sessions and enjoy every minute of it.
Triton is definitely for bass enthusiasts.
IS A VERY GOOD CABLE ESPECIALLY ON TH BASS, AS I WAS LOOKING FOR. NOT VERY DETAILED SO NOT GOOD FOR MY VIKING Ragnar or cipur 622b
I mainly compare it with Raven, but as I listened to it, I felt that it was in a different category from Raven. Each has its own merits, so people's preferences may differ. Specifically, Novus has less bass than Raven, making it tighter, and the mids are clearer and more voluminous, making the vocals stand out. The highs are more flexible and a little sparkly. In short, I thought it was a mix of Raven and AK. Novus is also clearer than Reven, with less reverberation and more of a monitor-like feel. Therefore, I thought Novus is more versatile and can be enjoyed in more genres than Reven. In that sense, I thought it was an IEM that was a legitimate evolution of Odin. Novus will demonstrate its potential and produce a better sound when paired with SP3000. Please give it a try.
Dita Project M impressions
The Dita Project M is a hybrid IEM (1 DD & 1 BA) and impresses with it´s beautiful build quality.
The shell is made of clear resin that looks stunning. The MOCCA cable comes with a interchangeable AWESOME plug (APV-2). It´s constructed of 16 strands of Cardas conductors per cable, it´s light and nice to wear.
Bass
The bass is precise and controlled without being overpowering. It reaches deep down, but does not overemphasize the lower frequencies. The clean and crisp sub-bass is particularly noticeable, adding foundation to the sound without overpowering the other frequency ranges.
Mids
The mids are clear and detailed, resulting in an excellent reproduction of voices and instruments. They appear natural and have a warm note that makes them particularly musical without overemphasizing them.
Treble
The treble of the Dita Project M is finely resolved and offers a lot of airiness without sounding sharp or strained. Even at higher volumes, they do not become unpleasant.
Sound stage
The sound stage is wide and offers a realistic spatial representation. You have the feeling of being in the middle of the music, with a good staggering of the instruments and clear separation of the individual elements. The imaging is precise and allows to localize the position of the individual instruments exactly
Conclusion
The Dita Project M offers balanced and detailed sound with outstanding build quality.
The bass is controlled, the mids and highs are clear and clean, and the soundstage offers an impressive depth.
The Project M is particularly impressive in terms of imaging and offers a great listening experience for audiophiles who value precision and detail at a great price. After 3 months of enjoyment, I can say that I will definitely keep them.