[equalspeace]

Amen.

To be honest, the main reason for my disappointment with the new Walkman models is not the price itself cozi I can afford it, although I can't really justify it.

What grinds my gears is that while the other manufacturers are utilizing better and better DACs and opams with every new model, Sony has been stuck sprinkling random stuff inside the DAPs with gold and making stuff more oxygen- and lead-free, which supposedly makes the sound clearer. Year after year we see stuff like "premium lead-free solder", "more premium lead-free solder containing gold", "improved circuit board for better electricity flow", "improved gold-plated circuit board for even better electricity flow", etc.

And then last year Sony released the DMP-Z1, which actually utilizes proper DACs (dual AK4497EQ) and analogue amp section. And that's the top Walkman on the market, so for Sony to change its design direction for it means that they do know that this is the way to go for high-end sound reproduction and properly powerful output. And yet, they still keep the same old design for their portable Walkmans despite the high prices and instead of utilizing similar design in them, they just keep adding copper and gold inside and call it innovation.

 

[Leetransform25]

Don't want to offense anybody.
Can't compete against hiby r6 pro, m11 or m11 pro or ibasso dx220.
It's ridiculously pricey.
Only reason to buy is for its looking or because is pocketable ?.. Maybe can compete with AK SR15? Another ridiculously pricey player.? Idk.

From that specs I'm not excited.
Let's see what owners will say.
Maybe I change my mind and decide to buy it and keep it from instead thinking giving it as a gift to my 11 years old nephew.
Lol

To be fair the price isn't that much compared to the R6 Pro or the DX220, and we don't know how this thing performs yet so yeah we'll have to wait and see how it holds up against the competition. Personally I have hopes for this as it's Sony's first Android based DAP in a while and I generally like what they're doing as a company as a whole (I guess you could say I might be a fanboy lol). I still don't see why you'd give it to your nephew though, unless he's an avid audiophile himself who's trustworthy enough to handle something that expensive. If you don't like it, perhaps just sell it and get part of your money back

 

[davidcotton]

Not quite, although it is true that the best are almost a thousand bucks, there are still plenty of good ones for around ~$300


Apparently he doesn't have one I think. I don't know how he gets by as a smartphone is arguably one of the most helpful things one could have in this day and age

I live quite happily without one thanks very much Admittedly there have been a couple (and I can count the times on the fingers of one hand) when it might have been useful but on the whole....

 

[Liono]

First audio impressions seem good!

Writer seems to have a bit of Dyslexia (not making fun as I have it mildly) and calls it the NW-ZX705 in the article.

https://www.whathifi.com/reviews/sony-walkman-nw-zx507

 

[Partlys4int]

First audio impressions seem good!

Writer seems to have a bit of Dyslexia (not making fun as I have it mildly) and calls it the NW-ZX705 in the article.

https://www.whathifi.com/reviews/sony-walkman-nw-zx507

The model is officially called that way though. Look on Sony's website.

I don't know why that is the case, as the ZX300 was just called that.

 

[davidmolliere]

The model is officially called that way though. Look on Sony's website.
I don't know why that is the case, as the ZX300 was just called that.

I think he meant he wrote ZX705 and not ZX507 (it seems the error has been fixed in the article in the meantime), yes model number is ZX507, I guess also to avoid confusion with the MDR-ZX500 which is a headphone in Sony lineup.

Nice first impressions, if Sony went for a more reference tuning ala WM1A it wouldn’t be a bad thing, although I prefer the slightly warmer and more euphonic signature of the ZX300.

 

[kova4a]

The model is officially called that way though. Look on Sony's website.

I don't know why that is the case, as the ZX300 was just called that.

Oh no, it's spreading!

 

[maira]

First audio impressions seem good!

Writer seems to have a bit of Dyslexia (not making fun as I have it mildly) and calls it the NW-ZX705 in the article.

https://www.whathifi.com/reviews/sony-walkman-nw-zx507

Whathifi is not a good source when it comes to DAPs. They are just promoting Sony and A&K....

 

[brokengundam]

Is anyone else interested in this because it’s an Android player with Google Play support with media buttons and a hold/lock switch? I could do with the lower power output compared to the hiby r6 if the zx507 has anywhere near the advertised 15 or 16 hour battery life playing flac files (I might get 8 hours se output playing mp3/flac mix with the hiby). I guess with the lack of quick charging on the Sony, the hiby is ahead a bit with its charge time to battery life ratio, with a 2h charge/8h playtime for the hiby r6, and the estimated 6.5h charge / 15h playtime for the Sony.

 

[anarch1st]

Whathifi is not a good source when it comes to DAPs. They are just promoting Sony and A&K....

They're not a good source for anything audio related imo. Just have a look at this list: https://www.whathifi.com/best-buys/headphones/best-headphones

Or a review of the Andromeda:
https://www.whathifi.com/reviews/campfire-audio-andromeda

Like come on, "In terms of comparison, Shure’s talented SE846s (originally tested at £950 and now available for around £800) are more complete performers, delivering musical cohesion and sonic refinement that the Campfires can’t match."

 

[Liono]

I think he meant he wrote ZX705 and not ZX507 (it seems the error has been fixed in the article in the meantime), yes model number is ZX507, I guess also to avoid confusion with the MDR-ZX500 which is a headphone in Sony lineup.

Nice first impressions, if Sony went for a more reference tuning ala WM1A it wouldn’t be a bad thing, although I prefer the slightly warmer and more euphonic signature of the ZX300.

Not fixed yet:


It may not be a good source of info but is one of the first impressions I seen though..

 

[kova4a]

Well, there were other expressions of the new models from a few days ago (translated from Japanese with Google translate):

[nw-a100]
At the venue of IFA 2019, I was able to audition the sound of the NW-A105 with the new headphones “WH-H910”. What has changed the most from the current model A50 series is that the sound field feel has become wider, and the bass is more transparent. The stabilization of the two elements enhances the resolution of high-resolution playback, and naturally focuses attention on the sound details. The comfort of listening for a long time can be expected to increase dramatically.

[nw-zx500]
In the demonstration corner of the IFA 2019 venue, the sound of the music distribution service TIDAL and Spotify was checked in combination with the sealed advanced headphones “MDR-Z7MK2.” As for the sound, we refined the expressive power of the vast sound stage with both balanced output and unbalanced output by refining the internal high-quality parts.
I was impressed by the high-ranking Walkman "Signature Series", and I felt that the vivid and energetic vocals and the sharpness of the bass that were sharply struck were significantly increased compared to the ZX300 Series. The sound is so three-dimensional that it approaches the speaker playback. As a portable audio player of this class, I felt that the sound field was clear and had a good view, unlike any other.

 

[abitdeef]

Not fixed yet:


It may not be a good source of info but is one of the first impressions I seen though..

They said the same thing about zx300 for the initial impressions, and then in the review they said it lacked dynamics and was soft sounding.

 

[Liono]

They said the same thing about zx300 for the initial impressions, and then in the review they said it lacked dynamics and was soft sounding.

Oh really? Lol

I visited their stand at the Bristol AV show last year and one gets the impression most of the reviews are written by young interns with little experience. That maybe misplaced but my impression.

 

[abitdeef]

Oh really? Lol

I visited their stand at the Bristol AV show last year and one gets the impression most of the reviews are written by young interns with little experience. That maybe misplaced but my impression.

I get the impression that they like AK more, but heck you really don't know until you listen to it yourself.