Big ol' changing world we live in.

I've always loved portable audio. So when I headed out to my first headfi meet in New York I had the, then, state of the art JH-13+LOD+Xin Micro (anyone remember when those were sought after like miniature gold ingots?). Well, my happy little mobile world was smashed to tiny plastic pieces by an 800 pound gorilla in the Woo Audio booth. I breathlessly listened to Anne Sophie Mutter playing a violin concerto out of a pair of fullsize GS1000s and looked over as a thick cable anchored it to a stack of heavy slabs of machined aluminum: the bullet-proof billet that is the WA2 and an even larger Meridian CD player. I thought, "So this is the kind of gear I need to get to get the kind of sound I want. But, how... do I carry this around with me? I'm going to need a cart and a portable generator...."

Today, at long last, I sit here breathlessly listening to Anne Sophie Mutter (well actually right now it's deadmau5) with nothing more than a wisp of a ZX2+Uber too+Ref1 too and I--finally--got that gorilla off my back. It's kinda like the feeling when I opened up my first MacBook and thought, "anytime, anywhere... I forget, why did I work at a desk? What is that big thing on top of it with all those wires?"

This is the last iteration in a long long long series of portable rigs, many were good but none satisfied until this one. The Tralucent gear is a big part of that but the other side of the equation is the ZX2. It's not just the performance of the components; it's that Sony decided, for whatever reason, to make it Android based. This opens it up to a whole range of third party apps and DSP solutions. I used to think DSP was just tricks for kids with cheap systems... until it got really good. I have to say, I wouldn't be able to achieve this kind of sound without DSP, which is why I have no interest in the new AK380.

It's a strange and foreign thing for an audiophile to feel, what do you call it again, content. But, I am... at least for now... After all...

Big ol' changing world we live in.

If anyone is interested, I rigged a subminiature switch to go back and forth between TRS and TRRS operation. So far it's worked without a hitch. 
 
 
 

edwardsean said:

If anyone is interested, I rigged a subminiature switch to go back and forth between TRS and TRRS operation. So far it's worked without a hitch. 

Click to expand...

I am interested to see the changes that you notice from TRS to TRRS. To me, the change is not vast, but a definite. Clarity and soundstage, especially the 3rd dimension as in depth and height.

But if you really count in toward the high fidelity, the improvements are huge

whitigir said:

I am interested to see the changes that you notice from TRS to TRRS. To me, the change is not vast, but a definite. Clarity and soundstage, especially the 3rd dimension as in depth and height.

But if you really count in toward the high fidelity, the improvements are huge

Click to expand...

This.

I only noticed it by accident, as I was using my Velodyne Vtrue once just to see how they work with the ZX2 (answer: surprisingly well ) and couldn't understand why the soundstage seemed "better" than from my IEMs, from the exact same track I was already listening to. Then I realised the cables were terminated with a 3.5mm balanced plug

That's why I ended up getting a nice 3.5mm balanced cable from Japan to pair with my IEMs, waiting for them to arrive now

clarkydaz said:

I have neutron and onkyo on mine, I prefer onkyo

Click to expand...

Ok, I've gotten both players on my ZX2, but somehow I seem to prefer the sound from the default media player with Clearsound on? Am I the only one who thinks this, or is the some setting is the Onkyo/Neutron players I'm missing out on?

edwardsean said:

If anyone is interested, I rigged a subminiature switch to go back and forth between TRS and TRRS operation. So far it's worked without a hitch. 

Click to expand...

I am. Can you expound on how you did it?

Was it worth it?

mrmax said:

I am. Can you expound on how you did it?

Was it worth it?

Click to expand...

The first (and only) Review of the ZX2 TRRS Mode (I mean c'mon, this is–slightly–ridiculous).
 
I agree with what everyone, including the designer of the ZX2, says about TRRS operation. It improves the R/L soundstage. The sound becomes–slightly–less center focused and–slightly–opens up the width, while retaining the center image. How much is "slightly"? The switch was actually the ideal way to test it, because I didn't have to swap in/out an adapter, I just flick the switch on and off. I mention that because without this method I just might've thought it was my imagination. That's how "slight" the difference is. It's not nothing. It's not marketing. It provided enough of a difference that Sony included the engineering, but not enough for Sony to brag about it. 
 
Is it worth it?
 
If you have to A/B this closely, it won't be worth it for the casual ZX2 user in crowded cafe or on a jog, etc. But, then again if you have a ZX2, you are somewhere in the more serious audiophile camp, I'm thinking (after all, you're reading and I'm writing). In that use-case it's a game of inches. This is an inch. I think, for the bump in SQ, if it were costly or difficult, Sony wouldn't have thought it worth the effort. It's a similar situation in taking advantage of it. If it cost a lot or involved a lot of work, you'd have to think twice. However, for the price of a TRRS connector (great ones are $11.00) or professional retermination ($75.00) it's totally worth it, no-brainer.
 
Of course, the wrinkle in the no-brainer, is that if you reterminate, you can't use the same cable in regular TRS gear without an adapter. The problem with going the adapter route is you lose some of the SQ in TRS you've gained in TRRS by having to go through the adapter. That's why I put in a switch.
 
How to do it is pretty straight forward, but may be difficult to implement depending on your skills. You have to have some high quality wire, and solder one wire to the R- contact (which corresponds to the 4th ring from the tip/ i.e., the sleeve) and another wire to the L- contact (which corresponds to the third ring from the tip). Then you solder both wires to a SPST subminiature switch (or two leads of a DPDT). When the switch is "off" (open) it's in TRRS and L-/R- are separated. When the switch is "on" (closed) the L-/R- are bridged and form a common ground: TRS. 
 
Hope this helps someone. For me, yeah, it's worth it.

I just received my LOD for the ZX2, combined it with my ibasso D6 650mwx2, the difference is quite noticeable, just a cleaner fuller sound, when I play my high-res audio files I choose clearaudio+ which I believed was meant to be used with a LOD connection. The only thing is with the LOD you need to have a decently powerful amp attached to it to get the full effect. I believe with the PHA-3 it would be even better, anyone here use this combination, and what are your thoughts.
I also connected it to my home theater system, and it's just incredible.

highfidelity69 said:

I just received my LOD for the ZX2, combined it with my ibasso D6 650mwx2, the difference is quite noticeable, just a cleaner fuller sound, when I play my high-res audio files I choose clearaudio+ which I believed was meant to be used with a LOD connection. The only thing is with the LOD you need to have a decently powerful amp attached to it to get the full effect. I believe with the PHA-3 it would be even better, anyone here use this combination, and what are your thoughts.
I also connected it to my home theater system, and it's just incredible.

Click to expand...

Nowhere near as impressive looking as your setup, however - today I bought the SRS-X99 that I was looking for a few weeks back, connected with the MWC-NWH10, this is a very respectable (for the money) mini speaker setup - happy

duncan said:

 

highfidelity69 said:

I just received my LOD for the ZX2, combined it with my ibasso D6 650mwx2, the difference is quite noticeable, just a cleaner fuller sound, when I play my high-res audio files I choose clearaudio+ which I believed was meant to be used with a LOD connection. The only thing is with the LOD you need to have a decently powerful amp attached to it to get the full effect. I believe with the PHA-3 it would be even better, anyone here use this combination, and what are your thoughts.
I also connected it to my home theater system, and it's just incredible.

Click to expand...

Nowhere near as impressive looking as your setup, however - today I bought the SRS-X99 that I was looking for a few weeks back, connected with the MWC-NWH10, this is a very respectable (for the money) mini speaker setup - happy

Click to expand...

I was going to get the X33 or X55, but I got a different Sony speaker, forgot the model number, it's a mini BT QI wireless charging speaker, even in Japan it's hard to find except direct from the Sony center, the sound is quite good, but doesn't have LDAC, just normal sound quality which is acceptable for me.

The thing that puzzles me with the MWC-NWH10 is that even when it connected to a powered USB socket, it still doesn't charge the player - that has to be a severe oversight on Sony's part (either that, or I've just not got it set up right)

kms108, is that the BSP10?

Hi all, I'm actually using a Cowon Plenue M and thinking about switching to something more (still cannot make up my mind between cowon plenue p1, ak100ii and Sony nw-zx2).
Reading several posts here to seems like it's confirmed that eu nw-zx2 have hardware volume cap (it cannot be removed via software only simply disabling sound effect). As I should buy it via Amazon.it (the an eu unit), I'd like to know from someone who owns a eu nw-zx2 how bad is this volume cap.

Thanks in advance

duncan said:

The thing that puzzles me with the MWC-NWH10 is that even when it connected to a powered USB socket, it still doesn't charge the player - that has to be a severe oversight on Sony's part (either that, or I've just not got it set up right)

kms108, is that the BSP10?

Click to expand...

 
Yeh, that's the BT QI speaker, in Japan, only the sony store sells it, haven't seen it anywhere else, cost me little over 7000 Yen.
 
 
From what I have gathered the MWC-NWH10 cable is for digital out only, it does not charge the Walkman, you have to opt for the expensive charging stand BCR-NWH10 for charging, transfer and digital out.  I also got that cable, I have no use for it, just lying around if one day I will use it.
 
I also got a few micro USB to WM port adapter works with charging and data transfer, and a few charging cable and one non OEM 3.5mm recording cable, didn't get the OEM one because the 3 party one has charging function a well.

aratheba said:

Hi all, I'm actually using a Cowon Plenue M and thinking about switching to something more (still cannot make up my mind between cowon plenue p1, ak100ii and Sony nw-zx2).
Reading several posts here to seems like it's confirmed that eu nw-zx2 have hardware volume cap (it cannot be removed via software only simply disabling sound effect). As I should buy it via Amazon.it (the an eu unit), I'd like to know from someone who owns a eu nw-zx2 how bad is this volume cap.

Thanks in advance

Click to expand...

I have the Japanese version and USA sony.com version of zx2 here now, listening to "take 5" on max volume with the z7 headphones 
plugged straight in, no Pha-3, and the USA version sounds 20% quieter at max vol.
I don't think I would be able to handle most tracks at full volume even without the Pha-3, so 
for me personally its a non-issue.

Have a look at ZX2 and ALO CDM combine. :0)
Using MWC-NWH10 to connect and play DSD64 files.
but i am having problem as the DAC is picking it as 44 if i use Onkyo HF player.
If i use the stock player, it is on DAC shows 88 (also not right but at least higher rate).
 
Saw this on a page earlier.
"Sorry Beemarman, but I was totally mistaken about using the Onkyo app on my Sony!  I just tried it tonight and mine does the same thing as yours.   I read the the info on the app in the Google store, and noticed a comment that said: Note: Audio with a sampling rate exceeding 88.2 kHz output via the headphone connection, AOS connection, digital connections via OTG cable (free version only) is downsampled to 44.1 kHz.  It appears that even though I have the hd version (ie., purchased and unlocked), it is down sampling everything over 88khz to 44.1khz., not to mention the upsampling function for taking 44.1khz and higher up to 192khz is not functional either.  I am using the WMC-NWH10 digital usb cable out of the Sony, BTW.  As you mentioned, I plugged my iphone in and everything worked as expected.  Sorry for the earlier misinformation."
 
There is a Onkyo player unlocker (at a cost) which should resolve the limitation on the BOLD statement.
But i still cannot get it to do go higher sampling rate.
 
 
Any advice on this?