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Battle of the Superdongles - Cayin RU7 vs. L&P W4
There are now a multitude of audio dongles, all of which promise to transform our smartphones or laptops into audiophile machines for reasonable money. The price range ranges from well under CHF 100 to over CHF 400 and the quality is of course very different.
Today we are looking at two of the latest audio dongles and they come from Cayin and Luxury & Precision: Den Cayin RU7 and the L&P W4.
Already the two predecessors RU6 or. W2-131 were two of the absolute best dongles on the market at the time - the RU6 was described by many music lovers as THE best audio dongle.
The expectations are correspondingly high when Cayin and L&P release new dongles.
But let's take a look at the two "dongle titans" first...
What is immediately noticeable are the different designs of the dongles and the packaging. While Cayin largely adopts the conservative design of its predecessor RU6, L&P relies on much more eye-catching packaging and the W4 itself looks downright futuristic.
What's inside?
The scope of delivery also differs: While Cayin is giving the RU7 a free case this year in addition to the obligatory USB-C cable and USB-A adapter, L&P prefers to use an additional Lightning cable so that iPhone owners don't have one You have to buy a separate cable.
Cayin of course offer an optional iPhone cable, while at L&P the protective cover costs extra. Everyone can decide for themselves what makes more sense here. The W4 case is definitely more expensive than the iPhone cable from Cayin.
Nevertheless, I would generally be in favor of having both cable variants included in the scope of delivery.
Perhaps Cayin's idea is that Apple will soon have to switch to USB-C anyway and this would have solved the annoying issue of Lightning cables anyway. Who knows...
Design
It's a matter of taste, of course - but I personally like the new industrial design of the W4 much better than the conservative black box that Cayin delivers and although there is absolutely nothing wrong with the workmanship of both dongles, the W4 looks good simply looks higher quality.
Both dongles are made entirely of aluminum - with Cayin, plastic/glass covers the entire top, while L&P only uses plastic/glass on the narrow display slot.
If you take a closer look at the USB-C and 3.5 & 4.4mm ports, Cayin is ahead in terms of quality: the gold-plated ports of the RU7, which are precisely integrated into the housing, are of higher quality than the W4, especially the 3.5mm Black plastic was used here for incomprehensible reasons and the USB-C connector was simply sunk into the device instead of being connected to the frame.
In view of the otherwise extremely high-quality case and significantly higher price, I find this an almost unforgivable faux pas and it simply looks inconsistent! Sorry, as a designer I can't ignore something like that. 🧐
Price
At CHF 289, the RU7 is even slightly cheaper than its predecessor and significantly cheaper than the CHF 459 W4.If you want a protective cover for the W4, you're looking at CHF 499, or CHF 210 more and therefore almost twice as expensive as the RU7!
Usability
While the RU7 is operated using a volume rocker and mode button, L&P on the W4 uses a multi-function rotary control, as we already know from some cars - turning and pressing controls volume and sound modes, whereby the The rotary control confirms the entry with solid clicks - it's a real pleasure to use! 🤩
Of course, that doesn't mean that the RU7 is harder to use. It's just as easy, just not as cool.
In terms of dimensions and weight, both dongles are pretty much identical and are definitely not a hindrance on the go.
Design and accessories or not, I think what really counts in the end (for most audiophiles) is the sound and, as expected, with both "superdongles" it is excellent!
Sound & Performance
Yes, both dongles deliver the best sound possible with tiny devices like these and I personally think they are the best dongles in the world today. But where are the differences and which dongle is better suited for whom?
In terms of pure output performance, both dongles are almost identical:
4.4mm balanced: RU7 400 mW | W4 420 mW
3.5mm single ended: RU7 160 mW | W4 110 mW
This means an almost doubling of the output power compared to its predecessor for both dongles and definitely enough power for all existing IEMs and even many headphones.
Sound comparison
Test devices
- Cayin RU7
- L&P W4
- Unique Melody Multiverse Mentor
Both dongles basically offer high-resolution sound with excellent details, good stage, natural vocal reproduction and rich bass, to summarize it briefly.
Tonality
While the W4 has a somewhat more "neutral" reference tuning and sounds somewhat "brighter" and airier than the RU7, the Cayin is as expected "warmer" and more musically tuned.
Details and resolution
You might think that you would notice more details due to the brighter tuning of the W4 - but if you switch to the RU7 you will find that this is not the case is. Both dongles provide details and resolution at the same level, they simply differ in their tonality.
Voices/Mids
The voice reproduction on both dongles is very natural overall. While the RU7 places voices more in the overall action, the W4 puts the singers more in the foreground. What you prefer here is a matter of taste. Personally, I prefer it if the voices stand out a little from the ensemble.
Treble
Both dongles are able to produce wonderfully airy highs, without any sibilance or sibilance, but with a decent amount of "sparkle". Guitar strings sound like guitar strings - that's how it should be! While the RU7 works a little more relaxed here, the W4 appears a little “brighter” overall.
Bass
The W4 delivers fast, tight, well-defined bass with a focus on mid-bass rather than sub-bass due to its more neutral tuning.
The RU7 "rumbles" a little more in the basement: its bass response is slower, more organic with a little more sub-bass than mid-bass.
Channel separation & stage
The channel separation and stage is good on both dongles, although not outstandingly good, although the RU7 sounds a bit more spatial and so that you are ahead.
Conclusion
It's amazing what wonderful sound is possible in this mini format! I used the Unique Melody Multiverse Mentor (MM) to evaluate both devices because the MM is a) my current favorite IEM and b ) the MM easily exposes any weakness on the part of the source.
Of course, even the best dongles in the world cannot be compared with a full-fledged DAP (Digital Music Player), because there are physical and monetary limits. Nevertheless, both dongles offer the best sound that you can expect in connection with smartphones or PCs/laptops and even drive absolute flagships like the Multiverse Mentor without any problems.
At no time did I have the feeling that the wonderful sound characteristics of the mentor is lost and I'm missing something fundamental and that's saying something!
Which one for whom?
The question is not that easy to answer and depends on various factors, for example:
- What sound preference someone has: Neutral/Reference = W4, Musical/Emotional/Relaxed = RU7
- What you want to spend (The W4 is significantly more expensive with the same performance)
- Which dongle you like better
- ... and others more
One thing is clear: you can't go wrong with either dongle, because both are absolutely excellent companions.
Both dongles are now available from Audio Essence!
Luxury & Precision W4 Flagship Dongle
