[AndyBrechin]

Can you get ldac onto a Sony Z3 phone, I recently updated to Lollipop 5.1.1 but don't think that included this...

 

[elektron]

Can you get ldac onto a Sony Z3 phone, I recently updated to Lollipop 5.1.1 but don't think that included this...

You can't. Pretty sure it's a deliberate decision by Sony, as LDAC is a headline feature on their 2015 line of phones, tablets, DAPs and HT components.

Despite this, the Z3 is arguably still the best phone at the moment for music enthusiasts.

You may want to check or the Z3 thread on here that has a lot of good info.

 

[Whitigir]

You can't. Pretty sure it's a deliberate decision by Sony, as LDAC is a headline feature on their 2015 line of phones, tablets, DAPs and HT components.

Despite this, the Z3 is arguably still the best phone at the moment for music enthusiasts.

You may want to check or the Z3 thread on here that has a lot of good info.

Exactly ! LDAC is just a software thing, and even if it transfer faster data then what ? It is all up to how your digital to analog conversion worked to give you that sin wave. If it is weak, not energetic, noise.....etc...then your sound will be very bad. If you have a pair of BT it is all your built in amp doing the work

 

[orion23rigel]

Just thought I'd add here that for those complaining about the heightened bass levels, changing the ear pads can mitigate this significantly. I have been using the Shure HPAEC1840 velour pads. They are slightly loose on the 1ABTs, but only slightly, and their impact on toning down the bass and widening the sound stage is significant. I love having the option to switch between various pads based on the style of music I'm listening to.

 

[329161]

Which Sony daps support ldac? Is it just the zx2? I already own the zx1, will ldac capability be added to it?

Thanks in advance.

 

[ravdo]

Which Sony daps support ldac? Is it just the zx2? I already own the zx1, will ldac capability be added to it?

Thanks in advance.

The A10 Series (A15, A16, A17) support LDAC

 

[Sonyvores]

Can you get ldac onto a Sony Z3 phone, I recently updated to Lollipop 5.1.1 but don't think that included this...

LDAC is for now, Xperia Z3+ (Z4 in Japan) & Xperia Z4 Tablet exclusive. No word on porting them to Z3-Z2 series yet

 

[RockStar2005]

elektron, howard, orion, etc., 
 
For the life of me, I now can't find anything that says that the 1ABTs actually HAS ClearAudio+ baked into it. I don't know where I'd seen it originally, but now nothing. I don't know if Sony had edited their Sony Store product page for it, but there's nothing there on it at all now about that. The UK Sony Store page for the 1ABTs doesn't mention it either. Ughh! 
 
However, DSEE HX still IS listed as a feature, and no clear way to disable it is listed either. There is a chance that it only can be enabled if you have a Sony player controlling it, but I don't know. If that was the case, the description on their product page would say "Must have Sony player to activate". One factor to consider is that DSEE HX is ONLY enabled even on the A17 Walkman when the content being played is BELOW Hi-Res (which means the content is BELOW 24-bit/44.1kHz, or CD-Quality or lower). So when playing Hi-Res content, even if DSEE HX is on, it won't be used b/c it's not needed.
 
Of course, I am not a believer that you can hear ANY audible difference as long as your content is above mp3, but that the only reason for a difference in sound quality is that Hi-Res albums are made by producers or engineers who take greater care or put more attention into the finished master/remaster. I've done my own ABX blind tests and even though I went into it thinking the resolution does matter, I was proven very much incorrect. Publications such as this article also further allude to this fact: 
 
"But Montgomery counters that even a properly encoded MP3 can satisfy most listeners. And while other audio experts we talked to wouldn’t go as far as Montgomery, many are dubious about the added quality of high-resolution audio.
Nevertheless, there could still be value to high-resolution audio, and the Boston Audio Society study offers a clue as to why. Toward the end of the paper, the authors suggest that sound engineers often put more care and attention into higher-resolution recordings than they do to mass market CD releases.

Dr. Sean Olive, President of the Audio Engineering Society and Director of Acoustic Research for Harman International, agrees. “I’ve heard some wonderful CDs, but I’ve also heard some wonderful 24/96 files,” Olive said. “I really think the difference is how well they’re recorded and mastered.”

 

These are still great headphones in that the 1As I own are fantastic and very well-rated, and they have LDAC (triple the bandwidth of regular Bluetooth so less chance of compression and data loss) too which is great as well. I guess if you're JUST playing Hi-Res content, you have nothing to worry about. lol You can simply downsample any Hi-Res you have to 24-bit/44.1kHz, and it will still be recognized as Hi-Res. This Hi-Res U2 album I own further proves this point of what stands for the lowest resolution in existence that's still considered Hi-Res. 

 

[329161]

Does anyone know if the previous flagship dap - the zx1 will be enabled with ldac ability in an update? I'm interested in buying the 1abt for this feature but I don't want to buy another dap after just 1 year.

Thanks

 

[Whitigir]

Does anyone know if the previous flagship dap - the zx1 will be enabled with ldac ability in an update? I'm interested in buying the 1abt for this feature but I don't want to buy another dap after just 1 year.

Thanks

Only those with later production than 2014 will have the "LDAC feature" as per "Sony" of now.  There is unclear weather or not the next firmware upgrade would include "LDAC" as of yet for those earlier products such as Xperia Z3 phone and or NW-ZX1 walkman player.

 

[329161]

Only those with later production than 2014 will have the "LDAC feature" as per "Sony" of now.

Thanks for the reply. How did you come about this info? I couldn't find it anywhere on their site.

 

[RockStar2005]

dcfac, 
 
The Sony Walkman A17 was released in October of 2014, as was the Sony Xperia Z3 (actually Z3 was September, but didn't reach the States until late October. I should know, I got it THE DAY it came out from T-Mobile lol). I know for a FACT that the most recent update from this past Spring for the A17 includes LDAC capability, so that's for sure. I have the Z3, and as of yet, I have not seen anything to indicate that it will get LDAC, but that doesn't mean it won't for sure. I'm not holding my breath though. lol I had the A17 Walkman which was just great, but then I decided that for me, having one device was more practical than 2. I may change my mind again, but prob not for a long time. After much research, I now pair my Z3 with the highly revered Celsus Sound Companion One amp/DAC, which comes with Wi-Fi (not lower quality Bluetooth) streaming. It cost $595, but it's actually rated as having BETTER sound quality than amp/DACs or amp/DAC players TWICE its price, including the Oppo HA-1 and the $1200 Sony Walkman NW-ZX2 (which is now $989).  
 
The ZX1 Walkman was released in December of 2013, so it MIGHT get the LDAC update, but I would say it's less likely since it came out in 2013. If you really want LDAC though, my advice would be to sell your ZX1 and just buy the $300 Sony Walkman A17. I've actually seen at least one review (scroll down to bottom chart) that rated it better "where it counts" than the ZX1, though that's just my interpretation. Then you could save some money and also pair the A17 Walkman with the 1ABTs, and let us all know here how it sounds vs other Bluetooth headphones perhaps. (Please read my last post for an update on the 1ABTs.)

 

[Sonyvores]

Does anyone know if the previous flagship dap - the zx1 will be enabled with ldac ability in an update? I'm interested in buying the 1abt for this feature but I don't want to buy another dap after just 1 year.

Thanks

Unfortunately no. (hardware requirement)

 

[Sonyvores]

For the life of me, I now can't find anything that says that the 1ABTs actually HAS ClearAudio+ baked into it. I don't know where I'd seen it originally, but now nothing. I don't know if Sony had edited their Sony Store product page for it, but there's nothing there on it at all now about that. The UK Sony Store page for the 1ABTs doesn't mention it either. Ughh! 

However, DSEE HX still IS listed as a feature, and no clear way to disable it is listed either. There is a chance that it only can be enabled if you have a Sony player controlling it, but I don't know. If that was the case, the description on their product page would say "Must have Sony player to activate". One factor to consider is that DSEE HX is ONLY enabled even on the A17 Walkman when the content being played is BELOW Hi-Res (which means the content is BELOW 24-bit/44.1kHz, or CD-Quality or lower). So when playing Hi-Res content, even if DSEE HX is on, it won't be used b/c it's not needed.

Never heard of Clear Audio+ for 1ABT, I think you're mistaken.
The headphone only have DSSE regular version, not the HX one. It is automatically turned on when you use Bluetooth connection except if player device sends LDAC signal.

 

[Whitigir]

Never heard of Clear Audio+ for 1ABT, I think you're mistaken.
The headphone only have DSSE regular version, not the HX one. It is automatically turned on when you use Bluetooth connection except if player device sends LDAC signal.

That is what I thought, but I couldn't verify it myself. Thanks again for clarifying it is a regular S-Master instead of HX. So, then in fact it built in S-Master is not even on par with A-17, which makes complete sense.