I find it quite disgusting that Sony couldn't even implement native DSD on their "flagship" audiophile grade player retailing at a hefty premium price considering they are one of the pioneers in bringing the DSD formats to us...
Interview With Sony: NW-ZX2... Your Questions Answered
- Thread starter Steven R. Rochli
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DarKu
Reviewer at Soundnews
Ooooooh, that sounds like fun! Will dig out the D-25 and get it going for a week to warm things up and then compare.
Really appreciate the effort.
Can't wait for the comparison.
Keep the good work!
jamato8
Headphoneus Supremus
Converting to PCM from DSD seems to work and it depends upon what is going on. At the same time, the new X3 gen 2 plays DSD natively and it will sell for around 200 dollars.
It would be nice if some day Sony went to a 3.5 output vs the proprietary connector they use. The leverage on the connector can be extreme if it is accidentally hit but a right angle 3.5 has a much lower profile and a 3.5 well made socket tends to hold up well.
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What does Sony say about future updates to the OS?
It would be nice if some day Sony went to a 3.5 output vs the proprietary connector they use. The leverage on the connector can be extreme if it is accidentally hit but a right angle 3.5 has a much lower profile and a 3.5 well made socket tends to hold up well.
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What does Sony say about future updates to the OS?
mcmurray
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Agreed. Very surprising really.
Does it at least output DSD for use with an external DAC?
seeteeyou
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Maybe not THAT surprising since they could save that for ZX3 etc. They had to add an extra XMOS chip for DSD decoding while that's draining the battery of AK240 and raising the temperature as well. Not exactly a good idea, huh?
Even the free HibyMusic app could support DoP for an external DAC so that's just hilarious when Sony didn't get that done for ZX2 yet. UAPP and Onkyo HF Player aren't free but both of them are working fine with DoP right now.
Even the free HibyMusic app could support DoP for an external DAC so that's just hilarious when Sony didn't get that done for ZX2 yet. UAPP and Onkyo HF Player aren't free but both of them are working fine with DoP right now.
It's even more hilarious if their Z3 a mobile phone can decode DSD natively but their flagship audiophile dedicated player couldn't even do that.
Luvdac
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Here we go.....
Quick answer: 1 Does the zx2 play dsd natively or converts to pcm?
(Ducks for cover, but please remember i'm only the messenger)
Converts to PCM
2 do i need a special cable to connect it to my ami musik ds5 Dac?
No digital out at this time and that unit lacks a simple-to-implement analog input to then take advantage of it's amplification section.
3 Can it be used as an outboard Dac?
No normal way to use the Sony NW-ZX2 as a digital input/desktop soundcard substitute at this time.
Have MUCH MORE info and answers to many questions here within my interview article. Will hopefully get it online tomorrow or Monday.
Thanks for opening that can of worms! My need for a sony just vanished. Cayin n6 here I come.
Steven R. Rochli
Member of the Trade: Enjoy the Music
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Phew! Been working many hours on this and finally just posted my exclusive interview with Sony's Mr. Yoshioka-san about the new NW-ZX2. he designed the NW-ZX1, NW-ZX2... Yours questions answered plus bonus info from their slide presentation too
www.EnjoyTheMusic.com/magazine/equipment/0315/Interview_Yoshioka_Sony_NW_ZX2.htm
www.EnjoyTheMusic.com/magazine/equipment/0315/Interview_Yoshioka_Sony_NW_ZX2.htm
The slide presentation is interesting. Thanks for sharing, though I wished you'd have persist more on why they didn't opt for native DSD support.
jamato8
Headphoneus Supremus
Phew! Been working many hours on this and finally just posted my exclusive interview with Sony's Mr. Yoshioka-san about the new NW-ZX2. he designed the NW-ZX1, NW-ZX2... Yours questions answered plus bonus info from their slide presentation too
www.EnjoyTheMusic.com/magazine/equipment/0315/Interview_Yoshioka_Sony_NW_ZX2.htm
Cool. I think they meant the copper oxidizes easily not rusts, which is why they plated it.
So using a TRRS works to give a wider soundstage? interesting. I am using one right now. All of my phones are balanced and I have every connector I would need and have a nice TRRS using Whiplash cable. Will evaluate. :^)
Steven R. Rochli
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musicdragoon
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ZX2 output DSD as converted PCM via digital output, just same as ZX1, guess the S master being the whole decode and amp workforce, it limited the addition of hardware DSD things.
And nice to have official wordings for not being true balanced, still nice for going separated ground for better separation
And nice to have official wordings for not being true balanced, still nice for going separated ground for better separation
Good interview.
Too bad there is no information about the ZX2's output impedance.
Too bad there is no information about the ZX2's output impedance.
Steven R. Rochli
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He said 15mW per channel @ 16 Ohms yet also told me it didn't matter(?!?). I have a feeling their digital amp works a bit differently than others, and must say the risetime, etc must produce a very fast and clean signal. Probably an outstanding squarewave. Would be nice to just have just the amp section and put it on a scope.
I read that part where he specified the output power, but I'm not talking 'bout that.
What I mean is the headphone output jack's output resistance.
IEMs without flat impedance response (all multi-driver IEMs with a crossover) need a source with a low output resistance.
This is the frequency response a device with a very low output resistance close to 0 sends to an IEM with varying impedance:
Here's the same IEM on a source with rather high output resistance:
As you can see, when some headphones with varying impedance are connected to a device with high output resistance, the signal they receive is not flat anymore causing the IEM to sound different than it should.
Without load or with an IEM which has got a flat impedance response, the lower graph would be flat.
Too bad most of Sony's DAPs have got a high output resistance which doesn't make them good for that typpe of IEMs if you want to drive them "correctly".
AfaIk, the PSV is the only device with a (more or less) low output resistance of something between 1 and 2 Ohms.
What I mean is the headphone output jack's output resistance.
IEMs without flat impedance response (all multi-driver IEMs with a crossover) need a source with a low output resistance.
This is the frequency response a device with a very low output resistance close to 0 sends to an IEM with varying impedance:
Here's the same IEM on a source with rather high output resistance:
As you can see, when some headphones with varying impedance are connected to a device with high output resistance, the signal they receive is not flat anymore causing the IEM to sound different than it should.
Without load or with an IEM which has got a flat impedance response, the lower graph would be flat.
Too bad most of Sony's DAPs have got a high output resistance which doesn't make them good for that typpe of IEMs if you want to drive them "correctly".
AfaIk, the PSV is the only device with a (more or less) low output resistance of something between 1 and 2 Ohms.
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