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Lotoo PAW6000 - Review by The Vagrant Audiophile
Guest Review
Today I'd like to welcome "The Vagrant Audiophile" as our guest reviewer and thank him for allowing us to publish one of his wonderfully detailed reviews on our blog.
Disclaimer: This device was purchased for personal use at the regular price. All opinions expressed are his own and remain unbiased.
Unboxing & First Impressions
Very nice unboxing, classy yet unobtrusive, doesn't seem exaggerated or cheap.
The size, shape, and weight of the DAP are excellent, as are the screen, the included case, the screen protector, and the cable—a real first. It's also the first time I've found a claim like "anti-fingerprint coating" to be accurate. The button layout is excellent, as is the ability to customize the previous/next buttons and the volume wheel. There's also the option to wake the DAP with a double tap—very nice.
The boot time and overall operation are very fast, as is the microSD card loading time, which actually happens in real time. The PAW 6000 was also already up to date, which is very nice. As for the user interface, aside from the inability to search by genre (which is frankly absurd), it's very easy to use, and I liked that I could customize some of the interface colors.
One of the reasons it's so fast is that the operating system scans for file names. This quickly became a problem for me, as I buy my music from Qobuz, and the file names are Disc#_Track#_Artist_Album_Title.
It's a minor issue, but I didn't like it when browsing. The main problem was that the operating system listed the titles like this: 1, 10, 11, 12, ... 2, 3, 4, 5 ... you get the idea.
Fortunately, this was quickly fixed by renaming my entire library using mp3Tag - I've included the renaming string I used in the footnotes (**).
The battery life also lived up to the advertised expectations after a few days, and I didn't use Bluetooth or Wi-Fi.
Sound impressions
For all following shots the PAW 6000 was used with the Super Slow Roll-off filter.
The PAW 6000 is a musical DAP. However, it is primarily a transparent DAP. Its distinctive feature is that it combines both musicality and technical qualities. However, it is not a warm DAP.
Therefore, pairing is of particular importance as it highlights the character of your IEMs and headphones much more than most other DAPs.
That being said, the ATE presets - which Deezel has described better than anyone else here - are a quick and very well implemented solution that will save you the usual thousands of dollars spent on another DAP that just has that extra touch of blah blah blah - sound familiar?
pairings
In alphabetical order, starting with IEMs and ending with headphones
64 Audio U6t (MX module, standard cable, SpinFit attachments, LG) - Sounds very similar to the Cayin RU6 in NOS, although a little less warm and dynamic with less pronounced mids - something that the ATE preset "Dental" can partially mitigate and bring more warmth.
64 Audio U6t (M15 module, standard cable, SpinFit attachments, LG) - Brings out more bass and warmth.Compared to the MX module, this module is more musical and warmer. The balance and transparency of the PAW 6000 nicely complements the intimacy the U6t creates with the M15 module—my preferred "standard" pairing here.
7Hz Timeless (KB EAR 8 Core Single Crystal Copper UPOCC balanced cable, Final E tips, HG) - Same results as with the 64 Audio U6t (MX module).
Campfire Audio Solaris 2020 (standard cable, silicone tips, LG) - The best pairing I've heard with the Solaris 2020, although after a brief wow effect, the Solaris still sound a little off, especially compared to the U6t, which have an overall more coherent, natural tonality.
Drop + JVC HA-FWX1 (standard cable, Final E Tips, HG) - As a dark and lush IEM, the PAW 6000 with its musicality and engineering, together with the Final E Tips, makes the most of this IEM.
Audeze LCD-2 Classic (PlusSound Copper balanced cable, HG) - Same conclusions as the Drop + JVC HA-FWX1. The PAW 6000 effortlessly provided the Audeze LCD-2 Classic with some headroom to protect it.
Grado RS2e with G-Cush pads (HG) - Same results as with the 64 Audio U6t (MX module), although the ATE preset "Dental" did not solve everything in this case.
Comparisons
All following comparisons were performed with the 64 Audio U6t (MX module) and the PAW 6000 with the Super Slow Roll-off filter.
Cayenne RU6 (NOS) - The RU6 has slightly more pronounced midrange, is more dynamic, and warmer. The result is an overall more organic sound.
FiiO M11 Plus LTD (Super slow roll-off filter) - The M11 Plus LTD is softer, warmer, with a more intimate presentation and a tighter soundstage.
Conclusion
Looking back at the goals outlined in Part I, what are my conclusions?
As a dedicated DAP with a local library, the PAW 6000 is much more practical than the FiiO M11 Plus LTD and technically superior, which in some cases also sounds better. However, pairing with the PAW 6000 is more difficult if you like something warm—although the ATE "Dental" preset can quickly and easily change that. In NOS, it comes very close to the sound of the Cayin RU6, but again, the aforementioned preset can be a great help if you like something warmer.
The bottom line is that the PAW 6000 is the perfect DAP for anyone looking for warm IEMs or headphones that are neither too transparent nor too technical—unless you like a transparent sound. Regardless, the PAW 6000 will bring out the true character of your IEMs and headphones and, thanks to its ATE presets, could be an all-rounder for some.