Sony PHA-1 portable DAC/amp - Page 12

You guys have totally white washed my head. I dont understand a word what you're saying.

Sony mentions that there is a cable to use with its walkman line-up. From what I understand that cable runs out bottom of the walkman to the headphone in of the pha-1. So how is that analogue?

Quote:

Originally Posted by AUDIOBREEDER 

You guys have totally white washed my head. I dont understand a word what you're saying.

 

Sony mentions that there is a cable to use with its walkman line-up. From what I understand that cable runs out bottom of the walkman to the headphone in of the pha-1. So how is that analogue?

Probably a line out. A line out is a constant volume signal that skips amplification and is therefore preferable to the headphone jack of a given player. However, a line out is still analog because it is sending a signal that is already converted form digital, it is just not amplified. 

The chain inside a player goes like this, generally speaking:

Song>DAC>"Line Out Signal" >Amplifier> headphone jack.

Gross oversimplification, but a good way to understand the process. A line out feeds a signal before it is amped. Many line out cables are sold for the iOS devices, for example. They theoretically improve upon the headphone jack by skipping the amplifier section, but they are analog insofar as that line signal has already been converted into analog by the DAC.  A true digital out would send only ones and zeros to a DAC for processing. 

Hi folks, new to the fourm but not to HiFi.  I have been reading about this little dac/amp and wonder...

I just purchaesd a killer smart phone from Sony, Xperia acro S. It has a USB out and HDMI,  Would any of these two outputs

feed the DAC part of this amp?  I too find it amazing how Sony will focus on iphones in disregard to their own high end Xperia products.

Regards Riq

We have to remember that even all their docks on their home hifi gear is for apple products and only a few provide support for their own walkman line. Sad but true

apple is the only which can by pass the internal DAC. So if you use the PHA-1 with sony product it will only by pass the amp section of the DAP and nothing else.(Well that is my understanding of it)

Agreed, but I'm sure Sony would have known how to defeat it's own DAP DAC and pass a digital signal to its own Amp DAC if it had wanted to.  For reasons known to them, they didn't do that!  Which I (and others) think is a pity.  But, as I said, if they thought there was no sonic improvement to be had from doing this (same or similar DACs in DAP and Amp), then perhaps their argument is that Sony DAPs are good enough already, and all you need to PHA-1 for when using a Sony DAP is its better amp.  That's my theory.  It's only a theory...  

Quote:

Originally Posted by wm-phile 

Agreed, but I'm sure Sony would have known how to defeat it's own DAP DAC and pass a digital signal to its own Amp DAC if it had wanted to.  For reasons known to them, they didn't do that!  Which I (and others) think is a pity.  But, as I said, if they thought there was no sonic improvement to be had from doing this (same or similar DACs in DAP and Amp), then perhaps their argument is that Sony DAPs are good enough already, and all you need to PHA-1 for when using a Sony DAP is its better amp.  That's my theory.  It's only a theory...  

somebody mentioned that the DAC might be the same in the pda-1 and the walkman line. which defeats the purpose of the pha-1

Well, in conclusion if you don't own an iphone type device or something similar that puts out a direct digital sigal to the amps DAC this is just an expensive little black box.

Quote:

Originally Posted by wm-phile 

It's an expensive little box which ever way you look at it. But, it is a credible alternative to the Fostex HP-P1 and with an iPod Classic strapped to it, it does a fine job. Almost as good as a Wm Pro!

There isn't a chance that the DAC in this can stand up to the one in the HP-P1.

However, the amp might be better, only because the HP-P1 has an atrociously high output impedance.

So, in the meantime, has anyone actual listened to one long enough to offer some opinions based on actual experience and where's the best place for North Americans to purchase one?