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ALO Sony Walkman LOD pics and impressions

post #1 of 11
3/23/10 at 2:02am
Thread Starter 


Well, I bought the new A845 and already have the A828, both Japanese versions. That means they record! But, the A845 only records in ATRAC which is a bugger because it means I have to bloody use Windows to tear those files in and out of the player, so forget about it, I'd rather use PCM recording on the A828.

Full ALO Sony LOD Thread with pics

That out of the way, I am NOT happy with the A845. Flimsy, hissy (slightly more than the X) with a constantly ticking background sound which I have confirmed on 3 other A84x players.

That out of the way, a LOD is probably a good investment. There are a number of them on the market, mostly from Japan, but ALO have one as well. It is pricey, but is made well. It is slim and bends really well, staying small and compact.

It works just as well with the A828 and the A845, but while the former I feel fine using just a 3,5mm stereo cable for connecting to an amp, the 'ticking' sound of the A845 annoys me so that the LOD is important. Somehow, I don't hear it when using the LOD.

As you can see, I am using the T3D which I picked up too long ago, but not too long. The two are meant for eachother: both small, both elegant, and both keep the word 'portable' from esoteric boundaries.

I will be updating this and the Full ALO Sony LOD Thread with pics[/URL]"]ALO Sony LOD thread[/URL] as I have more time with the frustrated couple.
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post #2 of 11
3/23/10 at 2:08am
shigzeo, I notice in your link that you have acquired a custom from Earsonics! Which model is that? Any review soon?



Oh, and aside from eliminating the clicking noise, is there other benefit compared to using a normal mini to mini cable?

PS: nevermind, I explore your forum a bit and saw the post
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post #3 of 11
3/23/10 at 2:12am
Thread Starter 
That is the Earsonics EM3-pro.

I've not given much listen yet, but will update this thread as I am able to really compare them. The clicking noise negates the reason to even use an amp with the Sony and I much prefer to use an amp for this reason: hiss. And when I use earphones with multi balanced armatures, I find the Sony isn't quite as resilient as the Fuze... so I tend to want an amp.
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post #4 of 11
3/23/10 at 2:08pm
Besides solving the hiss problem, is there an audible difference between the LOD and HPO of any of your walkmans?
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post #5 of 11
3/23/10 at 5:44pm
who else make the sony lod?
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post #6 of 11
3/23/10 at 9:45pm
Thread Starter 
Well, if you use a lod, you have to use an amp, so then I can say yes: With the Sony HPO which is hissy (very hissy) and the A845 which has the constant chirping in the background, there is a difference, but I need to spend more time to determine how much.

I am NOT ready to give any definitive valuations.

The other makers either don't sell internationally, or do it as a hobby. You can take apart a Sony cable yourself and re-wire it as a LOD - I've met at least 5 people who do that. Another in Japan sells for about 40-50$, so none are cheap. From what I understand, you cannot get ahold of the parts you need cheaply as there are few accessory makers, so it is pretty small market now.
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post #7 of 11
3/24/10 at 12:27am
Well, what I meant was beside the chirping sound, is there any other benefit of using a mini-mini to feed an amp as opposed to using a LOD?
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post #8 of 11
3/24/10 at 12:38am
Thread Starter 
Right, well I'll be doing more real comparative listening and hardware measurements to show you, but I honestly cannot stand the current artefacts the Sony outputs.
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post #9 of 11
3/26/10 at 7:30am
any huge differences b/t HPO and LOD in SQ?
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post #10 of 11
3/26/10 at 8:10am
Thread Starter 
Well yes, but of course to use the LOD, you need a headphone amp or attenuator, both of which affect sound. I am NOT impressed by Sony's latest HPO very much at all. Even the EQ (while fun) isn't that good - it attenuates certain FR which I didn't touch. The line out, however, is also a bit off. It loses a lot of detail in upper mids and treble by rolling steeply off. That is okay though as people who love the Sony anyway, will be used to rolled off treble (if they use earphones), so it will only become 'smoother' or something like that.
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post #11 of 11
3/26/10 at 8:56am
Quote:
Originally Posted by shigzeo View Post
Well yes, but of course to use the LOD, you need a headphone amp or attenuator, both of which affect sound. I am NOT impressed by Sony's latest HPO very much at all. Even the EQ (while fun) isn't that good - it attenuates certain FR which I didn't touch. The line out, however, is also a bit off. It loses a lot of detail in upper mids and treble by rolling steeply off. That is okay though as people who love the Sony anyway, will be used to rolled off treble (if they use earphones), so it will only become 'smoother' or something like that.
any amp recommendations for the ie8? portable one
i like highs and midhighs
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