I might have not expressed myself properly. IER-Z1R on WM1Z is very good, so good that I bought it immediately. But IER-Z1R is such a beast that eats power for breakfast. I have to turn the volume of WM1Z almost to max for best result, but on Z1 12 o'clock is alreay too much for me.
So I might put it this way: WM1Z is a good match for IER-Z1R, but Z1 is even better.
How would you say the difference in sound between 1Z vs Z1? Is it a huge difference in terms of resolution etc? I’m curious as to the huge price difference between the two. I’m exclusively iem user and I own 1Z modded with Mundorf silver gold cable
I might have not expressed myself properly. IER-Z1R on WM1Z is very good, so good that I bought it immediately. But IER-Z1R is such a beast that eats power for breakfast. I have to turn the volume of WM1Z almost to max for best result, but on Z1 12 o'clock is alreay too much for me.
So I might put it this way: WM1Z is a good match for IER-Z1R, but Z1 is even better.
The IER-Z1R pairs favorably with both the 1A and WM-1Z DAP, but your right the settings need to be high gain, and you can even go up to 8-9 or 10 depending on how loud the file is. The 1A is almost maybe better synergy as both the IER-Z1R and 1Z have a heavy handed low-end. Where the 1A is more flat responded getting slighly better speed and bass dignity. IMO.
Though if I was going to make a DAP for the IER-Z1R I would think making it just as powerful as needed would be the way to go, and that is what Sony did. It’s not like the DAPs are needed to be at 10 for human consumption. Also with the IER-Z1R there is no weak bass damping issue where the bass thins out at near max volume like you have with weaker amps.
The extreme (at near max volume) use is running the DAPs to power the full-size Z1R, which they do amazingly well. The 1Z and 1A is almost like having a desktop amp as far as power goes. The DMP-Z1 is not a unit I have tried, though the Sony TA-ZH1ES desktop takes the full-size Z1R, Z7 and IER-Z1R to a slighly different level. Probably more noticeable with full-size headphones but also a slight improvement with the IER-Z1R. It’s maybe the imaging which gets improved most using the TA over the Sony DAPs? I could only guess of the grand improvement in imaging you achieve with the DMP-Z1?
Interestingly the TA-ZH1ES ends up almost too smooth for the IER-Z1R but knocks both the full-size Z1R and Z7 out of the park with the aftermarket Sony MUC-B20SB1 cable.
How would you say the difference in sound between 1Z vs Z1? Is it a huge difference in terms of resolution etc? I’m curious as to the huge price difference between the two. I’m exclusively iem user and I own 1Z modded with Mundorf silver gold cable
When I listened to 1Z, I feel there is still slight unnaturalness, like slight edge or roughness occasionally. With Z1, those unsmoothness has all been ironed out. Everything flows more effortlessly. Well, maybe it's even a lilltle bit too rounded and smooth, if I have something to complain, especially in the lower bass area, which I wish a bit more textures. Changed to Utopia and HE1000 SE and those textures are back.
I will use balanced for Stellia (Sony Kimber Kable) I also will be trying Sony Z1R and CA Andro SS balanced. I will try JVC FW10K with factory cables through 3.5mm, and unfortunately don't have a cable to use the Utopia with the Z1 yet. I will also try an assortment of various other headphones lying around...
Very initial listening with the Z1 & Stellia last night (still in the slow process of transferring about 1tb of music to the Z1 through 2 micros sd and system memory) was very favorable. The Z1 is like a WM1Z on steroids (which is should be for the price!!). I initially favor the Stellia to the Z1R on the Z1, but a lot more listening needed. The Z1/ Stellia pair may indeed be the ultimate semi-portable (i.e. home & office) set-up...
Unfortunately been travelling almost since purchase and the Z1 is not quite portable enough for plane travel! I hope to get solid listening time with it this weekend. Very frustrating to have it fully loaded with music and sitting waiting...!
Unfortunately been travelling almost since purchase and the Z1 is not quite portable enough for plane travel! I hope to get solid listening time with it this weekend. Very frustrating to have it fully loaded with music and sitting waiting...!
We’ve gone over this many times - the products are not comparable. The DMP-Z1 currently occupies its very own product space.
If you can make a DAVE that is transportable, operates on a battery and doesn’t require an external digital transport and under 9 grand, sure. Else you aren’t comparing like with like.
We’ve gone over this many times - the products are not comparable. The DMP-Z1 currently occupies its very own product space.
If you can make a DAVE that is transportable, operates on a battery and doesn’t require an external digital transport and under 9 grand, sure. Else you aren’t comparing like with like.
Even when used in a strictly desktop scenario it only brings the comparison closer but still not a complete apples to apples one as the DMP-Z1 is an all-in-one device whereas you still have to source other parts for an equivalent DAVE setup like a digital source, interconnects and a clean power source etc.
When you evaluated the value of a DMP-Z1 you must take into account of this, just judging it by sound alone and say it’s not worth the price is simply not a good faith judgment. It’s like saying why anyone would buy a laptop when with the same money you can get a more powerful desktop PC, but the value you pay for the laptop lies exactly outside how powerful it is eg even if it doesn’t go outside the house a laptop can be easily moved between rooms and takes up less space etc whereas a desktop cannot do those things, and it may be exactly that quality of the laptop that someone is looking for. This is the same for the DMP-Z1.
To me, I don't see the value proposition for the DMP-Z1 in the laptop / desktop analogy. Not that it is wrong if that is what you value, but to me the beauty of the DMP-Z1 is that the entire system was built purposefully to work together. The fact that it is a transportable system is an ancillary benefit but not the primary benefit of this system. For this to be worth it though, all of these components must come together so that the system can be judged by its "sound alone" and to my ears, the DMP-Z1 has a beautiful sound signature. Part of what we're paying for is also certainly the beautiful feat of engineering that the DMP-Z1 represents. Similar to the fact that when you buy a high end watch, you get a watch that can tell time but there will be other watches that tell more accurate time and cost less. What you pay for is the attention to detail, the construction, the little things that go into that particular watch. And same with the DMP-Z1.
Edit: I continue to be baffled by the lack of support from high end DAPs for streaming (Spotify, Tidal, etc.) services. Yes, there are quality issues with streaming. But they will continue to improve and despite my passion for high end audio, streaming services have reignited a love of music and form the bulk of what I listen to.
DMP-Z1 is the product in it own category. It isn’t quiet desktop capable, but it is far superior to DAPS in driving full-size headphones
The DMP-Z1 is like the mother of WM1Z, except the tonal body is a little more different as the warmth is intruding into the treble and high spectrum as well. The Wm1Z at least is more balanced and natural uptop. Having desktop system myself, and different portables. I still don’t see the reason to grab the 1Z. I do appreciate the people who buy it up though. Keep stocking Sony, so the giant will wake up
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