I look forward to your impressions!

Having just received the NC750, I think that the on board implementation of NC (and the tonality adjustment that happens) is better on the Z5 / NC750 than it is on the EX750...

Haha, I now have MH750, EX750 and NC750 and they all sound different (ok, I suppose the MH is the weak link here, but - personally I would've thought the EX and NC should sound pretty darned identical!, but even ignoring sample variation, the NC hiss is a lot less apparent on the NC750 and, oddly - there is more power from the phone than the EX750 battery pack)

Oh, to get the best out of the EX and NC you really need to get hold of Sony's hybrid tips, way better than the standard silicon shipped tips!

Edit: Sorry for the half off-topic here, but the NC750 is designed specifically for the Z5, and I find it interesting that the NC750 sounds totally different to the EX750 without NC activated - they actually sound listenable (the EX750 sounds quite dull / subdued without the NC activated, and - as said, the NC implementation of the NC is a lot better on the NC750 - if you want to keep within the Sony ecosystem and you have a Z5, I would strongly suggest adding the NC750 onto the must listen list!)

Got the Sony MDR-1ABT headphones and even though they are the best BT audio I've heard (even better than using my SE846's with AptX Samsung H3000 BT adapter) the sound quality is just nowhere as good as wired to the SE846's via Mojo/Z5C. Didn't expect it to be as good but also realised I find the SE846's with my Westone Star Tips so comfy compared to headphones so have sent the Sony's back. The MDR-1ABT didn't sound too good wired to the Mojo either but sounded great over AptX or LDAC.
 
I'm stopping searching now. The combination of SE846's/Mojo/Z5C is simply an awesome combination and worth the extra weight over using a DAP like the Sony ZX2/ZX100. Its audio quality that is key for me and nothing touches the Mojo especially for the price, and need Spotify/Tidal support ruling out the ZX100.
 
I'm purely using the Z5C as a source for music (with 128GB SD) using a mix of flac/DSD Hi-res tracks plus Spotify Extreme offline and mostly have the Z5C in flight-mode with no SIM in it. Only apps used  are UAPP; Spotify; Walkman Music player and with it set to battery Stamina Mode it lasts forever!  In Standby it seems to
 
 
 
and expandable memory. No idea why it doesn't drain power like the Walkman DAPS i.e. ZX2 when connected to a USB DAC unless power use was much improved with Android 5.1 or the chipset in the phone. I am listening to more Spotify Extreme offline stuff than flac/DSD files so battery likely to be impacted more if purely using Hi-def files.
 
Streaming Spotify over Wifi with Mojo/Z5C close-coupled is fine but too much RF interference over 3G/4G unless the Mojo/Z5C are apart with a longer USB cable. Did find a Ferrite core to put around the USB cable but its half the weight of the phone! so not bothered trying.
 
If I'd not experience the Mojo/SE846 combination I'm sure the MDR-1ABT would have been keepers and if you must have Bluetooth then they are excellent (though max volume may be too low for some).
 
Reminder photos:

Could anyone explain LDAC to me? I can understand this first image (that the downconversion to CD quality of SBC - might - decrease the sound quality) from Sonys page:
 

Comparison between
LDAC & SBC

 
But I'm not sure I understand this other image (it seems to say that SBC in this case gives us a "Less than CD quality" and still both images - before and after bluetooth transmission - says LPCM (44.1 kHz/16bit):
 

High quality transmission of conventional music content

 
So, does LDAC really affect (in a positive way) the sound quality when transmitting music of CD quality and below?

My understanding is that only hi-def music uses LDAC with standard using SBC. When connected it just shows as an LDAC device and you can choose highest connection quality. But both Spotify Extreme and hi-def flac/DSD all south better than via aptx adapters I have.

Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk

But according to this image (from Sony) LDAC is used for CD quality as well. The interesting part, I think, is that the words say SBC will transfer an inferior quality while the image says - at least to a degree - that the quality is the same. Anyone that knows what's true and what's marketing?
 

 

High quality transmission of conventional music content

 

duncan said:

I have gone in a different direction (MDR-EX750, only three weeks after getting the EX650 - but, it gets worse, as you'll see in a moment!), and can say that I'm thoroughly impressed with what the Z5 can do out of its headphone jack, to the point where I've also now ordered the Sony NC750 iems - double edged sword though, what I gain in not having the little battery pack on the EX750, I lose in remote control...

...but, if the NC750 sounds the same as the EX750 (not guaranteed, seeing that the phone will control the sound now, compared to the IEMs themselves on the EX750) then this will be a great bargain setup

Lucky French folk were given the NC750 FOC on some contracts with the Z5....

Click to expand...

I've tried the Chord dacs with my Z3c and prefer the sound of Sony's headphone out...still searching for a killer dac though!

It's all marketing...

Even LDAC sounds compressed (dull) compared to a wired connection

So, the words in the image that says "less than CD quality" regarding SBC transfer of conventional music, lies? And even SBC would then transfer CD quality without down conversion and without degrading the sound quality, no? I'm just interested in understanding it correctly...

That is the theory, probably done in a laboratory somewhere...

The practicality is somewhat different...

Let's be honest about it for a moment, even LDAC at full 900kbps is still only transmitting at peak the equivalent of a decent CD FLAC rip, nowhere near where hi res is sat...

Better, but ultimately only marketing

boata said:

  So, the words in the image that says "less than CD quality" regarding SBC transfer of conventional music, lies? And even SBC would then transfer CD quality without down conversion and without degrading the sound quality, no? I'm just interested in understanding it correctly...

Click to expand...

44,100 x 16 bits per second = 706 kbps minimum bitrate for CD quality. SBC maxes out at 328 kbps so it is not possible for SBC to transfer CD quality without lossy compression.
 
Correction - for CD it's 706 kbps per channel so 1400 kbps for stereo. SBC maxes out at 328 kbps for stereo or 164 kbps per channel.

bflat said:

  44,100 x 16 bits per second = 706 kbps minimum bitrate for CD quality. SBC maxes out at 328 kbps so it is not possible for SBC to transfer CD quality without lossy compression.
 
Correction - for CD it's 706 kbps per channel so 1400 kbps for stereo. SBC maxes out at 328 kbps for stereo or 164 kbps per channel.

Click to expand...

Thanks for the maths. But then there's a down conversion also for LDAC for CD quality?
 
And we have to go down to Spotify at 320 - then there would be no difference between SBC and LDAC, right?

boata said:

 
Thanks for the maths. But then there's a down conversion also for LDAC for CD quality?
 
And we have to go down to Spotify at 320 - then there would be no difference between SBC and LDAC, right?

Click to expand...

Not necessarily. Lossless compression can get close to 50% compression. Anyone who invents a lossless algorithm that compress to say 25% will be a very rich person.
 
Spotify uses 320 kbps Ogg Vorbis compression so your Bluetooth Codec will convert the Spotify compressed stream into an SBC compressed stream further losing data in that process. You do not want to convert one lossy format to another lossy format because you lose data each time you do. Conversely you can convert lossless formats like ALAC to FLAC all day long back and forth and not lose a single bit of data.
 
LDAC may offer better quality, but it's proprietary to Sony so no one other than Sony knows why it's better. Personally, I agree with Duncan, it's still no match for wired. If you checkout audio options for the Sony Music player app on their Xperia phones there is a feature that supposedly restores lost bits to compressed files. Guess what? Even Sony says it only works for wired headphones!

bflat said:

 
Not necessarily. Lossless compression can get close to 50% compression. Anyone who invents a lossless algorithm that compress to say 25% will be a very rich person.
 
Spotify uses 320 kbps Ogg Vorbis compression so your Bluetooth Codec will convert the Spotify compressed stream into an SBC compressed stream further losing data in that process. You do not want to convert one lossy format to another lossy format because you lose data each time you do. Conversely you can convert lossless formats like ALAC to FLAC all day long back and forth and not lose a single bit of data.
 
LDAC may offer better quality, but it's proprietary to Sony so no one other than Sony knows why it's better. Personally, I agree with Duncan, it's still no match for wired. If you checkout audio options for the Sony Music player app on their Xperia phones there is a feature that supposedly restores lost bits to compressed files. Guess what? Even Sony says it only works for wired headphones!

Click to expand...

 
That's really interesting. I listen through nothing but Sonys SRS-X9 and X88 (wireless) these days and connected a Chromecast Audio to each of their line-ins. The CCA is for my own music being stored and played from a server running Logitech Media Server. But for Spotify I use bluetooth - therefore the questions.
 
I have a Note 3 - would I benefit from let's say an Xperia Z5 when it comes to Spotify over bluetooth? The X9 and X88 both supports LDAC, and they both support that restoration of lost bits (if it's the DSEE HX, something like that, you're thinking of?). I don't understand why their whole series of (apparantly wireless) bluetooth speakers would support both LDAC and in particular DSEE HX if it just applies to their wired phones - it sounds crazy... *confused*

boata said:

   
That's really interesting. I listen through nothing but Sonys SRS-X9 and X88 (wireless) these days and connected a Chromecast Audio to each of their line-ins. The CCA is for my own music being stored and played from a server running Logitech Media Server. But for Spotify I use bluetooth - therefore the questions.
 
I have a Note 3 - would I benefit from let's say an Xperia Z5 when it comes to Spotify over bluetooth? The X9 and X88 both supports LDAC, and they both support that restoration of lost bits (if it's the DSEE HX, something like that, you're thinking of?). I don't understand why their whole series of (apparantly wireless) bluetooth speakers would support both LDAC and in particular DSEE HX if it just applies to their wired phones - it sounds crazy... *confused*

Click to expand...

Yes, it's DSEE and on my Xperia Z5C it clearly states "This setting is only for wired headphones."
 
So let's assume DSEE does not work on LDAC or over Bluetooth. That would imply that LDAC benefits are only when you are playing a lossless source. The Sony diagrams certainly support that assumption.
 
Based on that, I would say you shouldn't expect any improvement for BT streaming using an LDAC enabled Sony device. In fact, LDAC may not even support compressed sources and the Sony BT codec may simply switch to SBC in that case!

bflat said:

 
Yes, it's DSEE and on my Xperia Z5C it clearly states "This setting is only for wired headphones."
 
So let's assume DSEE does not work on LDAC or over Bluetooth. That would imply that LDAC benefits are only when you are playing a lossless source. The Sony diagrams certainly support that assumption.
 
Based on that, I would say you shouldn't expect any improvement for BT streaming using an LDAC enabled Sony device. In fact, LDAC may not even support compressed sources and the Sony BT codec may simply switch to SBC in that case!

Click to expand...

 
We're closing in on the truth, I think
 
So, then. I'm dropping LDAC. And I cannot benefit from DSEE either, with my current setup, since I'm streaming lossless (flac) over wifi - BUT my server would have to support DSEE, as well (which it of course doesn't), am I right?