Lotoo PAW S1 Portable USB DAC-Amp

The Lotoo Paw S1 DAC is a remarkable audio companion that delivers exceptional performance. Its compact and stylish design makes it a portable powerhouse for audiophiles on the go.

The sound quality is nothing short of stunning. The Paw S1 produces a clean, detailed, and immersive audio experience, with an impressive signal-to-noise ratio and minimal distortion. Whether you're listening to music, watching movies, or gaming, this DAC ensures that every nuance of the audio is crystal clear.

One of the standout features is its support for a wide range of audio formats, including high-resolution formats like DSD and MQA. This versatility ensures that you can enjoy your music in its purest form, regardless of the source.

The build quality is top-notch, with a robust aluminum chassis that feels premium in hand. The user-friendly interface and customizable settings make it easy to fine-tune the sound to your preferences. Plus, the inclusion of both single-ended and balanced outputs adds flexibility to your setup.


While it's an excellent DAC, the Paw S1 does come at a premium price point. However, for serious audiophiles who demand uncompromising audio quality, it's a worthy investment.

In conclusion, even in 2023 the Lotoo Paw S1 DAC impresses with its superb sound quality, format support, and premium build. It's a fantastic choice for those who prioritize audio excellence and are willing to invest in a high-quality DAC for their audio setup.

Disclaimer: The unit was provided as a part of a review tour by ConceptKart but all thoughts and opinions are my own. You can purchase the S1 here.

Build Quality
Unassuming looks, picking up the unit instantly conveys its solid all metal build quality. Its got the reassuring heft of metal to it.
There is no doubt in my mind that the S1 is one of the better built dongles out there along with something like the Hidizs S8 with its elegant glass sandwich. The S1 has a full metal jacket.




Functionality
The main attraction of the S1 is the advertised EQ profiles, of which there are plenty to choose from. On deeper digging, a few of these presets work out nicely, the others adding high amounts of distortion and artefacts. I particularly liked the "Headphone" preset with...you guessed it, headphones. It made the sound quite balanced and enjoyable.
It has both 3.5mm and 4.4mm outputs, pushing out 70mW@32 and 120mW@32 respectively. For earphones, there is more headroom than you will ever need. I tried out the 300ohm HD650 to see how it fares off the 3.5mm output. Switching to high gain is mandatory for insensitive big headphones. It drives it just satisfactorily off the 3.5mm output. It does a slightly better job with more headroom off the 4.4mm output.
All things considered, the sound appeared slightly veiled and dull, indicating it does not push enough voltage to drive high impedance headphones. Not unsurprising, given the tiny form factor of this. I would recommend sticking to earphones for the S1 for which it was intended. The connectivity was totally hassle free with driverless plug and play for Windows (tested) and MacOS.



Sound Quality
The sound of the S1 is easily identifiable, in the sense of how it colors the sound. The sound is warm, laid back and smooth. Top end is definitely rolled off but in a natural way. I would like to put it in a different way : the top end is not boosted one bit.
This means cautious pairing, as warm sounding earphones might not play well with the S1. With the rolled off treble and smooth overall sound, you do some fine micro details though. The midrange is lush and full bodied with enough transparency. I would say the bass is mostly natural, aiming for a more "blooming" presentation with its slightly slower decay than push every last texture in your ears. The bass is definitely adequate for all situations.
The presentation of the bass enhances the overall enjoyability. The headstage and separation it provides is mostly natural i.e it depends on the earphone you use. Rest assured, the S1 won't get in the way of your earphones in this aspect.



Conclusion
The S1 is a rare sight in the dongle-verse due to its uncommon sound signature. It has a strong character to its sound which makes it quite memorable. And not to forget the excellent build quality. With the right pairing, this combination will be a match made in heaven.

Intro:

Lotoo, well known for their Paw 5000 and Paw Gold daps had jumped into the USB dongle market early last year. What's great about a dap maker making a dongle is, they know what the consumer likes and their tuning abilities are much better than those without much experience in the source Market.

The Paw S1 is a very good looking, well equipped user friendly dongle. It has an AKM 4377 DAC chip, even though it's an entry level chip it can do more than what all of us use on daily basis. Keep in mind the DAC doesn't produce power or anything, DAC is the brain, it's the AMP which brings the power and it seems the S1 has a good AMP which is decently powerful.

Get one from here:

https://conceptkart.com/collections/lotoo/products/lotoo-paw-s1-portable-usb-dac-and-amp#



ACCESSORIES AND PACKAGING:

Paw S1 has a small petite cardboard retail box with all the specs and information printed on it.

Unboxing experience is fairly simple. The dongle is first thing out of the box while a type C to C cable and a USB A adapter are stuff in hard foam. There is a warranty card inside the box and that concludes the list of accessories out of the box.



BUILD QUALITY:

I really like the way the S1 looks. It has a small LED display with glass protection while the body is made out of metal. There isn't anything wobbly or unstable about it. It has 3 buttons on it and they have excellent feedback too. The USB cable with fiber braiding on it looks premium and should last longer than most.







SOUND QUALITY:

Paw S1 is a very capable dongle. I love the way it looks a it sounds very good too. I have a few dongles and one with the exact DAC chip too and I know what this AKM4377 chip is capable of. Lotoo has tuned things nicely and the built-in EQ system is a refreshing addition to spice things up. Unlike others these EQs are different from each other without sounding unnatural or stressed. They add the required flavoring while the stock tuning is slightly warmer and fuller than the more accurate and similarly equipped HUD 100 MK2.

The sound signature is slightly tilted towards providing a fun yet accurate sound. The whole spectrum has excellent agility and clarity with very good details.

The lower end is not flat like HUD 100 MK2 and is a bit fuller than the Qudelix 5k giving it a more rounded and satisfying feel. It has very good sub bass extension but I do feel a bit of rumble is missing while the mid bass is responsible for the fuller and meatier body. It doesn't lack much details but it doesn't have the extra texture of the HUD 100 MK2 or Qudelix 5k. The decay speed is slightly slower, providing the notes a more appropriate body while the other two can sound a bit thin and less intriguing.

Mid range is where the S1 excels. It has one of the best vocals, both male and female vocals sound pleasing with excellent texture and body. Male vocals have nice throaty feel while the female vocals are accurately sharp. I definitely would have liked a bit more consistency when it comes to emphasis across the spectrum as it starts to get a bit wobbly just after the vocals. The upper mids and lower treble are the most affected regions where two notes of same guitar have different dynamics, timber and energy. It definitely will love to see a improvement there. It doesn't lack details or clarity and doesn't have peaks to be wary of. Treble region is where the competition pulls ahead. Both the HUD 100 MK2 and Qudelix 5k have been consistency and energy till the end while the S1 doesn't excels with both extension and upper treble energy.

Layering and separation is not a weak point of this dongle but does have a bit of wider base making the floor sound slightly less spacious.

Pairing with IEMs:

With KBear Neon:

Neon is a single BA based IEM but is slightly tricky to drive. It can handle a lot of power and the Paw S1 has plenty of it even with the 3.5mm output. I find this pairing to be very good. S1 brings out the finer details in the mid range while expanding the stage in every direction. Use a bassy EQ and the Neon is not analytical anymore. Its lack of upper treble definition doesn't help the Neon but that is okay.



Campfire Mammoth:

This IEM pairs really well with the S1. Both complement each other. The slight lack of finishing definition of the mid range instruments are more defined now. It does tighten up the lower end but then the availability of EQ makes up for it without much problem. The treble region of the Mammoth is very good and the S1 adds some of its resolution to it making this pairing very enjoyable. Both are not excellent with upper treble region and this is where the S1 is gives in the Mammoth.



COMPARISON:

VS Qudelix 5k and HUD 100 Mk2:





CONCLUSION:

Paw S1 is a very capable DAC/Amp with a sturdy build quality. Sound quality is very good at $150 but there is more accurate and cleaner sounding DAC/Amps in the market, known as Qudelix 5k. What sets this apart is S1's set of built in EQs, it's a bonus addition which helps with flexibility. Unlike most EQs this set of EQ are very good while having their own flavor.

The biggest advantage of the Paw S1 is its 4.4mm balanced output. There aren't many DAC/Amps available here in India with this termination making it a lot more desirable.