I'm very new to the DAP scene, but not to overall audio (headphones, speakers, amps, etc). I've just recently gotten into IEMs (favorite so far in the budget range are the Kiwi Ears Cadenza) and streaming with lossless over Qobuz - I like Tidal as well but don't like that some albums force Dolby Atmos on my iPhone. Anyway, I am using the official Apple USB-C to 3.5mm amp/dac for all my streaming so far. I would like to separate my listening from my iPhone for a couple reasons: I'm curious about better sound. I'm guessing I'll need new IEMs to really hear a difference here. I do also have a pair of Sony WH1000XM4s and haven't been able to test out LDAC yet (no Apple support) so I would like to get a DAP with that. I also want to have HiRes and CD quality downloaded for offline listening since it uses up huge chunks of data while streaming outside of my home. I also would like to preserve my charging port on my phone, as well as my phone's battery life.
I'm curious about the differences between the new R4 and the R6III. On Amazon US, you can get the R6 III for $425 with a coupon. The R4 is going to be $250 according to all reports. What are the major differences between these two, and is it anything that I will probably notice with my use case of IEMs/XM4s with LDAC over Bluetooth, using Qobuz? I'm not worried about battery life, as I work from home and do most of my listening at my desk and take walks on my lunch break that last no longer than an hour.