[lights]

Is the stainless steel more scratch/dent resistant than AK's aluminium players?

 

[colonelkernel8]

Don´t know what all the fuss is about. Alex An once told me when I asked him that AK has found the different metals to produce slightly different sound signatures. So they´ve decided to make them available, so that every taste can be satisfied. No better than, no higher ranking etc., just different flavors.

That is simply not possible. I'm sorry. You can't "change" the sound of something without adding or removing distortion, manipulating the frequency response, etc. So one must objectively be "better" if that's the case. But it's not. A&K would *never* admit to different metals creating different "sound signatures" because they'd be opening themselves up to fraud lawsuits. If their reported measurements are identical between these devices, they can't claim one sounds different than the other.

 

[lights]

That is simply not possible. I'm sorry. You can't "change" the sound of something without adding or removing distortion, manipulating the frequency response, etc. So one must objectively be "better" if that's the case. But it's not. A&K would *never* admit to different metals creating different "sound signatures" because they'd be opening themselves up to fraud lawsuits. If their reported measurements are identical between these devices, they can't claim one sounds different than the other.

Doesn't Sony claim the copper body of the NW-WM1Z directly affects the sound:

"Discover the functional beauty of oxygen-free copper
The NW-WM1Z is fully encased in a high-grade gold-plated oxygen-free copper chassis. Widely used in instrument manufacturing, the copper lends the player its unique natural, acoustic sound. Its conductivity and raw strength reinforce the Walkman® with unrivalled audio performance."

https://www.sony.co.uk/electronics/walkman/nw-wm1z

 

[TYATYA]

Is the stainless steel more scratch/dent resistant than AK's aluminium players?

SURE !!!

 

[emrelights1973]

SS is better! Looks sharp and solid!

Maybe there is a small SQ difference between SS vs CU, maybe there is not...

Just buy the color you like and enjoy.... you may use a silver cable with cu and copper cable with SS so they become same

 

[twister6]

SS is better! Looks sharp and solid!

Maybe there is a small SQ difference between SS vs CU, maybe there is not...

Just buy the color you like and enjoy.... you may use a silver cable with cu and copper cable with SS so they become same

Speaking of copper, curious how is it holding on after the extended use since it's not plated? Any signs of oxidation?

 

[colonelkernel8]

Speaking of copper, curious how is it holding on after the extended use since it's not plated? Any signs of oxidation?

I imagine it must be coated in a thin conformal coating of some kind or that thing is going to look like a cathedral roof in a year from skin oils and humidity.

 

[AxelCloris]

We've gone through and cleaned up some of the recent discussion in the thread. Please keep all posts on-topic and within the Posting Guidelines. Thank you, everyone.

 

[Giraku]

Speaking of copper, curious how is it holding on after the extended use since it's not plated? Any signs of oxidation?

After 6 months of daily use, still no sign of tarnishing yet on my SP1000Cu.
It got some scratches and dents (very minor), though.

 

[lenkiatleong]

Doesn't Sony claim the copper body of the NW-WM1Z directly affects the sound:

"Discover the functional beauty of oxygen-free copper
The NW-WM1Z is fully encased in a high-grade gold-plated oxygen-free copper chassis. Widely used in instrument manufacturing, the copper lends the player its unique natural, acoustic sound. Its conductivity and raw strength reinforce the Walkman® with unrivalled audio performance."

https://www.sony.co.uk/electronics/walkman/nw-wm1z

Strange. The last time i checked on Sony webpage, the descriptions were different from today's. I remembered vividly that they gold plated the cu chassis to prevent it from oxidizing. And i could not find any mention on cu vs ss sound difference.
But your link even include a new video where the engineer described why he chooses cu and gold plate the chassis. But i don't understand the sub-titles where it says cu on the cabinet does affect the sound. And somewhere else in the same video, there's another description of chassis. Is cabinet = chassis? I'm confused.

 

[olddude]

Ehh. Let's move on. How many of you have the SS and how many the Cu? I know the SS was released first, just wonder if Cu caught up in sales.

 

[Giraku]

Ehh. Let's move on. How many of you have the SS and how many the Cu? I know the SS was released first, just wonder if Cu caught up in sales.

Mine is Cu. At my FLHS, the owner said they sell more Cu than SS.

 

[orifiel]

Someone can compare the SP1000SS with the AK240SS??
An explained sound comparison, not only superlative words?

Regards

 

[junix]

After 6 months of daily use, still no sign of tarnishing yet on my SP1000Cu.
It got some scratches and dents (very minor), though.

Lucky you (not for the scratches.. ).. mine started tarnishing after roughly 5-6 months of daily use.
But I currently live in Dubai where the weather is not ideal for Copper..

A&K distributor in Dxb told me they now only keep the Cu in store as with previous models (2xx, 3xx) the SS was not selling well.

 

[Whitigir]

Strange. The last time i checked on Sony webpage, the descriptions were different from today's. I remembered vividly that they gold plated the cu chassis to prevent it from oxidizing. And i could not find any mention on cu vs ss sound difference.
But your link even include a new video where the engineer described why he chooses cu and gold plate the chassis. But i don't understand the sub-titles where it says cu on the cabinet does affect the sound. And somewhere else in the same video, there's another description of chassis. Is cabinet = chassis? I'm confused.

Technically speaking, the chassis serve as a ground planes, and that many different parts rely on it. There are people that can hear the differences, and there are people that can not. If you just want a scientific explaination, the Copper conductivity is 30X or more greater than Stainless Steel.

But Sony did more than to tease people, whether golden ears or not, they used more meticulous resistors and capacitors. A&K SP1000, does not separate pricing separations anymore, which you should appreciate. Because to source and mill a solid block of copper is much more expensive than SS

Everybody has a choice, you pick what you want, and enjoy the music. There is no senses in debating “how come I can’t hear the differences”. We can not all be “lebron”