[weechuen]

from what I can tell from reading your review, it seems that the ZO only boost the bass, while others remain relatively the same?

 

[alphaphoenix]

I suggest rereading the review thoroughly.

 

[MizMoxie]

 
Quote:

will v2 have digital or analogue volume controls?

ZO v2 will sport a digital volume control, which just like the contour profiles, will have 32 adjustment settings.
 
While playing around with the v2 prototype, I came across an added benefit to having the VC integrated even if your just using headphone out... Whenever I use my iPhone (w/ or w/o ZO), I've always had trouble finding that 'perfect' volume level. At one setting it's too soft, and the next level up is just on the verge of being uncomfortably loud. I know that after a few minutes of listening, I'll desensitize my ears enough so it's not a problem. But, as someone who highly values their ability to hear well (and wants to keep it that way for as long as possible), I know that the longer you listen at higher levels, the greater the chance for hearing problems later on in life. But now with the integrated VC, I can "fine tune" the playback volume to a sufficient level, without it being uncomfortable. Plus, after I've been listening for a long time, and I get the urge to increase the volume, I don't have to go through the "uncomfortable" stage all over again! So I guess you could say it's almost like having the precision adjustability of an analog control, but with the added benefits of digital...    
 

 

[RPGWiZaRD]

Have you tried comparing maximizing volume on ZO and lowering the source volume and vice versa to see if it will sound different? If gone by the book the usual recommendation to maintain as good quality as possible would be to keep the source at max but I have a feeling it might result in too high volume on ZO even if it has volume control on it. What volume level would V1 or V2 without volume control correspond to?
 
Or since you talk about contour levels regarding volume, will this simply adjust how much "forward" the whole frequency range is brought? If so I'd like this very much.
 
See what I mean is on this page http://www.digizoid.com/media/ you see graphs of how much of a boost ZO will add to the whole frequency range, is the volume you control how high this whole curve is boosted in 32 different levels while on v1 it's locked to a certain level? I won't ask anymore but I'd appriciate to know this. It's an important question because it would answer the question of how you should adjust the volumes on the different devices for the best result. If this was the case how it worked then it depends.

 

[shotgunshane]

Quote:

 


ZO v2 will sport a digital volume control, which just like the contour profiles, will have 32 adjustment settings.
 
While playing around with the v2 prototype, I came across an added benefit to having the VC integrated even if your just using headphone out... Whenever I use my iPhone (w/ or w/o ZO), I've always had trouble finding that 'perfect' volume level. At one setting it's too soft, and the next level up is just on the verge of being uncomfortably loud. I know that after a few minutes of listening, I'll desensitize my ears enough so it's not a problem. But, as someone who highly values their ability to hear well (and wants to keep it that way for as long as possible), I know that the longer you listen at higher levels, the greater the chance for hearing problems later on in life. But now with the integrated VC, I can "fine tune" the playback volume to a sufficient level, without it being uncomfortable. Plus, after I've been listening for a long time, and I get the urge to increase the volume, I don't have to go through the "uncomfortable" stage all over again! So I guess you could say it's almost like having the precision adjustability of an analog control, but with the added benefits of digital...    
 

This is awesome news.  I feel the same way about the iphone volume buttons: too much jump between them.  I've always felt the zo v1 was the best head-fi money I've ever spent.  Sounds like it's going to be bested with v2.

 

[Br777]

now... if you wanna take this thing over the edge, give it a good multiband equalizer with savable presets!!!
 
here's the logic.
 
for those of us who like to eq the imbalances out of our heaphones, rockbox offers an excellent equlizer.. though it could use a few more available adjustment bands.  ... however, the zo, with its awesome technology that allows it to greatly enhance the bass and soon the treble makes it unique. clearly no amount of EQ can mimic it
 
if you COMBINED this technology with being able to fine tune the imbalances of a headphone all within the ZO, it would be UNSTOPPABLE!  This way you could save eq presets in the ZO, and no longer be dependant on your player's often crappy equalizer.  Of course this would also allow you to use the same eq presets across multiple daps..This would be ESPECIALLY handy when using an ipod since the ipod eq sucks, and the apps that offer better eq's are well.. not perfect...
 
just a suggestion.. maybe v3?
 
 

 

[RPGWiZaRD]

Yea I've suggested the same and would highly want such feature, manual EQing of some kind. For me though I'd rather have at least 10-band or a parametric EQ which is difficult to implement into a small device but the treble and bass knobs which are supposed to be in v3 could work as frequency selection and increase/decrease buttons as well but then it'll also need a display. (Ofc this is just brainstorming for you DigiZoid team if anything you find doable or run out of options ). 
 
If such were to be implemented they would have to offer at least 2 different products though as every1 doesn't want/need EQ capabilities and might just want the basic functionality of ZO and wouldn't be willing to pay extra for something they wouldn't need. I'm ready to pay that extra for a more advanced product with a display and some basic features (like for example EQing) though as hardware EQing is usually a lot better working than software EQing (going past "zero"-level won't result in clipping, just louder output volume)
 
As much as I'd like to see such already in v3 it probably wouldn't make sense to go for such drastic changes so fast from a business standpoint for such a new company (though I don't have any figures to look at), it would be better for now to focus on v2 and v3 as the current prototypes are designed and focus everything on these and build up better reputation, hopefully even more sales and then when there's more resources see what can be done after v3 and maybe offer more than 1 product at the same time. This is just my 0.20 so take it as you want.

 

[dfkt]

You can't really make a portable parametric EQ without a screen and lots of buttons (or a touch screen). That would be a whole different philosophy than the minimalist ZO that does one thing (well), with one button. Roughly speaking the v2 might do two things (bass and volume), and the v3 might do three things (bass, treble, and volume). But a full-fledged parametric EQ sure would be something very different - also, you can't do with an EQ what you can do with the ZO's special sauce, and vice versa of course.
 
I'd just use a rockboxed player paired with a ZO.

 

[RPGWiZaRD]

Quote:

I'd just use a rockboxed player paired with a ZO.

 
I don't even use a portable player, just wouldn't wanna be limited to soundcards as my source, would rather have the EQ built in ZO as the DO-IT-ALL-SOUND-SHAPER device. Also it would work with a parametric device as long as there's a display which I also said would be a requirement (I'm just brainstorming for future past ZO v3 what I'd like to see products ). One of the knobs can scroll the frequency range (on the curve) and one of the other knobs for decrease/increase the volume of that frequency which would work as a peak filter, no need for specific filter types etc. Parametric EQs are much more accurate/tweakable in my experience but yea I've been quite fine with my 10-band EQ for my soundcards, only one of my headphones had an annoying peak at around 650~750Hz or so which I couldn't nicely filter out as the closest bands are at 500Hz and 1kHz. However at anything less than 10-bands I wouldn't possibly even want to pay extra for it, possibly for a 7-band but not a 5-band EQ for example, that just isn't usually enough to get a good result.
 
I have concidered picking up a high quality hardware EQ though from for example the german brand Behringer.

 

[dfkt]

In that case, I would suggest a Massenburg GML9500.
 
(But yeah, an Ultracurve should do just fine for a stationary setup.)

 

[RPGWiZaRD]

Quote:

In that case, I would suggest a Massenburg GML9500.
 
(But yeah, an Ultracurve should do just fine for a stationary setup.)

LOL, not quite the budget I was thinking of but I'm more a fan of this interface anyway, seems like a much more bang-for-the-buck alternative http://www.behringer.com/EN/Products/DEQ2496.aspx *ME WANT* 

 

[dfkt]

Yeah, that Ultracurve is fine. FWIW, the audio engineer that developed the Phonak PFE has the same one in his lab setup.

 

[kessomatt]

Quick question.  I am using an android device(evo3d) and with gingerbread you can use the new equalizer apps.  I am using one called "equalizer" by smart android apps.  Is anyone using this app also?  I want to try out the zo with this combination. One of the options in the app is "virtualizer" and wondering if anyone uses this option turned on with the zo.  How does it sound?
 
Also, if anyone can explain what exactly "virtualizer" does to the sound exactly please do. 

 

[Jables280]

Quote:

Quick question.  I am using an android device(evo3d) and with gingerbread you can use the new equalizer apps.  I am using one called "equalizer" by smart android apps.  Is anyone using this app also?  I want to try out the zo with this combination. One of the options in the app is "virtualizer" and wondering if anyone uses this option turned on with the zo.  How does it sound?
 
Also, if anyone can explain what exactly "virtualizer" does to the sound exactly please do. 

Thanks for the heads up on this app! Been waiting for something like this for a while!
 
I'm checking it out now with the ZO on my HTC Glacier running Gingerbread. Hmm, it's an interesting effect, very hard to describe. It is working seamlessly with the ZO though. The ZO's bass enhancement is way better than any of the bass boost or eq effects as far as the low end is concerned. The amplification added by the ZO also makes it sound better all round than with just the phone itself, much more effortless and dynamic as well as the potential to get louder. The virtualizer seems to up the output a bit just by turning it on, even at 0% effect, interesting... So far I'm liking it with eq flat, virtualizer at 30%, and ZO at 2-3 clicks into bass boost (I've only listened to electronic music so far). I'll venture into other genre's soon, diggin' the British club tunes to much to stop just yet...
 

 

[kessomatt]

No problem.  I really want to know exactly what it is doing.  All I know is that it makes it sound better and louder.  It does do something else to the sound but its hard to nail it down.  I usually leave it at 0%, and I dont like the bass booster much since it lowers the sound overall.  I looked at another eq app for android and it had an option called "VR" that did the same as virtualizer. Whatever it is Google didnt tout much with the realase of gingerbread as I cant find any real documentation on it. 
 
Thanks for testing it out, I just bought a Zo from the forum. 

 
Quote:

Thanks for the heads up on this app! Been waiting for something like this for a while!
 
I'm checking it out now with the ZO on my HTC Glacier running Gingerbread. Hmm, it's an interesting effect, very hard to describe. It is working seamlessly with the ZO though. The ZO's bass enhancement is way better than any of the bass boost or eq effects as far as the low end is concerned. The amplification added by the ZO also makes it sound better all round than with just the phone itself, much more effortless and dynamic as well as the potential to get louder. The virtualizer seems to up the output a bit just by turning it on, even at 0% effect, interesting... So far I'm liking it with eq flat, virtualizer at 30%, and ZO at 2-3 clicks into bass boost (I've only listened to electronic music so far). I'll venture into other genre's soon, diggin' the British club tunes to much to stop just yet...