[DBaldock9]

Hi guys, i recently got my Z1 from Penon Audio. After a month of waiting. First impression, price to ratio is superb..i can't believe it.. It seems like this small wonder kicks the hell out of my more expensive tube dac (i will try a side by side testing with these 2 maybe next week).

I want to ask something. I tried playing with my EQ a while back. Not bad really but i wang to switch the thing back to its default 0 EQ. Is that possible?

Also, how would i know if i have the latest firmware? I ordered it a month ago so there might be a newer firmware the past few weeks? Does the Z1 can now read 256GB of microsd? Can you guys also recommend an good and inexpensive microsd for z1? 128 or 256 if possible.

Thanks guys!

Take a look here - https://www.head-fi.org/f/threads/new-zishan-z1-dsd-player-thread.844417/page-19#post-13481112

 

[teston]

Z1 is not good in amp mode. The sound is not loud enough and clipping as hell. Maybe because it use the reverse signal in the existing line out circuit.

 

[knudsen]

Also, how would i know if i have the latest firmware? I ordered it a month ago so there might be a newer firmware the past few weeks? Does the Z1 can now read 256GB of microsd? Can you guys also recommend an good and inexpensive microsd for z1? 128 or 256 if possible.

I would not enjoy to press "pause, next" several 100 times to locate the album I'm looking for, personally I would rather change the card. Already with 16-32gb and Wav it is a bit bothersome. Are you sure you don't want several small cards? But maybe it works for others with a large one. I'm using these cards, were fast and seem original, many sellers started carrying them. I've only had bad experiences with the really cheap ones

 

[noknok23]

128 work for me, I found discount mixza on AE, it's a legit Taiwanese brand.
But note that prices are often similar with Amazon.

 

[knudsen]

128 work for me, I found discount mixza on AE, it's a legit Taiwanese brand.
But note that prices are often similar with Amazon.

Do you use folders in folders or just all in the root?

 

[johnnysquare]

Not necessary.

I use Z1 as dac-amp while the sd card is inside.

Just turn off Z1 then connect USB to PC, then turn on Z1. It will be in DAC-AMP mode. The blue LED will go like

blink blink pause blink blink pause ......


If it in player mode (play music in SD card) LED will go like

blink pause blink pause ......

Strangely, my Z1 doesn't consistently work as a DAC when I plug it into my Android. It worked yesterday, with card in, turning it on after turning the phone on.

Today, I cannot provoke it into acting as a DAC for the phone. Works fine with the laptop.

Puzzling

 

[Ver JJ]

Strangely, my Z1 doesn't consistently work as a DAC when I plug it into my Android. It worked yesterday, with card in, turning it on after turning the phone on.

Today, I cannot provoke it into acting as a DAC for the phone. Works fine with the laptop.

Puzzling

Try
1. Plug in the micro usb into Z1 then into phone or
2. Plug in the micro usb into phone then Z1

Make sure that your Z1 and your phone is turned on before you do what I said..... maybe that should solve the problem as I had encounter this with my E17k too.

Update: It seems like it has been taking a while.... I am getting a little bored of waiting for my Z2 to arrive..... hopefully next week.

 

[noknok23]

Do you use folders in folders or just all in the root?

No issues with folders

 

[johnnysquare]

Try
1. Plug in the micro usb into Z1 then into phone or
2. Plug in the micro usb into phone then Z1

Make sure that your Z1 and your phone is turned on before you do what I said..... maybe that should solve the problem as I had encounter this with my E17k too.

Update: It seems like it has been taking a while.... I am getting a little bored of waiting for my Z2 to arrive..... hopefully next week.

Tried all that in many different combinations of devices being on and off this morning. When I went back to it this afternoon, it worked first time.

Odd.

It's definitely the phone, though- the Z1 is picked up flawlessly by W10 every time I plug it into the laptop.

The phone is a 1st Gen moto G, running Lolipop, and is a bit flakey around t'edges

 

[Ver JJ]

Tried all that in many different combinations of devices being on and off this morning. When I went back to it this afternoon, it worked first time.

Odd.

It's definitely the phone, though- the Z1 is picked up flawlessly by W10 every time I plug it into the laptop.

The phone is a 1st Gen moto G, running Lolipop, and is a bit flakey around t'edges

Glad to hear that, my apology that my suggestion does not help solve the porblem.....

 

[fairx]

I've read old post in this thread and couldn't find (or missed) has anyone measure output power of z1 LO?

 

[johnnysquare]

Glad to hear that, my apology that my suggestion does not help solve the porblem.....

No- your suggestion is spot on- it's just the phone is old!

 

[fairx]

Tried all that in many different combinations of devices being on and off this morning. When I went back to it this afternoon, it worked first time.

Odd.

It's definitely the phone, though- the Z1 is picked up flawlessly by W10 every time I plug it into the laptop.

The phone is a 1st Gen moto G, running Lolipop, and is a bit flakey around t'edges

tested with my friend Sony Z1 and my own Redmi Note 3 pro, No issue. Tested with Samsung note 3, usually works halfway before getting cut off. Maybe protection issue because Z1 seems to draw power from phone.

 

[maxifuny]

finally I got OPM401 (MK2)
Great sound =))

 

[hikergrl]

Thanks to everyone posting info and thoughts on the Z1 - its really helpful.

I've been enjoying my Z1 for a couple of weeks but I wondered whether folder structures, tagging, art (and other "clutter") of WAV files impacted the sound (since it definitely does with the Walnut).

So I did a little experiment with 3 identical 16GB SD cards - loaded them up with the same albums (WAV files) with 3 options:
1) SD card with folders embedded in folders with tags and album art
2) SD card with no embedded folders and no art
3) SD card with no embedded folders, no album art and no tagging (removed via Foobar).

And the conclusion.......to me option 3) was significantly nicer sounding (clearer and less grainy/fuzzy, slightly more detailed and spacious).
Also - previously tried mp3 (320kbps) these sounded pretty bad to me on Z1 even compared to option1 (and option 1) was the poorest of the 3 options tried in "expt.").

Z1(like Walnut) sound quality does seem very sensitive to tagging and maybe even folder structure (embedded folders).
I really, really, really like being able to skip folders!!!!