Last year I was so excited buying the Walkman Zx2 and Z7 from Sony, and I was gradually enjoying the better of real quality audio when I am stepping back into the portable world. I feel that now is better than ever to have the dips into the rest of Sony gears, the PHA-3 portable amplifier. Why ? Because somehow many people don't appreciate it, and hence the used market price is dropping hard, and I was lucky to have bought one at a very good price.
What made me decided to buy the Pha-3 were these followings: Portability, Build quality, Balanced output, USB (charge/audio in at the same time by 2 ports), seamlessly connect to Apple devices, and computers, build-in battery. Better yet, about 5-6 hours of digitally fed and play with Balanced out. I can confirm that the Pha-3 is a worthy purchase if you already own Zx2. It carries a different sound signature and yet closely resembles the Zx2 with yet more transparency, separations and expansive soundstage.
Right when I decided to have gone with this purchase decision, I had looked into Pha-3 board and components, and it seems that Sony uses the Technologies inside the Walkman Zx2 for it as well. For example, the OS-Con capacitors, and then packing very good desktop class ESS9018S with independent Texas instrument opamp chip per Channel for balanced. What I realized immediately ? The burn-in process. My brand new ZX2 needed 200 hours roughly to sound better, and it even had weaker, less counts of these capacitors inside. Therefore, it was just making senses for PHA-3 to at least need 300 hours for burn-in or even more, please take it literally.
I then even read all around the websites, forums, and different reviews, impressions on the unit, and all seemed to be very disappointing from the performances. But surprisingly most of the "used and for sell" units are all used for less than 100 hours. Case in point is that my unit was sold to me with less than 20 hours used, and everything came inside the box, most cables are still inside their untouched plastic bags and ties. This lead me to believe that most of the people who reviewed, and impressed on the PHA-3, and even people who is selling it, they all have not been burning in the PHA-3 properly. From my own experiences, my Zx2 sounded horrible at first, but gradually changing with burn-in.
I dived in blindly and made the purchase, then I started bumping into different problems. The Pha-3 is so sensitive, and only a slight movements, then the Pha-3 will stop being charged regardless of it being plugged in. There was no indication of it stopping it charges ? I didn't know, and left it for burn-in overnight to wake up into an empty PHa-3 which couldn't even turn on. It took me about an hour scratching head and reading around the forums to find out about this problem, and was sure that the Pha-3 could take charge and play music at the same time. I also needed any power outlet with 2.1A output, and voilà, any IPad charger will do. First problem solved.
Second problems, the PHA-3 is charging so slow....and it run very warm. It will shut off when it get too warm, and it will take 15 hours to charge up if you connect it to a laptop, or anything with less than 2.1 Amp outlet.
Third problem, yeah ....the 300 hours burning in is horrible, and yet the result was sweet. Pha-3 has better dynamic and presences at 120 hours, and then even more when approaching 300 hours. I only let it sit and play music with attached headphones, and nothing special in the process. Once again, this picture from my Zx2 guide by Sony to prove it
Now look at Pha-3 motherboard . Do you see why I recommend 300 hours ? To my opinion, it only stop improving after 500 hours or so
When all 3 problems combined together, and no wonder why people would just want to smash this little thing, and sell it. Well, lucky for me.
The sound signature, the PHA-3 carry Sony house sound with punchy controlled Bass, sparkling trebles, clean back ground, forward vocal and of great separations, transparency, expansive soundstage. Please do mind that I only use "balanced out" connection. Therefore, please regard this impression with strictly balanced connection. The Pha-3 is surprisingly sensitive with different cables materials which leads me to believe that Pha-3 is of a very good build quality and internal parts. Looking at some of the online picture of the motherboard, I could see a lot of high quality film resistors, capacitors and...so on.
It can get a huge improvements if using with Sony accessory Dock if one is using Walkman DAP. Perhaps, using Walkman+Dock+Pha-3 and balanced connection will bring one of the most sophisticated sound from Sony. The best about this combination is the transportability. Zx2 with Pha-3 on battery, and both last for 5-6 hours. Docked and stationed for ultimate listening without running out of battery ever, and that "oh so good" sonically quality.
Also, depends on your experiences/preferences, upgrading the cables quality will bring about observable improvements
Sound-scape: spherical, expansive in width, depth, height, and immersive with 3rd dimensions.
Bass: Full of controls, packing punches, and very detailed. The sub-bass can get very very low with vivid details, and especially on complicated bass plays, every lines were vividly presenting with it own definitions. Distortions ? Perhaps only in bad records in my experiences, the PHA-3 is awesome in bass department. However, driving some higher impedance headphones may expose the weakness of the Pha-3, the lack of dynamic and it senses. Even when using Z7 which was made for it, I felt it was slightly lacking as well. I can tell that it pair superbly well with Fostex TH900, and I would think other similar variants as well ? I can observe a total control of bass tonality, vivid visceral energy and highly textured lines with excellent tonality.
Mid: forward and transparent, centered and vividly presenting. The separations of each instruments, tones and tonal balances are vivid, spacious. The micro energies and variations are very fluid and packing full of details, energies. However, Mid spectrum is very boring, lifeless when the unit is still new, all of the micro energies variations, and plays are like not there but only huge empty spaces. It actually improves a lot and vividly playing after 300 hours burning-in....and magically continue to improve upon micro dynamic energies and it variations up to 500 hours. I found strings plays carry less organic warmth feeling where the wind instruments has a much better expressions and organic with it inner wind and brass housing tonality. Do not mistake it though, the strings plays and tonality is still too good to criticize, it only trades a bit of warmth for clarity, separation and micro energies.
Treble: sparkling, energetic tonality, airy, and is very detailed without being harsh/sibilant. This is where the trebles get tuned a bit differently than the Sabres ES9018 sound signature I had been expecting, the cold/chilling, sparkling, detailed trebles ? Instead the Pha-3 trebles is yet sparkles, dense, thick, airy, detailed, and not...cold ? Strangely eh ? I wouldn't think it was Sabres chip inside, and if you believe different DAC carry different sound like I do ! I love it here. I would call this trebles a sweet and detailed lady !
Pros: The best about it pros is the Fidelity of spaces which are so accurately at the same pace and distant constantly, and then within this space is the Depth that contains the definitions of each instruments energies and plays. Connecting to other devices are a breeze and clearly indicated. Balanced connection, Vocal, expansive and spacious presences, excellent separations and layering, great energies expressions almost all around, warmer and musical bass/trebles. Very good mid, forward with good transparency and smooth vocals.
Can be portable stack with Zx2 or other Walkman/sources by running on it built-in battery. Or docked on your desk
Cons: some what weak in the power and stability. It results in weaker mid-upper bass to lower mid energies expressions, but only if you try to use higher impedance headphones, or are picky. Some tracks will show it worse than other ? Long time charging, too sensitive on movements because the PHA-3 will get disconnected from charging without indications. Gets warm on operation, especially if you cover it in any fabric, leathers...pocket....etc.
What would I like for a better experiences ? Would love to have much better power supplies.....even if it was more Bulky even at 2x this thickness, needs better battery, charging indicators. Less sensitivity toward moving in which may result in the sound being stopped. Also a larger battery with faster charging ?
Pairing and utilizing: I used pha-3 with Zx2 as a transport, and I originally mistaken the cables inside the Pha-3 box to be a good cables for Zx2. I was wrong, this cables was horrible, even though it was short and is a better fit, but it doesn't have the built in components where the Sony real "dongles cables" has, the WMC-NWH10. I modified it for better optimization as in elminating the female type A USB and replaced it with micro USB for direct Pha-3 connection and upgraded cables. It is superbly paired with TH900 , then MDR- Sa5000 in balanced connections. You may ask how ? Any vendor can make them balanced for you via (modifications), or if you are handy with DIY, you can find many threads here on head-fi for it.
Pha-3 can be seamlessly connected to Apple devices, and PC. The analog line out is using the same port on the back with a switch to opt for headphones or line out, be noticed that the Balanced connection is not available when you are in Analog line-in. It means anything you amplify by Pha3 via Analog feeds will not output balanced connection by Pha-3, but only Single Ended. I love the Pha-3 and Zx2 when connected line out toward my large stereo system. It is so good and satisfying. When using it like this, the dynamic, controls, tonality, and energy are so so good, and that I had talked to a well reputable friend who also confirmed that even though the amp section of the Pha-3 may be a bit weak, when having a good quality amplifier, the DAC section in the Pha-3 is "excellent". It explains the superb quality when using with my large stereo system. It also means that Pha-3 can be used as DAC/Pre-amp for hard to drive headphones.
DSEE HX: it will work in digital connection and anything below CD quality will trigger it. The sound seems to be sharper in the highs and more extensions in the low. However, some people may not enjoy it much as it may render your track to sound a bit less organic and more artificial. The option is excellent at what it does
I absolutely optimized this little rig that I have and I am loving everything coming from it, and if you wonder, I do think that this is a good investment and having this setup will satisfy most folks out there who is caught into the High-Fidelity audio worlds which is portable, transportable. I even think this setup is almost future proof that even if new Walkman is to be released or higher end DAP ? The most important thing here in the chain is the PHA-3 with it flagship 9018S and Sony specially catering to your sound, unless PHA-4 is announced, even so, there is so little room to improves considering form-price-performance factors. I hope you enjoyed reading
Edit: Updated with video
[VIDEO]https://youtu.be/folne8cazX8[/VIDEO]