[MidFiMoney]

Yeah. However the reviewer seems to prefer the RU7 to the W4 (checking the votes of the table). Oh and also reading the table you can see that the W4 is overpriced compared to other dongles:

The reviewer also states that he prefers a more “analog” sound which explains why he leans towards the RU7. Sound is subjective and so is perceived value. I haven’t heard the Cayin dongles but based on everything I’ve read/seen, the W4 is the better choice for my tastes.

 

[lycos]

The reviewer also states that he prefers a more “analog” sound which explains why he leans towards the RU7. Sound is subjective and so is perceived value. I haven’t heard the Cayin dongles but based on everything I’ve read/seen, the W4 is the better choice for my tastes.

This!! Some people love R2R laid back, analogues sound. Some love chip-based dac precision.

Rank list in this hobby shouldnt be taken too seriously. Its very subjective.

 

[MidFiMoney]

Luxury & Precision (L&P) W4


W4 is the latest dongle from L&P. At $449 + $33 case, it’s possibly the most expensive usb dongle DAC/amp in the market at the moment.

The dongle includes a simple text screen. Volume can be adjusted via control wheel. I found it to be responsive and intuitive. Also its location prevents accidental vol adjustment.
The case has magnet inside and includes magnet sticker for phone. This allows w4 to be attached to your phone.

In term of sound quality, w4 performs beyond my expectation. Its amazing L&P can push the limit on how good a dongle can sound.


To put things into perspective, its technicality is far above my Sony A306 DAP. It’s almost (or possibly) on par with my Chord Mojo2 which costs 50% more and has been my benchmark for portable amp/dac. (As a side note, I treat Hugo2 as transportable, not portable)

W4 has top tier detail retrieval among portable dac/amps I have tried and would be able to compete with similarly priced desktop system (assuming you would only drive iem). It has energetic and fun tuning. Soundstage is average, neither too intimate or too wide.

Comparison between W4 and Mojo2:

W4 has a V shape tuning while Mojo2 is flatter with slight emphasis on mid-bass.

W4 has significantly bigger and deeper subbass slam compared to Mojo2’s. This quantity quickly subsides though. Meanwhile, Mojo2 mid/upper bass is more elevated
W4 and Mojo2 have different presentation in mid. W4 has leaner and cleaner vocal. While Mojo2 is fuller and warmer. Mojo2 sounds richer in vocal, while W4 sounds a tad more sterile.
W4 has more energy and elevated treble. Depending on the genre and iem, it can sound bright. Mojo2 on the other hand has smoother, easier to listen, treble.

Its quite difficult to compare instrument separation due to difference in sound signature. I think they’re on par. W4 bring out details in more glossy and drier way. Its definitely snappier and sharper in the attacking edge while Mojo2 is more sluggish and duller.



To sum up, W4 performance exceeds my expectation. Its the dongle to beat at the moment. I personally would choose W4 over Mojo2 for its versatility with very minimal sacrifice in sound quality. Its excellent for travelling, commuting or for watching on ipad. Well done L&P team.

Big thanks to L&P and @Damz87 for this loaner.

Disclaimer: The loaner w4 has a fault - it doesnt work with iphone even with stock cable. However, if I use Lightning to USB 3 camera adapter which allows external power into iphone, it’s working fine. L&P has indicated it’s an isolated issue.

This is the comparison I've been waiting for! I'll probably still end up owning the Mojo 2 at some point but this definitely makes me feel even better about the W4's value. From my own testing, I knew it was better than the Mojo 1, for me, but I was very curious to know how well it stacks up against the Mojo 2. Thanks for the insights!

 

[FRank liu d]

Earlier this year, the Intel® Agilex™ 5 FPGA product line was launched.

On June 6th and 13th, Intel threw some technology roadshow in Beijing and Shenzhen. It was a gathering of professionals in the FPGA field, all getting together to discuss on how we can shape the future of edge intelligent applications.

L&P got an invite to join in too.

This screenshot is from an official Intel report.

During both roadshows, L&P presented the guests with a special gift - the W4 EX.

Source of information：
https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/gEJ7R-w1t4bnXfSTjV9VQA

 

[FRank liu d]

here is a screenshot about a video posted by Intel. L&P R&D director Mr. Eclipse and Intel's Sales Director for FPGA in China. They were jointly drawing the lucky winner who would take home a W4 EX.

 

[musicday]

I am not saying I wouldn't like to try the RU7, but I am very happy with my W4. Probably I need better IEMs, headphones then getting more dongles.

 

[Polky74]

Do you own W4? You are saying the RU7 is the better dongle. In what way?

In my opinion asking the question with "which dongle is the best" is a mistake. For me in this specific area, satisfaction is everything. If a person is happy for having bought the W4 (even if only for the fact that it costs more than the others) he was right to do so, like the person who buys both RU6 and RU7 with the money of just one W4. .. if he is happy with what he bought, he did well. The perception of the sound is even more personal… one may appreciate the extreme precision, the richness of details, the instrumental textures of the W4… another may appreciate the fluidity of the analog sound of the RU6… yet another the musicality and dynamics of the RU7. To each his own... besides the fact that one could also think of buying them all... like I'm doing... lol

 

[musicday]

In my opinion asking the question with "which dongle is the best" is a mistake. For me in this specific area, satisfaction is everything. If a person is happy for having bought the W4 (even if only for the fact that it costs more than the others) he was right to do so, like the person who buys both RU6 and RU7 with the money of just one W4. .. if he is happy with what he bought, he did well. The perception of the sound is even more personal… one may appreciate the extreme precision, the richness of details, the instrumental textures of the W4… another may appreciate the fluidity of the analog sound of the RU6… yet another the musicality and dynamics of the RU7. To each his own... besides the fact that one could also think of buying them all... like I'm doing... lol

If both had the same price and had to buy just one I will buy W4. Why?
1. I like the LP sound signature.
2. I like that it has lots of features.
3. I like the unique design.
4. I like that I uses very little battery.
5. I like the volume wheel/ knob.

 

[ClieOS]

In my opinion asking the question with "which dongle is the best" is a mistake. For me in this specific area, satisfaction is everything. If a person is happy for having bought the W4 (even if only for the fact that it costs more than the others) he was right to do so, like the person who buys both RU6 and RU7 with the money of just one W4. .. if he is happy with what he bought, he did well. The perception of the sound is even more personal… one may appreciate the extreme precision, the richness of details, the instrumental textures of the W4… another may appreciate the fluidity of the analog sound of the RU6… yet another the musicality and dynamics of the RU7. To each his own... besides the fact that one could also think of buying them all... like I'm doing... lol

Not disagreeing as an individual's prospective and it is all fine for pure personal consumption. But for comparison purpose and (more so) for reviewing purpose that is intended to provide a public reference for the mass and especially for prospective buyer, some level of simplified ranking is rather helpful and often required for simplicity's sake. Of course, no ranking is perfect and thus the more objective the writer / reviewer / opinion giver can be, the more useful the ranking is to the reader.

 

[Polky74]

Have you noticed that the reviewers, despite having had their hands on the W4 and the RU7 for some time now, still don't go too far and still don't come up with reviews? As if no one wants to take the first step... what do you think this can mean? I have my own idea... but I'll tell you after yours...

P.S. now their dongles have done 1000 hours of burnin and not the necessary 100... lol

 

[ClieOS]

Personally I don't really read review anymore, measurement maybe but those tend to be few and far between. Those whose opinion I learned to trust over the years don't really write review anymore while the majority of the rest, to put it bluntly, are junk.

 

[MidFiMoney]

Have you noticed that the reviewers, despite having had their hands on the W4 and the RU7 for some time now, still don't go too far and still don't come up with reviews? As if no one wants to take the first step... what do you think this can mean? I have my own idea... but I'll tell you after yours...

P.S. now their dongles have done 1000 hours of burnin and not the necessary 100... lol

Interesting point about the reviewers. I was trying to hold out but they've definitely been slow to produce any substantial feedback.

I'm happy I went with my gut and took a leap of faith. At this point, I'm only interested in reviews for affirmation. Not that it matters to me anymore.

 

[slumberman]

I love the W4. I had the RU6 previously and personally I am more attracted to the W4 sound. As far as usability, I wasn’t happy with the RU6 with iPhone at all, as I couldn’t use all my IEMs at higher volumes (it would cut out), granted, they were a bit harder to drive, but never loud enough for me. This issue is nonexistent with the W4

 

[piphil]

And there you have it,
Plus Muse has just been released on Roon ARC and offers a host of sound rendering adaptations.

With the Serratus ( 300 ohms), I set the volume between 70 and 80 and it's splendid, a listening experience that does a lot of good.

 

[bluestorm1992]

Have you noticed that the reviewers, despite having had their hands on the W4 and the RU7 for some time now, still don't go too far and still don't come up with reviews? As if no one wants to take the first step... what do you think this can mean? I have my own idea... but I'll tell you after yours...

P.S. now their dongles have done 1000 hours of burnin and not the necessary 100... lol

The answer is very simple actually. Currawong has a long backlog and he just got the chance to finally shoot the video for RU7 and W4. Also, part of this delay is my fault as I forgot to ask LP to send a demo sample to him right at launch…

On the Australia trip, the first demo unit has problems with iPhones so LP ended up sending out a second one, which took sometime on the road. Now there are two review units in Aus, one that works with Android and PCs, and the other one that just arrived works with everything normally.