Today the 5th person came to me to speak about the new Sony "iPod" and how ridiculously expensive it is. Every one of them was surprised that Sony already offers an $800 player and that there are quite a few HighRes Audio players on the market at the same or even higher prices.
 
It seems TV and print media did report big about this CES release. Even though I have the feeling they put it in the What section of their reporting....

guess it's lets knock Sony month and see how many DAP's we can name under that ZX2 price... I daresay most knocking the ZX2 will never get to listen to one.

I feel stupid for asking, but....does the ZX2 have a true lineout?  Will need to buy yet ANOTHER specialized cable to send unamped analog to a portable amp (Vorzuge Pure II)?

feverfive said:

  I feel stupid for asking, but....does the ZX2 have a true lineout?  Will need to buy yet ANOTHER specialized cable to send unamped analog to a portable amp (Vorzuge Pure II)?

Click to expand...

 
http://www.amazon.com/FiiO-L5-Line-Cable-Walkman/dp/B003UCI2CI
 
Yes it has a true line out, you do need a specific cable like above to access it, but it only cost $15 (or even cheaper on amazon UK for 6 pounds, which is $9). So a lot cheaper than usual interconnect cables anyway, hopefully its decent quality coming from Fiio.

feverfive said:

  I feel stupid for asking, but....does the ZX2 have a true lineout?  Will need to buy yet ANOTHER specialized cable to send unamped analog to a portable amp (Vorzuge Pure II)?

Click to expand...

 
There is the special cable.  But I don't know if I'd buy one separate until I knew what was going to be included with the ZX2...

ok-guy said:

  guess it's lets knock Sony month and see how many DAP's we can name under that ZX2 price... I daresay most knocking the ZX2 will never get to listen to one.

Click to expand...

Ok-Guy I notice you are listening to Heir Audio IEM's....
 
How is the build quality on these and have you had a chance to hear the 10s...
Curious if anyone has compared them to Noble's Kaiser 10s?

buttuglyjeff said:

   
There is the special cable.  But I don't know if I'd buy one separate until I knew what was going to be included with the ZX2...

Click to expand...

 
Sony makes a cable for digital output to usb, not an analog line out cable. And we already know what comes with the ZX2, same stuff as the ZX1, this unboxing was posted a while back by deathson.
http://bbs.erji.com/read.php?tid=1761541

t.r.a.n.c.e. said:

   
Sony makes a cable for digital output to usb, not an analog line out cable. And we already know what comes with the ZX2, same stuff as the ZX1, this unboxing was posted a while back by deathson.
http://bbs.erji.com/read.php?tid=1761541

Click to expand...

 
Oh, thanks for re-sharing that.  Now I wonder if that case is any good......lol

buttuglyjeff said:

   
 Now I wonder if that case is any good......lol

Click to expand...

 
I think the picture is just unflattering and will look better in the flesh, its a real leather case, so should be nice enough. The ZX1 had a synthetic case. 

t.r.a.n.c.e. said:

   
Sony makes a cable for digital output to usb, not an analog line out cable. And we already know what comes with the ZX2, same stuff as the ZX1, this unboxing was posted a while back by deathson.
http://bbs.erji.com/read.php?tid=1761541

Click to expand...

This cable
 
http://www.sony.jp/walkman/products/WMC-NWH10/
 
I think many of these Sony accessories are not available outside of Japan.
 
http://www.sony.jp/walkman/products/NW-ZX1/compatible.html#fragment-category-3668
 
 
If and when I get the Z2 from Japan during my visit, it seems like I need to buy a few of these accessories to use as spare.

mython said:

ok-guy said:

  ... my Hugo paired with the ZX1  ....  sounds sublime... my opinion obviously.

Click to expand...

 
My opinion, too

Click to expand...

 
 
Quote:

ok-guy said:

 
the ZX1 Chord had at CES was mine...

Click to expand...

 
 
Seems Chord like the sound of the ZX1-Hugo combo, too.
 
That either means you and I are not crazy, after all, or it means that the Chord team are just as crazy as us!
 
If only there was some way of knowing which it is...

kms108 said:

 
This cable
 
http://www.sony.jp/walkman/products/WMC-NWH10/
 
I think many of these Sony accessories are not available outside of Japan.
 
http://www.sony.jp/walkman/products/NW-ZX1/compatible.html#fragment-category-3668
 
 
If and when I get the Z2 from Japan during my visit, it seems like I need to buy a few of these accessories to use as spare.

Click to expand...

 
I recall OK-Guy telling me the same thing.
 
I find it peculiar that Sony are so reticent to sell legitimate proprietary accessories globally. It's as though they want to discourage people from buying Sony (e.g PHA-1, PHA-2, PHA-3, etc.)

mython said:

   
 
Seems Chord like the sound of the ZX1-Hugo combo, too.
 
That either means you and I are not crazy, after all, or it means that the Chord team are just as crazy as us!
 
If only there was some way of knowing which it is...

Click to expand...

 
I'll ask... they like crazy questions, I think.
 
 

mython said:

   
I recall OK-Guy telling me the same thing.
 
I find it peculiar that Sony are so reticent to sell legitimate proprietary accessories globally. It's as though they want to discourage people from buying Sony (e.g PHA-1, PHA-2, PHA-3, etc.)

Click to expand...

 
you definitely need WMC-NWH10 cable to connect to any DAC/Amp like the Hugo & HiFi-M8 etc... I really cannot understand Sony's thinking regarding USB cables, they do a propriety mini-USB cable with a prong for the PHA-series which is absolutely useless if you don't go the Hi-Res/DSD route, for Red-Book you have to use either the headphone-out or line-out with the PHA's, why they couldn't just make a WM-Port>mini-usb beggars belief.... you still need a USB>mini-USB to connect to the Sony NWH10 cable, seems like both Apple & Sony like to make it a complex cable issue connecting to non-affiliated DAC's.
 
btw... I get 5.5hours approx. using the ZX1 with the Hugo, I should imagine the ZX2 will provide quite a bit more listening time.

mython said:

   
I recall OK-Guy telling me the same thing.
 
I find it peculiar that Sony are so reticent to sell legitimate proprietary accessories globally. It's as though they want to discourage people from buying Sony (e.g PHA-1, PHA-2, PHA-3, etc.)

Click to expand...

This is the one other big thing Sony really, really, really need to sort out as it is despicable, laughable, frustratingly unbelievable shambles Sony let them selves down with NOT backing up their own goods by selling their main items with lack of complimenting accessible accessories especially something like the NWH10 cable is not made available to buy even direct through their own website in the omitted territories selling these wares. 
 
It used to make my blood boil (actually reading this it still does) as this has been going on for too many years now with Sony and they really do impede their own potential of selling their own products when they don't back it up with making these things that enhance the main product by making them readily and easily available to buy in your own country.  
 
I like to think this is on their To-Do list still since their re-shuffle and re-alignment back into doing higher end audio products for first time in a few years.  
 
Oh, I can also  echo those sentiments the ZX1 with Hugo sounds like Electro-glide-heaven to listen to. If it was not for the poor battery life of ZX1 when hooked up with Hugo it would be easy to spend half a day straight listening with out blinking an eyelid. 
 
Ok-Guys ZX1 has been on tour (in other peoples hands), more time than his owned it himself so about time he got it back as he is a braver man than me letting it go all that time unless he is thinking of getting a ZX2? ...Ok-Guy? 
 
I'm out of the running for the ZX2 unless amazing reviews on the sound from ZX1 owners start rolling in!   ZX3...........................

May be with the release of the ZX2, accessories might be on the menu.