A long over-due comparison between Lotoo S1, LP W1, and LP W2.
Finally got some time to do a serious comparison among the three. Thanks to Andrew
@MusicTeck for sending me the S1 and W1 for a review. I own the W2 myself.
There has already been enough illustration of the packaging and accessories of these three products, so I will go directly to the functionality and sound. If you think some additional comparisons are necessary, let me know and I will try to enhance this post.
The three products share a lot of things in common, yet are also quite different from each other. I will divide this review into two parts: the common, and the difference.
The common
The Physical Aspect.
- Size and weight-wise, the three are comparable. S1 might be slightly longer, but you really wouldn't realize this too much when holding them on hand. From left to right are: S1, W2, and W1.
Functionality:
- They all include a set of EQs for various genres of music and certain application contexts (like Game). In general, I have found the EQ on all three devices to change the sound in quite a noticeable way; however, whether the change is desirable is a relatively subjective question. To me, Lotoo has done a slightly better job here in tuning the EQ. But, after some use, I end up just going with the normal/no EQ setting in all three devices as this seems to be the best all-rounder setting.
- They all have two outputs: 3.5 and 4.4. Even today, this does not seem standard in all the dongles, so I am glad that all three devices have both balanced and unbalanced output.
- All of them have a LED screen to show the current status of the device, and a couple of side bottoms to adjust the volume and change settings. IMO, these settings should have been standard in the dongles at this price range (around $200), but I am surprised to find that this is still not the case. In daily use, the screen and physical bottoms are extremely useful.
The difference.
There are lots of differences between the three devices. I will start with probably the most important aspect: The sound comparison. I will then cover the functionality and price/value aspect of them.
Sound comparison
I want to first talk about the general differences between the Lotoo dongle versus the two LP dongles. The comparison between W1 and W2 will come afterward.
Lotoo vs. LP
In a direct comparison, the sound from S1 appears to be analytical and a bit "explicit" to the listener. The good side of this is that it is easier for you to capture the emotion of the singer/performer, and some people will call this to be musical. The downside is that it could appear to be a bit too aggressive as S1 has a bit more emphasis on treble, which could cause it to be a bit fatiguing to some people. Me personally, I enjoy the emotional impact of listening to devices, so this tuning suits me very well. For other people, I have clearly encountered listeners to feel the opposite.
On the other hand, the sound from W1/W2 is smooth, with greater textures, and very good for long listening sessions. What impressed me most is that this smoothness is achieved WITHOUT sacrificing the technical aspects of the sound such as great details, soundstage, very black ground, and so on. This is directly enabled by the excellent measurement of both W1 and W2, with W2 to be an even more technically impressive option. I think LP has done an excellent job here in finding out a way to make a technically excellent device non-fatiguing. Trust me, this wasn't easy.
W1 vs. W2
So, how do the two LP dongles compare to each other? Most generally, I would say they go in the same direction. Similar tuning of being smooth, and overall good technical performance between the two. However, upon listening, you can still clearly tell apart the two devices. W2 has a refined sound compared to W1. Things from W2 do not get muffled by the smoothness. Soundstage and details are both better on W2. Overall, W2 is a clear step up from W1.
Finally, I want to have a general comment on pairing with IEMs. I have found all three devices to be pretty versatile. They usually perform quite well regardless of what I throw at them: from $100 gears to $6000 ultra flagship Traillii. Although I have come to notice that the more expensive the IEM is, the better W2 tends to pair with it. In particular, Traillii and W2 make a wonderful pairing based on many user reports. Regarding a specific pairing, I think you can try to judge from the sound signature of these devices and consider whether the device, in a combination with the signature of your IEM/headphone, will suit your taste.
Functionality comparisons:
W1 and W2 have a wider set of settings compared to S1. W1 and W2 have the following extra settings:
- Whether you want the screen to be auto-off;
- Whether you want to be able to control volume from your source device (the "HID KEY");
- The ability to change different filters; they do change the sound on W1/W2 in a noticeable way.
- Some tuning specifically designed for certain IEMs. The first such pairing tuning has been released - it is for the Xelento.
- W1/W2 can produce SPDIF digital output. A lot of people ask why this is useful. Well, if you want to connect your PC to a high-end dedicated DAC, it is very likely that the PC noise can pass through to your DAC through the USB transmission. W1/W2, in this SPDIF mode, can serve as the "filter" in-between and reduce the signal noise entering into your DAC from your PC.
Between W1 and W2, the two devices have an almost identical set of setting options (EQ, screen-on option...) except for one thing: the Tune function. W2 has tune 01 and tune 02 that is supposed to fit different kinds of music, while you do not have this on W1. That is, even within W2, LP provides you with two ways to slightly adjust how the device sounds overall. Mr. Wan told me that the hardware implementation is actually different between tune 01 and 02 on W2, so it is something more than just an EQ.
MQA compatibility
I will not comment on whether MQA is worth it or not, just on the functionality. S1 is now MQA compatible with the latest firmware. W1 and W2 have no plan to implement MQA.
Line-out (LO) mode?
A lot of people ask about whether W1/W2 has a LO mode and can serve as a dedicated source. The answer, after tying it with my external Amp Cayin C9, is a "yes and no". The "yes" aspect is that you can indeed turn the volume to 100 and then feed it into C9's line-in mode. W1/W2 will not create much distortion (assuming you are connecting to a PC, not an iPhone), and the sound is actually pretty enjoyable. The "No" aspect is that it is actually not a "true" LO that completely bypasses the amp function of W1/W2. Hence, you can hear a bit of the "double" amping from doing this: the LP sound signature from W1/W2's amp, and the external amp's sound signature.
It is worth noting that I also try this in Lotoo by turning its volume to 100 and connecting it to C9. The result is very poor. Very soft and distorted sound.
The value
S1 is priced at $165 and comes without a usbc-lightening cable (available at $25 separately). W1 is priced at $199 and W2 at $299; both W1 and W2 include a lightening cable. So, in some sense, S1 and W1 are at the same price, and W2 is apparently more expensive. In the comparison of value, I will agree with Alex's assessment here. Between S1 and W1, it is probably better to go with S1 as it has an overall better sound. However, if you are into the smooth, textured sound, I will strongly recommend you invest a bit more to get W2 as it is a significant step up in technical performance.
Verdict
I think we are at a wonderful time where we have these amazing dongles that can deliver such shockingly good, high-quality sound. They are so convenient to use and many people have found them using these high-quality dongles more so than their dedicated DAPs, especially when using them together with their PC/laptop. In terms of pure SQ, I think these small dongles, especially W2, have no issue in challenging mid-tier DAPs at $700-$1000. However, dedicated DAPs and dongles will always have different use cases as DAPs can work on their own, have a screen, have their own music storage, and so on. Still, options like W1/W2 are highly desirable if you want to get a more handy listening option and do not want to sacrifice in SQ. It is still shocking to me that how much the dongle market has evolved in just a couple of years, and how good these dongles have become.
Seen MC in that 3m contact commercial- he looks pretty good for an old fogie like me. 
too much for me to spend on portable audio ha ha.