[fish1050]

Well, it's obviously a matter of speculation. Your points are well reasoned, but it's based on speculation. The truth is, only some people at Sony know why they took so long to enable AptX (and AptX HD) on the WM1Z/A, and I think your guess is a pretty good one...

...but it could also be that we don't know about some deal Sony made (formally or perhaps informally) to enable AptX on any current players that have the chip, and the A30 series, in the US, is still a current version.

It is strange that the A10, A20, and now the A40 have AptX, and yet the WM1 did not, and the A30 series still does not, given that the WM1 and A30 came out in the same year -- it makes me think that given their history supporting AptX (and so obviously having the chip) and the WM1 getting AptX later, and thus proving it at least had the Qualcomm chip all along, that it's highly likely that the A30 series has the chip, too -- but I'll agree that it's unknown as to whether Sony thinks its necessary to enable it or hope it drives up sales of the A40, but I tend to doubt the latter, myself.

It's not like the A40 series is even readily available in the US, either. I did a search for it and found only a few places to even purchase it, and I'm not even convinced that any of those selling are US versions.

B&H still lists it as "pre-order." Accessory Jack is selling the Asia Pacific version.

And Sony itself, when you click on "Where to Buy" from the official product page, returns this sad, sad message -- granted they kind of stink at listing online retailers with stock, but my own independent search yielded nothing from major retailers, including those who still carry the A30 series (and sometimes even the A20 series):

https://www.sony.com/electronics/walkman/nw-a40-series/buy

EDIT: if they decided to enable it across the line (which would just leave the A30 series out currently), it's no surprise to me that they would first do it for the WM1, since that's a flagship, so that would explain to me why they haven't released it for the A30 at the same time.

My post isn't based solely on speculation as I had the opportunity to talk with a Sony sales rep on two separate occasions and heard two sales briefs. The first time was a couple of months after the A30 series was announced. The sales guys who were in the briefing were curious about AptX support on the A30 and why it was left out. Several customers had inquired whether it would be added at some point. The response although somewhat vague pointed to Sony negotiating with other manufacturers to license LDAC at a very cheap price. The gist was Sony wanted to highlight the LDAC codec on their 2017 models and initially felt that leaving AptX off would get more people to try LDAC. As to whether AptX could be activated on either the A30 series or WM he would not commit either way. After the briefing I had a chance to talk to him for a few minutes. I told him I was interested in the A35 but only if AptX would be available. He said to the best of his knowledge the A30 series was not capable of adding AptX. It was after this talk I chose to skip the A35 and wait for the A40 series.

The second opportunity was a sales briefing after the announcement of the A40 series. Once the sales rep confirmed that not only would the A40 series support AptX but also AptX HD with a later firmware update I knew the A45 would be my next DAP. Again I had a chance to talk to the rep alone for a few minutes and asked about Sony's decision to once again support AptX and AptX HD. He said he was not privy to all the details but he hinted that Sony's desire to get LDAC support on third party devices was partially contingent on Sony also supporting AptX and AptX HD on their devices. Basically no other manufacturer would support LDAC without also supported AptX and or AptX HD.

As for the WM series and AptX support I wasn't considering that model so I didn't really care if it supported AptX or not and never inquired.

 

[trellus]

My post isn't based solely on speculation as I had the opportunity to talk with a Sony sales rep on two separate occasions and heard two sales briefs. The first time
.
.
The second opportunity was a sales briefing after the announcement of the A40 series. Once the sales rep confirmed that not only would the A40 series support AptX but also AptX HD with a later firmware update I knew the A45 would be my next DAP. Again I had a chance to talk to the rep alone for a few minutes and asked about Sony's decision to once again support AptX and AptX HD. He said he was not privy to all the details but he hinted that Sony's desire to get LDAC support on third party devices was partially contingent on Sony also supporting AptX and AptX HD on their devices. Basically no other manufacturer would support LDAC without also supported AptX and or AptX HD.

Very interesting... that's actually exactly what my conjecture was, which is precisely why I think it stands to be updated in firmware for the A30 since it is the current model -- and Oreo has already been released, so presumably Sony would be expected to hold up their end of the bargain with current models.

I would be surprised if somehow on that, and only that DAP, the A30 series, they purposely picked a chip that does not have the capability for AptX, given their history of supporting it in the A series prior to that, and since then. It is unlikely that they would have gone through the trouble of finding a different part just for the A30 that couldn't do AptX. Possible, yes, since their was a substantial form factor and UI change from A20 series, but still doubtful.

It's far more likely that they simply chose to do what they did with the WM1 series -- not enable it in the firmware purposely.

 

[fish1050]

Very interesting... that's actually exactly what my conjecture was, which is precisely why I think it stands to be updated in firmware for the A30 since it is the current model -- and Oreo has already been released, so presumably Sony would be expected to hold up their end of the bargain with current models.

I would be surprised if somehow on that, and only that DAP, the A30 series, they purposely picked a chip that does not have the capability for AptX, given their history of supporting it in the A series prior to that, and since then. It is unlikely that they would have gone through the trouble of finding a different part just for the A30 that couldn't do AptX. Possible, yes, since their was a substantial form factor and UI change from A20 series, but still doubtful.

It's far more likely that they simply chose to do what they did with the WM1 series -- not enable it in the firmware purposely.

Sony didn't pick a chip to do bluetooth they make their own for LDAC and I would guess it supports the other non-AptX codecs. Adding AptX requires the Qualcomm chip so it would be a second chip to add AptX.

 

[trellus]

Sony didn't pick a chip to do bluetooth they make their own for LDAC and I would guess it supports the other non-AptX codecs. Adding AptX requires the Qualcomm chip so it would be a second chip to add AptX.

I could be wrong, but I don't think LDAC requires a proprietary chip (unlike aptX), given that Oreo seems to be adding LDAC support as standard, no? I doubt that there many (any?) non-Sony phones out there that are getting the Oreo update that have some special Sony chip in them that will suddenly become active.

It seems to me that LDAC codec is added as proprietary code, to Android OS itself in the case of Android devices, and possibly similarly in the Sony original OS, perhaps hardware-aided in the case of the latter, but in no case does it strike me as likely that they made a custom Bluetooth chip that implements LDAC on that chip. What would be the benefit of doing this? They certainly don't appear to have done that for the NW-WM1, since we know they enabled aptX with a firmware update later -- that probably means they have a Qualcomm chip and add LDAC support outside of that chip.

I think the Qualcomm approach for aptX is not exactly the approach Sony used for LDAC. I believe, in fact, it may be the case that rarely do manufacturers implement Bluetooth themselves (I believe AudioQuest did for their Beetle USB/Bluetooth DAC), certainly not for lower-end devices for reasons of cost, but rather usually get Bluetooth support from either Qualcomm (in which case it includes aptX) or some other chip maker making similar modules (without aptX). That being the case, I suspect that the NW-A35 implements LDAC outside of that Bluetooth chip (whether it's the Qualcomm with aptX or not).

Again, that makes me think it is likely that, given they support aptX basically in every other similar player released in the last few years, including two generations of predecessors to the A35, that they are using the same Qualcomm chip for Bluetooth (perhaps the CSR8645 for the A30 series), and adding in the LDAC support outside the Bluetooth chip, and simply chose not to enable it on the A30 series for the same reasons they didn't on the NW-WM1 series initially.

 

[trellus]

Sony didn't pick a chip to do bluetooth they make their own for LDAC and I would guess it supports the other non-AptX codecs. Adding AptX requires the Qualcomm chip so it would be a second chip to add AptX.

But of course the bottom line, @fish1050, is that I'm trying to justify my purchase and your dang facts aren't helping me.

Seriously, though, I admit my logic is at least 54.5% hope-fueled.

I am not going to be distressed if no AptX ever arrives on the A35, as I did avail myself of the $228 sale on the MDR-1000X so I'll have LDAC, which I'm sure will work on the A35, and of course the 1000X has (non-HD) AptX support for any other sources I might use (MacBook Pro, for instance) that support AptX.

 

[Hachiken]

I use sony Z5 paired with fiio e17k on my PC, it sounds like heaven. Problem is, the Z5 is quite demanding and not exactly easy to drive. I plugged Z5 to my galaxy note 4, it sounds like trash. I need a DAP for portability, and the A35 fits perfectly with my budget. but can anyone here confirms whether the A35 at least have the same oomph as the fiio e17k to drive a Z5? i don't really want to wait for A40 with its usb dac hub because i don't want to deal with the hassle of plugging-unplugging my fiio e17k from pc to dap. Thanks in advance

 

[fish1050]

But of course the bottom line, @fish1050, is that I'm trying to justify my purchase and your dang facts aren't helping me.

Seriously, though, I admit my logic is at least 54.5% hope-fueled.

I am not going to be distressed if no AptX ever arrives on the A35, as I did avail myself of the $228 sale on the MDR-1000X so I'll have LDAC, which I'm sure will work on the A35, and of course the 1000X has (non-HD) AptX support for any other sources I might use (MacBook Pro, for instance) that support AptX.

Sorry to keep bursting your bubble but you are not alone in being disappointed in the A30 series not having AptX support. I pretty much exhausted every avenue of inquiry available to me in the hopes AptX was coming to the A30 at some point. I sold alot of Sony products over the years and was often dumbfounded by some of Sony's product design choices. The fact my trusty A17 is now over three years old and offers 4x the memory and features the newer A35 does not for about the same price makes me shake my head. Bring on the A45 already and let me retire my A17 with dignity.

 

[trellus]

Sorry to keep bursting your bubble but you are not alone in being disappointed in the A30 series not having AptX support. I pretty much exhausted every avenue of inquiry available to me in the hopes AptX was coming to the A30 at some point. I sold alot of Sony products over the years and was often dumbfounded by some of Sony's product design choices. The fact my trusty A17 is now over three years old and offers 4x the memory and features the newer A35 does not for about the same price makes me shake my head. Bring on the A45 already and let me retire my A17 with dignity.

What did you think of the A20 series? I'm assuming you didn't upgrade to that because it offered little or nothing over the A10 series?

As for the lack of AptX support, yeah, it's a bummer, but at least with the MDR-1000x I'll have LDAC, and I'm frankly used to not having aptX support anyway since most of my Bluetooth headphones are being used most often at this point (I don't get the A35 until today, hopefully) with my iPhone, which of course famously does not have aptX either, although it does have AAC and many of my headphones do as well (Plantronics Backbeat Pro 2, Audio Technica SR5BT, Sony MDR-ZX770BN, and the 1000x when I get it later this week).

 

[Wiz33]

I use sony Z5 paired with fiio e17k on my PC, it sounds like heaven. Problem is, the Z5 is quite demanding and not exactly easy to drive. I plugged Z5 to my galaxy note 4, it sounds like trash. I need a DAP for portability, and the A35 fits perfectly with my budget. but can anyone here confirms whether the A35 at least have the same oomph as the fiio e17k to drive a Z5? i don't really want to wait for A40 with its usb dac hub because i don't want to deal with the hassle of plugging-unplugging my fiio e17k from pc to dap. Thanks in advance

You likely won't see much improvement with a A40. Look at the ZX300 and go balance output to bring the most out of the Z5,

 

[springbay]

From the FiiO Q1 MarkII thread

FiiO Release the WMport to Micro USB Digital Audio Cable L27 :http://www.fiio.net/en/story/612
By using a special designed adapter cable, you can connect from the WM-port of your Sony Walkman player to the Q1 Mark II.

My A30 from Amazon.de will arrive tomorrow. I guess I will buy this cable as well.

 

[fish1050]

What did you think of the A20 series? I'm assuming you didn't upgrade to that because it offered little or nothing over the A10 series?

As for the lack of AptX support, yeah, it's a bummer, but at least with the MDR-1000x I'll have LDAC, and I'm frankly used to not having aptX support anyway since most of my Bluetooth headphones are being used most often at this point (I don't get the A35 until today, hopefully) with my iPhone, which of course famously does not have aptX either, although it does have AAC and many of my headphones do as well (Plantronics Backbeat Pro 2, Audio Technica SR5BT, Sony MDR-ZX770BN, and the 1000x when I get it later this week).

I never even looked at the A20 series as the only two differences from the A17 were the noise cancelling feature and slightly better eq neither of which I would use. Not to mention Sony wanting $550.00 CDN for the A37hn to get the same amount of memory as the A17 ($250.00 more). Forcing people to take the noise cancelling earbuds to get the A27 at least in Canada yet another head scratching decision by Sony. Given how expensive audio gear is in Canada they should have offered the A27 without the earbuds and knocked off a $100.00. In fact you couldn't even buy the A25 in Canada, your only options were the A26hn and A27hn. It is almost like Sony didn't want Canadians to buy their A series.

Unfortunately AptX is a must for me as both my bluetooth speakers I have currently are AptX and all my friends and relatives have non-Sony bluetooth speakers with AptX. I briefly considered getting the Cayin N3 or the Shanling M2S but I had terrible experiences with Chinese audio gear when I was in sales and can't bring myself to pull the trigger on a Chinese made DAP. But if the A40 series hadn't brought back AptX they would have been my only upgrade options for my budget.

 

[trellus]

I never even looked at the A20 series as the only two differences from the A17 were the noise cancelling feature and slightly better eq neither of which I would use. Not to mention Sony wanting $550.00 CDN for the A37hn to get the same amount of memory as the A17 ($250.00 more). Forcing people to take the noise cancelling earbuds to get the A27 at least in Canada yet another head scratching decision by Sony. Given how expensive audio gear is in Canada they should have offered the A27 without the earbuds and knocked off a $100.00. In fact you couldn't even buy the A25 in Canada, your only options were the A26hn and A27hn. It is almost like Sony didn't want Canadians to buy their A series.

Unfortunately AptX is a must for me as both my bluetooth speakers I have currently are AptX and all my friends and relatives have non-Sony bluetooth speakers with AptX. I briefly considered getting the Cayin N3 or the Shanling M2S but I had terrible experiences with Chinese audio gear when I was in sales and can't bring myself to pull the trigger on a Chinese made DAP. But if the A40 series hadn't brought back AptX they would have been my only upgrade options for my budget.

I know what you mean about the Chinese-made DAPs... I have a FiiO X1 (1st gen) and while I really think it’s superb (sounding especially) for the price, it took a few firmware updates to become stable and the UI is only what I’d call “adequate.”

This A35 I just got today isn’t as powerful for certain as my X1, but so far I’m liking the smooth experience. I’ve updated the firmware to 1.20 (came with 1.02) and the UI responsiveness definitely improved.

 

[kova4a]

Btw, xduoo is also releasing a portable DAC for sony players - looks like it will stack great with a30 and a40 series http://www.xduoo.com/xduoo/ProductView.Asp?ID=26
Now that\s something that might make me reconsider using my a35 instead of going in someone's sock for Xmas

 

[superuser1]

Btw, xduoo is also releasing a portable DAC for sony players - looks like it will stack great with a30 and a40 series http://www.xduoo.com/xduoo/ProductView.Asp?ID=26
Now that\s something that might make me reconsider using my a35 instead of going in someone's sock for Xmas

The Poke looks really interesting!

 

[fish1050]

I know what you mean about the Chinese-made DAPs... I have a FiiO X1 (1st gen) and while I really think it’s superb (sounding especially) for the price, it took a few firmware updates to become stable and the UI is only what I’d call “adequate.”

This A35 I just got today isn’t as powerful for certain as my X1, but so far I’m liking the smooth experience. I’ve updated the firmware to 1.20 (came with 1.02) and the UI responsiveness definitely improved.

Yeah I ended up getting a Fiio Q1 to pair with my A17 for the extra power I need. Through HO they sound really good together and the 30 hours battery life of the Q1 amp only is close my A17 battery life. I demoed the A35 without my Q1 and the power was adequate with my headphones but still a little weak on some of my oldies music which is low volume. If I do need the Q1 with the A45 they should stack pretty well together as the dimensions are close.

Let me know how you find the A35 once you have a chance to burn it in a little. I got to demo a well used salesman sample of the A35 and it did sound quite good to me with my music. I found my A17/Q1 combo sounded very close sound wise to the A35 by itself. I demoed the X1 and X3 first gen before I got my A17. I definitely found the Fiio Dap's clunky to use vs my A17 and I preferred the Sony sound as well. At this point I have given up on Fiio for DAP's and would only consider Cayin or Shanling if I had to get a non-Sony DAP.