[Rob49]

Yes, the problem persists independent of power outlet and IEMs. It's definitely not hiss; it sounds exactly like a ground loop, like when a turntable is not properly grounded, for example. And it vanishes as soon as I touch the unit. Naturally, I'm using the original cable with the ferrite core it came with. There is definitely something wrong. Everything is fine when running on batteries, but as soon as I plug it in again, it's back. That supersweet Supersonido deal might yet bite me in the a$$ if I have to send the unit back and explain in Spanish what the problem is, lol. Just my luck ...

Again, so sorry to hear this....but it looks like i "dodged a bullet" there ??

DMP-Z1 is pure abysmal background on any gears I have tossed it at, including ier-Z1R.

I know what you're trying to convey, but i'm not sure "abysmal" is the right word ??

 

[Whitigir]

Corrected, it is my intelligent auto correct that decided to deleted the word “Black”...LOL

 

[phonomat]

DMP-Z1 is pure abysmal Black/silence background on any gears I have tossed it at, including ier-Z1R.

And I'm sure that's just how it's supposed to be. Hence my observation that there is definitely something wrong with my unit and the question if anyone know what the source of this problem could be. Any help is much appreciated. Still hoping to remedy this somehow without having to send the unit in. Again, I could swear that this was not the case when I plugged it in for the first time. I basically charged the battery once and emptied it to 10 %, and the next time I plugged it in, the hum appeared. Very strange, this.

Edit: I get hum with the IER-Z1R on the 4.4 mm as well as the 3.5 mm jack and some cheap House Of Marley IEM on the 3.5.
None with the MDR-Z1R on either jack nor the Meze 99 Classic on the 3.5. I have no clue what is going on here.

 

[Rob49]

Corrected, it is my intelligent auto correct that decided to deleted the word “Black”...LOL

Clearly NOT SO intelligent ! ?? Excuses ! excuses !

@phonomat nothing to lose giving Sony a call ??....even though CS is not that great at times !

 

[Rob49]

While i'm still waiting to see if there are anymore good deals on the DMP-Z1, i'd love to hear any feedback from owners of the Focal Utopia's & the Stellia's, with the DMP-Z1 ?

 

[kp297]

It's excellent haha. No notes, it's perfect for me. The MDR Z1R and Stellias with the DMP represent the pinnacle of closed back listening and it's hard to stop using this system. If you like what the Stellia offers, then you'll absolutely love it on the DMP.

 

[Rob49]

It's excellent haha. No notes, it's perfect for me. The MDR Z1R and Stellias with the DMP represent the pinnacle of closed back listening and it's hard to stop using this system. If you like what the Stellia offers, then you'll absolutely love it on the DMP.

Those headphones look gorgeous....i've got the MDR-Z1R's but never bought a Focal headphone & i'm contemplating buying these or the Utopia's, regardless of whether i eventually but the DMP-Z1.

SO envious, looking at that pic...

 

[kp297]

Those headphones look gorgeous....i've got the MDR-Z1R's but never bought a Focal headphone & i'm contemplating buying these or the Utopia's, regardless of whether i eventually but the DMP-Z1.

SO envious, looking at that pic...

The satisfaction when you get the DMP will be immense I imagine! I would recommend the Stellia if you are happy with the Z1R's (closed back sound presentation). The Stellia is quite a bit more comfortable (weight and earcups) than the Utopia. I purchased the Utopia first, but the open back nature of the Utopia and comfort was not working for me. I then purchased the Stellia, and it's been perfect. I would suggest to hit up Underwood hifi (based in Hawaii), he offers fantastic deals, give him a call.

*of course, you should always TRY before you buy

 

[Rob49]

The satisfaction when you get the DMP will be immense I imagine! I would recommend the Stellia if you are happy with the Z1R's (closed back sound presentation). The Stellia is quite a bit more comfortable (weight and earcups) than the Utopia. I purchased the Utopia first, but the open back nature of the Utopia and comfort was not working for me. I then purchased the Stellia, and it's been perfect. I would suggest to hit up Underwood hifi (based in Hawaii), he offers fantastic deals, give him a call.

*of course, you should always TRY before you buy

I'm in the U.K. ( & due to circumstances i always have to blind buy. ) Were you not happy with the sound of the Utopia's, or was it just the fact they were open back & didn't feel comfortable ?

I've loved my Z1R's & still do, but sense that treble peak with some recordings. Are there any times you sense harshness with the Stellia's ? ( Or even with the Utopia's, for the time you had them ? )

Just looking at them, i can tell they're probably more comfortable than the MDR-Z1R's & probably not so heavy ??

 

[kp297]

I'm in the U.K. ( & due to circumstances i always have to blind buy. ) Were you not happy with the sound of the Utopia's, or was it just the fact they were open back & didn't feel comfortable ?

I've loved my Z1R's & still do, but sense that treble peak with some recordings. Are there any times you sense harshness with the Stellia's ? ( Or even with the Utopia's, for the time you had them ? )

Just looking at them, i can tell they're probably more comfortable than the MDR-Z1R's & probably not so heavy ??

The Utopia's did exactly what they advertised, but they fell short with the bass and the open back nature bothered me more than I anticipated. Also it felt like a super car, think of the Porsche 935 https://bit.ly/3gL4QxO (uncompromising, not as comfortable). The Stellia is like a top of the line modern 911 Turbo, not as 'true' as the 935 but plenty fast and also comfortable.

The highs on the Z1R's don't bother me at all, Stellia highs are controlled and are less intense than the Utopia.

I hope this has helped.

 

[Rob49]

The Utopia's did exactly what they advertised, but they fell short with the bass and the open back nature bothered me more than I anticipated. Also it felt like a super car, think of the Porsche 935 https://bit.ly/3gL4QxO (uncompromising, not as comfortable). The Stellia is like a top of the line modern 911 Turbo, not as 'true' as the 935 but plenty fast and also comfortable.

The highs on the Z1R's don't bother me at all, Stellia highs are controlled and are less intense than the Utopia.

I hope this has helped.

Thanks for your further thoughts / feedback. I'm definitely being drawn to the Stellia's. Would you say they're better than the MDR-Z1R's & if so, how much better ? ( I don't want to derail the thread.....but i am thinking ahead & still hoping to buy the DMP-Z1 )

 

[coolhand]

'There is no such thing as headphones with speakers like experiences'

Hey peeps I just popped my in this thread after a long while and saw a reference to me or something I may have mentioned.

I don't recall stating what I quoted above previously, but I will expand on that which at least one person believes to be of 'no such thing'....

A while back Joe of Abyss offered me an upgrade to Diana Phi from Diana, and together with a Pentaconn Superconductor cable these puppies fed from the DMP-Z1 can frequently transcend the 'speaker sound from headphones' auditory illusion.

By way of example I refer to the experience of full spectrum sound waves traversing the countryside such as one experiences when present on location at an outdoor 'rave' with a 50KW Funktion-One soundsystem.

I speak from first hand experiences of producing, engineering and performing at such events and the Diana Phi/DMP-Z1 combo can readily elicit entirely enveloping & (in)credible sensory illusions as such.. if the source audio is produced appropriately well (which neither implies binaurally or specifically for headphone playback).

This 'full body' illusionary feat is not limited to just one genre of music either, but I refer to the above example as one specific instance whereby several people whom have been present with me at such live events have listened to my reference headfi rig and reported the above to me almost verbatim... 'like actually being there, outdoors'

It's a feckin' huuuge sound and thanks to the likes of Joe and the magnificent boffins at Sony, one is now able to pack it a case and carry with them ANYWHERE.

bleedin' awesome wot

 

[adrianm]

Hi,
Sorry if i missed it,but i couldn't find any actual impressions on the Dmp Z1 vs Dave. I know you all love your Z1's and not the same product category and etc.Read all that.
But has anyone compared them using the MDR Z1R?.I got a TA-ZH1ES recently but heard the Dave today and it was pretty amazing.Considering returning the TA and just getting a Dave.The Hugo TT2 + Mscaler did absolutely nothing for me,happier with the TA.
The Z1 seems interesting ,but overpriced, and i have no use for anything but the dac. I find it hard to believe it can compete with the Dave,and don't plan on lugging around 10 k worth of gear to the office and back everyday anyway.

 

[nanaholic]

Hi,
Sorry if i missed it,but i couldn't find any actual impressions on the Dmp Z1 vs Dave. I know you all love your Z1's and not the same product category and etc.Read all that.
But has anyone compared them using the MDR Z1R?.I got a TA-ZH1ES recently but heard the Dave today and it was pretty amazing.Considering returning the TA and just getting a Dave.The Hugo TT2 + Mscaler did absolutely nothing for me,happier with the TA.
The Z1 seems interesting ,but overpriced, and i have no use for anything but the dac. I find it hard to believe it can compete with the Dave,and don't plan on lugging around 10 k worth of gear to the office and back everyday anyway.

We've discussed this in length before - the DMP-Z1 is special in that it occupies a very unique niche where someone wants a compact all-in-one transportable playback software/DAC/amp combo that runs on batteries and outperforms all TOTL pocketable DAPs and can rival desktop component devices but without all the hassle of mixing and matching and finding synergy. If you don't fall into this niche usage group, then for the same money you can very much get a better performing desktop component device. But if you fall into this niche, there's actually nothing like it on the market, so it isn't overpriced as there's actually no competitor.

If you know you only need a stationary best in class DAC, you are going to plug in multiple other devices into this DAC (external balanced amps, multiple source like a computer or a streamer running music software such as Roon etc) then just go for the Dave.

 

[sanguineburrito]

Hi,
I've been a reader of this thread for quite some time, and thought I'd share my experience with DMP. I've been a long-time owner of JH16 and WM1A, and I bought the IER-Z1R early this year. The DMP + IER Z1R combo has been described as 1+1=3, hence I went to give it a try.

What I found most impressive about the DMP was how real it can make some live tracks sound. In particular, good quality live recordings don't feel like music reproduction. You can feel the environment and be in the music. You experience music that is close to its source. Sound is rich, crisp, emotional, and confident. The soundstage is not just wide, but 3D with space and depth. While my exposure to other daps/amp are limited, I think DMP is above TA-ZH1ES, WM1Z, and SP2000 when I played these live tracks. The others sound like digital reproduction in comparison.

However, this experience doesn't happen with all music. There are many tracks that sound just ok/good but not impressive, for instance, some tracks in the genre of indie pop, industrial hip hop, industrial rock, and rap. But I am not sure if it is because of DMP. Maybe these tracks don't scale much with better equipments?

In the end, I purchased a used DMP for around 5200 USD with 35 hrs of use. I bought it for a number of reasons:

• Likely the best sounding player that runs on battery
• Sony ecosystem/ OS; and other DAP brands tend to have shorter product cycle
• Build Quality and excellent design
• Trasnportability
• Option for headphone usage in the future
• Synergy with IER-Z1R. Female Vocals. Bass
• Small screen and lack of streaming don't bother me

Portability/transportability is important to me, because I feel that listening experience is amplified when done at the "right time and place." When it's a chill sunday, I could stay in bed and listen to high quality music. When it's raining, I could listen to moody music next to the window. If I really need to go portable, I can revert back to WM1A.

I wanted a single unit and end all the chasing. There are enough problems in the world; I don't want to add what amp, source, power supply, and cables to my list. Why not use the free time to explore new artists and music instead? I am still burning in my DMP (at 150 hrs). Hopefully the sound will continue to improve.