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The bass of the PGT2 is probably one of its stand-out features, at least to me. It is superbly controlled and rendered to highest definition. Lows go deep into the sub-bass and never lose focus on texture and resolution.
It sounds organic and very natural with an excellent body and weight. The sub bass is impactful and authoritative with great thunder and grip.
The mid and upper bass are full and weighty, but don’t come across as too boomy or forward. Neutrality is more in focus, however, there is an ever so light touch of warmth in the PGT2’s general signature, that comes through the upper bass and lower mids.
The bass on Moderat’s Bad Kingdom for example is delivered with grunt and definition. It brings all necessary weight and drive to really anchor this track’s solidity.
At the same time, the vocals possess a slight warmth for extra emotional presence.
Another example would be Gorillaz’ Last Living Souls. Here the bass goes remarkably deep with top level resolution, texture and body.
The PGT2 gives this track a bit more body than I am used to from other DAPs, but it makes it just the more enjoyable and impressive to me.
A more real-life instrument example for excellent bass would be the track Millionen Legionen (unplugged) by the German Hip Hop Legends Die Fantastischen Vier.
The Lotoo reproduces that Bassoon in the opening seconds so carefully exact, with top body and resolution. It gives it a slight warmth. The kick-drum in the same track comes across with good impact, tact and punch.
The midrange of the PAW Gold Touch 2 has top levels of resolution and naturalism. It comes with a faint of warmth in each instrument, but never sounds too heated up so instruments stay natural in their appearance.
There is great body and weight especially in the lower midrange, where deep male vocals and lower pitched instruments sound heftier and meatier.
Singers in the likes of Frank Zappa or Barry White sound full and dense, but highly precise with excellent resolution.
What I especially like about the midrange of the PGT2 is their level of richness while keeping texture to the point of perfection.
The touch of warmth in the mids really gets them glowing to a point where they become almost addictive – especially with the VE Ext MK II.
All instruments have a natural and organic sound, where they come across with a life-like tuning. No matter if it’s a string, woodwind, drums, vocals or any other instrument.
The PAW Gold Touch 2 will always display it in the best possible way. The midrange has a neutral presentation with excellent body and weight from top to bottom, though there always is this touch of warmth in them.
Vocals take center stage with the PGT2. They are airy, emotional and beautifully rich. This goes for both male and female singers alike to me.
Damon Albarn’s vocals in Last Living Souls are rendered with the highest precision and the PGT2 presents them with great emotional presence.
All instruments are resolved to their last drops and are placed in the scene with accuracy and precision.
The guitars in America’s A Horse with No Name for example has this beautiful body and sound, while the vocals are emotional and airy.
Generally, this track is reproduced with such a rich and beautiful tone it makes it pure joy to listen to it. Each instrument in it is carefully reproduced and perfectly highlighted.
It is very easy to distinguish each musician and pinpoint them on stage.
Another great track here would be Spaceboy by The Smashing Pumpkins. Airy and superbly resolved vocals coupled with harmonic and organic instruments that are perfectly placed in the constructed room.
Especially the bass on this track is outstanding to me, as it has wonderful body, weight and texture again.
Liebe by Moop Mama is a track full of wind instruments, drums and vocals. Each musician in it has excellent body and texture.
The trumpets and trombones are full and rich, while the lead vocalist’s voice is perfectly rendered and reproduced with air and precision.
This brings me to the PGT2’s performance with technicalities, which are all excellent. The sound stage is very well spread in all dimensions, but it is especially the high resolution and immense detail retrieval that has sprung at me.
It brings out the finest nuances of each instrument and sound and does so to the highest perfection. Instrumental separation and imaging are both impressive. Each musician is placed on a pitch-black background and lit up nicely.
You probably guessed my stand-out characteristic of the PGT2 already. The way it presents each note with superb body and weight is astonishing to me.
Tracks like Michael Jackson’s Thriller or Grace Jone’s Pull Up to the Bumper are reproduced with highest resolution where each instrument is perfectly highlighted and placed. The stage and imaging in Thriller are fantastic to me.
Lotoo’s treble is fast, precise and well extended. It never has any over-sharpened edges or sibilance that I could hear. To me, the highs are agile and soft but deliver great levels of detail and air.
Higher pitched instruments like violins or cymbals sound realistic and have good richness in them to stay clear of hotness or from becoming too brittle and bright.
On Apparat’s A Violent Sky the hi-hat hits sound detailed and clear, while staying in a neutral fashion.
Same can be said for the track I Believe in a Thing Called Love by The Darkness. The vocals in this track also are clear of any sibilance to my ears.
Comparisons
In this section we check out how the PAW Gold Touch 2 compares to other flagship level DAPs on the market.
We will briefly go over how it fares against its predecessor as well as the latest A&ultima DAP from Astell&Kern.
These comparisons are aiming to give you a better understanding of how the PGT2 sounds to me. I used the FIR Audio Radon 6 for all comparisons.
Lotoo PAW Gold Touch
The first-generation PAW Gold Touch (PGT) has served me well for the better part of five years now, although it did fall behind in the pecking order recently.
Both generations of this DAP share the same feature set, with the PGT2 also receiving DLNA, Airplay and LTTP support.
Apart from that, the second Gen is also more powerful and can drive full-sized headphones with more ease than the first generation PGT. An advantage the first Gen PAW Gold Touch certainly has is its portability.
Though the PGT also falls on the thicker side of today’s DAPs, it’s far more pocket-friendly than the PGT2.
In comparison to the PGT2 the first gen PGT sounds more sterile and analytical. The PGT2 really takes the PGT’s performance to a whole new level, delivering a fuller and more accurate sound.
Both DAPs are solid performers when it comes to neutrality, although both have faint warmth in them. It’s the second Gen that gives that warmth more glow and richness, making music more mouth-watering.
The PGT2 goes a little deeper into the lows than the PGT. It creates a more physical low-end with a bigger pump and thunder.
The bass on the PGT2 has more body and weight than on the PGT. It gives the lows better pronunciation and highlighting than the first-generation PAW Gold Touch.
The mids sound bigger and fuller on the PGT2 to me than on the PGT. They appear on a grander scale and sound more holographic on the second-generation DAP.
The first Gen PAW Gold Touch has a more neutral and linear sound where I am missing body and richness in comparison.
The PGT2 also has more finesse and refinement in the midrange to me, where instruments are rendered with higher resolution and accuracy.
Separation and imaging are also done at a higher level on the new Lotoo. It stretches a wider, deeper and taller sound stage with superior layering.
The treble of the PGT2 has a more relaxed and accessible tuning than on the PGT. The first gen appears a touch brighter to me, while the PGT2’s top extends further infusing more details and air into the sound.
The original PAW Gold Touch is still an excellent sounding DAP to me, and if you can score one through second-hand channels, you might get yourself a real treasure on the cheap.
Click and find the final comparison and thoughts on page four!
