Luxury & Precision (LP) Portable USB DAC/AMP W1 and W2 (The new W2-131 Version is Available, Related Info on Post #1)

[Faustchz]

I share the same sentiment, most gear these days are tuned to be neutral it's actually quite hard to find gear with an emphasis on bass like W2.

Hmmmm is there anything preventing you from just plugging your W2 into the DAP? Or just too many items to carry?

It's mostly the ergonomics of a dangling dongle that bothers me. I could tie them together, but if thickness was no longer a concern, I might as well just tie the DAP with a portable amp.

 

[Hyde00]

It's mostly the ergonomics of a dangling dongle that bothers me. I could tie them together, but if thickness was no longer a concern, I might as well just tie the DAP with a portable amp.

Ah yes that makes sense, I guess also point of having a DAP is to have everything in one convenient and neat unit I guess.

Hopefully someone here knows something, sorry I'm clueless when it comes to DAPs.

 

[rarewolf]

A sincere question: do you guys know any DAP that sound exactly like the W2?

I ask this because my recent purchases of DAPs have been awful. I have had the Hiby R3Pro, Shanling Q1, and Hiby New R6 for my IEMs. I voltage-matched all of them around 6mV so that volume differences are controlled and minimized. All of these DAPs are surprisingly lack of bass compared to the W2, let alone my desktop amp. All of them sound really shallow and light-weighted, especially the most expensive New R6, it makes wired IEM sound like Bluetooth. I keep an old Fiio M3Pro which sounds much closer to the W2 than any of those newer gears. It at least has the right amount of bass. I am considering ibasso DX240 or DX300, but really want to make sure they sound at least as good the W2.

Personally, the source for my W2 is a smartphone with access to my media server. However, if I were to consider a DAP, it would only be because it offered equalization, PEQ to boot. Are you telling me DAPs don’t offer equalization??

 

[Andrew_WOT]

It's mostly the ergonomics of a dangling dongle that bothers me. I could tie them together, but if thickness was no longer a concern, I might as well just tie the DAP with a portable amp.

You can get L&P case that attaches to the back of the phone with magnet.
@rarewolf, UAPP has PEQ, if you want it on the phone?
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/usb...ort-for-android.704065/page-120#post-14531516

 

[rarewolf]

@rarewolf, UAPP has PEQ, if you want it on the phone?

… iPhone, unfortunately…

 

[stormwrx]

Selling my W2-131 in the classifieds if anyone is looking for one. Not really using it at my desk these days. Thanks.

 

[lostrockets]

i know this doesnt have a line out, but as far as using this as an input for an amp, how far away is it from being line level? eg 50%, 70% of a true line out?

 

[rarewolf]

i know this doesnt have a line out, but as far as using this as an input for an amp, how far away is it from being line level? eg 50%, 70% of a true line out?

Why not consider configuring the W2 for SPDIF and purchasing a 3.5mm SPDIF-to-coaxial adapter cable?

 

[Andrew_WOT]

Why not consider configuring the W2 for SPDIF and purchasing a 3.5mm SPDIF-to-coaxial adapter cable?

Isn't SPDIF a digital protocol, how do you feed it into amp?

 

[ClieOS]

i know this doesnt have a line out, but as far as using this as an input for an amp, how far away is it from being line level? eg 50%, 70% of a true line out?

Line level is generally defined as the voltage output level with the highest SNR (*presumably into a very high impedance input, like a typical amp input that is a few thousands ohm). This level is not a fixed number and it can changed with different output sources pairing with different input amps.

Anyway, to make life simpler without going into too much detail - just max out W2 volume as long as you didn't hear any obvious clipping on the amp. If you do hear clipping, reduce W2 volume till the clipping goes away.

 

[rarewolf]

Isn't SPDIF a digital protocol, how do you feed it into amp?

You’re correct about it being digital. Most amps but, admittedly not all, offer a coaxial input. It is a simple RCA connector, and the RCA cables designed for coaxial digital are usually better shielded. If yours is an older amplifier it may indeed not offer this type of input.

 

[Andrew_WOT]

You’re correct about it being digital. Most amps but, admittedly not all, offer a coaxial input. It is a simple RCA connector, and the RCA cables designed for coaxial digital are usually better shielded. If yours is an older amplifier it may indeed not offer this type of input.

That only applies to 2 in 1 type of equipment combining DAC and amplifier, nothing to do with new/old, amplifier function is to amplify already decoded analogue signal.
Essentially it turns W2 into USB dongle for use with "older" DACs not featuring USB input.

 

[rarewolf]

That only applies to 2 in 1 type of equipment combining DAC and amplifier, nothing to do with new/old, amplifier function is to amplify already decoded analogue signal.
Essentially it turns W2 into USB dongle for use with "older" DACs not featuring USB input.

Hmmm? … I don’t understand. Why would you use the W2’s DAC as the front end of another DAC?

And… older amplifiers do not have a SPDIF coaxial input because it wasn’t invented yet. If the OP does indeed have an older amp, then he only needs a SPDIF coaxial to L-R RCA adapter.
https://www.amazon.com/Orei-DA21X-Premium-Converter-Headphone/dp/B00F4ORTZ6

 

[Andrew_WOT]

SPDIF - digital
Amp input - analogue
Is there analogue SPDIF I am not aware?
What you linked is essentially a cheap DAC.

 

[ClieOS]

Hmmm? … I don’t understand. Why would you use the W2’s DAC as the front end of another DAC?

And… older amplifiers do not have a SPDIF coaxial input because it wasn’t invented yet. If the OP does indeed have an older amp, then he only needs a SPDIF coaxial to L-R RCA adapter.
https://www.amazon.com/Orei-DA21X-Premium-Converter-Headphone/dp/B00F4ORTZ6

You have said it yourself (red highlighted) that there is no reason to use W2 to feed another DAC, yet the adapter you are suggesting (black highlighted) is exactly what you said people shouldn't use, so what are you saying? That kind of adapter is on its own a DAC (and usually a cheap one). Using an adapter like those pretty much defeats the purpose of having the excellent DAC inside W2 in the first place. So even if the amp haws a SPDIF input (which technically makes it a DAC/amp), it is still kinda pointless to feed W2's SPDIF into it as that will still bypass W2 internal excellent DAC. Given howe good W2's analog output is, just maxing out its volume and feed the analog output directly into an amp will give you the best result.