bassheadnewbie
New Head-Fier
Okay, thanksIt depends what headphones/IEMs you are using. The R5 is more powerful than the dongles, but if your headphones are easy to drive, you may not need all that power. I like the R5’s sound but if you are streaming, it’s really crippled by its poor WiFi connectivity, which is somehow worse now than when I got it (on the same network). It’s also not the most responsive of interfaces with a very outdated processor. On the flip side, the dongles will deplete your phone’s battery and if you are using an iPhone the connection to the phone can be an issue. Of the dongles you mention, I have the W2, which I think sounds just terrific, but again the power is limited by what the phone it’s connected to can provide. For power requirements of different headphones, see e.g. http://www.digizoid.com/headphones-power.html
I prefer for sound quality, maybe the dongle is the right choice for me.