Mm...listened and auditioned the DMP Z1 for a little over 3 hours straight (or from 72% battery life to 30%). These are my initial impressions re: sound:
1. It easily destroyed my A&K 380 cu and the dealer’s demo A&Ultimate SP 1000 M specially with headphones.
2. The performance in driving headphones is tantalizingly close to the Chord DAVE. It is that good. Unfortunately, I did not bring my DAVE to do a proper a/b but I know what the DAVE is capable of doing.
3. The sound is extremely and transparently clear. It easily resolves complex passages. I would describe the sound as reference quality. No nasty surprises. But the greatest strength of this DAP/DAC/Headphone amplifier is its ability to connect you to your music. Instrument separation is good to excellent (sorry but not up to the level of my HE1).
4. The bass is yummy. Layered, clear and punchy.
Headphones used: Focal Utopia (single-ended), Sennheiser HD 820 (single-ended), Beyerdynamic T1 first-gen (single-ended) and the Sony Z1R (balanced, 4.4 mm). Stellar performance out of the Focal and the Z1R (unsurprisingly since both are Sony products).
In-ears used: 64 TIA Fourte, Noble Katana, Empire Ears Legend X, JHA Layla 1.
The in-ears scaled well but not to the extent of the headphones. Balanced output is superior to single-ended (better dynamic range) so any prospective owner are advised to terminate headphone with the 4.4 mm. to maximize performance out of the DMP Z1.
About the UI, it was blazingly fast and easy to navigate. As an owner of the WM1A DAP, the UI is extremely familiar. It took me 1 minute to master it. Very responsive/nearly zero lag. Curious operation: when you switch power source from the menu (from AC to DC), the DMP displays a message for you to dial down the gorgeous golden knob to zero (mandatory). Same with engaging the DSEE DSP. Safety feature? Knob begins at the 8 o’clock position and terminates at the 5 o’clock position. The Utopia was at 12, Z1R at 10 (because it was balanced 4.4 mm), the Beyer T1 at 2:30, the HD 820 at 1:00 (these settings = my normal listening volume).
I asked the dealer if I should try the Susvara. He laughed hard, so I nixed the idea. Not enough power out of the DMP. Instead, I tried the Susvara on another system. What! I was floored by what I heard. Simply amazing sound output. 6K worth? Have to listen to it more.
Is the DMP Z1 a worthy, TOTL reference-class desktop machine? Yes. Very much yes. Is the DMP Z1 a viable on-the-go TOTL machine? Yes but you need a backpack to carry it around. For me, sure, it is viable.
For me, it is the best “DAP” right now, much closer to totl desktop machines, with an undeniable advantage: you can bring it anywhere.
About the price? It is very pricey but if you consider the amount of equipment that it can replace (separate DAP/separate DAC, separate headphone amp, power conditioners, power cables, etc.), the price is not that bad.
Audition is highly recommended...and then decide if you are willing to invest the big bucks.
Will I be buying? What do you think? Lol!
P.S. I missed the Chord TT2 by a day. It was snapped up by a buyer. Would have been an interesting comparison.
