[DAVIDUGLY]

  I know I'm just preaching to the choir, but you know that old saying about singers so good you would listen to them singing the phonebook. I have a few tracks in my music library that are the audio equivalent of that. I usually just skip them, but today I found myself listening, because the ZX2 just made them sound so nice. Sony completely went for flattering over accuracy in their design choices--and I'm not complaining. As I approach 200hrs, nothing is dampening my enjoyment of the ZX2 except...
 


...Don't know what's wrong with me really. It is a disease.
 
But, the upcoming ZX100 (Sept 2015?) is going to be the new flagship. if you look at it, they are not going after the AK Jr., they're targeting the AK380. The components in the amp section look like they've been beefed up. Sigh, I'm sure it's medical: audiophileoitis. 

Where is there news or info on the ZX100?

 

[edwardsean]

  Where is there news or info on the ZX100?

 
There isn't any. It's all speculation, based on an U.S. FCC filing by Sony. If you search this thread you'll find the rumors and a link that you have to google translate from Japanese. 

 

[DAVIDUGLY]

   
There isn't any. It's all speculation, based on an U.S. FCC filing by Sony. If you search this thread you'll find the rumors and a link that you have to google translate from Japanese. 

Gotcha, yes I saw that. 
Perhaps this could be a more "affordable" ZX series entry though.
I feel ( guess ) like the next true flagship would be named ZX3 
if one really follows how Sony likes to name product. 

 

[echineko]

...Don't know what's wrong with me really. It is a disease.
 
But, the upcoming ZX100 (Sept 2015?) is going to be the new flagship. if you look at it, they are not going after the AK Jr., they're targeting the AK380. The components in the amp section look like they've been beefed up. Sigh, I'm sure it's medical: audiophileoitis. 

Well, we're all here on headfi too, aren't we? If anything we're co-enablers 

 On the topic of the ZX100, I tend to agree with another post on here as well about it likely being a different line, I also expect the next flagship to be the ZX3. Either way, someday there will be a new flagship, and shortly after that I'll start plotting a purchase. It's against my nature to pay full retail, so likely I'll wait around for a while until there's a sale, etc, but it's gonna happen. 
 
Embrace the addiction, own it, and make smart decisions about paying for it that don't result in you becoming homeless, indebted etc and you're golden, baby 

 

[animalsrush]

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 agree with your assessment. . I have been using recabled Westone ES5 with black dragon cable with TRRS plug termination over a month now . The change is subtle but significant and I don't think I can go back.the spacing has improved and I like the way music sounds and feels with this option.

Pc

 

[synnnn]

 
Gotcha, yes I saw that. 
Perhaps this could be a more "affordable" ZX series entry though.
I feel ( guess ) like the next true flagship would be named ZX3 
if one really follows how Sony likes to name product. 

 
I tend to believe this.
Going by the camera line, the RX1/RX100, the single digit one is the 'pro' line with the 100 the consumer line. Some Sony headphone/earphone lines follow this rougly too.
Given Sony is predominantly a consumer brand I don't think they will go any pricier than ZX2/ZX3, which leaves the ZX100 to fill the space where ZX1 was
 
ps. first post!!!

 

[edwardsean]

   
I tend to believe this.
Going by the camera line, the RX1/RX100, the single digit one is the 'pro' line with the 100 the consumer line. Some Sony headphone/earphone lines follow this rougly too.
Given Sony is predominantly a consumer brand I don't think they will go any pricier than ZX2/ZX3, which leaves the ZX100 to fill the space where ZX1 was
 
ps. first post!!!

 
Firstly, it's good to know that I'm in the good company of the obsessed. You guys really know your Sony numbering systems. 
 
What you're saying makes sense which makes me both sad and happy.  Sad, because, over AK and the others, I like the design choices Sony is making and can't wait to see what they do next with this line. But, happy that I'm at the present state of the art and I can stop chasing sound and get back to enjoying, what's that thing?, yeah, music.

 

[Cryok95]

Hey guys. Okay honest question here, I am not trying to start a debate. Just want to hear your opinions...

Does anybody notice any sound difference when playing from the on-board memory vs a microsd card?

 

[Cecala]

I agree with your assessment. . I have been using recabled Westone ES5 with black dragon cable with TRRS plug termination over a month now . The change is subtle but significant and I don't think I can go back.the spacing has improved and I like the way music sounds and feels with this option.

Pc

 
 
?????????????

 

[T.R.A.N.C.E.]

^ He means the subtle change is enough to be significant to him. Others might find the subtle change not worth the cost of said upgrade, same can be said about many things on this forum including daps etc.

 

[b0ssMax]

I agree with your assessment. . I have been using recabled Westone ES5 with black dragon cable with TRRS plug termination over a month now . The change is subtle but significant and I don't think I can go back.the spacing has improved and I like the way music sounds and feels with this option.

Pc

I've asked my dealer to make me an 8 wire whiplash 3.5 trrs male to 2.5 trrs female. Hoping to experience th esubtle but significant also.

Note i actually tried via 2 pigtails from layla to zx2 (that was what was available to use balanced layla) -- 3.5 trrs male to kobiconn female to male kobiconn to female 2.5 trrs -- i did hear better spacing and separation. Blackness also. I'm hoping the not so roundabout route will be even better.

 

[aratheba]

Oh sell, thanks anyway.

Is there anyone owning a eu version willing to comment on volume cap effects?!

Thanks

It seems like no one owns the eu version of nw-xz2.... :confused_face:

 

[Sonyvores]

Can't say much but what I can say is that ZX100 won't be new flagship.

 

[Tommy-27]

I own one. I purchased from Amazon and I am in the UK. The only thing I have noticed is that it warns you when you turn it up over a certain volume ( the warning can be dismissed and ignored) It goes up to deafening levels for me. I am using Shure SE846s which are sensitive IEMs so it probably wont go as loud for harder to drive full size cans.However, It goes so loud with my set up that I cant see that being a huge issue. I think the warning may be the only difference ( I don't know this for sure) as I think ( and I have read somewhere) they get round not enforcing the limit by not bundling/including headphones with the unit. So, unless you have really high impedance, hard to drive headphones, I cant see this being a problem. If you do, you could always use an amp like the PHA-3 or something from ibasso. 

 

[echineko]

Can't say much but what I can say is that ZX100 won't be new flagship.

Interesting. Can you at least tell us around when we will find out more?