[sunjam]

Other than a new firmware update, just wondering if you guys tried to upsample your music (in real-time) into DSD256 and send it to your walkman (1Z for me) via USB DAC feature?

It is so great that I am using my 1Z more than ever before.

Moreover, I believe that 1Z is a "DSD Direct" DAC so that it can play DSD without any additional DSP processing or digital fitering to add any flavour to the music (like ESS, CS and most AKM DACs).

If you didn't try HQPlayer, I suggest you can try with HQPlayer. It improves my music dramtically. Now, all my music became DSD256 (in real-time) and sounds great.

 

[sunjam]

As I understand it that turns the XM4 into a pure analog headphone but I could be wrong

I think that should be correct as my XM2 can be used with cable w/o power-on.

Having said that, I think you need a better phone to tell the difference between wire and wireless as my XM2 sounds very similar to wireless when I used it with wire.
My 1Z needs a good headphone to show its potential. I did use SE535 and it sounds very similar with other DAP. However, with my Sony XBA-40, it is day and night with 1Z when compared with other DAP.

 

[andnej]

Other than a new firmware update, just wondering if you guys tried to upsample your music (in real-time) into DSD256 and send it to your walkman (1Z for me) via USB DAC feature?

It is so great that I am using my 1Z more than ever before.

Moreover, I believe that 1Z is a "DSD Direct" DAC so that it can play DSD without any additional DSP processing or digital fitering to add any flavour to the music (like ESS, CS and most AKM DACs).

If you didn't try HQPlayer, I suggest you can try with HQPlayer. It improves my music dramtically. Now, all my music became DSD256 (in real-time) and sounds great.

nice info, after all the excitement wanes, try to feel the soundstage and the distance between instruments. Most DSD upsampling has this problem where it increases the dynamics and sound stage and in the end there is a distance between instruments that feels empty, or sometimes it is called "wet soundstage". It is better if the DAC chip itself supports it and the DAP / DAC able to unleash it, for example AKM 4499 EX has 5.6 M and 11.2 M mode operation and D400EX is able to unleash it well, the dynamics and the resolution increased without making the sound stage wet.

 

[andnej]

Let me be a little more precise then. First off, let me confirm that I truly love the Walkman One FW. To my hearing it “clears up the fog” on the OFW. And if I was to only use it indoor in quiet surroundings, its the best. But since I use my Walkman mainly outdoor (to & from work), I have come to the conclusion that I need more body to the sound in that kind of use. I have worked with large PA systems and generally outdoor demands some extra low end amplification.
I also find higher gain to “slim the sound”. It get louder, but loose a little body.
V2 gives better definitions, but loose a little body.
Different dac makes the sound even more transparent, but loose a little body
Bright tuning sounds wonderful, but loose a little body
You get the picture?
That is my observations after listening a week with each setting. We are in “the little differences department “, here. I was in doubt myself on was this the right observation or not, so I went right back to original Sony fw 3.01 and that showed the missing body to the sound. I’m not a bass fan or anything near that, but my number 1 goal is to be entertained by my Walkman. For audiophile entertainment, Walkman One anytime!
hopefully mr.Walkman can feel a little love shining through here as well!

This made me curious and tries, I confirm that MX3 3.01 has a better body. But to my taste, I have to turn on vinyl standard and DC Phase linearization to B Standard.
Let's say we ignore the filters once and focus on direct sound, WM1Z + CEV and go on par with 3.01 with extended highs as a bonus, but the sound is a bit relaxed compared to MX3 + 3.01.
@MrWalkman if one day you would like to add WM1A sound to the firmware, kindly consider both 3.01 and 3.02 please. 3.02 is mid centric, great for vocals (I think I might be able to replicate Kann Max sound with it), 3.01 enables fast full bodied sound.

 

[soundchecked]

Yes, I plan to test the effect of all the settings on the output signal. Then I want to see the effect of different regions. I am currently on a business trip doing a very different kind of testing. I will be able to do this WM1A research in a week or two.

Yo that's great, I've been switching around region e,e2,j,j3 and u3 a lot lately mainly for the soundstage. I narrowed down to j3 and u3 as my go to, I am curious as to how many regions are there.

 

[andnej]

Yo that's great, I've been switching around region e,e2,j,j3 and u3 a lot lately mainly for the soundstage. I narrowed down to j3 and u3 as my go to, I am curious as to how many regions are there.

there are 14 built in regions, and 2 additional custom region (J2 and J3)

 

[Steen Pihl]

This made me curious and tries, I confirm that MX3 3.01 has a better body. But to my taste, I have to turn on vinyl standard and DC Phase linearization to B Standard.
Let's say we ignore the filters once and focus on direct sound, WM1Z + CEV and go on par with 3.01 with extended highs as a bonus, but the sound is a bit relaxed compared to MX3 + 3.01.
@MrWalkman if one day you would like to add WM1A sound to the firmware, kindly consider both 3.01 and 3.02 please. 3.02 is mid centric, great for vocals (I think I might be able to replicate Kann Max sound with it), 3.01 enables fast full bodied sound.

This! At one time I suggested a “travelers edition” or some sort of “outdoor mode” to turn on, when needed! I have been back and forward, between 3.02 & Walkman One a dozen times and have become more & more fond of the Walkman One! But I genuinely believe that Sony made the stock firmware a bit to the warm side on purpose, because that works! Really hoping for an update of the Walkman One!

 

[greymousetaxi]

love v2 direct source mode, but am also guilty of adding 7.5+ to the low end. it just needs that thickness to really make things proper!

 

[RiseFromYourGrav]

Hello, new to this thread, but I've been using my NW-A55 with Walkman One for about 2 months, and I had a question. What's the advantage of direct source? I was using it with my MDR-1AM2 headphones and I loved the sound, but I wanted a little more bass with my iem, so I shut it off to get to the tone control.

 

[nc8000]

Hello, new to this thread, but I've been using my NW-A55 with Walkman One for about 2 months, and I had a question. What's the advantage of direct source? I was using it with my MDR-1AM2 headphones and I loved the sound, but I wanted a little more bass with my iem, so I shut it off to get to the tone control.

Direct source gives the purest sound/signal as no processing takes place and many prefer that, but there is nothing wrong with disabling it and using the various sound effects if that produce a more enjoyable sound to you

 

[Hinomotocho]

Hello, new to this thread, but I've been using my NW-A55 with Walkman One for about 2 months, and I had a question. What's the advantage of direct source? I was using it with my MDR-1AM2 headphones and I loved the sound, but I wanted a little more bass with my iem, so I shut it off to get to the tone control.

Welcome.
An advantage of direct source can be a longer battery life. Using something like the EQ could be the easiest way, unless you found another region or tuning that might steer it to cater for your iem, but didn't overdo it for your 1AM2.

 

[weexisttocease]

The Walkman One firmware for the 1A/1Z supports MQA files?

 

[aceedburn]

The Walkman One firmware for the 1A/1Z supports MQA files?

Yes. The files will be labelled as such if it’s encoded properly. I have a few MQA files.

 

[weexisttocease]

Yes. The files will be labelled as such if it’s encoded properly. I have a few MQA files.

I have a full SandDisk 256GB SD Card with MQA files and it's not doing any decoding since it appears as FLAC only.

 

[nc8000]

I have a full SandDisk 256GB SD Card with MQA files and it's not doing any decoding since it appears as FLAC only.

It needs to have the correct tags in metadata to be recognised. There is a tool I think on the mqa web site that will analyze flac files and add the correct tags