I wish I could see the EQ settings on the presets for this thing…oddly enough I’m really enjoying the “movie” setting (for music).
Also, the battery life I’m getting from my n6ii from this thing is insane. When plugged directly into the n6ii the battery typically goes down ~10%/hr. I’ve been listening for over 30 min on a fresh charge through the S1 and the battery only just dropped to 99%…so absent any other factor the S1 coupled with the massive battery of the n6ii is a ticket to many hours of portable paradise.
Decision is WHEN. I could use that pentaconn jack but there’s no rush. I’ve been using the FiiO K3 for portable use. Works quite decent with my Galaxy S8.
I’ll probably wait for the S1+ version next year or so.
Enough to raise an x-wing out of the Dagobah swamp?
While searching in vain for info on the output impedance, I read somewhere - headfonics.com, I think, for what it’s worth - that the S1 is designed specifically to draw only little power.
Heads up! One amateur review coming right up (with some minor edits/additions):
Excepting North Pole elves, I am completely blown away at how something this small can be so magical. This little device makes my other USB DAC/amps like the HipDAC and Dragonfly Cobalt and Red redundant. Obsolete even.
I paired the Paw S1 with the HD58X, Focal Elex, and Solaris 2020 via 4.4mm connection, sourcing Qobuz streaming and local mostly 24/96 FLACs on my Windows 10 laptop and Note 8. The S1 drove all my phones cleanly without effort, without noise, and, contrary to what some have mentioned, without electromagnetic interference even with the S1 right next to the sources. I have not tested the S1 yet with the EE Valkyries.
Power draw is negligible especially compared to the Hip-DAC. It took a good 1.5 hours of continuous playback in high gain for my Note 8 battery to reduce to 90% from full charge, whereas the Hip-DAC would siphon the same amount in 30-45 minutes with its high gain (no xbass) settings on. ***UPDATE 7/15/2020: I reached out to Lotoo via Facebook. They advised that in their Android phone tests, the Paw S1 draws down around 100-140 maH per hour. This is very much in line with my use case noted above.
Speaking of settings, the amount of sound signature customization at your disposal from such a tiny machine is insane. There is a dedicated low-high gain option, but missing is a dedicated bass boost. There are 16 EFX presets including the default or “None” preset. There is “Full Bass” preset but it severely castrates the mids and treble. Bassheads might have a tantric experience with it but I as an athletic, healthy 38 year old felt like I was having heart palpitations while simultaneously thinking Alex Kapranos of Franz Ferdinand ilk was singing with a pillow pressed into his face – too much bass, not much of anything else. Again, a dedicated bass boost that doesn’t drown the other frequencies would have been a bonus. I did immensely enjoy the “Headphone” and “Rock” presets, each with distinct coloration and a fun W-shape sound to my ears. I like fun, what can I say. The other presets were interesting and need some more exploration but all in all, I mostly found myself gravitating to “None” and just letting my phones do their thing.
The Lotoo Paw S1 is a very easy recommendation. An understatement, it performs very well above its price point and at least for me easily replaces any and all of my existing mobile solutions.
Pardon my language and bad pun, but this device S1 bad moth@f!#!
According to headphonics, 70mW on 3.5mm and 120mW on 4.5mm. The newest firmware that I just downloaded (1.0.0.7) had a significant impact decreasing power output on the 3.5mm output - a positive overall for the ultra sensitive Solaris 2020 and Valkyrie. I have no way way of technically measuring and verifying all this but all in all, the S1 is a very low drain on my phone.
Unrelated to power draw: I came across this today which might be helpful to see the effect of the various filters/presets. Coincidentally, this person also describes the “Full Bass” preset as a castration of the mids and trebles. I don’t think there’s a better word for it. One failing of the device is certainly a separate bass boost option.
Thank you @jrockwell! I’m new to this world of audio, so any remarks or criticism on how I can better leave my impressions on gear would be welcomed! I appreciate the feedback!
I reached out to Lotoo who advised that on average the Paw S1 draws 200-300 mW per hour. And their testing on an Android phone (they didn’t say which) yielded 100-140mAH per hour draw in low gain. That’s pretty much in line with my use case - 140mAh is about 4% of my phone battery
Thank you! I didn’t think I needed it but then got it and now apparently I don’t need the other gear mentioned anymore haha. I guess I have the luxury of being a beginner just starting to explore all these avenues.
Just when I thought I was done stacking…got a couple small pieces of velcro with a mild adhesive and made a little stack with this wonderful new device that’s come into my life-- the Lotoo PAW S1…utterly sublime with Solaris.
