The TA-ZH1ES is designed by the regular Sony amp team, where the DMP-Z1 is designed by the Walkman team. Obviously we will get reports on the comparable sound by those who own both. But it’s safe to say with the laws of diminishing returns in audio; it will be a small margin better.
If that small difference is worth the price of admission; becomes a subjective question. But as a rule, folks that want that slight difference find the difference important and of value. The way the human mind works, the difference ends up being something that you could focus on and perception could change with the % being perceived as larger. Some of the value would of course depend on sound signature goals and headphones or IEMs used and the synergy between the DMP-Z1 and other used equipment.
But in many ways this is a statement product. It’s a signpost which highlights a cause. The cause is the art form of better audio and the statement that the company has the design savvy and intent to produce such a product. For the few who find it something they can and want to own it will represent a baseline, possibility a new baseline in personal audio.
I agree with what you say & would hope that it will be "a new baseline". It's just that i think it's going to be out of reach, financially, for many ? Thankful though, that Sony make great products. As you say this is a / their "statement".
Mm....3 times better because it is 3 times more expensive?? Just how do you objectively determine that the Z1 is 3 times better than the TA? It is just not possible. If that is your criterea, and you are perfectly entitled to it, you will end up buying nothing. Over the years, I have read my fair share of reviews from well-respected reviewers in this hobby and, to the best of my recollection, not one holds such an impossibly high standard in recommending or not recommending a headphone, based on a purely linear price to performance ratio. It just does not work that way.
In a perfect market, where each market participant is equipped with the exact, measurable standard and where each market participant values the same standard in the same manner, will your standard work? Look at the stock market, where investors are looking at the same exact numbers and yet they arrive at different conclusions and bet accordingly. Even with an objective-based (measurable) standard, opinions diverges. There is no such thing as a perfect market.
How much more in the headphone world, where subjective judgments are the best that we can do. Even with headphone measurements, there is no clear consensus as to which headphone is better because it captures only one variable: frequency response. What about the other equally important variables? Soundstage? Musicality? Emotional connection with music being played? Perceptions about the brand? Are those measurable?
What I m saying is it is not linear. It is subjective. Even the point of diminishing returns is ultimately meaningless. That economic concept is badly misused and wrongly applied in this hobby because this economic theory posits that all variables are measurable and it Is just a question of applying the formula to determine at which point where incremental increase in input yields negative outcomes. It is mathematically precise and not subject to interpretation. There is no room for subjective judgments.
I have the money to buy one, but I don’t like the thought of having to look down on that little screen. I also don’t like the thought of the batteries wearing out. So whatever it sounds like, it’s simply too much money and not set up the way I would want something. Of course many audiophiles would walk a mile in the snow to get sonic improvements, I guess I’m not that audiophile.
If one poped-up for sale in the used section for $2600, I’d want it though.
What happens when it does ? Is it then defunct, or can you get battery replacement & at what cost ? For the price, i'd expect it to last a lifetime. I guess the best thing to do is constantly use the mains & not / rarely run on battery alone ?
I have the money to buy one, but I don’t like the thought of having to look down on that little screen. I also don’t like the thought of the batteries wearing out. So whatever it sounds like, it’s simply too much money and not set up the way I would want something. Of course many audiophiles would walk a mile in the snow to get sonic improvements, I guess I’m not that audiophile.
If one poped-up for sale in the used section for $2600, I’d want it though.
Share similar thought here but I am more concerned about the integrated TPA headphone amp chips than anything else. They had to shortchange some where to keep the footprint small and they sure did it here. I will probably buy one at $4.5k though.
What happens when it does ? Is it then defunct, or can you get battery replacement & at what cost ? For the price, i'd expect it to last a lifetime. I guess the best thing to do is constantly use the mains & not / rarely run on battery alone ?
It’s probably not a big deal, you just maybe get a back-up set and one day when you notice your battery life is less you simply plug in the new batteries. The point is that it gets really clean power with no need for filters. I still use an IPhone 4(2010) and the battery still works?
I have the money to buy one, but I don’t like the thought of having to look down on that little screen. I also don’t like the thought of the batteries wearing out. So whatever it sounds like, it’s simply too much money and not set up the way I would want something. Of course many audiophiles would walk a mile in the snow to get sonic improvements, I guess I’m not that audiophile.
If one poped-up for sale in the used section for $2600, I’d want it though.
I totally agreed with you. The battery look to be user replaceable as it is plug-in. But that doesn’t make it any easier to remove the chassis and the volume knob with the headphone socket washers...etc...will still be a Pain to replace battery yourself.
Eventhough when the battery is 1/2 of it life capability, which is probably 4-5 years from now. You then can just use an external Linear Power Supply to feed it....but that doesn’t make it any more appealing either.
I still don’t understand why it is just 1/2 functional and features of everything together ...lol. Especially the amp. Sony has all the space inside to pull a discrete balanced Amp out.
Share similar thought here but I am more concerned about the integrated TPA headphone amp chips than anything else. They had to shortchange some where to keep the footprint small and they sure did it here. I will probably buy one at $4.5k though.
I totally agreed with you. The battery look to be user replaceable as it is plug-in. But that doesn’t make it any easier to remove the chassis and the volume knob with the headphone socket washers...etc...will still be a Pain to replace battery yourself.
Eventhough when the battery is 1/2 of it life capability, which is probably 4-5 years from now. You then can just use an external Linear Power Supply to feed it....but that doesn’t make it any more appealing either.
I still don’t understand why it is just 1/2 functional and features of everything together ...lol. Especially the amp. Sony has all the space inside to pull a discrete balanced Amp out.
That is fine, if the power output was totally built and decked out. This here, Z1 is 1/2 decked out
For example, AKM4497Eq is capable of DSD512 and here it is 256 only. The amp isn’t that powerful, I wonder if it could even drive some of those Planar at all
I like the old ES days in the late 80's and early 90's. Superbly highly engineer products for a good price. They really pushed the enveloped back in the day. Now they are just pushing the price envelope. Well the Z1 is to me anyway.
Mmm..finally, a DMP Z1 out in the wild. Looking forward to your impressions! So, we can finally end discussions of topology and reminiscenses of the good ol’ days of Sony and terminate debates about prices (yes, everyone knows that it is sky-high)....and focus on the most important aspect: sound.
To paraphrase the Bill Clinton election battle cry.....it’s the sound, stupid!
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