[Whitigir]

It does use thinfilm capacitors, FT highest grade capacitors, Nichicon Capacitors and Panasonic. Also has F-Resistors everywhere, RK50 attenuator. Not sure about the battery feeling and what about charging time or play time ? The OS seems to be Walkman OS similar to WM1Z.

What I don’t get is why using AKM chips and Op-amps vs Discrete Amplifier designs ? Discrete amplifiers can be made so compact and yet powerful with excellent low noises performances.

Anyways, I thought Sony was going with something ground breaking, like an R2R hybrid design with S-Master HX or whatever, but off the shelves and exotic parts ? It can be made by any china designers right ? There is no value in “off the shelves” parts that justify $7k price tag

The irony is that, this is Aluminum version. Wait until you see limited OFC-Gold plated chassis DMP-Z1Z

 

[Wiz33]

Alps had been making volume pots which sells for more than 1k since the early 00s, it's really nothing new in the audiophile world.

Also to be perfectly clear and fair, a pure analog potential meter that doesn't introduce any distortion is extremely hard to make and requires very high precision in both tools and material. Even a stepped attenuator using resistors cost a lot due to complexity and component costs (refer to Burson Audio's volume pot). As a rule of thumb, high quality pure analog components are always going to be very expensive to make, that's just physics at work and had always been the case ever since electronics were introduced. Heck the reason we moved from tubes to transistors is preciously because tubes became cost prohibitive to make at very good quality.

The reason you're seeing the high price is not that they're difficult to make. With computer controlled precision milling, no mechanical parts are hard to make and with today's forging tech, even semi exotic alloy are not that hard to come by. What cause the high price is production volume. Ultra high end audio is such a niche market the boutique house will be lucky to sell a new hundred units a year. If the volume change to at least a few hundreds each month. You can easily drop the price by 50%.

 

[purk]

The RK50 has been around since 1989....search Sony TA-ER1.

Disappointed for sure. No way this thing should cost more than $3k. I bet the ZH1ES + ZX300 (as a digital transport) will sound better.

 

[Wiz33]

It does use thinfilm capacitors, FT highest grade capacitors, Nichicon Capacitors and Panasonic. Also has F-Resistors everywhere, RK50 attenuator. Not sure about the battery feeling and what about charging time or play time ? The OS seems to be Walkman OS similar to WM1Z.

What I don’t get is why using AKM chips and Op-amps vs Discrete Amplifier designs ? Discrete amplifiers can be made so compact and yet powerful with excellent low noises performances.

Anyways, I thought Sony was going with something ground breaking, like an R2R hybrid design with S-Master HX or whatever, but off the shelves and exotic parts ? It can be made by any china designers right ? There is no value in “off the shelves” parts that justify $7k price tag

The irony is that, this is Aluminum version. Wait until you see limited OFC-Gold plated chassis DMP-Z1Z

I'm in the electronic industry and my company have been building high tech and mil spec electronics for many of the large OEM like Intel, Sun Micro, Lockheed Martin, etc for the last 40 years. I can tell you that all the discrete/passive components are fairly cheap at volume production, even high precision Li-Ion cell are not that expensive. Especially given Sony's overall purchasing volume with all the component supplier. I can do the whole thing for under $500. The Texas Instruments TPA6120 cost $1.85 in lots of 1000 and the AKM AK4497 is $40.50 each in lots of 250. I don't see the Alps analog volume costing more than $50 considering that Marantz managed to put a motorized one in their under $700 HD-DAC1.

 

[Whitigir]

I'm in the electronic industry and my company have been building high tech and mil spec electronics for many of the large OEM like Intel, Sun Micro, Lockheed Martin, etc for the last 40 years. I can tell you that all the discrete/passive components are fairly cheap at volume production, even high precision Li-Ion cell are not that expensive. Especially given Sony's overall purchasing volume with all the component supplier. I can do the whole thing for under $500. The Texas Instruments TPA6120 cost $1.85 in lots of 1000 and the AKM AK4497 is $40.50 each in lots of 250. I don't see the Alps analog volume costing more than $50 considering that Marantz managed to put a motorized one in their under $700 HD-DAC1.

You are correct with many of the above. However, RK50 is the flagship of Alps and constantly running low on stocks. I have seen it being bought in bulk for around $550 (huge purchases). But that is not typical. Even, assuming, at 1K price range, the RK50 is on the DMP, it still doesn’t justify the MSRP as we both agreed on “off the shelves” components designs and price point

 

[beaux]

https://www.sony.com.hk/en/electronics/walkman/dmp-z1

Official product description in English.

I don't think this is even originally considered for being transportable. Note the battery power/delivery system is being emphasised as supplying clean power, rather than making it movable. Having its own power supply seems more like a side effect rather than the intended goal, and further supported with the shape of the chassis (you REALLY don't what that knob damaged) and the price point of the device.

It is designed as a portable device. Otherwise, why they don't add digital out/in, analog out/in features ? At the back, there is only one usb input.

 

[Ithilstone]

I don't see the Alps analog volume costing more than $50 considering that Marantz managed to put a motorized one in their under $700 HD-DAC1.

in all fairness they used ALPSMOT-03 for 40-50 USD not RK50 but - there is a big but - I don't believe that more than 0.0001% of audiophiles would detect difference ;]

 

[purk]

And If it is so great why not adding a pair of Mini XLRs output for DAC out? How about a mini stereo at the very least. I am a Sony fanboy thru and thru since 1992 and I am perplexed by this particular device. I am certainly not the target group for sure.

 

[Whitigir]

It does have DSD remastering engine like TA-ZH1ES. Good news, I do love Sony own software OS on DSD remastering engine into DSD256. I loved it on TA-ZH1ES. Sadly, not capable of DSD512

 

[bmichels]

I will be very interested to read the first listening impressions of this DMP-Z1

but, for this price they could have included 512 Gb internal, and also... why such a small screen in such a big device. A 7" screen will have fitted and been nice !

 

[purk]

I will be very interested to read the first listening impressions of this DMP-Z1

but, for this price they could have included 512 Gb internal, and also... why such a small screen in such a big device. A 7" screen will have fitted and been nice !

They can easily included a 2tb .m2 SSD at that asking price.

 

[alphanumerix1]

They can easily included a 2tb .m2 SSD at that asking price.

Easily. I'm just annoyed why sony wouldn't use and improve new s master chips.

If your asking ridiculous pricing at least use all in house developed items.

 

[Whitigir]

Easily. I'm just annoyed why sony wouldn't use and improve new s master chips.

If your asking ridiculous pricing at least use all in house developed items.

Exactly ! Not like Sony can’t do it. But this is ironic

 

[Wiz33]

The problem is that for typical consumer electronics. The MSRP is usually 3 times the actual production cost, retailer usually get it at about 70% of MSRP. you would think that 40% is a great margin for the manufacturer but that 40% have to cover the R&D and advertising cost amortized over the the sales forecast over the shelf life of the unit. Boutique manufacturer would sometimes work at 4 times production cost as the they have to recoup the dev cost over lower lifetime sales number. For a big manufacturer like Sony, even high end niche product should not have a MSRP much over 3.5 times the production cost and I can't see this unit costing Sony $2000 to make.

 

[Wiz33]

According to engadget Chinese edition, it won't be available for retail until Dec.