[MrWalkman]

For anyone interested, the A40 Reloaded mod was also done for the A30.

It's available here: https://www.head-fi.org/threads/new-sony-nw-a30-series.815843/post-15841972

 

[HeyManslowdown97]

Here is the A40 playing a DSD file and a FLAC file using the WMC-NWH10 USB adapter, to a FiiO BTR5. No downsampling.

ha, ha because the Fiio BTR is DAC/Amp when you connect it via USB 3.0 the XMOS 8 core IS now the DAC Output analog output not the Walkman. The data is raw or DoP it’s in the USB functionality. If you go into the DSD settings. I don’t think 4 core Cpu can handle the computations without overheating or delays because of buffer speeds.

“Over USB decoding is an XMOS XUF208 chipset is implemented for UAC 2.0 asynchronous USB decoding, with a 384kHz sampling rate and DSD native decoding supported“ on the Fiio BTR5.

I have the ifi hip dac it has a USB 3.0 and it’s about 40 buck more does the same thing.

it’s downsampled or not decoded in the stock DAC of the Walkman at 48/16.
DAC= Digital to Analog Converter.

 

[MrWalkman]

it’s downsampled or not decoded in the stock DAC of the Walkman at 48/16.

Nope, it is not. I am actually able to check the current bit rate and sample rate at which the S-Master is running, and they always match the source, in case of the Walkman OS.

 

[MrWalkman]

ha, ha because the Fiio BTR is DAC/Amp when you connect it via USB 3.0 the XMOS 8 core IS now the DAC Output analog output not the Walkman.

You said:
"If you use the nw-a45 as Usb Dac, it will show the output as 48/16 that’s what it outputs regardless what source."

It doesn't work like this on Walkman OS players when using them as USB DAC. The sample rate is decided by the source, which in your case is the computer. You would need to use something like ASIO or WASAPI if you want the sample and bit rate changed according to the song you're playing. Otherwise, everything will be played at the standard 16 bit/48 kHz sample rate that the Windows is setting.


Here is the A45 playing at 192 kHz sample rate, after changing it from the Windows sound settings for the USB DAC sound card that is created.

Spoiler

Here it is while playing a MQA through Tidal, after enabling "Exclusive mode" for the Walkman USB DAC sound card. The 2x MQA unfolding is done by the Tidal software, and the sample rate is changed automatically by Tidal.

Spoiler

I assumed you know about this, so I could only think that you're talking about the USB output mode, and not actually about the USB DAC.

DAC= Digital to Analog Converter.

Well, thanks for clearing that up...

 

[HeyManslowdown97]

You said:
"If you use the nw-a45 as Usb Dac, it will show the output as 48/16 that’s what it outputs regardless what source."

It doesn't work like this on Walkman OS players when using them as USB DAC. The sample rate is decided by the source, which in your case is the computer. You would need to use something like ASIO or WASAPI if you want the sample and bit rate changed according to the song you're playing. Otherwise, everything will be played at the standard 16 bit/48 kHz sample rate that the Windows is setting.


Here is the A45 playing at 192 kHz sample rate, after changing it from the Windows sound settings for the USB DAC sound card that is created.

Spoiler

Here it is while playing a MQA through Tidal, after enabling "Exclusive mode" for the Walkman USB DAC sound card. The 2x MQA unfolding is done by the Tidal software, and the sample rate is changed automatically by Tidal.

Spoiler

I assumed you know about this, so I could only think that you're talking about the USB output mode, and not actually about the USB DAC.




Well, thanks for clearing that up...

Oh brother. It’s has to do with internal clocks and how cpu computes the oversampling. It’s not multi-bit.

And again USB 3.0 from a windows sound card.

88.2 is 44.1 x 2, 88.2 * 2 176

96 is 48 x 2 96*2 192

All multiples of 44.1 and 48

You’ve have the measure the output from the analog stage not the digital inputs.

 

[godfall]

Hello, a little update is here.



Changes:

- the player will now load progressive JPEG and interlaced PNG album covers
All album covers should now show up fine. No more conversions of progressive JPEGs to
baseline JPEGs, or of interlaced PNGs to non interlaced PNGs.
Thanks to @Vrilly for the tip!

- no more just waiting for the player to turn on with nothing on the screen, when the battery is empty
When trying to turn on the player while the battery is empty, we'll now see a battery empty
image instead of nothing. Also, when charging the player while the battery is empty, we'll now
see a charging battery image instead of nothing. Once there will be enough battery, the player
will start up automatically, like before.
This change is not reversible by installing the stock firmware!




The Model Switcher also received a little update. When the tool cannot find a certain Windows tool that helps finding the letter for the Internal Storage of the player, it will ask you to enter that letter manually instead.


Link to firmware in the main post: CLICK

hi, thanks for this mod.
btw, just for clarification, i have the 2.0 version, and regarding this update, the current firmware files on the link is 1.1 and the model switcher is 2.0,
what's the latest firmware on the two, the 1.1 or the 2.0?

 

[MrWalkman]

Oh brother. It’s has to do with internal clocks. And again USB 3.0 from a windows sound card.

88.2 is 44.1 x 2

96 is 48 x 2

You’ve have the measure the output from the analog stage not the digital.

Again, you mentioned "If you use the nw-a45 as Usb Dac, it will show the output as 48/16" - by saying "it will show", I assume you mean that you will see on the display 48/16.

I didn't understand from this that you are talking about the analog stage here.

Also, the BTR5 was connected via that adapter to the WM Port of the player, which is USB 2.0.

You’ve have the measure the output from the analog stage not the digital inputs.

I can tell you 100% that the internal sound card is running at the sample rate of the source file. For DSD, it is converted to PCM, but it's running at 352.8 or 384 kHz.

hi, thanks for this mod.
btw, just for clarification, i have the 2.0 version, and regarding this update, the current firmware files on the link is 1.1 and the model switcher is 2.0,
what's the latest firmware on the two, the 1.1 or the 2.0?

In "Model Switcher 2.0", the 2.0 is the version of the switcher, and not that of the firmware.

The internal version of the firmware is indeed 2.0, but the version of the mod is 1.1 basically, this was the train of thought.

I didn't want to start changing the internal 2.0 to 2.1 or stuff like that.

 

[godfall]

In "Model Switcher 2.0", the 2.0 is the version of the switcher, and not that of the firmware.

The internal version of the firmware is indeed 2.0, but the version of the mod is 1.1 basically, this was the train of thought.

I didn't want to start changing the internal 2.0 to 2.1 or stuff like that.

i see, thanks for the fast reply. additional, can i install it over the reloaded firmware or do i need to revert back on the stock before installing the updated version?

 

[MrWalkman]

i see, thanks for the fast reply. additional, can i install it over the reloaded firmware or do i need to revert back on the stock before installing the updated version?

Yes, you can just install it over.

 

[HeyManslowdown97]

I can tell you 100% that the internal sound card is running at the sample rate of the source file. For DSD, it is converted to PCM, but it's running at 352.8 or 384 kHz.

Fair enough, life’s too short. Thanks for the modded firmware update.

 

[sagibful]

Hey Man Please Slow Down. Feels like you don't own a Sony DAP (DAP = Digital Audio Player), since you're just copy-pasting theoretical assumptions from unofficial sources.

 

[MrWalkman]

Hey Man Please Slow Down. Feels like you don't own a Sony DAP (Digital Audio Player), since you're just copy-pasting theoretical assumptions from unofficial sources.

It's ok, he is talking about the info from here: https://thewalkmanblog.blogspot.com/2019/10/what-soc-is-sony-using.html

But this info is for the Android Walkmans only, the A100 and the ZX500 ones.

Funnily enough, the Walkman OS players (A30/A40/A50/WM1/DMP-Z1) are using a dual-core SoC compared to the quad-core SoC that is present in the A100 and the ZX500.

 

[HeyManslowdown97]

Funnily enough, the Walkman OS players (A30/A40/A50/WM1/DMP-Z1) are using a dual-core SoC compared to the quad-core SoC that is present in the A100 and the ZX500.

Because the DAC topology is different. It’s most likely FPGA based on AI much like Google’s TPU technology they use in their camera technology and Sony itself uses with their flagship cameras, TVs or video and It’s machine learning and the firmware controls all the filter. Less hardware needed!

Most DACs on the market are Delta Sigma modulators they ALL downsampling. The only reason you’ve oversample is to get rid of quantization errors to lower noise and distortion in the SNC.

The Sony Walkman has two internal clocks one at 45.152 MHz and 49.1584 MHz.

So let’s you are playing a flac at 88.2 which is 44.1 * 2= 88.2 it’s goes to the 45.152MHz clock downsampled in analog signal your headphones NOT your streaming via digital.

Now let’s take a 96 flac which would be 48 * 2= 96. It goes to be clocked to 49.1584MHz downsampled in analog signal your headphones NOT your streaming via digital.


Lastly, 99% of all music is released physically or digital at Red Book standard 44.1/16 which is NOT high res. The 16 bit is not high resolution because it starts at 24 and up. That’s considered True “High Res”.

Delta Sigma modulators do not do multi-bit so that’s why they are upsampled like DSD to faster streaming sampling rate at a lower bit rite at 1 bit.

 

[MrWalkman]

In March, they added a High-Res Streaming function.

https://helpguide.sony.net/dmp/nwzx500/v1/en/contents/TP0002936004.html

What the guy on the blog was talking about, is that when you are using other apps other than the "Music player" app, the audio is down-sampled to 16/48, that is all. This was before they added the High-Res streaming option, which now just up-samples the audio to 32/192, so it basically "covers" any Hi-Res audio you might play with other apps, other than the "Music player" app.

ZX500/A100 and the other Walkman OS players are using the same S-Master HX chip, CXD3778GF.

So again, the whole 16/48 thing was about using other apps, like Tidal, or Qobuz. It's not a general thing related to playing any kind of file on the ZX500/A100 players.

 

[Vrilly]

Because the DAC topology is different. It’s most likely FPGA based on AI much like Google’s TPU technology they use in their camera technology and Sony itself uses with their flagship cameras, TVs or video and It’s machine learning and the firmware controls all the filter. Less hardware needed!

Most DACs on the market are Delta Sigma modulators they ALL downsampling. The only reason you’ve oversample is to get rid of quantization errors to lower noise and distortion in the SNC.

The Sony Walkman has two internal clocks one at 45.152 MHz and 49.1584 MHz.

So let’s you are playing a flac at 88.2 which is 44.1 * 2= 88.2 it’s goes to the 45.152MHz clock downsampled in analog signal your headphones NOT your streaming via digital.

Now let’s take a 96 flac which would be 48 * 2= 96. It goes to be clocked to 49.1584MHz downsampled in analog signal your headphones NOT your streaming via digital.


Lastly, 99% of all music is released physically or digital at Red Book standard 44.1/16 which is NOT high res. The 16 bit is not high resolution because it starts at 24 and up. That’s considered True “High Res”.

Delta Sigma modulators do not do multi-bit so that’s why they are upsampled like DSD to faster streaming sampling rate at a lower bit rite at 1 bit.

How would you know there are 2 internal master clocks attached to the DAC? Do you have access to some confidential data sheets? Did you measure the master clock on the PCB?

Most higher end DAC's run on one master clock or have an internal clock, and devide the clock internally if needed.

If you're going to have this discussion do it somewhere else as it gets less related to the walkmans.