Hello friends, I would like to share my impressions of the Lotoo GT2. Most of the below is cross-posted on the GT2 thread.
I have been enjoying my GT2 for about three weeks now. I have used it for my two favorite IEMs, RN6 and Maven II, and it has brought my audio experience to a new level.
I think the amp section of GT2 is a big step up from LPGT-V1. With the S gain exclusive to GT2, an external amp is no longer a necessity for harder-to-drive IEMs. The V1 has difficulties driving RN6 in H gain, but this is not an issue for GT2 in S gain. That being said, GT2 can still benefit from an external amp. When paired with my TSU-SC, the mids become much fuller, the individual images become bigger, and the soundstage also gains more height.
IMO, the DAC section of GT2 is probably two steps up from the original. I have long enjoyed my LPGT-V1 in LO with my TSC-SC, and I used to consider this chain my holy grail, but I immediately noticed improvements across the board when I switched to GT2. The sound becomes faster and more dynamic. The soundstage expands further in all three dimensions, particularly in depth. The treble is much more extended, energetic, and detailed but not fatiguing at all. I can easily hear more details and spatial clues with GT2. In comparison, the V1, although still capable, sounds tamer; its treble is polite and restrained.
On the functionality and usability front, GT2 is still fantastic and maintains what makes V1 great. It's undoubtedly slightly heavier than V1, but you won't notice it much in your hand thanks to its ergonomic, albeit not as attractive, shape. The boot and shut-down time is now three to four seconds instead of two, but that's still lightning fast. It generates more heat than V1, but it only gets slightly warm (below 40 °C) after multiple hours of usage, and it actually displays the temperature when charged, which is a pretty cool new feature for GT2. There are other new features that I still need to figure out, e.g., smart charging and airplay. The GT2's battery is much bigger, but it lasts for about the same amount of time and charges as fast as V1.
BTW, through my new favorite chain, GT2 -> TSU-SC, I recently discovered something that may lead me to the dark side.. I tried two different SD cards on GT2 and noticed a significant sonic difference... I did some preliminary digging, and the clues led to industrial-grade SD cards. Do you have any suggestions?
Thanks for reading, and have a great day!