[Jonathan-Mac]

FYI Amazon UK has the black version at 129 GBP today: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sony-Resol.../B01NBSVZK7/ref=pe_2118791_224921601_dotd_h_t

Blue and yellow versions are 20 GBP more but not too bad a deal.

Remember to hack the maximum volume if you buy.

 

[trellus]

I’m hoping there is a version 2.0 firmware forthcoming that brings aptX to the NW-A30 series, similar to the 2.0 firmware that was released by Sony on 11-09-2017 for the WM1A that added aptX and aptX HD support.

 

[fish1050]

I’m hoping there is a version 2.0 firmware forthcoming that brings aptX to the NW-A30 series, similar to the 2.0 firmware that was released by Sony on 11-09-2017 for the WM1A that added aptX and aptX HD support.

I would think Sony would have released it by now if they were going to do it. With the A40 series starting to become available I suspect Sony won't bother adding AptX to the A30 series to give people more reason to upgrade

 

[trellus]

I would think Sony would have released it by now if they were going to do it. With the A40 series starting to become available I suspect Sony won't bother adding AptX to the A30 series to give people more reason to upgrade

You are probably right and that's why I am either (1) getting the NW-A26HN even though it's old and moldy -- but it has aptX or (2) waiting for the NW-AH40 series to become available at Best Buy since it has aptX already.

 

[gazzington]

Seeing these on a deal. Are they a step up from a colorfly c3? Also what portable headphones pair well with the a35?

 

[fish1050]

You are probably right and that's why I am either (1) getting the NW-A26HN even though it's old and moldy -- but it has aptX or (2) waiting for the NW-AH40 series to become available at Best Buy since it has aptX already.

Yeah I would go for the A45 especially now that the latest firmware adds AptX HD support. I can't bring myself to get an A20 series DAP as it offers nothing I need over my A17 which is still going strong. I bypassed the A30 series as it actually seemed a step back feature wise to my 3 year old A17. Glad to see Sony came to their senses and brought back AptX and upped the anty with AptX HD support.

 

[Robato]

Can it be because the apple buds are, hmm, sub-par? At least you shouldn't compare them to the ety hf5, they are not in the same ballpark.

assuming the apple buds sound can be produced normally on the NW-A35, I also put my money on HF5. what I mean is, it's like the sound just can't come out, like when you insert headphone jack halfway on a DAP. Kinda weird because the apple buds work flawlessly on my DX50.

 

[pchandy]

For the new software version I want
- Ability to check time without going into settings/device/time and date.
- I want better battery icon with more steps or percentage.
- A small keyboard to change playlists name and search songs at east only by name.(If possible)
- Album arts can still show up on the line up menu.
- UI can be same as A40 series (they are a little bit diffrent including now playing section)
- Deleting more than 1 folders or playlists or songs from bookmark or playlist in 1 step.

But Most importantly;
- I want flat sound (out of the box) without needing to eq lows and highs.
- Fixing the problem inconsistent lag occurs when using the side buttons or screen buttons.
- Fixing the lag when player is trying to play next song and screen on button is pressed on almost at the same time, screen turns on with almost 2 full seconds of delay causing wheater I pressed it or not and sometimes pressing of the same button for several times and lengthening the lag more.
- General scrolling lag (stutter) and loading the album arts.
- If you want to see a song's properties or you want delete it from the bookmark lists the scrollbar hits at the same spot, you cannot touch it until the scroll bar fades. Especially happpens with the last song on the bookmark list.
And fix of my biggest problem which drives me crazy:


I really wish Apple had a sound focused player with support for diffrent files.

Dude I have gone through 1-138pages on this forum and it's like you desperately want to talk down this amazing DAP in favour of a samsung or a an apple smartphone. Do yourself a favour and get something you like instead. There is no smartphone out there that could rival a dedicated DAP (LG V-series could be an exception). I don't own a fancy IEM or a Can, but I do buy DSD files to listen and with my V-Moda Zn, this player just trumps my XPS, Cowon j3, NWZ-A864. No complaints so far and I am still on firmware 1.01 because I bought this beast just listen to pure music without artificial tweaks.
IT JUST WORKS

 

[pchandy]

I also own an IE80, Focal Sphere IEM, Sony MDREX750NC along with V-Moda Zn. All of these IEMs sound amazing with A35. They do sound good with other DAPS too except EX750. When the 750 is connected to Sony DAP, it just somehow transform into a great IEM.
Have also tried my brother's XBA-Z5s and now I am on a mission to save £ to get myself a pair. XBA-Z5 is just nuts coupled with A35. The sounstage, separation, clarity, airiness, details etc are crazy good with the Z5 + A35

 

[HAWX]

Dude I have gone through 1-138pages on this forum and it's like you desperately want to talk down this amazing DAP in favour of a samsung or a an apple smartphone. Do yourself a favour and get something you like instead. There is no smartphone out there that could rival a dedicated DAP (LG V-series could be an exception). I don't own a fancy IEM or a Can, but I do buy DSD files to listen and with my V-Moda Zn, this player just trumps my XPS, Cowon j3, NWZ-A864. No complaints so far and I am still on firmware 1.01 because I bought this beast just listen to pure music without artificial tweaks.
IT JUST WORKS

Dude, that's your opinion and your usage style. And I respect that. But my opinions are 100% from my actual personal usage of the device. And I am happy to hear that this is the best DAP amongs others you used. I wrote what I like this device and what I don't. Yes I was a bit aggressive because almobst nobody had critisized just a tiny bit amount of the device's sound signature and I trusted about 100 pages of head-fi comments. I got quite raged when I found out the device had strong sound signature compared to modern flagships and entry level soundcards. I haven't said this device is bad, I just said It could have been much better by looking at It's coloration in the very highs and very lows. I haven't said anywhere that X smartphone is totally better A35.

BTW I don't know about you but I bought this phone almost as the same price as the Asus ZenPhone 3. And It's still is in my country. (Before Black Friday) Amazon don't ship to my country most of the time. And trust me I could barely afford it. If I had money, I could have already sold the device and gone for higher end device. BTW hear from me this device is better in the mid section and clarity in the mid section than V30. I have'nt tried my self but I have seen many people's comment here and else.

Respect<=>Respect

 

[pchandy]

Dude, that's your opinion and your usage style. And I respect that. But my opinions are 100% from my actual personal usage of the device. And I am happy to hear that this is the best DAP amongs others you used. I wrote what I like this device and what I don't. Yes I was a bit aggressive because almobst nobody had critisized just a tiny bit amount of the device's sound signature and I trusted about 100 pages of head-fi comments. I got quite raged when I found out the device had strong sound signature compared to modern flagships and entry level soundcards. I haven't said this device is bad, I just said It could have been much better by looking at It's coloration in the very highs and very lows. I haven't said anywhere that X smartphone is totally better A35.

BTW I don't know about you but I bought this phone almost as the same price as the Asus ZenPhone 3. And It's still is in my country. (Before Black Friday) Amazon don't ship to my country most of the time. And trust me I could barely afford it. If I had money, I could have already sold the device and gone for higher end device. BTW hear from me this device is better in the mid section and clarity in the mid section than V30. I have'nt tried my self but I have seen many people's comment here and else.

Respect<=>Respect

Never meant any disrespect. Just wondered why you kept complaining. If no one in 100 odd pages here complained about the sound signature and you weren't happy means it's just an amazing product considering its price point. It's just not for your specific taste.
Anyways I will advise you to get a Cowon dap as it would probably have massive number of sound EQ settings and might get to the signature your prefer.

 

[HAWX]

Actually my taste is not being spesific but general in this regard. I like flat sound. Almost all the phones I have tried after 2014 have flat sound. Except Xperia's. Here is the proof.

Xperia Z vs htc one: https://www.gsmarena.com/htc_one_vs_xperia_z-review-917p6.php
XZ Ppremium: https://www.gsmarena.com/sony_xperia_xz_premium-review-1610p7.php#aq
S7 edge: https://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_galaxy_s7_edge-review-1409p8.php#aq

And If you ever had an Sony headphones they do the same tuning to their headphones. On MDR 1A, hear.on and even in their legacy model Z1R. Here is the proof:
MDR 1A ,
https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/sony-mdr-1a-premium-hi-res-stereo-headphones.20316/

Z1R:
"At first blush the MDR-Z1R sounds like a warm warm headphone with some treble emphasis—a bit smilie face, but not bad. May brain never did get around to accommodating though.
The bass is a bit too strong and remains emphasized too far into the midrange giving it a thick character. A moderately withdrawn presence region adds some veil to the thick bass. A lack of energy 4-6kHz leaves cymbals lacking body, and a big peak at 10kHz add too much zing to everything and, while not piercing as would a 5kHz be, becomes significantly fatiguing over time."
Read more at https://www.innerfidelity.com/conte...ver-ear-headphones-page-2#RRSZerJwvmV0M5tp.99

https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/sony-mdr-z1r.21971/reviews "Cons - sound signature not for everyone"


And about your compliment, yes people haven't said in this froum, but some have in the A40 forum.

cagas said: "Any reviews on SQ ? i just got mine, clarity soundstage is decent. (wouldnt consider myself an audiophile) but compared to my PHA-1A, the bass impact and thump seems lacking, esp in classic rock with drum solos. This is my first DAP though so i cant compare to anything than my Galaxy S8."

themindfreak said: "Compared to my LG V20, it does indeed lack bass impact and depth however the staging is wider and treble is much more emphasized which sometimes stings my ears if the track has been mastered hot"

It has been said diffrence between the A30 series and A40 series are very minor.
And no I don't want equalastion option at first place, my priority is FLAT SOUND OUT OF THE BOX.If It is not flat sounding, then I apply equalisation to fix compansate for it.
But what I say is that It should be the opposite. That's what audiophilie product is most of the time.
There is a reason why many people hate beats headphones. Yes they are fashion statemetns along with their high price, but main problem comes from they are being colored.

If you and 100 pages of praise can't hear or resolve any diffrence than that's another story. I hope someone do the measurement tests with A30 or A40 series soon. I stand my claims.

 

[imparanoic]

Dude I have gone through 1-138pages on this forum and it's like you desperately want to talk down this amazing DAP in favour of a samsung or a an apple smartphone. Do yourself a favour and get something you like instead. There is no smartphone out there that could rival a dedicated DAP (LG V-series could be an exception). I don't own a fancy IEM or a Can, but I do buy DSD files to listen and with my V-Moda Zn, this player just trumps my XPS, Cowon j3, NWZ-A864. No complaints so far and I am still on firmware 1.01 because I bought this beast just listen to pure music without artificial tweaks.
IT JUST WORKS

actually, LG V series although quite decent, still significant different a dedicated digital audio player, but the gap is that huge, however, onkyo DP-CMX1 can rival in performance to quite a few mid range dedicated digital audio player, but as a phone, not every can live with it's mid range specification

 

[eaglesgift]

Actually my taste is not being spesific but general in this regard. I like flat sound. Almost all the phones I have tried after 2014 have flat sound. Except Xperia's. Here is the proof.

Xperia Z vs htc one: https://www.gsmarena.com/htc_one_vs_xperia_z-review-917p6.php
XZ Ppremium: https://www.gsmarena.com/sony_xperia_xz_premium-review-1610p7.php#aq
S7 edge: https://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_galaxy_s7_edge-review-1409p8.php#aq

And If you ever had an Sony headphones they do the same tuning to their headphones. On MDR 1A, hear.on and even in their legacy model Z1R. Here is the proof:
MDR 1A ,
https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/sony-mdr-1a-premium-hi-res-stereo-headphones.20316/

Z1R:
"At first blush the MDR-Z1R sounds like a warm warm headphone with some treble emphasis—a bit smilie face, but not bad. May brain never did get around to accommodating though.
The bass is a bit too strong and remains emphasized too far into the midrange giving it a thick character. A moderately withdrawn presence region adds some veil to the thick bass. A lack of energy 4-6kHz leaves cymbals lacking body, and a big peak at 10kHz add too much zing to everything and, while not piercing as would a 5kHz be, becomes significantly fatiguing over time."
Read more at https://www.innerfidelity.com/conte...ver-ear-headphones-page-2#RRSZerJwvmV0M5tp.99

https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/sony-mdr-z1r.21971/reviews "Cons - sound signature not for everyone"


And about your compliment, yes people haven't said in this froum, but some have in the A40 forum.

cagas said: "Any reviews on SQ ? i just got mine, clarity soundstage is decent. (wouldnt consider myself an audiophile) but compared to my PHA-1A, the bass impact and thump seems lacking, esp in classic rock with drum solos. This is my first DAP though so i cant compare to anything than my Galaxy S8."

themindfreak said: "Compared to my LG V20, it does indeed lack bass impact and depth however the staging is wider and treble is much more emphasized which sometimes stings my ears if the track has been mastered hot"

It has been said diffrence between the A30 series and A40 series are very minor.
And no I don't want equalastion option at first place, my priority is FLAT SOUND OUT OF THE BOX.If It is not flat sounding, then I apply equalisation to fix compansate for it.
But what I say is that It should be the opposite. That's what audiophilie product is most of the time.
There is a reason why many people hate beats headphones. Yes they are fashion statemetns along with their high price, but main problem comes from they are being colored.

If you and 100 pages of praise can't hear or resolve any diffrence than that's another story. I hope someone do the measurement tests with A30 or A40 series soon. I stand my claims.

So if you like a neutral sound and you knew that all Sony audio products tend to be bass heavy/warm, why did you buy this DAP? Not trying to be antagonistic, I'm just confused.

 

[pchandy]

So if you like a neutral sound and you knew that all Sony audio products tend to be bass heavy/warm, why did you buy this DAP? Not trying to be antagonistic, I'm just confused.

Exactly. If a product from certain brand doesn't cater to my needs, I wouldn't buy it and then dedicate my time dissing it on its own thread unless I have an ulterior motive.