Lotoo PAW D3 Desktop DAC AMP Review – Enchanted Flow Of Sound
Lotoo PAW D3 is a $420 USD / 489 Euro Desktop DAC with LTTP Support, or Lotoo Teleport Protocol support, an AKM DAC at the core, and with EQ and ATE Sound Effects. Today we review the Lotoo PAW D3 and also explore how it compares with other DACs for desktop including JDS Labs Element IV (549 USD), FiiO K15 (549 USD) and Rose Technics RT-5000 (699 USD).
Introduction
The whole concept for Lotoo PAW D3 is to give your other Lotoo devices desktop connectivity, it supports the best lossless wireless protocol which is the Lotoo LTTP, and should be compatible with most Lotoo products that also support it. Lotoo Products can be purchased from Aliexpress, Amazon and hiFi shops from all around the world. Lotoo is best known for their outstanding design, sonic quality, and unique tech, being one of the top Chinese audiophile companies, and their products having a faithful following.
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Product Link
Amazon – https://amzn.to/47QECH8
Aliexpress – https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_c3MG54Pd
Build Quality – Design
Lotoo PAW D3 is a D/A and D/D interface, it has Dual Digital and Analog Outputs, and relies on a high performance DAC, namely the AKM AK4493EQ. This is a high-end model DAC that we’ve seen used by Shanling Audio H5, xDuuo XD-05 Plus, FiiO M11 Pro, FiiO K5 PRO, iBasso DC01 and FiiO Q5S.
The whole idea with the Lotoo PAW D3 is supporting everything, and it has digital and USB audio decoding, analog output, and LTTP LossLess wireless audio transmission, providing one of the most flexible and diverse audio solutions on the market, if you’re using Lotoo products. It can receive a wired input from a smartphone, iPad, CD Player, Computer and it can wirelessly transmit the data to a Mjolnir or PAW GT2. This is wireless lossless, so the signal is 1:1 compared to the one received. It can also receive a wireless audio signal, as it has a wireless input, from Mjolnir, or PAW GT2, and it can decode that signal to send to an external amplifier or pair of active speakers.
PAw D3 can also act as a Pure Digital Interface, and it can take in signal from any digital wired or wireless input, and it can output digital signal through the optical and coaxial S/PDIF outputs. To make things clearer, it has just one RCA line out, but has SPDIF Input and output, Optical input and output, and a USB Type-C input. To control the Lotoo PAW D3, you have the wheel on the right, and it has a 320 x 240 LCD display that shows all the working parameters.
USB DAC – Subjective Usage
As Lotoo PAW D3 has a complex system inside, it has support for Digital Gain adjustment and complex PEQ or ATE sound effects, and it has multiple sound effect modes. You can configure the output level for 0.77 Vrms, 1.2 Vrms and 2 Vrms to match the voltage that is expected by the Amplifier. LTTP supports Lossless audio signal up to 48 kHz / 24 Bit, and lossy up to 96 kHz / 24 Bit. The unique DSP processor is powered by the Adi Blackfin BF706, professional chip with LTOS, a unique implementation only seen with Lotoo PAw D3.
I noticed that PAW D3 has more versatility once you start it up, you can have either variable volume, so it can work as a PRE, with a variation in the output voltage, with an algorithmic volume curve, where there’s a lot of fine tuning early on, after which you can quickly increase the volume a lot. It can also apply special effects, and you can select whether you prefer low latency or high quality for the wireless connection, you can select any input channel, and you can select multiple gain levels, 0dBu, 4 VRms or 2 Vrms. Most amplifiers with an RCA input will expect a 2Vrms input, or a variable one, but 0dBu sounds best with most amplifiers, it allows some headroom to avoid clipping and feeding too high of a voltage to the AMP.
Once you set it up, and especially if you don’t use the D3 to set the volume, you don’t need to do anything else, it simply works and it has no USB DAC delay, sound never drops or stops, wireless connection is flawless. Windows volume is disabled completely by D3, and it stays cool, so darn cool that I forget to turn it off. I am surprised that even after multiple computer restarts and after it has been running for around 2 weeks non-stop, everything is still perfect, no delay, no popping sound, no errors. If there is anything missing at all, there is no way to turn off Paw D3 while it is connected to a computer.
Sound Quality
Pairings – Testing the Lotoo PAW D3 is a bit more complicated than with most DACs as it is also a D/D converter, so for today’s review I have paired it with FiiO K17, where D3 acts as the DAC and K17 as the Headphone Amplifier / Stereo Preamplifier with a set of Topping B100 Monoblock amplifiers and a pair of Elipson XLS 7 Speakers. I also have connected Erzetich Bacillus II to Lotoo Paw D3 via RCA cables, and for the IEM and the headphone list, I’ve been pairing Lotoo D3 with Raptgo Leaf D01, Palma DHS-1, KBEar Cepheus, Astrotec Archimedes, Crosszone CZ-10 Enhanced, Erzetich Thalia, Erzetich Mania V2024, Moritz Dragon, HIFIMAN Arya unveiled, NfAudio Na2+, NfAudio NE4, Crosszone CZ-8a Enhanced, Sendy Audio AIVA 2, Fosi Audio i5, Soundz Flame, Audeze MM-100, Yanyin CAnon PRO, and HIFIMAN Isvarna.
Overall Signature – Lotoo PAW D3 has quite a specific signature that is immediately evident when switching from the internal DAC of FiiO K17 to D3, using K17 as the Amplifier, or using both with Erzetich Bacillus II or Singxer SA-1 V2 as the Amplifier. Loto Paw D3 has a uniquely detailed, crisp, clean signature, slightly soft, reminding me of all Lotoo products, it is revealing but in a gentle and soft way. Lotoo PAW D3 is quite revealing, more detailed than FiiO K17, but also more neutral, it has more bite in the treble, a more brilliant, shiny and crisper sound. There’s a better definition to each instrument, more space between them, but a more neutral bass and slightly more musical voicing in D3.
Bass – Starting from the bass, Lotoo PAw D3 is quite neutral, does not add too much low end or bloom to music, instead sounding controlled and tight. You can actually dial in more bass via the special EQ profile effects it has, with Game, Vinyl LP, Cassette, ACG-1 and Rock adding more bass, but doing more to sound as well. It is interesting that D3 seems to have a tighter control than K17 and most DACs on the market, allowing for a really crisp and tight sound, with outstanding resolution.
Midrange – Voicing of D3 is clean, slightly gentle, crisp and musical. Although it is neutral, and does not add warmth to music, it sounds slightly gentle, and it is never fatiguing, harsh or brash. In the default state, it seems to be a perfect combo for ACG music, revealing, sharp and has a special emotion, feeling for female voices. Quite capable at rendering textures and special effects, a wide space but in a gentle and non-scattered way, D3 works perfectly for electronic music and commercial pop too.
Treble – At the top end, D3 extends insanely well, it allows music to play in an open field, with a brilliant, sharp treble. It feels like it is a bit more crisp than Lotoo PAW 6000, but a bit more gentle and softer than most of the competition. It draws in air and gloss without making music sharp or fatiguing, quite good at definition and rendering cymbal crashes.
Dynamic Range and Textures – One of the staple characteristics of the Lotoo house sound is the excellent dynamic range and D3 aligns perfectly with the popular house sound, rendering a dynamic, highly engaging sound, with a vivid texture. You can expect to hear a high amount of micro details, micro textures, and each instrument to sound unique, but textures are natural, not overly smooth, but not harsh either. Instruments that are naturally more brash will be rendered as such, but guitars are juicy and enjoyable.
Loudness Saturation Gradient – There is no difference at all volume levels. Using the PRE function will result in the same sound presented at all volume levels. D3 is basically the ideal DAC, with no variation in SQ regardless of the volume, or even if you’re using Line Output.
Soundstage – Lotoo designed the D3 with a wide, but gentle soundstage. Instrument separation is natural, not surgical, but there’s no smear and all, instead D3 reveals music in a refined fashion, creating a wide, airy and big soundstage with an awesome lateral projection, and a natural depth, forward projection. It can render very complex songs with ease, without mushing up the instruments, but it never forces a clinical surgical separation, it allows each instrument to coexist with the others, but defines each well.
Comparisons
Lotoo PAW D3 vs Rose Technics RT-5000 (420 USD vs 699 USD) – Rose Technics made a more versatile DAC / Headphone AMP as RT-5K has a headphone amplifier embedded too, but it adds almost 300 USD to the cost, so we will mostly judge both if they are DACs. Both have pre function, both have wireless connectivity, but while RT5K has XLR outputs, and D3 has only RCA outputs, D3 has lossless wireless, while RT5K has no lossless wireless connectivity. You can EQ D3 a lot, get multiple sounds from it, while RT5000 has just one signature that you will listen to and hear regardless of what you’re doing. Speaking of that signature, RT-5000 sounds warm, thick, lush, smooth, with a bloomy bass, while PAW D3 at default is quite different, sounds neutral, crisp, slightly soft and gentle, has a refined, soft, and musical signature. PAW D3 is quite incredible for versatility, while RT-5000 is better if you have headphones and need the H-Amp part.
Lotoo PAW D3 vs JDS Labs Element IV (420 USD vs 549 USD) – Versatility Wise, Element IV is an excellent desktop DAC, has similar EQ options compared to PAW D3, but has no wireless connectivity, while it has a headphone amplifier inside. Both work well for desktop usage with no USB DAC delay, both are detailed and play in the same sonic quality category. Element IV sounds a bit warmer, more waxy, and has a harder impact in the default signature, while D3 sounds softer, more mellow, more musical, more neutral, has a sharper treble, more brilliance up top, and less bass warmth. Both are quite awesome at delivering resolution and clarity. If you need a headphone AMP and don’t already have one, element IV makes more sense, while if you already have a good headphone AMP or mostly use a stereo system, Paw D3 might make more sense.
Lotoo PAW D3 vs FiiO K15 (420 USD vs 549 USD) – Although at first look, for just a bit more, FiiO K15 offers a much better versatility, this includes it having XLR Line Outs, RCa Line Outs, Streaming, RCA Line In for it to act as a headphone amplifier, it has a ton of driving power for headphones, PRE function, but PAW D3 has a more advanced EQ profile selection with a slightly more fun selection of options. If you don’t use headphones, or if you already have a better headphone amplifier, you will not notice the difference in functionality, or PAw D3 might actually feel better as it has wireless lossless connectivity with other Lotoo devices, using the LTTP or Lotoo Teleport Protocol. Sonically, Lotoo Paw D3 is more neutral, has less bass warmth, more treble brilliance and sharpness, but it also has more detail and a better resolution, draws more information, creates more separation and better definition for each instrument. Overall, D3 has a slightly better resolution, with a wider soundstage.
Value and Conclusion
As Lotoo Paw D3 is priced at $420 USD, it stands really well in the market, and although it looks small, it is mighty, it is a very practical portable DAC for desktop, it has lossless wireless receiver abilities, provided you already have a Lotoo product capable of sending wireless signals, but it also sounds excellent if you just have a PC computer and a separate amplifier.
At the end of the day, Lotoo Paw D3 promised to be an add-on for Loto products, but it ended up being one of the most interesting and versatile DACs I reviewed this year, it has a PRE function and it is a must hear product if you like a softer, gentler sound, with a wide soundstage and neutral tonality.
PROs
- Practical, small but versatile
- PRE function included
- Multiple EQ profiles included
- Lossless wireless streaming and connectivity
- Lotoo Teleport protocol actually works flawlessly
- No heat generated
- Clean Line Out
- Multiple voltage levels
- Good price / performance ratio
Cons
- You miss on some of the functionality if you don’t own other Lotoo products
- Cannot turn it off without disconnecting it
Product Link
Amazon – https://amzn.to/47QECH8
Aliexpress – https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_c3MG54Pd
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Full Playlist used for this review
We listened to more songs than those named in this playlist, but those are excellent for identifying a sonic signature. I recommend trying most of the songs from this playlist, especially if you’re searching for new music! The playlists are different for Spotify, Tidal and Youtube, and based on the songs I enjoy and are available on each!
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_cjBXGmwSHSdGcwuc_bKbBDGHL4QvYBu
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5J3oloz8Riy9LxEGenOjQ0?si=979ba4f082414be7
https://tidal.com/browse/playlist/330fd544-8e5b-4839-bd35-676b2edbb3d5
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