Official Sony DMP-Z1 Thread
Aug 11, 2018 at 10:27 AM Post #121 of 4,291
Mm...silly, silly, silly to condemn the Z1 without hearing it first. Give it a proper audition with the best headphones you guys have and then pass judgment. First rule of this hobby.

Normally this is true, but not on the OPA circuit man. Op-amp design done right always have a discrete buffer so they clearly shortchanging the Z1 design. I have no doubt that it will sound great, but they could have made it to sound even better here. See the legendary Headroom Balanced Max for instance for an op-amp based headphone design done right. I really hope you get the chance to hear Doug Savitsky headphone amps and I think you will be super impressed. That guy always at the leading edge on dynamic headphones amplifier. His every single product sounds better than the TA-ZH1ES that I have. Search around for ECP DSHA-4 or Ravenswood to see what I'm talking about. Even Kevin Gilmore SuSy Dynalo mini easily edge out the ZH1ES that I have.
 
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Aug 11, 2018 at 11:41 AM Post #122 of 4,291
Normally this is true, but not on the OPA circuit man. Op-amp design done right always have a discrete buffer so they clearly shortchanging the Z1 design.

How do you know they don't have a discrete buffer?

It's pretty amazing that people are making claims on the entire circuit design base on a single op amp chip spec they released and never actually seen the thing opened up.

I mean Whitgir jumped the gun about the battery/no super conductor thing (which I managed to confirm with Sato-san - it's there, they used super conductors).
 
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Aug 11, 2018 at 12:01 PM Post #123 of 4,291
Mm...yes, I wish I had access to those machines as well so I can audition, compare and decide but my choice is limited to what is commercially available from the known brands (Chord, Sony, Mass Kobo etc.). I plan to audition the Z1 at the earliest opportunity, probably from one of the HK dealers. Till then, I have to rely on posted reviews.

Carry on....
 
Aug 11, 2018 at 12:07 PM Post #124 of 4,291
You don't have to like what I have to say but a discrete buffer is a great selling point man.
If they have it, Why not showing it off? I have plenty of experience playing with gears at all ranges and I am calling out Sony when they are shortchaing themselves big time when I see it. Armchair or not I have most of their highend products since the early 1990s and I know that they can do a whole lot better when I see it. The Z1R can't even measure up to the Qualia 010 and the R10 and I have all three.

Also @Whitigir knows his stuff. He successfully built a DIY T2, KGSSHV Carbon, and Groundgrid amplifiers that are whole lot more complexed than the circuitry of the Z1. Can u imagine an amplifier with $8000 just for parts count, that's the DIY T2. Oh, and ECP DSHA-2 easily outperformed my TA-ZH1ES.
 
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Aug 11, 2018 at 12:12 PM Post #125 of 4,291
I start to think, are we listening to the chip or the music.
this "Sony is guilty for using off the shelf parts" argument is so annoying

and saying AKM chips = cheap parts / toyota engine? I don't think so.
 
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Aug 11, 2018 at 12:42 PM Post #126 of 4,291
Using an AKM DAC chips are fine, the Op-amp module is just ridiculous at this price range. The Z1 will sound a lot better using a discrete module.
 
Aug 11, 2018 at 12:49 PM Post #127 of 4,291
Basically, This is Sony's entry into the Exotic Supercar / Formula one market. Not meant for the general public, If you have to debate about the price, then it's not for you. But the technology will eventually filter down to their consumer product. Back in my younger days, I would probably buy one just for the fun of it. Back then, I didn't even blink buying the 1st ever projection TV which cost 1/10 of an average house in the area. But given that I'm now older and more mature (not) and that I probably can't hear pass 14K. at my age. I'll pass (maybe) :p
 
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Aug 11, 2018 at 1:16 PM Post #128 of 4,291
Mm....off the shelf, all-in-one seems to be despised terms around here. Same in the HE 1 Orpheus thread when Sennheiser launched it. How can Sennheiser use an off-the-shelf ESS Sabre chip yada yada yada on a 55k machine? Luckily, I did not listen to the armchair engineers and pseudo-experts then. I listened with my ears and I couldn’t be any happier.
 
Aug 11, 2018 at 1:37 PM Post #129 of 4,291
Mm....off the shelf, all-in-one seems to be despised terms around here. Same in the HE 1 Orpheus thread when Sennheiser launched it. How can Sennheiser use an off-the-shelf ESS Sabre chip yada yada yada on a 55k machine? Luckily, I did not listen to the armchair engineers and pseudo-experts then. I listened with my ears and I couldn’t be any happier.

We are not talking about a DAC chip here. Many are disappointed because of the integrated op-amp module. The reason your HE-1 is special is because Sennheiser didn't shortchanging their design and the amplification stage of your HE-1 is unique and special. And I bet Sennheiser took the time to design a great output stage from the ESS9018 chipset and space is not an issue. This is not the case for Z1 because of its amplification stage and transportable form factor.
 
Aug 11, 2018 at 1:58 PM Post #130 of 4,291
Mm...academic discussions are fine...up to a certain point. But, please, don’t dish on a product that you have not even tried. Armchairing is just annoying. I am outta’ here.

Someone please open a listening impression thread of the DMP Z1.
 
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Aug 11, 2018 at 2:40 PM Post #131 of 4,291
This is a super expensive flagship product of SONY so that the point is not the sound quality.

Patek Philippe flagship should be using Rolex mechanism if that is more precise?

Ferrari flagship should be using BMW engine if that is more powerful?

What is the point of making a flagship product using other company’s technology for the core components? Showing that SONY can create something sounds great?

Show SONY’s soul if that is SONY’s flagship product!

Using the best components in the market to make the best sounding product is something all the companies can do and not the flagship product job.
 
Aug 11, 2018 at 2:58 PM Post #132 of 4,291
This is a super expensive flagship product of SONY so that the point is not the sound quality.

Patek Philippe flagship should be using Rolex mechanism if that is more precise?

Ferrari flagship should be using BMW engine if that is more powerful?

What is the point of making a flagship product using other company’s technology for the core components? Showing that SONY can create something sounds great?

Show SONY’s soul if that is SONY’s flagship product!

Using the best components in the market to make the best sounding product is something all the companies can do and not the flagship product job.

Voila! Totally agreed with this :D
 
Aug 11, 2018 at 6:05 PM Post #133 of 4,291
for me, NO Qobuz/TIDAL streaming is the most annowing part.

But, besides this, I hope to be able to audition it against my A&K SP1000, and if it sound better, then I will not care if the Z1 use "off the shelf parts" or not.

I just wished for a bigger screen or... a remote screen (my iPAD or iPhone, like the Chord poly concept)
 
Aug 11, 2018 at 7:22 PM Post #134 of 4,291
Ok, I was able to have some confirmed informations:

1/ DSP professor is Sony in-house design, which were used in both Platform Wm1A/Z and TA-ZH1ES. This processor is able to do DSD Remastering, but is not suitable for S-Master, so Walkman will not have this feature. TA-ZH1ES is using FPGA to accommodate

2/ AKM4497EQ will use it own bypass for DSD Native playback, and Z1 can playback upto DSD512. However, DSD-Remastering is limited at DSD256. There are and no plans for optional user selectable filters for alternative sound signatures.

3/ There are super capacitors inside Z1, and Condenser, many components that were the greatest in Walkman WM1A/Z but with newer improvements and specifications

4/ Headphones Amps are using TPA6102A2 because the engineers deemed it to sound the best and also had shown great performances in other Sony equipments
 
Aug 11, 2018 at 7:23 PM Post #135 of 4,291
for me, NO Qobuz/TIDAL streaming is the most annowing part.

But, besides this, I hope to be able to audition it against my A&K SP1000, and if it sound better, then I will not care if the Z1 use "off the shelf parts" or not.

I just wished for a bigger screen or... a remote screen (my iPAD or iPhone, like the Chord poly concept)

Why wouldn't it sound better than your AK? It's more than 5 times the size of your SP1000.

@Whitigir, I think that same amplification module is used in the PHA-3 along with the PHA-2A if I am not mistaken.
 
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